Less than 10% of patients that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, says the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase access, through strategies including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Patients commonly start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies indicates people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the medication, when their typical food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
