Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural advice on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the present best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen availability, through approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost satiety so people eat less.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their usual appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your chance for contracting diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
