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Cancer medicines on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines: processes, challenges, and a way forward

Kristina Jenei1, Zeba Aziz2, Christopher Booth3

  • 1Department of Health Products Policy and Standards, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.

The Lancet. Global Health
|October 2, 2022
PubMed

Insights

The World Health Organization (WHO) updated its Essential Medicines List (EML) and EML for Children (EMLc) to ensure cancer medicines provide significant clinical benefit and value for money. These changes support sustainable health systems and universal health coverage.

Area of Science:

  • Health Policy
  • Pharmacoeconomics
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Selecting cancer medicines for national procurement is complex due to high prices and marginal benefits of new therapies.
  • Ensuring population benefit, budget impact, sustainability, and health system capacity are key considerations.
  • The WHO Model List of Essential Medicines (EML) and EML for Children (EMLc) aim to guide evidence-based selection of cancer medicines.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the updated WHO processes for listing cancer medicines on the EML and EMLc.
  • To highlight new selection principles ensuring meaningful clinical benefit and value.
  • To promote the procurement of high-value essential cancer medicines for sustainable health systems.

Main Methods:

  • Formation of the Cancer Medicines Working Group by WHO.
  • Implementation of additional selection principles for cancer medicines.
  • Inclusion of minimum survival benefit (4-6 months) and quality of life improvement criteria.

Main Results:

  • Updated WHO processes and selection criteria for cancer medicines on the EML and EMLc.
  • Emphasis on meaningful clinical benefit and improved quality of life.
  • Proposals for price considerations and multisectoral collaboration.

Conclusions:

  • The updated WHO processes enhance the selection of essential cancer medicines.
  • These changes support sustainable health systems and universal health coverage.
  • Formal price considerations and collaborative approaches are crucial for high-value medicine procurement.

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