Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to broad access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Despite the current best projected outlook, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice encourages nations and manufacturers to widen access, via strategies including patent sharing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so individuals eat less.
People typically begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to people may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, as their usual hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your likelihood for developing diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and some cancers.
Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.
