E-DRUG: WHO publishes 15th edition Model EML
------------------------------------------------------
Dear E-druggers,
E-drug understands that following clearance by the office of the Director
General, and final editing, the 15th list of Essential medicines has now
been made available on the Medicines web site at:
http://www.who.int/entity/medicines/publications/EML15.pdf
This is the 15th edition in 30 years. WHO has not yet made public whether it
wants to "celebrate" the 30th birthday of the EML. Clearly the list is now a
mature adult with a transparent process.
Below is a "note for the media" from WHO. Copied as fair use from:
http://www.who.int/medicines/news/EML15_WHO_NoteForMedia17_2007en.pdf
Regards
Wilbert
---------
Wilbert Bannenberg, E-drug moderator
Email: wjb@planet.nl
The E-drug archives are available at http://www.essentialdrugs.org/edrug/
(un)Subscribe E-drug at:
http://list.healthnet.org/mailman/listinfo/e-drug
---
Note for the media WHO/17
13 April 2007
EXPERTS RECOMMEND INNOVATION FOR CHILDREN'S MEDICINES
WHO 15TH ESSENTIAL MEDICINES LIST PUBLISHED TODAY
Following recommendations from the Expert Committee on Essential Medicines,
the World Health Organization (WHO) will immediately begin work to create a
medicines list specifically tailored to children's needs. A group of experts
will meet in July 2007 to produce the first international list of medicines
to tackle diseases with high mortality and morbidity rates in children.
The Expert Committee made the recommendation while meeting on 19-23 March in
Geneva to update the general WHO Model List of Essential Medicines. The list
will be published today and already includes some child specific medicines.
Children suffer from the same illnesses as adults but they are more
seriously affected - particularly in developing countries - by certain
conditions such as respiratory tract infections, malaria and diarrhoeal
diseases. An estimated 10.6 million children under five die every year, many
from these treatable conditions. In 2005, 2.3 million children under 15
years were HIV positive - 700 000 new infections had occurred over the
twelve months.
In spite of the huge need, there are few medicines made to measure for
children or that can be easily consumed by a child. At present, children
must often take portions of adult tablets in a crushed form, with little
evidence of the efficacy and safety of the dose. When medicines do exist in
the right dosage they are usually in syrup form, which may pose supply,
storage and pricing problems in developing countries.
The challenge for children becomes more acute when they are affected by a
condition requiring combination therapy (several medicines rather than one)
such as for HIV/AIDS and malaria. In these cases, fixed dose combination
tablets are required (two- or three-in-one pills). While production of adult
fixed-dose-combinations is increasing, it is sorely lacking for children. In
addition, antiretrovirals for children are currently three times more
expensive than the adult versions.
The recommendation made by the Expert Committee for an essential medicines
list for children will see WHO working with partners to advocate innovation
and research into children's medicines, the manufacture of new dosage forms
and new formats, and ways in
which information about children's medicines can be conveyed to countries in
a rapid, effective way.
The plan to work on better medicines for children was strongly backed by
Member States at WHO's Executive Board meeting in January this year and will
be on the agenda of the World Health Assembly in May.
The Expert Committee made a number of important updates to the WHO Model
List of Essential Medicines. Five fixed-dose-combinations for adults were
included for HIV/AIDS. Two of these come from the generic industry while the
remaining three are produced by brand name companies. All WHO recommended
antimalarials were also added.
Five oral liquid formulations were included for children - three for
epilepsy, one for children born prematurely, and one new medicine for
HIV/AIDS, although in single dose. Three other epilepsy medicines were
included in the form of chewable, dispersable tablets, a format which
evidence increasingly shows to be effective for children.
The WHO List of Essential Medicines provides a model for countries to select
medicines addressing public health priorities according to quality, safety
and efficacy standards. It helps governments address problems of cost and
availability and provides guidance to the pharmaceutical industry on
medicines needs globally.
For more information contact:
Daniela Bagozzi, Communications officer, WHO, Geneva, Tel: +41 (22) 791
4544; mobile: +41 79 475 5490; Email: bagozzid@who.int.
All WHO News Releases, Fact Sheets and Features can be obtained on the WHO
web site: www.who.int.