Fewer than one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its initial guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable case, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to expand availability, via strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
These medications mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their typical appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
