Less than 10% of patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand availability, via measures including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Operate
These medications imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost satiety so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates users may see weight return within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual appetite return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
