Under 10% of individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to expand access, through measures such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
