Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and ongoing care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to increase access, by measures like voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the drug, because their normal appetite return.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
