Fewer than 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase access, through strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their usual appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
