Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, by measures such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests people may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the medication, when their typical appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
