The Global Health Body Issues Alert Over Severe Lack of Weight-Loss Injections

Under one in 10 patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it issues its first guidance on the drugs.

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

Per projections, over two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.

"The new guidelines acknowledges that obesity is a long-term condition that can be treated with thorough and lifelong support," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major barriers to broad availability to the treatments that can help people shift considerable weight, notes the agency.

Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity

Even under the present best projected outlook, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.

The guideline urges governments and firms to widen availability, through approaches including licensing agreements.

A patent on semaglutide – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.

The Way Weight-Loss Injections Work

GLP-1 drugs imitate a biological compound to slow digestion, reduce hunger and boost the sense of being full so users consume fewer calories.

People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of beginning the once-weekly jabs.

Research points to people may regain a significant portion within a year of halting the medication, when their typical food cravings return.

Being overweight or obese raises your risk for developing health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.

Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was linked to 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.