Under 10% of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people â fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, through measures such as voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient â the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy â is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the drug, as their normal food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for developing diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects people in every country and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
