Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the present most favorable case, the production of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to increase access, through strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, when their usual appetite resume.
Being overweight or obese increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
