Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, explains the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the present best projected case, the production of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, via strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals typically start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies indicates users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their usual appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
