Fewer than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present best projected case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges countries and companies to increase access, by measures such as licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research points to people may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their typical hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
