Fewer than a tenth of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most favorable case, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen access, through approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the drug, as their typical appetite return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
