The Global Health Body Sounds Warning Over Critical Scarcity of Obesity Injections
Under 10% of patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy are able to get them, warns the global health agency as it issues its inaugural guidance on the drugs.
Considering over a billion individuals worldwide now living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with comprehensive and ongoing support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are key barriers to broad availability to the injections that can help people shift significant body mass, notes the agency.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even in the current best projected scenario, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.
The guideline calls on countries and companies to widen access, by strategies including patent sharing.
A patent on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
GLP-1 drugs imitate a natural hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance feelings of fullness so people eat less.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of commencing the regular doses.
Studies indicates people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the drug, when their normal hunger return.
To be above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for contracting diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity impacts individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
