WHO Raises Warning Over Critical Shortage of Weight-Loss Medications

Less than one in 10 people who could benefit from obesity jabs like Wegovy are able to get them, caution the World Health Organization as it releases its initial advice on the medications.

With in excess of 1,000,000,000 people worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer access to these injectable treatments.

According to estimates, over two billion are projected to be living with obesity by 2030 if no action is taken.

"The new guidelines recognises that obesity is a lifelong illness that can be addressed with comprehensive and lifelong support," stated WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Significant expense, limited production capacity, and distribution challenges are major obstacles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing substantial weight, notes the organization.

Weight-Loss Drug Supply Crisis

Even under the current most favorable case, the production of GLP-1 therapies might only reach approximately 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, according to the WHO.

The advice urges countries and companies to increase availability, via measures including licensing agreements.

A patent on a key compound – the main component of a leading brand – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.

How Obesity Drugs Operate

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

Individuals usually start to lose weight in the initial weeks of commencing the once-weekly jabs.

Research indicates people may see weight return after a year of discontinuing the drug, because their usual appetite return.

Being above a healthy weight increases your risk for experiencing medical conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and specific malignancies.

Excess weight impacts people in countries worldwide and was responsible for 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.