Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected outlook, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, as their normal appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
