Under a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift significant weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand availability, through strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their typical appetite return.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
