Under 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to widen availability, via strategies including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
These medications imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the treatment, as their normal food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
