Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, by strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the drug, because their normal food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for developing medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
