Less than 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key hurdles to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the current best projected outlook, the supply of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The advice urges nations and manufacturers to widen access, through measures like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research suggests people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the medication, because their normal food cravings return.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
