Fewer than 10% of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to expand access, by strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their typical appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
