Less than 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, through strategies such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical appetite resume.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
