Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and continuous treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand access, by strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
These medications mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
People usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the medication, as their typical hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
