Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic case, the supply of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase access, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
The injections mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, because their normal food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
