Under 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Despite the present best projected case, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase availability, through approaches like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their normal food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
