Overview
- WHO added GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs to its Model List of Essential Medicines and released the first global guidelines for their use, responding to a disease affecting about one billion people.
- The guidance supports long‑term treatment of adults with obesity—interpreted as six months or more—combined with intensive behavioral support and mental‑health care, excluding pregnant women.
- Recommendations are labeled conditional due to limited long‑term safety and durability data, with reports of weight regain after stopping and high dropout rates.
- WHO estimates current manufacturing could supply roughly 100 million people—around 10% of those who could benefit—and urges tiered pricing, pooled procurement, and licensing to expand access.
- Patent expirations, including semaglutide expected around 2026, and emerging oral and potential generic versions could lower costs, though the real‑world impact remains uncertain.