Under one in 10 people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, by strategies like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to users may see weight return a year later of stopping the treatment, because their typical hunger resume.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
