Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to users may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, because their usual appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
