Under one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and ongoing treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase access, through measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
