Under 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to increase access, by measures like voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, because their normal appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
