Under a tenth of patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it publishes its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Even in the present most optimistic scenario, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the WHO.
The guideline urges nations and manufacturers to expand access, via strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the drug, when their typical hunger resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your chance for experiencing diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
