The Global Health Body Issues Alert Over Critical Lack of Obesity Jabs
Less than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the World Health Organization as it publishes its inaugural advice on the drugs.
Given more than one billion individuals worldwide now obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and continuous care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major barriers to widespread availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.
GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity
Even in the present most optimistic case, the production of such drugs would only suffice for about 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the WHO.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to widen access, by measures including voluntary licensing.
The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in a number of countries in 2026.
The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Work
GLP-1 drugs replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so individuals reduce food intake.
Individuals typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the once-weekly jabs.
Studies indicates patients may put most of the weight back on a year later of discontinuing the treatment, as their typical food cravings resume.
To be carrying excess weight increases your likelihood for contracting medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Excess weight affects people in every country and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.
