Fewer than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the present most favorable case, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the WHO.
The advice urges governments and firms to widen availability, via measures including voluntary licensing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.
Individuals usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may see weight return a year later of stopping the drug, as their typical food cravings return.
To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
