Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present best projected case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to widen access, through measures including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the drug, because their typical appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
