Less than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with thorough and continuous support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected case, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase access, via measures like voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
These medications replicate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds after several weeks of beginning the weekly injections.
Studies indicates users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, when their normal hunger return.
Being overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
