Fewer than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current best projected case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to widen availability, via measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates people may see weight return a year later of halting the drug, when their normal appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
