GLP-1 Drugs and Immunotherapies Now on WHO’s Essential Medicines List

Geneva, September 9, 2025 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) and the Essential Medicines for Children (EMLc), adding new therapies for cancer, diabetes, obesity, and other serious conditions. The revised editions mark the 24th EML and the 10th EMLc and include 523 medicines for adults and 374 for children (WHO, 2025).

The WHO EML serves as a global reference for governments, guiding procurement, health insurance reimbursement, and public supply systems in over 150 countries. Since its launch in 1977, the list has become a central tool for ensuring access to medicines that address priority health needs.

Cancer Medicines Added

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for nearly 10 million deaths annually (WHO, 2025). The latest update includes immune checkpoint inhibitors, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, and cemiplimab which enhance the immune system’s ability to detect and attack cancer cells. Pembrolizumab was added for metastatic cervical cancer, metastatic colorectal cancer, and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, with the other two listed as therapeutic alternatives.

The WHO Expert Committee emphasized that only medicines demonstrating meaningful clinical benefit, such as extending survival by four to six months, were included. It also endorsed strategies like dose optimization to make these treatments more affordable, particularly in resource-limited settings (WHO, 2025).

Diabetes and Obesity Treatments

With over 800 million people living with diabetes in 2022, half of them untreated alongside more than 1 billion people affected by obesity, the WHO has prioritized treatments addressing these overlapping epidemics.

The update includes glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, semaglutide, dulaglutide, and liraglutide and a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, tirzepatide. These drugs not only lower blood glucose but also reduce risks of cardiovascular and kidney complications, support weight loss, and lower mortality.

Broader Additions

The lists also added medicines for cystic fibrosis, haemophilia, psoriasis, and blood disorders, further expanding the scope of treatments available to underserved populations.

Impact on Poor and Middle-Income Countries

The inclusion of these medicines holds particular significance for (Lower and Middle Income Countries) LMICs, where access to advanced treatments is often limited by high costs and weak health infrastructure. High prices for GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide currently restrict availability, but WHO recommends prioritizing patients who will benefit most and fostering generic competition to lower costs (The Independent, 2025).

For cancer, where treatment inequities are pronounced, WHO’s endorsement provides governments with strong policy justification to negotiate prices, expand procurement, and integrate these medicines into primary healthcare. This could reduce premature deaths and improve survival rates in regions where cancer and diabetes care remains inadequate.

Next Steps

The WHO reiterated that equitable access requires political will, strong health system responses, and collaboration across sectors. The Expert Committee’s recommendations provide clear guidance for governments, ensuring that essential therapies are available, affordable, and accessible to those most in need (WHO, 2025).

Reference

1) World Health Organization. “WHO updates list of essential medicines to include key cancer, diabetes treatments.” September 5, 2025. WHO. https://www.who.int/news/item/05-09-2025-who-updates-list-of-essential-medicines-to-include-key-cancer--diabetes-treatments

(Rh/Eth/TL)