Fewer than a tenth of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic outlook, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, as their normal appetite resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
