Less than 10% of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected case, the production of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so users reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research suggests people may see weight return within a year of halting the medication, as their typical appetite return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects people in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
