Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to widen availability, through strategies like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so people eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their normal appetite return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
