The Global Health Body Raises Concern Over Severe Lack of Obesity Injections

Fewer than a tenth of patients eligible to benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its initial recommendations on the therapies.

With over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.

According to forecasts, more than two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 unless action is taken.

"The latest guidelines acknowledges that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be treated with holistic and continuous support," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Substantial prices, constrained manufacturing, and distribution challenges are significant obstacles to widespread access to the jabs that can aid individuals in losing substantial body mass, notes the organization.

Skinny Jab Supply Crisis

Despite the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of such drugs might only reach approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, per the WHO.

The advice urges nations and manufacturers to expand availability, via approaches like patent sharing.

A patent on semaglutide – the main component of the drug Wegovy – is scheduled to end in multiple nations in 2026.

How Obesity Injections Work

These medications replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, suppress the appetite and boost the sense of being full so people eat less.

Patients commonly start to lose weight within a few weeks of beginning the regular doses.

Research indicates patients may regain a significant portion a year later of discontinuing the treatment, because their typical appetite return.

Being overweight or obese increases your risk for contracting medical conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and certain malignancies.

Obesity concerns individuals in every country and was responsible for 3.7 million fatalities worldwide in 2024, according to the health agency.