Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by measures like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so people reduce food intake.
Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their normal food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your chance for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
