Fewer than 10% of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with thorough and ongoing care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Even under the present most favorable case, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to widen access, by strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
The injections replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence points to users may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the drug, as their usual appetite return.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
