Less than a tenth of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong care," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic case, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by strategies like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research suggests users may see weight return after a year of halting the treatment, as their normal hunger return.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
