Less than a tenth of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their typical food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
