Less than a tenth of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its first guidance on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to broad access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing considerable weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable scenario, the supply of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation urges governments and firms to increase availability, via strategies including patent sharing.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies suggests people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their usual hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
