Less than one in 10 people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its initial advice on the therapies.
With more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for increased and just availability to this class of drugs.
According to projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance acknowledges that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present most favorable case, the production of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to widen access, by approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several nations in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Injections Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users reduce food intake.
People usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the drug, as their usual hunger return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in all nations and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
