WHO Endorses Weight-Loss Drugs for Obesity Treatment

The World Health Organization plans to endorse weight-loss drugs for treating adult obesity, marking a shift in addressing the global health issue. The focus is on making these drugs accessible in low- and middle-income countries while addressing cost concerns. The drugs, popular in high-income nations, could soon be more widely available.

The World Health Organization is set to recommend the use of weight-loss drugs for obesity treatment in adults for the first time, as revealed by a memo reviewed by Reuters. This marks a significant change in WHO's approach to tackling obesity, a global health challenge affecting over a billion people worldwide.

As part of its strategy, WHO urges improved access to these costly medications in low- and middle-income countries. These GLP-1 receptor agonists, marketed as Wegovy and Zepbound by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, have shown promising results in clinical trials, where users lost up to 20% of their body weight.

However, WHO also raises concerns about the long-term affordability and effectiveness of these drugs, particularly in poorer regions. In response, the agency is exploring strategies like tiered pricing and pooled procurement to enhance access. The essential medicines list will be reviewed this year to possibly include these drugs.

(With inputs from agencies.)