Under one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first advice on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to expand access, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may see weight return after a year of stopping the treatment, because their usual food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese increases your chance for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
