Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase access, by measures including licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the drug, as their typical appetite come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
