Under 10% of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the organization.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even under the current most favorable case, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to widen access, via measures including licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
The injections imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
Patients commonly start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, as their normal food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in all nations and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
