Fewer than one in 10 patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the supply of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand access, by approaches including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research suggests people may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, because their usual appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
