Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to broad access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to expand availability, by strategies such as patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, when their typical food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
