Under one in 10 individuals who could benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the drugs.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the body.
Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity
Despite the present best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to widen availability, by strategies including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Injections Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of halting the drug, as their normal hunger come back.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
