Less than one in 10 individuals who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial advice on the drugs.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with holistic and lifelong care," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to widespread availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, explains the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by measures such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Research points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the medication, as their typical appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese raises your risk for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight affects individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
