Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first advice on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current best projected case, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to widen availability, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return a year later of stopping the treatment, because their typical hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
