The slimming shot: What price are you willing to pay for a dream body?

Euronews

2 days ago

A Chinese scientist entered the United States last year with a toxic fungus stashed in his backpack, according to federal authorities who filed charges against him and a girlfriend who worked in a university lab.
The pathogen is known as Fusarium graminearum, which can attack wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and sicken livestock and people, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said in a court filing in Detroit, Michigan.
The FBI said a scientific journal describes it as a "potential agroterrorism weapon".
On Tuesday, authorities charged Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, with conspiracy, smuggling, making false statements, and visa fraud.
"The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals, including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party, are of the gravest national security concerns," US Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr said.
Jian appeared in court and was returned to jail to await a bond hearing on Thursday. An attorney who was assigned only for her initial appearance declined to comment.
In July 2024, Liu was turned away at the Detroit airport and sent back to China after changing his story during an interrogation about red plant material discovered in his backpack, the FBI said.
He initially claimed ignorance about the samples but later said he was planning to use the material for research at a University of Michigan lab where Jian worked and where Liu previously worked, the FBI said.
The FBI said authorities found a scientific article on Liu's phone that was titled, "Plant-Pathogen Warfare under Changing Climate Conditions'.
A week before arriving in the US, according to investigators, Liu exchanged messages with Jian, who said, "It's a pity that I still have to work for you".
The FBI said Liu replied: "Once this is done, everything else will be easy".
Months later, in February, FBI agents visited Jian at the campus lab. She said, "100 per cent no," when asked if she had been assisting Liu with the pathogen at the lab.
The FBI said it found a signed statement on her phone expressing her support for the Communist Party of China.
Messages between the two in 2024 suggest that Jian was already tending to Fusarium graminearum at the campus lab before Liu was caught at the Detroit airport, the FBI said.
The university does not have federal permits to handle it.
The US does not have an extradition treaty with China, which makes Liu's arrest unlikely unless he returns.
From Italy to Greece and Portugal, off-label use of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro for weight loss is creating a booming private market—and a brewing public health dilemma.
In a matter of just a few years, Europe has witnessed an unprecedented shift in how one class of medications—so-called GLP-1 receptor agonists—is perceived and used.
Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, these injectable drugs are now fueling a multibillion-euro weight loss industry, driven by private demand, social media hype, and regulatory gaps.
The new 'weight loss hysteria' started in the United States, where the prices for the drugs remain highest, but people are still willing to pay $1,300 (€1,142) each month without insurance coverage.
The tendency is now exploding in Europe and is not limited to those with medical conditions and obesity, but spreading to those seeking a novel approach to getting a beach-ready body. But what price are we willing to pay for the dream body across Europe?
Italy's private market for GLP-1 drugs exploded in 2024, reaching a staggering €26 billion in global anti-obesity drug spending, a more than tenfold increase compared to 2020.
According to Pharma Data Factory (PDF), private spending on GLP-1 agonists doubled from €52 million in 2023 to over €115 million in 2024.
This surge stems from a rising trend: off-label use of anti-diabetic drugs for weight loss. Since such use is not currently covered by Italy's national health service, most of the spending has come directly from patients' pockets.
There is, however, movement at the policy level. The recent Act No 741, which officially recognises obesity as a chronic disease, may pave the way for future reimbursement under Italy's provisions for insurance Essential Levels of Care (LEA).
For the time being, however, prescriptions are typically limited to specialists and often require proof of a high body mass index or conditions related to diabetes.
The phenomenon is mirrored in Greece, where usage of anti-obesity drugs surged by 82.5% in 2024, with €93 million in total spending. Ozempic's popularity has skyrocketed, and the market has since expanded to include Mounjaro, introduced in November 2024.
Despite consumer enthusiasm, Greek regulations remain among the strictest in Europe.
Prescribing these drugs for obesity is technically forbidden, except in life-threatening cases. Physicians must prove a diagnosis of diabetes to prescribe them, making legitimate weight-loss prescriptions almost impossible through official channels.
But regulatory rigidity has not slowed the underground momentum. With Mounjaro sales now hitting 12,000 units per month, price cuts—such as the 23% drop announced by Pharmaserve-Lilly in February—are expected to further accelerate the drug's spread, whether legal or otherwise.
In Portugal, the weight loss drug phenomenon is newer but no less intense. In the first four months of 2025 alone, Portuguese consumers spent nearly €20 million on GLP-1-based injectables like tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and semaglutide (Wegovy)—both of which are officially approved for obesity treatment.
In just two months of 2024, over 10,000 units of tirzepatide were sold, while Wegovy, introduced in April 2025, has racked up sales of 6,800 units in a single month. With each Wegovy injection costing EUR 244.80, the trend shows no signs of slowing.
Ozempic, while not officially approved for weight loss, continues to be widely used off-label. Its popularity has led to pharmacy stock shortages and forced Infarmed—the national medicines authority—to initiate drug circuit audits in cooperation with the European Medicines Agency.
Reimbursement remains a sticking point. Despite rising interest and usage, Portugal still doesn't subsidise anti-obesity injectables, and the entire cost is borne by individuals—many motivated by influencer culture and celebrity transformations.
According to data from consulting firm IQVIA shared with El Confidencial Digital outlet, the Spanish pharmaceutical market saw turnover for weight-loss medications exceed €484 million in 2024—a 65% increase from €293 million in 2023. Units sold jumped from 3.2 million to 4.8 million, reflecting more than 50% growth in volume.
Yet despite this surge, the Interministerial Commission on Prices of Medicines and Health Products does not publicly track spending specifically on anti-obesity medications.
What is known: Spain's overall retail drug expenditure stands at €412 per capita, 21% below the EU average of €500, according to the 2024 Pharmaceutical Expenditure Report.
In Spain, prices for publicly reimbursed drugs are set by the Ministry of Health, and anti-obesity medications must be prescribed and supervised by specialists.
This regulatory barrier is meant to ensure appropriate use—but it also limits access, particularly as public demand rises faster than policy adapts.
In Germany, demand for weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro is rising fast—yet public coverage remains limited. These GLP-1 medications can cost up to €300 a month, and for most people, the bill comes out of pocket.
By law, Germany's public health insurance system excludes drugs used purely for weight loss, classifying them as lifestyle treatments.
However, exceptions are emerging. In early 2024, authorities made Wegovy eligible for reimbursement—but only in cases where obesity poses a serious cardiovascular risk.
Despite these restrictions, the market is booming. Sales of GLP-1 drugs in Germany are expected to more than double by 2030, reaching over €700 million.
With more than half the adult population overweight, pressure is growing on policymakers to expand access. For now, the debate continues—between cost, public health, and who should benefit from these powerful new medications.
While some countries restrict access, Poland offers surprisingly open availability. Ozempic is reimbursed for diabetic patients (121.25 Polish złoty or €28 with discount), but can also be obtained via telemedicine after a remote consultation—even without diabetes, depending on the doctor's assessment.
The full price of Ozempic is 404 złoty (€94), and demand is high, driven by growing perceptions of the drug as a fast track to weight loss.
France has started a formal review that could lead to reimbursement for Mounjaro in limited obesity cases, but for now, neither Mounjaro nor Wegovy are covered under the public system.
By contrast, the UK's NHS does cover both drugs, with eligibility limited to patients referred to specialist weight management services. Wegovy became available via the NHS in 2023, and Mounjaro followed with rollout in 2024, under structured programs.
Across Europe, public healthcare systems are facing a growing dilemma. Originally designed to manage chronic diseases like diabetes, these systems are now being strained by surging demand for weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro.
While obesity is increasingly recognised as a chronic condition, regulatory and reimbursement policies have struggled to keep up.
This mismatch has created a growing shadow market, where people without official diagnoses pay out of pocket.
And buying some of these drugs is actually as easy as buying a detox tea. You just need to lie, click and pay. And then pray that what comes through the post is the real thing.
One of the world's most contagious diseases is spreading in Europe.
Measles has been on the rise for months. Last year was the worst for measles in Europe and Central Asia since 1997, with more than 120,000 cases reported across the region.
Health authorities have warned that cases are likely to rise in the coming months.
So far in 2025, about 5,500 measles cases have been reported across the European Union, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Over the past year, many cases have been among unvaccinated children under the age of five, the agency says.
Measles is usually a mild or moderately severe illness, but in some cases it can lead to deadly complications. It's extremely contagious, but vaccination is effective at keeping people from getting sick.
Here's where cases are highest in 2025, according to ECDC data through the end of April.
The vast majority of the EU's measles cases are in Romania, which has reported 3,605 infections as of late April. Three people have died.
The country's years-long outbreak has been driven by anti-vaccine sentiment, conflicting health guidance, and a medical system struggling to keep up.
In 2023, just 62 per cent of the population was fully vaccinated against measles, far below the 95 per cent threshold needed to prevent outbreaks.
There have been 526 measles cases so far this year in France, spurred in part by a "notable increase" in the number of measles cases brought into the country this year, the ECDC said.
At least 41 infections have been linked to someone who brought the virus in from Morocco, compared to 26 cases in 2024.
In 2023, 93 per cent of people in France were fully vaccinated. But if there are pockets of unvaccinated people in a community, measles can easily take hold.
The Netherlands reported 371 measles infections in the first four months of 2025. More than two dozen cases were among people who contracted measles in Morocco or Romania and then came into the Netherlands.
Dutch health authorities said there are "clusters" of measles infections, for example, at primary schools or childcare facilities, with most cases among children under the age of 10.
But they stressed there is no national measles outbreak.
At 81 per cent, the Netherlands has one of the lowest measles vaccination rates in the EU. Only Romania and Cyprus (80 per cent) had lower coverage levels.
In Italy, 268 measles infections have been recorded so far in 2025. Overall, in the year ending in late January, it's had more cases than anywhere in the EU except Romania.
The country's measles vaccination rate was 85 per cent in 2023, too low to stave off outbreaks.
Spain is experiencing outbreaks in several parts of the country, resulting in 251 measles infections this year. Several cases were also imported from outside of Spain, the ECDC said.
Notably, 92 per cent of people in Spain were fully vaccinated against measles in 2023, landing the country near herd immunity.
In May, the Spanish Ministry of Health encouraged people to check their vaccination status amid the uptick in measles cases both worldwide and within Spain.
"The resumption of mobility after the pandemic has increased the risk of imported cases," the ministry said.