Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy have access to them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural advice on the medications.
With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, more than two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the present best projected case, the production of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via strategies like voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so people reduce food intake.
People typically start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research indicates patients may see weight return within a year of halting the drug, because their usual hunger come back.
To be carrying excess weight elevates your chance for contracting medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight concerns people in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
