Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and continuous care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, explains the body.
Despite the present best projected scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to widen access, through measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, when their typical food cravings come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
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