PARIS, France: France will begin reimbursing weight-loss medications for severely obese patients from mid-June, becoming the first country in the European Union to offer state-backed coverage for the treatments, Health Minister Stephanie Rist said on May 28.

The move marks a major step in Europe's response to rising obesity rates and growing demand for new anti-obesity drugs such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro.

The injectable treatments, which have fuelled a global boom in obesity care, are currently available in France through prescription, but patients typically pay about 300 euros (US$348) per month out of pocket.

Rist said the annual cost to the French state could eventually reach about 100 million euros ($116 million) once the program is fully implemented.

"The target population is around one million people. However, this does not mean that everyone will receive the treatment, as it always depends on the individual case and the doctor's prescription," Rist told TF1 television.

Under the reimbursement plan, patients will qualify if they have a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 along with at least one obesity-related medical condition, or a BMI of 40 or higher, regardless of additional illnesses.

The French social security system will reimburse 65 percent of the treatment cost, though Rist said most eligible patients would effectively receive full coverage because of existing medical conditions linked to obesity.

Novo Nordisk France General Manager Etienne Tichit welcomed the decision, saying in emailed comments to Reuters that the move "addresses a growing public health challenge and the urgency of appropriate therapeutic care."

"This demonstrates the foresight and maturity of the French system, as well as its commitment to providing the resources required to tackle this chronic disease," Novo Nordisk President and CEO Mike Doustdar said in separate emailed comments.

Anti-obesity medications have been available in France since 2024 under medical prescription.

The market for obesity treatments has expanded rapidly worldwide as governments and healthcare systems look for ways to address rising rates of obesity and related illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have also launched oral versions of their obesity drugs in the United States as competition in the sector intensifies.

Last week, the European Medicines Agency recommended approval for Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill, potentially paving the way for the first oral weight-loss drug to become available in Europe.