Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the present most favorable case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by strategies such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research suggests patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal hunger return.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.