Fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase access, via measures including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of a leading brand – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
