Less than 10% of individuals eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy can access them, warns the global health agency as it issues its first guidance on the medications.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to expand access, through approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Function
The injections imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost satiety so users reduce food intake.
People typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, as their typical hunger return.
Being overweight or obese raises your risk for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
