Under a tenth of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its first recommendations on the therapies.
Considering over a billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.
Per estimates, more than two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to widespread access to the treatments that can aid individuals in losing considerable body mass, notes the body.
Skinny Jab Shortage
Despite the current most favorable outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation calls on governments and firms to widen availability, by measures such as patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so users eat less.
Patients usually see weight reduction within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies suggests patients may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the treatment, because their typical hunger resume.
Being overweight or obese raises your chance for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain cancers.
Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
