Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its first guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to expand availability, by measures like voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
These medications mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, when their usual food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
