Fewer than a tenth of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy can access them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its first advice on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand access, through measures such as licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Operate
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their typical food cravings return.
Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
