Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are major obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the present best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice urges countries and companies to widen access, through approaches such as licensing agreements.
A patent on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Function
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost satiety so users reduce food intake.
Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Evidence suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of halting the medication, as their normal appetite resume.
Being carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
