Overview

• The expert committee added semaglutide and tirzepatide for type 2 diabetes in patients with established cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, or obesity.
• The agency declined an essential listing for obesity as a standalone indication, keeping the focus on diabetes care.
• Citing high prices that limit access, WHO urged generic production as key patents start to expire next year.
• The update also names Trikafta/Kaftrio for cystic fibrosis, Keytruda for specified metastatic cancers, and rapid-acting insulin analogues for diabetes.
• Officials described the list as a catalyst for access in health systems worldwide, noting more than 800 million people live with diabetes and over 1 billion have obesity.