Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
