Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase access, by measures including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
