Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, through approaches like voluntary licensing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so users reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests people may see weight return after a year of stopping the medication, when their normal appetite come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for experiencing health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
