The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML) and Essential Medicines for Children (EMLc), adding several treatments for cancer, diabetes and rare diseases in its 2025 revision.
Published on Friday, the new editions mark the 24th update of the EML and the 10th of the EMLc, which are used by more than 150 countries to guide decisions on drug procurement, health coverage and supply.
This 2025 review added 20 medicines to the adult list and 15 to the children’s list, while expanding the approved uses of seven others. In total, the EML now covers 523 adult medicines and 374 for children.
Cancer therapies received prominent attention, with the committee endorsing three immune checkpoint inhibitors – pembrolizumab, atezolizumab and cemiplimab – for advanced lung, cervical and colorectal cancers. WHO stressed that only medicines proven to extend survival were considered, due to the high cost of oncology treatments.
For patients with type 2 diabetes, particularly those with obesity or related complications, the lists now feature glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists such as semaglutide, dulaglutide and liraglutide, alongside tirzepatide, a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist.
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These therapies not only help control blood sugar but also support weight reduction and lower cardiovascular and kidney risks. Affordability, however, remains a concern.
Other additions include treatments for cystic fibrosis, haemophilia, psoriasis and blood disorders, with officials noting that the changes aim to improve equity in access to essential therapies, especially in low- and middle-income nations.
Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Systems, Access and Data, said the revisions marked an important move to widen access to medicines with demonstrated clinical benefits and strong potential to improve global public health.
The revisions stem from the May 2025 meeting of the Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines, which reviewed 59 applications and weighed the effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of each drug before issuing recommendations.
