Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through measures including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, when their typical appetite come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for contracting health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
