Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and continuous care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to universal access to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic case, the supply of these medications might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, by approaches including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
These medications imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their normal appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
