Less than 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its first advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to increase availability, through approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Function
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the treatment, as their usual food cravings come back.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for experiencing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
