The Global Health Body Raises Concern Over Severe Lack of Obesity Medications
Less than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its initial advice on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and continuous treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the supply of such drugs would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, through approaches like patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients usually start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the treatment, when their normal hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
