WHO Issues Concern Over Critical Lack of Weight-Loss Injections

Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections including Wegovy are able to get them, caution the global health agency as it releases its first advice on the drugs.

Given more than one billion people worldwide now living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to GLP-1 medication.

Based on forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"The new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and continuous treatment," stated the agency's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are significant obstacles to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, says the organization.

Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis

Despite the present most optimistic case, the production of such drugs could only cover about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, per the health organization.

The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to expand access, through approaches such as patent sharing.

Exclusive production rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in a number of nations in 2026.

The Way Obesity Jabs Function

GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness so people consume fewer calories.

Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.

Research points to patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, as their typical food cravings resume.

Being above a healthy weight elevates your chance for experiencing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.

Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.