Fewer than a tenth of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.
Given over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the organization.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Despite the present most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to widen availability, through strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of a leading brand – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
The injections mimick a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
Individuals usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, because their usual hunger return.
To be overweight or obese increases your risk for developing medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
