Less than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to increase availability, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence points to patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your chance for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
