WHO Raises Alert Over Acute Scarcity of Obesity Injections

Under one in 10 people eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs including Wegovy have access to them, states the WHO as it issues its first guidance on the medications.

With more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.

According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing significant body mass, says the body.

Skinny Jab Shortage

Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies might only reach about 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.

The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via strategies including patent sharing.

The intellectual property rights on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.

The Way Obesity Drugs Operate

GLP-1 drugs imitate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, curb appetite and increase the sense of being full so people eat less.

People usually begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of commencing the weekly injections.

Studies suggests users may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the treatment, because their typical food cravings return.

Being carrying excess weight increases your risk for developing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.

Excess weight affects people in all nations and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the WHO.