Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic case, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline urges governments and firms to expand access, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests people may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, because their usual food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
