WHO Issues Alert Over Severe Scarcity of Weight-Loss Jabs

Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it releases its initial advice on the therapies.

Considering over a billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.

Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.

"Our new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with thorough and lifelong treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are major barriers to universal availability to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, notes the body.

Skinny Jab Supply Crisis

Even in the present most favorable scenario, the manufacturing of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.

The guideline urges countries and companies to increase access, by approaches including voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.

The Way Obesity Drugs Function

The injections mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and enhance satiety so users eat less.

Individuals usually see weight reduction in the initial weeks of commencing the weekly injections.

Research indicates people may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the medication, as their typical food cravings resume.

Being above a healthy weight raises your risk for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.

Obesity concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.