Under one in 10 patients that would benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it publishes its initial guidance on the therapies.
Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently obese, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to this class of drugs.
Based on projections, more than two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major hurdles to widespread availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing significant body mass, notes the organization.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Even in the current most favorable case, the production of these medications could only cover around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, as stated by the health organization.
The advice urges governments and firms to increase access, by approaches such as licensing agreements.
Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in several countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Function
The injections mimick a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, curb appetite and boost satiety so users reduce food intake.
Patients usually begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research suggests people may see weight return within a year of stopping the drug, because their normal food cravings return.
To be carrying excess weight increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns individuals in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
