By ANGELA OKETCH
The World Health Organization (WHO) has added two cancer drugs to its 2019 essential medicines list despite oncologists calling for less toxic therapies for the disease.
The two recently developed immunotherapies (nivolumab and pembrolizumab), WHO says, have delivered up to 50 per cent survival rates for advanced melanoma, a cancer that until recently was incurable.
“While several new cancer treatments have been marketed in recent years, only a few deliver sufficient therapeutic benefits to be considered essential,” the UN agency says.
“The five cancer therapies WHO added to the new Medicines List are regarded as the best in terms of survival rates to treat melanoma, lung, blood and prostate cancers.”
WHO’s Essential Medicines List and List of Essential Diagnostics are core guidance documents that help countries prioritize critical health products that should be widely available and affordable throughout health systems.
Published Wednesday, the two lists focus on cancer and other global health challenges, with an emphasis on effective solutions, smart prioritization and optimal access for patients. Read more…
