Less than 10% of people who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift considerable weight, says the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even under the current best projected scenario, the supply of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand access, by measures like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their typical appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
