Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic case, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand access, through approaches such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, as their normal hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
