Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase access, via approaches including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work
These medications imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the drug, as their typical appetite come back.
To be overweight or obese increases your chance for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Obesity concerns people in every country and was linked to millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
