Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its initial advice on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and continuous care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad access to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to expand availability, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, when their usual appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
