Less than a tenth of people that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the current best projected case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to widen availability, via approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.
Patients commonly see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, because their usual appetite come back.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for contracting health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
