WHO Issues Warning Over Critical Scarcity of Weight-Loss Medications
Less than a tenth of individuals who could benefit from obesity jabs including Wegovy can access them, caution the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the therapies.
With more than one billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just availability to these injectable treatments.
Based on forecasts, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing support," said the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.
The guideline encourages countries and companies to increase access, by measures including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Jabs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to slow digestion, reduce hunger and increase the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.
People commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.
Studies indicates users may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the treatment, when their typical food cravings resume.
Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
