Under a tenth of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial advice on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to increase availability, via approaches like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so users eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the medication, as their normal hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for contracting diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
