Under a tenth of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural advice on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present best projected case, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to expand availability, via strategies such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the drug, as their typical hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
