Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, states the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
With over a billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to widespread availability to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Shortage
Even under the present most optimistic outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by measures like voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Work
The injections replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence suggests patients may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their usual hunger return.
To be overweight or obese increases your likelihood for developing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
