Diagnosis

WHO Updates Essential Medicines, Diagnostics Lists

The World Health Organization has updated its Essential Medicines List and List of Essential Diagnostics, adding 28 new treatments and 26 new indications.

Chief among the additions to the Essential Medicines List are 5 new cancer therapies that are “regarded as the best in terms of survival rates to treat melanoma, lung, blood and prostate cancers.”

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Additionally, the WHO strengthened their advice on antibiotic use with an update to the AWARE categories and with the addition of 3 new antibiotics for the treatment of multi=drug resistant infections.

Further updates include:

  • New oral anticoagulants for the prevention of stroke as an alternative to warfarin for atrial fibrillation and treatment of deep vein thrombosis.
  • Biologics and biosimilars for chronic inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases.
  • Heat-stable carbetocin for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage.

The List of Essential Diagnostics was first published in 2018 and focused on a limited number of priority diseases, including HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis. In their 2019 update, the group has expanded the list to include more diseases.

Included among the updates:

  • Twelve tests for the detection of a wide range of solid tumors, including colorectal, liver, cervical, prostate, breast and germ cell cancers, as well as leukemia and lymphomas.
  • A new section on anatomical pathology testing.
  • Infectious diseases prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, including cholera, and neglected diseases like leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, dengue, and zika.
  • A section on influenza testing when no laboratories are available.
  • The General Test section was expanded to include several more tests, including iron tests, and those to diagnose thyroid malfunction and sickle cell.

“Both WHO lists are models for countries to develop their own national lists.  National lists based on local disease burden and existing healthcare delivery infrastructure provide an excellent framework from which countries can plan and implement the laboratory services and the medicines they need,” the group wrote.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

WHO. WHO updates global guidance on medicines and diagnostic tests to address health challenges, prioritize highly effective therapeutics, and improve affordable access [press release]. Geneva, Switzerland. July 9, 2019.