Under one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the medications.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and continuous treatment," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present best projected case, the supply of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, through strategies like patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, as their usual food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for experiencing health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
