Wegovy, Ozempic… Behind the expansion of the Novo Nordisk factory in Chartres, the worrying success of antidiabetics used as appetite suppressants

The Novo Nordisk laboratory, the world’s leading producer of insulin, is expanding its French factory in Chartres, in Eure-et-Loir. Two of its drugs have become very popular for their appetite suppressant properties. A success that worries health authorities.

This is a very large investment in France in the pharmaceutical field. The Danish laboratory Novo Nordisk is injecting 2.1 billion euros to expand its French factory in Chartres, in Eure-et-Loir. Novo Nordisk is the world’s leading producer of insulin, which diabetics need, but this drug is now widely used to combat obesity.

Novo Nordisk produces two very popular medications that help you lose weight: Wegovy and Ozempic, which is originally intended to fight diabetes but its use has been diverted for its appetite suppressant properties. On the social network TikTok, influencers film themselves injecting Ozempic. A year ago, Elon Musk said that these products had allowed him to lose 15 kilos.

This class of product has an action on the body which curbs the appetite. Clearly, those who consume it no longer feel the desire to eat. Today, the expansion of the French Novo Nordisk factory in Chartres is intended to produce more Wegovy, the official anti-diabetic drug against obesity. Worldwide in 2023, the Danish group has invested ten billion euros to develop this production.

Obesity could affect a billion people by 2030

The appetite suppressant market is growing considerably. Worldwide, there will be one billion obese people in 2030, according to the WHO. In the United States, 40% of adults are obese. With all the consequences on public health and its cost for the community. In this country, the Eli Lilly group, a rival to the Danish Novo Nordisk, produces similar antidiabetics. The price of these drugs sometimes reaches new heights in the United States: the equivalent of 1,000 euros per month. Recently President Joe Biden got Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the prices of their drugs by around 70%. Which does not prevent these laboratories from raking in tens of billions of dollars.

In Denmark, Novo Nordisk makes so much profit that the country escaped recession earlier this year thanks to the company’s performance. The laboratory weighs more on the stock market than LVMH, 400 billion euros, a European record.

Risks of intestinal obstruction or suicidal thoughts

But these medications are not without risks. They can have side effects. Wegovy can cause digestive problems, for example risk of intestinal obstruction. The European Medicines Agency is also studying the risk of “suicidal thoughts” induced by this class of antidiabetic drugs, following reports from Iceland. There is also the risk that people who are not clearly overweight take these molecules just to lose a few pounds.

In France, the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) and Health Insurance recalled in a press release published on March 1, 2023 that “the use of the drug Ozempic must be reserved for the treatment of insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes. Reinforced monitoring has been put in place to ensure that prescriptions respect this framework of use.” A temporary scientific committee on this subject has also been created.

“We are out of Ozempic because of people who use it for misuse.”

Philippe Besset, president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France

at franceinfo

Philippe Besset, president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France (FSPF) calls for the greatest vigilance. “In France, this medicine is used for diabetic patients, it is an extremely useful and necessary medicine for their lives and diverting it is obviously a big problem”, he assures franceinfo. It also warns of fraud: “There are people who write false prescriptions. To do this, we are trying, with Health Insurance, to set up a circuit of digital prescriptions, which will be tamper-proof”explains Philippe Besset.

For its part, Wegovy was approved in the United States two years ago. It is also marketed in Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom and Germany. According to the newspaper Le Figarothe drug has been authorized in France and should be strictly regulated and reserved for people who really suffer from obesity.