Fewer than 10% of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic case, the production of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to widen availability, by approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the medication, because their usual hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.