Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to widen access, via approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the treatment, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
