Fewer than one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Even in the current best projected outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, through approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, because their typical appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
