Less than 10% of people eligible to benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the global health agency as it releases its initial guidance on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the body.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, according to the health organization.
The advice calls on governments and firms to widen availability, via strategies such as voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness so users consume fewer calories.
Patients usually see weight reduction after several weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Studies indicates users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their normal food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight raises your chance for developing health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.