Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its first 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.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to expand access, by approaches including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
The injections replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their usual food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
