Despite stringent eligibility criteria, the use of diabetes medications like Ozempic is surging, costing health insurance nearly €76 million annually.
Reports from De Tijd and L’Echo on Saturday suggest that the “Ozempic explosion” is just beginning, with National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (RIZIV) expenditures rising by a quarter.
By November 2024, health insurance had reimbursed over €69.5 million for semaglutide-based medications.
Projections for the whole of 2024 suggest spending could reach €75.9 million, up from €60.7 million in 2023, marking a tripling from 2021.
Dosage numbers have soared from just under 5.8 million in 2023 to at least 9.2 million in the first 11 months of last year.
Currently, only Ozempic (a weekly injection) and Rybelsus (a daily tablet), both from Danish company Novo Nordisk, are approved for reimbursement in Belgium.
These drugs are intended for treating type 2 diabetes but are also popular as appetite-suppressant weight-loss aids.
Due to Novo Nordisk’s inability to meet demand, Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke intervened in 2023, limiting prescriptions to patients with diabetes or severe obesity, a policy that will remain at least until autumn this year.
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