Fewer than a tenth of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and ongoing support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand availability, through measures like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may see weight return a year later of stopping the drug, when their typical food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
