Under 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it releases its first guidance on the medications.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are major barriers to broad availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.
The guideline encourages governments and firms to widen availability, via measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals eat less.
Patients usually start to lose weight after several weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research suggests patients may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, as their usual hunger come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for experiencing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
