Fewer than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to widen availability, through approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, when their normal appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
