Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable case, the production of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, via strategies like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, because their typical hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
