Less than a tenth of individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, warns the World Health Organization as it publishes its first guidance on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are major obstacles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Even under the current most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the health organization.
The advice encourages governments and firms to expand access, by strategies including licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Drugs Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence points to people may put most of the weight back on a year later of stopping the medication, when their usual food cravings come back.
To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
