Fewer than 10% of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it releases its first advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing support," remarked the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the current most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to widen availability, via approaches such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so users eat less.
Patients commonly see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests people may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, as their normal food cravings come back.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for contracting medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
