Fewer than 10% of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic case, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, by measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so people reduce food intake.
Individuals typically see weight reduction after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence points to people may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, because their normal hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
