Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected case, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to widen access, via measures like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so users eat less.
People usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, because their normal food cravings resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
