Under 10% of individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, in excess of 2,000,000,000 are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand availability, through approaches like licensing agreements.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Patients typically see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research points to people may put most of the weight back on within a year of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical hunger come back.
Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was linked to over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
