Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand availability, via strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.
People usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, as their usual appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
