WHO Issues Concern Over Critical Scarcity of Weight-Loss Medications

Fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it releases its inaugural recommendations on the drugs.

With more than one billion individuals worldwide currently obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.

Per estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.

"Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing treatment," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are key hurdles to universal access to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, says the body.

Skinny Jab Shortage

Despite the current best projected scenario, the production of these medications could only cover approximately 100 million people – fewer than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.

The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen availability, via approaches such as patent sharing.

Exclusive production rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in several countries in 2026.

How Obesity Injections Operate

GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and boost feelings of fullness so users eat less.

Individuals commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Studies points to patients may regain a significant portion a year later of stopping the medication, as their usual hunger return.

To be overweight or obese raises your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.

Obesity concerns people in all nations and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.