Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, because their normal hunger return.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for developing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
