Under one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural guidance on the medications.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the production of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand availability, through strategies like licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their typical food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
