The High Authority for Health (HAS) has issued conditional favourable opinions for the reimbursement by the Health Insurance of the drug Mounjaro from the American pharmaceutical group Eli Lilly, prescribed for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The opinions on these two prescriptions, validated in mid-July by the drug evaluation commission, were made public on Friday 6 September, day X.
In the treatment of obesity, Mounjaro reimbursement is recommended “only in addition to a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity to control weight”.
It is recommended that this treatment “It should only be prescribed after consulting with a specialist in the treatment of obesity” in adults with an initial body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 35 kg/m² in the event of failure of a well-executed nutritional management (less than 5% weight loss at six months). The commission also judges “It is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment after six months and consider its possible discontinuation, especially in case of weight loss of less than 5%”.
In the absence of robust comparative data with other GLP-1 analogues prescribed for the treatment of obesity, Wegovy (semaglutide) or Saxenda (liraglutide), Mounjaro cannot be prioritised over these molecules, the HAS believes.
In type 2 diabetes, Mounjaro treatment has only been recommended “in adults for the treatment of insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes in addition to diet and physical activity”AND « in 2my line or 3my processing line ».
Mounjaro belongs to a class of drugs that mimic a gut hormone (GLP-1, short for glucan-like peptide 1), which stimulates insulin secretion and provides a feeling of satiety.
These new-generation drugs, which also include Wegovy and Ozempic from Denmark’s Novo Nordisk, are bringing hope to millions of people because they can lead to greater weight loss than previous treatments. They are a hit on social media and generate astronomical profits for the pharmaceutical companies that market them.
