WHO Raises Concern Over Critical Lack of Obesity Medications

Under a tenth of patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its first recommendations on the medications.

Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.

According to estimates, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.

"The new guidance affirms that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant barriers to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift significant body mass, says the body.

Skinny Jab Shortage

Even in the present best projected outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.

The guideline calls on governments and firms to increase availability, by strategies like voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several nations in 2026.

The Way Weight-Loss Jabs Function

GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals reduce food intake.

Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.

Studies points to users may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the drug, as their normal appetite resume.

To be overweight or obese elevates your chance for experiencing diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

Obesity concerns individuals in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.