Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it issues its initial guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand access, via measures such as licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual appetite return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
