The Global Health Body Sounds Alert Over Critical Scarcity of Obesity Injections

Under a tenth of patients that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy have access to them, caution the WHO as it releases its first advice on the medications.

Considering in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently classified as obese, it is urging broader and more equitable access to these injectable treatments.

Based on forecasts, more than two billion will be living with obesity by 2030 without intervention.

"Our latest guidelines recognises that excess weight is a lifelong illness that can be managed with comprehensive and ongoing care," stated its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, constrained manufacturing, and supply-chain constraints are major hurdles to broad availability to the injections that can aid individuals in losing significant weight, explains the agency.

Weight-Loss Drug Scarcity

Even under the current most optimistic case, the supply of such drugs could only cover approximately 100 million people – under 10% of the global need, as stated by the WHO.

The guideline urges countries and companies to widen access, through measures such as voluntary licensing.

The intellectual property rights on the active ingredient – the primary ingredient of a leading brand – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.

How Obesity Drugs Function

The injections replicate a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, reduce hunger and enhance the sense of being full so users eat less.

Patients commonly see weight reduction within a few weeks of starting on the regular doses.

Evidence points to patients may put most of the weight back on within a year of halting the drug, because their typical food cravings come back.

Being above a healthy weight increases your likelihood for experiencing medical conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and some malignancies.

Excess weight affects individuals in every country and was associated with millions of deaths worldwide in 2024, as per the WHO.