Under 10% of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable case, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to increase access, via strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests patients may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
