Fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its first advice on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
According to projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and ongoing treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen access, via approaches including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the medication, because their usual appetite return.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
