Less than 10% of individuals that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy can access them, caution the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural recommendations on the therapies.
Considering more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is calling for increased and just access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.
"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are significant hurdles to widespread access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing significant weight, explains the body.
Skinny Jab Supply Crisis
Even in the current most optimistic case, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The recommendation encourages countries and companies to expand availability, via approaches including voluntary licensing.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.
Patients typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Evidence points to patients may regain a significant portion within a year of discontinuing the treatment, when their usual food cravings resume.
Being carrying excess weight elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
