Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it releases its inaugural guidance on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice calls on governments and firms to widen availability, via measures including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the treatment, because their usual food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
