Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy have access to them, warns the WHO as it publishes its initial recommendations on the therapies.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.
Per forecasts, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and ongoing care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, notes the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice encourages countries and companies to widen availability, through measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on the active ingredient – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Jabs Function
GLP-1 drugs replicate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost satiety so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Research points to patients may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, when their usual food cravings come back.
Being overweight or obese elevates your likelihood for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in all nations and was responsible for over three and a half million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the WHO.
