Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its first guidance on the medications.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests users may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, as their usual appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
