Under one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand availability, by strategies like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users consume fewer calories.
People commonly begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, because their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
