Caution is in order. The French medicine regulatory authority announced this Friday, June 20, authorizes all French doctors to prescribe (without reimbursement) obesity medications. Until now, only specialists in Endocrinology-Diabetology-Nutrition could prescribe it.
But, as BFMTV learned from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), these treatments are not exempt from risk. GLP-1 drugs would have caused undesirable effects on pregnant women.
“EMA is studying adverse effects that occurred during pregnancy and will review the need to regulate or communicate” in these events, the agency explains to us in a message.
Requested to specify the number, nature or place in Europe of these incidents, EMA refused to communicate before having completed their investigations. But similar problems have been reported in the United Kingdom, according to the British Health Authority (MHRA) cited by Skynews.
At least 40 problematic cases in the United Kingdom
40 problematic cases were called to the attention of the MHRA, the vast majority of which in the mothers that led Mounjaro (26) against 8 for the Ozempic and the Wogovy. Note that Ozempic is not indicated in France in the treatment of obesity, only diabetes.
These undesirable events under investigation must be deplored, but do not fall into the normal consumption of the product. Therefore, as the French agency remembers in BFMTV, “in the case of a pregnancy project or in case of pregnancy, the treatment with semaglutida must be interrupted. The semagglutide must be stopped at least two months before a pregnancy project due to its long half -life.”
The same goes for breastfeeding, the risk for the breastfeeding child “cannot be excluded”, therefore, it is indicated that they do not attach the taking of this medicine with breastfeeding.
How to explain serious cases when the use is the subject of a clear contraindication? Because the recommendations are not always followed, in particular due to a specific parallel circuit of these fashion products, with self -medication cases, such as “‘French Incinology Society had deplored.
According to health insurance data, among patients who take Ozempic, at least 1.5% change their use. The “probably underestimated” figures according to the ANSM, which he recalled in July 2024 that these figures “only take into account the medications provided in pharmacies and reimbursed.”
Undesirable effects already identified or on research
If EMA indicates working on the issue of side effects during pregnancy, other potential problems had already been identified. In July 2023, the European agency announced to examine a possible correlation between taking the treatment and “the risks of suicidal thoughts and self -policy with drugs.”
Other effects are notable, such as pancreatitis or intestinal occlusion; While other more severe disorders are subject to studies. “These are prescription medications that require medical surveillance, including blood controls. These are not harmless medications,” said Bruno Maleine, one of the executives of the National Pharmaceutical Order with BFMTV.com in December 2022.
Source: BFM TV
