Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to widen access, via strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the drug, when their typical appetite return.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
