Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and continuous treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to expand availability, through approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates patients may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
