Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its first advice on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable case, the production of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase availability, via approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
