Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to increase access, via strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, as their normal food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
