Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, by measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the drug, when their typical food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
