WHO Issues Alert Over Critical Scarcity of Weight-Loss Medications
Less than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it releases its first advice on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift significant weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen access, by measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Research suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
