Less than a tenth of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand availability, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so people consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the drug, because their usual appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
