Under one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad access to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to expand availability, by approaches including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their typical food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your chance for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
