Fewer than 10% of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its first recommendations on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand access, via strategies such as licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the medication, because their typical food cravings resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
