The Global Health Body Raises Warning Over Acute Scarcity of Obesity Jabs

Fewer than 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial guidance on the therapies.

With over a billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.

Per estimates, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.

"Our new guidelines affirms that obesity is a long-term condition that can be managed with thorough and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to widespread access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the agency.

Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity

Even under the present best projected outlook, the production of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, as stated by the health organization.

The guideline urges countries and companies to increase availability, by strategies including voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core component of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple nations in 2026.

How Obesity Drugs Work

These medications mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so individuals eat less.

Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.

Studies points to users may see weight return a year later of halting the treatment, because their usual food cravings come back.

To be overweight or obese increases your chance for contracting health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and certain cancers.

Excess weight affects people in countries worldwide and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.