Fewer than a tenth of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the supply of these medications would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The guideline urges countries and companies to widen availability, via measures such as licensing agreements.
A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
The injections imitate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people eat less.
Individuals commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence indicates users may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, when their normal hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for contracting diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
