Fewer than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to broad access to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to widen access, by measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for developing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
