8 March 2026
Ahead of World Obesity Day, colleagues from the World Obesity Federation, International Diabetes Federation, World Heart Federation and the Medicines Patent Pool have published a new open‑access Comment in The Lancet Global Health on: “Therapies based on GLP‑1 receptor agonists: significance, challenges, and opportunities.” The paper reflects a turning point in global obesity care. Following landmark decisions in 2025, including World Health Organization guidelines recommending GLP‑1 receptor agonists for obesity and their inclusion on the WHO Essential Medicines List for people living with obesity and cardiometabolic disease, the focus now shifts to how these advances translate into real‑world impact.
The authors highlight three urgent priorities: – Reframing GLP‑1 receptor agonists as essential medicines to reduce multimorbidity and premature mortality – Addressing inequitable access and affordability, particularly in low‑ and middle‑income countries – Strengthening health‑system capacity, alongside prevention and behavioural support, to deliver safe and effective obesity care
As the paper makes clear, prevention and treatment are co‑dependent, stigma remains a major barrier, and lessons from HIV show what is possible when access, advocacy and systems change move together.
Read the open‑access paper in The Lancet Global Health
Press and Media
The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) is a United Nations-backed public health organisation working to increase access to and facilitate the development of life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries. Through its innovative business model, MPP partners with civil society, governments, international organisations, industry, patient groups, and other stakeholders to prioritise and license needed medicines and pool intellectual property to encourage generic manufacture and the development of new formulations.
To date, MPP has signed agreements with 22 patent holders for 13 HIV antiretrovirals, one HIV technology platform, three hepatitis C direct-acting antivirals, a tuberculosis treatment, a cancer treatment, four long-acting technologies, a post-partum haemorrhage medicine, three oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and 16 COVID-19 technologies.
MPP was founded by Unitaid, which continues to be MPP’s main funder. MPP’s work on access to essential medicines is also funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Government of Canada, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Government of Flanders. MPP’s activities in COVID-19 are undertaken with the financial support of the Japanese Government, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and SDC.