Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial advice on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, via approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to people may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
