Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice urges countries and companies to increase access, via approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the drug, when their usual appetite return.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
