Fewer than one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its initial guidance on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to expand access, by approaches like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People typically start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the medication, because their normal appetite return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
