Less than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen access, by approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, as their normal food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
