The Global Health Body Raises Concern Over Acute Shortage of Obesity Injections

Under 10% of patients eligible to benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy can access them, states the WHO as it issues its first recommendations on the medications.

Given in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is urging more widespread and fairer availability to this class of drugs.

Based on estimates, more than two billion could be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"Our new guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with holistic and lifelong treatment," remarked its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key barriers to broad availability to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the organization.

GLP-1 Therapy Scarcity

Despite the current best projected scenario, the manufacturing of these medications might only reach around 100 million people – less than 10% of the global need, per the WHO.

The recommendation encourages nations and manufacturers to increase availability, via approaches including patent sharing.

A patent on a key compound – the core component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.

The Way Obesity Drugs Function

GLP-1 drugs mimick a biological compound to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and boost satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.

Individuals typically start to lose weight in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.

Evidence indicates people may put most of the weight back on within a year of stopping the medication, when their usual hunger resume.

To be overweight or obese elevates your risk for developing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.

Obesity concerns people in countries worldwide and was responsible for millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.