Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the drugs.
Given more than one billion people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.
Based on projections, over two billion could be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our new guidance acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are significant hurdles to broad availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Shortage
Despite the present most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to increase availability, through strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.
The Way Obesity Jabs Work
GLP-1 drugs mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and increase feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies points to people may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the medication, when their usual appetite resume.
To be overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Obesity impacts people in every country and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
