WHO Issues Alert Over Critical Scarcity of Obesity Medications

Fewer than one in 10 patients that would benefit from GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are able to get them, warns the WHO as it issues its first advice on the drugs.

With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is calling for more widespread and fairer access to GLP-1 medication.

According to projections, over two billion could be living with obesity by 2030 unless action is taken.

"The latest guidance affirms that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and continuous support," said its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to universal access to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, explains the body.

Skinny Jab Scarcity

Despite the current most optimistic scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the WHO.

The recommendation calls on countries and companies to expand access, via approaches such as licensing agreements.

The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in several nations in 2026.

The Way Weight-Loss Drugs Operate

GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and increase satiety so people consume fewer calories.

Patients typically see weight reduction in the initial weeks of beginning the weekly injections.

Evidence points to users may see weight return a year later of stopping the drug, because their normal appetite return.

To be carrying excess weight raises your risk for contracting medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and specific cancers.

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