Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most favorable case, the supply of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, through approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
These medications imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence indicates users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the treatment, as their normal food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your chance for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
