Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its initial advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the present most favorable scenario, the production of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen availability, by measures including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, when their normal appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
