Under a tenth of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, through strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their usual appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your chance for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
