Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand availability, by strategies like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates people may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual hunger resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
