Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, says the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable case, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to expand access, via strategies like licensing agreements.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Research indicates patients may see weight return within a year of halting the treatment, as their usual appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for developing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
