The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the inclusion of cytisine , a powerful smoking cessation drug, on the Model List of Essential Medicines (MEL) for 2025. This decision is an important step in strengthening global support for tobacco cessation, especially in resource-poor countries.
According to the WHO Expert Committee, cytisine has been added to the list due to its proven efficacy, low cost and favorable safety profile , in a context of great public health need. It is the first tobacco cessation drug to be included on the list in years.
Cytisine is a plant-based alkaloid, structurally similar to nicotine, used since the 1960s in Central and Eastern Europe to treat tobacco addiction. In addition to offering comparable or superior results to other treatments such as nicotine replacement therapy, it causes fewer side effects and is considerably less expensive .
Currently, an estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide are addicted to tobacco , most of whom started as young people and express a desire to quit. However, according to the latest WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic (2025), policies to support cessation remain the least implemented , especially in low- and middle-income countries.
With this inclusion, the WHO calls on governments to prioritize public health over the economic interests of the tobacco and recreational nicotine industries.
More information: https://ash.org/new-tobacco-cessation-drug-added-to-who-eml-cytisine/