Less than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen access, via approaches such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
These medications replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their normal hunger return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.