Fewer than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its first advice on the medications.
Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected case, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to increase availability, via strategies like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so people reduce food intake.
People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on a year later of halting the medication, as their typical food cravings resume.
To be carrying excess weight raises your likelihood for developing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
