Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen access, through strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
People typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research points to people may see weight return a year later of halting the medication, because their usual appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
