Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, by approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so users eat less.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, as their normal food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
