Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the global health agency as it releases its inaugural guidance on the medications.
With over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.
"Our new guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with comprehensive and continuous support," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to universal availability to the injections that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even under the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline urges governments and firms to increase availability, via measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.
The Way Obesity Injections Work
The injections replicate a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and enhance satiety so people reduce food intake.
People commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.
Research suggests users may see weight return a year later of discontinuing the medication, because their usual food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your risk for contracting diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific cancers.
Obesity affects individuals in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
