Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural advice on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
According to estimates, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous treatment," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen access, by strategies like patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
These medications replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, as their typical food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight raises your likelihood for experiencing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
