WHO Issues Concern Over Acute Lack of Obesity Medications

Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the therapies.

Given over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.

Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.

"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous treatment," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the body.

GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis

Even under the present most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.

The advice urges countries and companies to expand availability, by strategies such as voluntary licensing.

A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.

How Obesity Drugs Operate

GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users eat less.

Patients commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.

Studies suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the medication, when their typical food cravings return.

Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.

Excess weight affects people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.