World Health Organization Issues Concern Over Severe Shortage of Weight-Loss Jabs

Under one in 10 patients who could benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it issues its inaugural guidance on the therapies.

Given more than one billion people worldwide now obese, it is calling for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.

According to projections, over two billion will be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"The new guidance recognises that excess weight is a chronic disease that can be addressed with holistic and continuous support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, insufficient output, and distribution challenges are significant hurdles to widespread access to the injections that can help people shift substantial body mass, notes the organization.

GLP-1 Therapy Shortage

Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the production of these medications would only suffice for about 100 million people – under 10% of those who need them, according to the WHO.

The guideline calls on governments and firms to expand availability, via strategies like voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the main component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple countries in 2026.

How Obesity Drugs Function

These medications imitate a body's own hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and enhance satiety so people reduce food intake.

People usually see weight reduction after several weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.

Research points to users may put most of the weight back on after a year of stopping the treatment, because their typical hunger return.

Being carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.

Obesity impacts people in countries worldwide and was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.