Fewer than 10% of people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and ongoing care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are significant barriers to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift significant body mass, explains the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, by approaches like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Function
GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the medication, because their usual hunger resume.
To be above a healthy weight raises your chance for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
