Under one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its first advice on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the current best projected case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by approaches like patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the drug, when their normal hunger come back.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
