Less than 10% of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, when their normal appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
