Fewer than a tenth of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its first advice on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
According to estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to increase access, by strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications mimick a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their typical appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
