Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic case, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase availability, through approaches like licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, as their normal appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
