Less than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the medication, as their typical appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
