Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present best projected scenario, the production of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to expand access, via strategies such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence indicates patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
