Fewer than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first guidance on the drugs.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase availability, by approaches such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
These medications imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies points to patients may see weight return a year later of halting the drug, as their usual food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for contracting health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
