Fewer than 10% of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to increase availability, via measures including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may see weight return a year later of stopping the drug, when their usual appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
