New WHO guidance on GLP-1 therapy reshapes obesity risk, access and cost for benefit plans
The World Health Organization has now confirmed that Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapies may be used for the long-term treatment of obesity in adults, marking its first formal guideline on these drugs and framing obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity affects more than 1 billion people globally and was associated with 3.7 million deaths in 2024.
WHO projects that the global economic cost of obesity will reach about US$3tn a year by 2030.
CBC News reported that WHO sees the new guideline as part of comprehensive and lifelong care for a condition that drives cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and poorer outcomes from infectious diseases.
According to WHO, the guideline contains two conditional recommendations.
First, GLP-1 therapies may be used by adults, excluding pregnant women, for long-term treatment of obesity when their body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher.
WHO said the conditional rating reflects limited data on long-term efficacy and safety, maintenance and discontinuation, current costs, health-system preparedness and potential equity implications.
Second, adults living with obesity who are prescribed GLP-1 therapies may also be offered intensive behavioural interventions, including structured interventions involving healthy diet and physical activity, based on low-certainty evidence that this may enhance treatment outcomes.
WHO said the guideline focuses on three GLP-1 receptor agonists for long-term obesity treatment in adults: liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide.
According to WHO, GLP-1 receptor agonists help lower blood sugar, support weight loss, reduce the risk of heart and kidney complications, and can lower the risk of early death in people with type 2 diabetes.
CBC News reported that semaglutide and tirzepatide are the active ingredients in Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, which WHO added to its Essential Medicines List in September 2025 for managing type 2 diabetes in high-risk groups.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the new guidance “recognizes that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care.”
He added that “while medication alone won’t solve this global health crisis, GLP-1 therapies can help millions overcome obesity and reduce its associated harms,” according to WHO.
At the same time, he warned that “our greatest concern is equitable access. Without concerted action, these medicines could contribute to widening the gap between the rich and poor, both between and within countries.”
Demand for GLP-1 therapies has surged worldwide and governments are working out how to integrate them into public health systems, reported CBC News.
According to WHO, even with rapid expansion in production, GLP-1 therapies are projected to reach fewer than 10 per cent of people who could benefit by 2030.
WHO is calling for expanded manufacturing, better affordability and procurement mechanisms such as pooled purchasing and tiered pricing, and has flagged voluntary licensing as another way to broaden access, drawing on approaches used in large-scale HIV programmes.
Marie Spreckley of the University of Cambridge said the recommendations are “appropriately graded as conditional,” citing uncertainties around long-term use at higher doses, affordability and health-system capacity, according to CBC News.
WHO also underlined that medicines alone will not reverse the obesity challenge and described obesity as a societal issue that requires multisectoral action, including healthier environments, targeted screening and early interventions, and lifelong, person-centred care.
WHO warned that rising demand has fuelled the spread of falsified and substandard GLP-1 products, threatening patient safety and trust.
According to WHO, ensuring quality will require regulated distribution, prescription by qualified health care providers, strong oversight, patient education and global co‑operation.
The organization said it developed the guideline at the request of its member states, using extensive evidence review and consultation with stakeholders, including people with lived experience, and plans to work with governments and stakeholders in 2026 on a transparent and equitable framework to ensure that those with the highest need are reached first.
