Fewer than a tenth of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present best projected scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to widen availability, through strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the drug, as their usual appetite resume.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
