Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural advice on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current best projected case, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase access, through strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
