The Global Health Body Sounds Concern Over Severe Lack of Obesity Medications

Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, warns the WHO as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.

With more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.

Per estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"The new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and continuous treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the agency.

GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis

Even under the present most optimistic case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.

The advice calls on countries and companies to widen availability, via approaches including patent sharing.

A patent on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.

How Weight-Loss Drugs Work

GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.

Individuals commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.

Evidence points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, as their typical appetite return.

Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for contracting diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.

Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.