Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its first advice on the drugs.
Considering over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to GLP-1 medication.
Based on forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and continuous treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to universal access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the current best projected scenario, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to increase availability, via measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
These medications replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Individuals typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
