Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen availability, through strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their typical hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
