Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and ongoing support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, by measures such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their typical appetite return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
