Under a tenth of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, by strategies such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Studies suggests people may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, when their normal food cravings return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
