Under a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase access, through strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
