Fewer than 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and lifelong treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation urges nations and manufacturers to increase access, through approaches such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the drug, because their typical food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for developing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
