Less than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to expand availability, through measures like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so people eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, when their typical hunger return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
