Unlike Ozempic, also produced by Novo Nordisk, Wegovy is specifically intended for the treatment of obesity. A third medication, Mounjaro, produced by the company Eli Lilly, benefits from authorization on the Belgian market to treat both obesity and diabetes.
Wegovy contains the same active ingredient as ozempic, semaglutide, which reduces appetite. Due to a high demand in ozempic since 2022 following its use as a weight loss treatment, the Minister of Public Health, Frank Vandenbroucke, had introduced prescription restrictions at the end of 2023.
Since then, this medication has been reserved for diabetic patients and people with severe obesity. No restrictions have been imposed for Mounjaro, however.
Novo Nordisk has applied to INAMI for the new medication to be reimbursed. The decision is expected for early 2026. Ozempic and is only reimbursed in the context of diabetes treatment, which will also be the case for Mounjaro from July 1.
Eli Lilly also indicates that a request for reimbursement of the Mounjaro prescribed against obesity will be submitted soon. According to an estimate of the TIJD newspaper, the INAMI reimbursed for nearly 76 million euros in semaglutide medicines in 2024, three times more than in 2021.
