Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so users eat less.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the treatment, as their normal appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your risk for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
