Less than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and continuous care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to widen access, via measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research suggests people may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, as their usual appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
