Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it issues its initial guidance on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand access, via approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates people may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, because their usual appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
