Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic case, the production of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to increase access, via measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, because their typical appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
