Under a tenth of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen access, via approaches like licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
