WHO Adds GLP-1 Drugs And Cancer Therapies To Updated Essential Medicines List For First Time In 2025

The World Health Organization (WHO) has, for the first time, added GLP-1 receptor agonists, popularly known as the active ingredients behind weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to its Essential Medicines List (EML). The move, announced Friday, marks a turning point in the global conversation about diabetes, obesity, and equitable access to life-saving treatments.The Essential Medicines List is one of WHO’s most influential public health tools. Updated every two years, the list identifies medicines that should be available in every functioning health system, regardless of a country’s income level. It now includes 523 medicines for adults and 374 for children. Adoption is widespread: over 150 countries use the EML as a reference point for drug procurement, health insurance coverage, and treatment guidelines.By including GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), liraglutide, and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), WHO has formally acknowledged their role not just in diabetes management but also in broader health outcomes, particularly cardiovascular and kidney health.Also Read: World Physiotherapy Day 2025: Themes, Significance And HistoryWhy the Addition of GLP-1 Drugs is Revolutionary?GLP-1 receptor agonists mimic a natural hormone that regulates blood sugar and appetite. They stimulate the pancreas to release insulin, slow digestion, reduce liver glucose production, and act on the brain to suppress hunger. This dual benefit—controlling diabetes and supporting weight loss—has propelled them into mainstream awareness.Scientific evidence reviewed by WHO’s Expert Committee confirmed their ability to lower blood sugar, reduce risks of heart and kidney complications, support weight management, and even extend life expectancy in people with type 2 diabetes and related conditions. For patients with cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, or obesity, these drugs are emerging as game-changers.The Limits of the DecisionIt’s important to note that while GLP-1s are popularly associated with weight loss, WHO stopped short of endorsing them for obesity alone. The drugs were added specifically for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who also have established cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, or obesity.This distinction matters. While obesity affects over one billion people worldwide, WHO’s cautious stance reflects the still-limited long-term data on safety, sustainability of weight loss, and cost-effectiveness in populations without diabetes.Barriers to AccessAffordability remains the biggest hurdle. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) called the decision a “critical milestone” but highlighted that in low-resource settings, GLP-1s are practically out of reach.A recent MSF study found GLP-1 agonists can cost up to 400 times more than their estimated manufacturing price, while rapid-acting insulin analogues also newly included on the list—are priced 75 times higher than what they could be profitably produced for.Also Read: Blood Pressure Guidelines Get An Update After 8 Years, Here's All That You Need To Know“Rapid-acting insulins and GLP-1s are unaffordable and often unavailable in low-resource and humanitarian settings,” said Elizabeth Jarman of MSF’s Access Campaign. “Countries must act quickly to update national EMLs, plan procurement, and push pharmaceutical corporations to make them affordable.”WHO echoed this call, urging governments to prioritize patients who would benefit most, support generic competition to drive prices down, and ensure distribution at the primary care level, especially in underserved areas.Expanding the Scope Cancer TreatmentThe 2025 update of the EML goes far beyond GLP-1s. Twenty new medicines were added for adults, alongside 15 for children. Notable inclusions are:Cancer Immunotherapies: Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and alternatives atezolizumab and cemiplimab for metastatic cervical, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancers. These immune checkpoint inhibitors have been shown to prolong survival by four to six months in advanced cancers.Cystic Fibrosis Therapy: Trikafta (a triple-combination drug by Vertex Pharmaceuticals) was hailed as a “historic breakthrough” by patient advocacy groups, marking the first time a cystic fibrosis-specific therapy made the EML.Insulin Expansion: Short-acting insulin analogues were added, complementing the long-acting formulas already listed since 2021. This creates a complete set of recommended insulin therapies, critical for tailoring diabetes treatment.Vaccines and Pediatric Medicines: The children’s list now includes drugs for haemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and newly approved vaccines for malaria and mpox.Tensions Over Excluded DrugsNot all proposals made it onto the list. Knowledge Ecology International criticized WHO for excluding risdiplam, a treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The drug, they argued, is effective, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and could transform outcomes for children with SMA.WHO’s Expert Committee deferred inclusion due to incomplete trial data, though subsequent studies published later in the year showed highly promising results.How Does The Updated Essential Medicine List Affect Global Health?The stakes of WHO’s decision are high. Diabetes and obesity are among the most pressing health challenges worldwide. More than 800 million people are living with diabetes, half without treatment, while obesity affects over a billion. These conditions are not confined to wealthy nations; their fastest growth is occurring in low- and middle-income countries.Including GLP-1s in the Essential Medicines List sends a strong signal to governments, insurers, and pharmaceutical companies: these drugs are not luxury treatments for the wealthy but part of the global standard of care.Yet the path from inclusion to access is not straightforward. Countries must adopt the drugs into their national lists, negotiate prices, and strengthen health systems to deliver them effectively. As David Reddy, director-general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, pointed out, inclusion on the list must be accompanied by infrastructure, diagnostics, and trained professionals.Cancer treatments remain one of the most tightly scrutinized areas of the EML. Cancer kills nearly 10 million people each year, accounting for one in three premature deaths from non-communicable diseases. Despite the flood of new cancer drug approvals in recent years, WHO only recommends therapies that demonstrate clear survival benefits of at least four to six months.The inclusion of pembrolizumab and its alternatives reflects both clinical evidence and a deliberate effort to reduce global inequities in cancer care. Still, the high cost of immunotherapies poses a major barrier. Without mechanisms like tiered pricing and voluntary licensing, poorer countries may struggle to make these life-extending drugs widely available.The 2025 Essential Medicines List reflects both optimism and realism. On one hand, it celebrates remarkable advances in science—from GLP-1s reshaping diabetes care to breakthrough therapies for cystic fibrosis and cancer. On the other, it acknowledges the sobering reality of cost and access.

WHO Adds GLP-1 Drugs And Cancer Therapies To Updated Essential Medicines List For First Time In 2025

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