Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the production of such drugs would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to widen access, by measures like patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase satiety so people reduce food intake.
Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Research indicates people may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the treatment, when their normal appetite return.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
