Under a tenth of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to increase access, via approaches such as patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates users may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their normal hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
