New Cancer Treatments Added to WHO’s Essential Medicines List
The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its list of essential medicines, adding important new cancer treatments to help expand access globally. This list, used by over 150 countries to guide their healthcare systems, now includes new therapies for various types of cancer, along with treatments for diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and other conditions.
Fighting Cancer with Immunotherapy
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and new treatments are constantly being developed. The WHO focuses on adding only the most effective therapies to its list—those that are proven to significantly extend a patient's life.
As part of this effort, the WHO is increasing access to PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. This class of drugs, a type of immunotherapy, works by helping your body's own immune system find and attack cancer cells more effectively.
Specifically, the drug pembrolizumab has been added to the list for treating:
Advanced cervical cancer
Advanced colorectal cancer
Advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Other drugs like atezolizumab and cemiplimab were also included as alternatives for lung cancer.
Making Cancer Treatments More Accessible
The WHO is not just adding new drugs; it’s also focused on making them affordable and available to more people. The organization highlighted several strategies to improve access, including:
Dose Optimization: Using evidence-based approaches to determine the most effective and efficient dose of a medication, which can reduce costs and improve availability.
Systemic Reforms: Working with governments to change policies that limit access.
While large-scale health system changes take time, the WHO emphasizes that clinical strategies, such as dose optimization, can be put into practice immediately to provide faster benefits for patients, especially in areas with limited resources.
By adding these life-saving therapies to its list, the WHO is taking a significant step toward improving cancer care and making it more equitable around the world.
Source: World Health Organization | September 5, 2025