WHO endorses landmark public health decisions on Essential Medicines for Multiple Sclerosis

World Health Organization (WHO) published the new editions of the Model Lists of Essential Medicines (EML) and Essential Medicines for Children (EMLc) which include important new medicines for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, cancer, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular conditions, among others.

The updated Model Lists aim to facilitate greater access to innovative medicines that show clear clinical benefits. 

These treatments could have a very large public health impact globally without jeopardizing the health budgets of low- and middle-income countries.

For the 2023 update, 85 applications, encompassing over one hundred medicines and formulations, were considered by the WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines. 

 The recommended changes bring the total number of medicines on the EML and EMLc to 502 and 361, respectively.

Full details of the Expert Committee’s recommendations, describing the additions, changes and removal of medicines, and decisions not to recommend medicines are available in the Executive Summary here.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, debilitating disease of the nervous system affecting approximately 2.8 million people worldwide. 

Until now, no medicines for its treatment have been included on the EML. In 2023 three medicines that can delay or slow its progression cladribine, glatiramer acetate and rituximab are added to the EML, filling an important gap given the large global burden of MS. 

Listing of these medicines as treatment options for MS with different routes of administration, different prices (with the availability of generics and biosimilars) and different recommended uses, is aimed at facilitating improved access to treatment for people living with MS around the world. 

The decision to support off-label use of rituximab is supported by strong evidence of its efficacy and safety for this indication.

This recommendation, which is in line with previous recommendations by the Expert Committee, could lead to major health benefits worldwide.