The French National Agency for Medicines (ANSM) announced Friday that any doctor will be able to prescribe, for initiation or renewal, the GLP-1 drugs Wegovy (semaglutide), Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Saxenda (liraglutide) to treat obesity, starting June 23.
"This measure aims to facilitate more equitable access to these treatments, which are available only by prescription," the ANSM explained in a press release. Until now, the initial prescription for these medications had to be issued by a doctor specializing in endocrinology, diabetology, and nutrition, but renewals could be issued by any doctor.
The health authority warned at the end of May that it was considering expanding the conditions for prescribing and dispensing these drugs from the GLP-1 analogue class, which promote weight loss by imitating a digestive hormone.
In its press release, it said it had noted that "limiting the initial prescription to doctors specializing in endocrinology-diabetology-nutrition or those competent in nutrition may have hindered access for certain patients, due to sometimes significant delays in consulting a specialist."
These drugs are second-line treatments, meaning they should only be prescribed "in the event of failure of nutritional management, and in combination with a low-calorie diet and physical activity," recalls the ANSM.
They should "not be used for weight loss for cosmetic purposes, that is, for weight loss in people who are not overweight or obese and who do not have health problems related to being overweight" because such inappropriate uses can expose people to "sometimes serious adverse effects."
The agency thus maintains "high vigilance on the use of these drugs and reinforced and continuous monitoring of the risks associated with aGLP-1."
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