Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice calls on governments and firms to expand availability, by approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
