WHO Sounds Alert Over Acute Shortage of Obesity Injections

Less than one in 10 patients who could benefit from weight-loss injections like Wegovy are able to get them, states the global health agency as it issues its inaugural advice on the therapies.

Considering more than one billion individuals worldwide now classified as obese, it is advocating for broader and more equitable access to this class of drugs.

According to projections, in excess of 2,000,000,000 will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.

"The latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be managed with holistic and ongoing treatment," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, limited production capacity, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to widespread access to the jabs that can assist patients in reducing substantial body mass, explains the body.

GLP-1 Therapy Shortage

Even in the current most favorable outlook, the manufacturing of such drugs might only reach around 100 million people – fewer than 10% of those who need them, according to the health organization.

The advice calls on countries and companies to increase access, via strategies like voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on semaglutide – the core ingredient of the drug Wegovy – is set to lapse in multiple countries in 2026.

The Way Obesity Injections Function

The injections replicate a natural hormone to slow digestion, suppress the appetite and enhance the sense of being full so users reduce food intake.

Individuals typically begin shedding pounds within a few weeks of starting on the weekly injections.

Evidence suggests people may see weight return within a year of stopping the treatment, when their typical food cravings return.

To be overweight or obese increases your risk for contracting health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, brain attack, and some malignancies.

Excess weight impacts people in all nations and was responsible for millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.