Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, through measures like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, as their normal hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
