Under one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its first advice on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand availability, through measures like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance the sense of being full so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies points to patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, as their normal hunger resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your chance for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
