Fewer than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase availability, via measures like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
The injections replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies suggests people may regain a significant portion after a year of stopping the drug, because their usual hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
