Less than 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to increase availability, by approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their normal hunger return.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
