Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its first guidance on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and continuous care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Work
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, when their normal food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.