Under a tenth of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its initial advice on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen access, by approaches including licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates users may see weight return a year later of stopping the treatment, when their usual appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
