Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to increase availability, through approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, as their normal food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
