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It is a hope for the eight million French people who suffer from obesity. A new drug, already available in the United States, has shown a certain effectiveness. A little more than 7,000 French patients were able to test it in preview, including Marie-Hélène who weighed 120 kilos.
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A new generation of treatments with unparalleled effectiveness in the fight against obesity is fueling the hopes of millions of patients around the world. Developed by the Danish laboratory Novo Nordisk, Wegovy is considered the spearhead of a therapeutic revolution. Based on the semaglutide molecule, this medication imitates a hormone secreted by the intestines (GLP-1 to name it) which stimulates insulin secretion and curbs the appetite by providing a feeling of satiety.
In other words, it acts as an appetite suppressant. This new treatment was approved in 2021 in the United States for obese and overweight people with comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or hypertension. In France, Wegovy has obtained marketing authorization against obesity, but the level of its reimbursement is still the subject of negotiations.
In the meantime, it has already been prescribed in a so-called early access procedure. Marie-Hélène is one of the 7,000 patients who received this new treatment for weight loss, even before its marketing in France. With an injectable pen, she administers the product herself every week. In just under two years, she lost 30 kilos. “VSit changed my life! When you weigh more than 120 kg, there are everyday things that are very hard to do“, she says, in the TF1 video above.
In a world where 4 billion people could be obese by 2035, the giants of the pharmaceutical industry are in a frantic race to find the most effective treatment. A drug from the Eli Lilly laboratory, based on another molecule, was marketed under the name Zepbound at the end of 2023 in the United States. Pfizer is looking to develop a similar treatment with tablets to swallow every day. And that’s just the beginning.
We are not on a drug that will allow you to lose three kilos before going to put on a swimsuit on the beach
We are not on a drug that will allow you to lose three kilos before going to put on a swimsuit on the beach
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If these new drugs are presented as a revolution, many doctors are concerned about the uncontrolled use of these treatments, which cannot be considered magic drugs. Health professionals insist that these treatments need to be integrated into overall obesity care. “A medicine is made to be used for an illness. We are not on a medication that will allow you to lose three kilos before going to put on a swimsuit on the beach. They can also have side effects, cause nausea, vomiting, digestive problems“, recalls Dr Emmanuelle Lecornet-Sokol, president of Fenarediam (French Federation of endocrino-diabetologists), in the video.
The editorial staff of TF1info
