Less than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and ongoing treatment," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic case, the production of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to expand availability, by strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users reduce food intake.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to users may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
