WHO Issues Alert Over Severe Scarcity of Weight-Loss Jabs
Fewer than one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the WHO as it publishes its initial advice on the drugs.
Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable availability to this class of drugs.
Based on estimates, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be managed with comprehensive and lifelong treatment," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
High costs, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are significant barriers to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing considerable weight, says the organization.
Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis
Even under the present most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.
The recommendation encourages governments and firms to widen access, by measures including patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of countries in 2026.
How Obesity Drugs Operate
The injections replicate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and enhance feelings of fullness so individuals consume fewer calories.
Individuals commonly begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Research points to users may see weight return after a year of halting the medication, as their usual food cravings come back.
Being above a healthy weight elevates your risk for developing diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific malignancies.
Excess weight concerns people in countries worldwide and was associated with millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.
