Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with holistic and continuous care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to widespread availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via measures such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to users may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, when their usual food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
