Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable case, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand availability, via measures including licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the treatment, because their normal food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
