WHO Updates List of Essential Medicines to Include GLP-1s
TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2025 -- The World Health Organization published updated editions of its Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) and Essential Medicines for Children (EMLc) to include new treatments for several cancers as well as for diabetes and related conditions such as obesity.
The WHO EML and EMLc highlight medicines that address priority health needs worldwide. More than 150 countries use them as a foundation for public sector procurement, medicine supply, and health insurance or reimbursement programs.
The WHO Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines reviewed 59 applications, resulting in the addition of 20 new medicines to the EML, 15 to the EMLc, and new indications for seven existing medicines.
The committee found strong evidence that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists benefit people with type 2 diabetes, particularly those with heart or kidney disease, by improving glucose control, decreasing heart and kidney risks, aiding weight loss, and reducing early mortality.
Semaglutide, dulaglutide, and liraglutide, along with the GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide dual receptor agonist tirzepatide are now included in the EML.
The committee reviewed 25 cancer medicine applications and, to advance equity in cancer care, recommended broader access to programmed cell death protein 1 and programmed death-ligand 1 immunotherapies.
Pembrolizumab was added to the EML for several metastatic cancers, with atezolizumab and cemiplimab listed as alternatives for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The committee also supports expert-recommended, evidence-based strategies -- such as dose optimization -- to enhance the accessibility and affordability of cancer treatments.
"A large share of out-of-pocket spending on noncommunicable diseases goes toward medicines, including those classified as essential and that, in principle, should be financially accessible to everyone," Deusdedit Mubangizi, WHO director of policy and standards for medicines and health products, said in a statement. "Achieving equitable access to essential medicines requires a coherent health system response backed by strong political will, multisectoral cooperation, and people-centered programs that leave no one behind."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
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