Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present best projected scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by approaches such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the treatment, because their usual hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
