Fewer than one in 10 people that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its first recommendations on the therapies.
Given more than one billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is urging broader and more equitable access to GLP-1 medication.
Per projections, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.
"Our latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be managed with holistic and lifelong support," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Substantial prices, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal access to the treatments that can help people shift substantial weight, notes the agency.
Skinny Jab Scarcity
Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the supply of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, as stated by the health organization.
The guideline calls on nations and manufacturers to expand availability, by measures like patent sharing.
A patent on a key compound – the main ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple nations in 2026.
How Weight-Loss Drugs Work
The injections replicate a body's own hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance satiety so people consume fewer calories.
People typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the weekly injections.
Studies suggests users may see weight return after a year of halting the drug, as their typical food cravings return.
To be above a healthy weight elevates your chance for contracting health problems, like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and certain cancers.
Excess weight impacts people in every country and was associated with over three and a half million fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.
