Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen availability, via strategies like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
