Less than 10% of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it releases its first advice on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the present most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to widen availability, via strategies including licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users eat less.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence indicates patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, because their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.