Under one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first guidance on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for increased and just access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic case, the production of such drugs could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on countries and companies to widen access, through approaches like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
The injections imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to users may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the medication, when their typical hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
