Less than one in 10 patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its first advice on the drugs.
Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current best projected case, the supply of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to expand access, via strategies like voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so users reduce food intake.
Patients usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the medication, because their normal hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
