WHO Sounds Alert Over Acute Scarcity of Weight-Loss Medications
Under one in 10 individuals that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the medications.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.
Based on estimates, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"The new guidelines affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be addressed with thorough and continuous care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and logistical bottlenecks are key obstacles to widespread availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial weight, explains the agency.
GLP-1 Therapy Supply Crisis
Despite the current most favorable scenario, the production of these medications would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.
The advice calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, through approaches including voluntary licensing.
A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.
How Obesity Injections Function
These medications mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, suppress the appetite and boost feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.
Patients typically see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.
Research suggests people may regain a significant portion after a year of halting the medication, as their normal appetite come back.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for experiencing health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.
Obesity affects people in all nations and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.
