WHO adds GLP-1 drugs for diabetes, others to essential medicines list

In addition to cystic fibrosis and cancer treatments, the World Health Organization added GLP-1 drugs to treat diabetes to the list of basic drugs and said that it would improve global access to expensive drugs.

The list of 523 drugs for adults and 374 for children is a catalog of drugs that it believes should be available in all functioning health systems. In the past, for example, in the early 2000s, HIV treatments have helped to access people in poor countries.

“Instead of allowing the price to be a disqualing factor, he sees that the price is included as a potential catalyst for access to the list of basic drugs,” he said. He said.
The expert committee added novo Nordisk’s active ingredients in the Mounjaro of Ozempic and Eli Lilly to the list to treat type 2 diabetes with built -in cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease or obesity. Drugs were initially developed for diabetes, but under different brand names, it became very popular weight loss drugs. As in 2023, DSÖ stopped adding to treat obesity alone.

The Committee said that this decision provides a clear guidance on which patients will benefit the most.

“High drug prices such as Semagluid and Tirzepathide limit access to these drugs.” Novo Nordisk Spokesman said he was determined to support the company’s treatment wider access. A few companies are already working on general copies of drugs. Eli Lilly said that this is committed to increasing access, but there may be better candidates to “meet the patient needs of the drugs or general copies of drugs, to meet patient needs and to save cost in lower welding environments”. Globally, more than 800 million people worldwide lived in 2022 with diabetes, he said. There are also more than 1 billion people with obesity. Earlier this year, the WHO note said it would recommend the use of drugs for obesity, a separate step to add them to the basic list. The list also features a combination therapy for the Vapta Pharmaceuticals’ Cystic Fibrosis, Trikfta or Kaftrio. The activists have criticized their high price and lack of accessibility for years. The drug producer refused to comment on the list. At the same time, Merck’s best -selling cancer immunotherapy drug contains strategies to increase the treatment and access of cervical cancers, colorectal cancers and small non -cell lung cancers without spread or metastasis. Merck said he committed to reaching the patients in need.

DSÖ also added fast -acting insulin analogs made by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to the Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes Treatment list between others.