Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its first recommendations on the medications.
With over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and continuous care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to expand availability, through strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to people may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, because their typical appetite return.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
