Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its first advice on the medications.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with thorough and ongoing treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to broad access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The guideline urges countries and companies to expand access, through approaches such as voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function
These medications mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users eat less.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence suggests users may regain a significant portion after a year of discontinuing the drug, when their typical appetite resume.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your chance for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in countries worldwide and was linked to over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
