7 days in healthcare (December 8th-14th, 2025)

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Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

  • Biomedicine: The rarest diseases become treatable.
  • Global Health: Universal health coverage, necessary but still a long way off.
  • International Health Policy: Brussels finalizes pharmaceutical reform to facilitate access to innovation.
  • National Health Policy: The measures being prepared by the government aim to curb privatization.
  • Business: Spain inaugurates its first AI factory for healthcare.

Biomedicine

  • The rarest diseases become treatable. CRISPR technology is ready to treat many rare diseases, previously untreatable.
  • Pharmacogenomics: Clinical progress. Pharmacogenomics is the field that analyzes how genetic variations influence the response to therapy. The feasibility of integrating pharmacogenomics into clinical practice has been analyzed in numerous studies.

Global Health

  • Universal health coverage, necessary but still a long way off. Universal health coverage is based on a very simple idea: every person, everywhere, should be able to access the health services they need, without facing financial ruin. However, the “2025 Global Monitoring Report” shows that 4.6 billion people worldwide lack access to essential health services, and 2.1 billion face financial difficulties in accessing them.
  • COP30: How it failed to meet challenges. COP30, held in Brazil in November 2025, is considered a failed initiative, as it was unable to reach agreements on fossil fuels.

International health policy

  • Brussels finalizes pharmaceutical reform to facilitate access to innovation. The EU reached a provisional agreement to comprehensively renew pharmaceutical legislation, with measures aimed at improving access, strengthening security of supply, and stimulating innovation. One of the key elements is regulatory protection of up to eleven years (8+1+1+1) for innovative medicines that meet certain conditions.
  •  The Republican Party is moving toward letting Obamacare subsidies expire, while Trump promises money for people. It seems the latest idea is to let the subsidies expire and make way for “health savings accounts.”
  • The decline of healthcare in Milei’s Argentina. Since coming to power two years ago, Milei has cut spending on healthcare, education, and science. The current second health minister is a representative of the private sector.
  • The Ecuadorian healthcare system is on the verge of collapse. Hospitals are overflowing and lack supplies, and patients’ lives depend on what they can afford to pay.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • The measures being prepared by the government aim to curb privatization. Minister Mónica García has announced that she is finalizing regulations to limit the entry of for-profit companies into the management of public healthcare centers. The position stems from two errors: 1) that profit-making in healthcare is illegitimate, which is not considered as such in the General Health Law itself; 2) the substantial advantage of non-profit organizations over for-profit ones, as if cost and quality were not the important factors, and as if mismanagement or unjustifiable privileges for employees were not possible in non-profit organizations.
  • The Ministry has published a document evaluating private healthcare in Spain. It is worth noting that, as the document itself states, this is the first time the Ministry of Health has conducted an analysis of private healthcare, which, apart from other considerations, we consider positive. The Ministry cannot continue to ignore the reality of the private healthcare sector, as it has done until now.
  • The People’s Party (PP) has submitted a non-binding resolution demanding the withdrawal of the reform to the Framework Statute. The People’s Party is also calling for the Minister of Health to appear before Parliament to explain “the chaos caused” by her proposed Framework Statute.

Companies

  • International
    • Novo Nordisk’s stock price has fallen 50% this year and is now trading at a loss, a consequence of its weight-loss drug program. The stock market crash has ended several years of spectacular gains following the approval of Ozempic and Wegowy.
  • National
    • Spain inaugurates its first AI factory for healthcare. Spain, along with Germany and Poland, is one of only three countries in the European Union with two artificial intelligence factories approved by the European Commission.

Biomedicine

  • Pharmacogenomics: Clinical Progress. Pharmacogenomics is the field that analyzes how genetic variations influence the response to therapy. The feasibility of integrating pharmacogenomics into clinical practice has been analyzed in multiple studies (https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(25)00389-4/fulltext)
  • The Rarest Diseases Become Treatable. CRISPR technology is poised to treat many rare, previously untreatable diseases (https://www.theatlantic.com/science/2025/12/person-crispr-treatment/685151/)
  • The “Molecular Kinship” of Mental Illnesses: 14 Disorders Share Risk Genetic Variants. A study based on DNA data from one million people sheds light on a biological key to understanding these illnesses (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-12-10/el-parentesco-molecular-de-las-enfermedades-mentales-14-trastornos-comparten-variantes-geneticas-de-riesgo.html)
  • Progress is being made on a vaccine that prevents triple-negative breast cancer. The vaccine produced an immune response in the majority (74%) of participants, and was also safe and well-tolerated (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/avanza-vacuna-previene-cancer-mama-triple-negativo-20251211003000-nt.html).

Global Health

  • Universal health coverage, necessary but still a long way off. Universal health coverage is based on a very simple idea: every person, everywhere, should be able to access the health services they need, without facing financial ruin. However, the “2025 Global Monitoring Report” shows that there are 4.6 billion people in the world without access to essential health services and 2.1 billion who had financial difficulties accessing them (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02511-5/fulltext). Access the original document: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/gho-documents/gmr-2025_conference-edition_online.pdf?sfvrsn=f8cf10f6_9&download=true
  • A new era for sustainable HIV prevention in Africa. The situation has worsened due to the closure of USAID. The article argues that the only way to prevent HIV/AIDS in Africa is to integrate this assistance into other services (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(25)00497-8/fulltext)
  • COP30: How it failed to meet challenges. COP30, held in Brazil in November 2025, is considered a failed initiative, as it was unable to reach agreements on fossil fuels. (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00351-5/fulltext)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • The regrettable step backward in the USA regarding vaccines. Despite the world experiencing a period of significant scientific progress in vaccines, including the addition of mRNA technology, the US administration is simultaneously shifting from support to skepticism, if not outright boycott. Vaccination is no longer considered a health priority and a civic duty (https://www.ft.com/content/6b4d2745-978f-4f3a-8526-b11646716cfa)
    • The law that saved American vaccines, and which the Secretary of Health wants to destroy. The development of vaccination in the USA is based on a set of laws passed over several decades, always with bipartisan support. This is what Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Trump’s chosen Secretary of Health, wants to destroy (https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20251208.922418/full/)
    • The Republican Party is moving toward letting Obamacare subsidies expire, while Trump promises money for people. It seems the latest idea is to let the subsidies expire and make way for “health savings accounts” (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/09/gop-obamacare-subsidies-expire-00684115)
  • China
    • China is leading the way in AI governance. China is making great strides in regulating AI, something that should be a global trend (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03972-y)
  • United Kingdom
    • The NHS in Scotland needs reforms to survive. Scotland’s NHS will be unsustainable in its current form, according to a recent official report (https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj.r2578). Access to the original document “NHS in Scotland 2025. Finance and performance”: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/gho-documents/gmr-2025_conference-edition_online.pdf?sfvrsn=f8cf10f6_9&download=true
  • France
    • The Social Security budget announces an €8 billion increase in the healthcare budget between 2025 and 2026 (https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/live/2025/12/09/en-direct-budget-de-la-secu-amelie-de-montchalin-annonce-une-enveloppe-pour-la-sante-de-8-milliards-de-plus-entre-2025-et-2026_6656584_823448.html)
  • Argentina
    • The The decline of healthcare in Milei’s Argentina. Since coming to power two years ago, Milei has cut spending on healthcare, education, and science. The current Deputy Minister of Health is a representative of the private sector (https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj.r2284)
  • Ecuador
    • The healthcare system is on the verge of collapse. Hospitals are overwhelmed and lack supplies, and patients’ lives depend on what they can afford to pay (https://elpais.com/america/2025-12-08/la-crisis-de-salud-en-ecuador-toca-fondo-con-cadaveres-entregados-en-cajas-de-carton-y-un-sistema-al-borde-del-colapso.html)
  • European Union
    • Brussels finalizes pharmaceutical reform to facilitate access to innovation. The EU reached a provisional agreement to comprehensively renew pharmaceutical legislation, with measures aimed at improving access, strengthening security of supply, and stimulating innovation. One of the key elements is the regulatory protection of up to eleven years (8+1+1+1) for innovative medicines that meet certain conditions. (https://diariofarma.com/2025/12/11/bruselas-cierra-la-reforma-farmaceutica-europea-para-reforzar-acceso-e-innovacion)
    • The EFPIA doubts that the European pharmaceutical reform will allow innovation to continue. “Although the package contains signs that the EU recognizes the importance of legislation as a key driver of European competitiveness, it is not strong enough to influence European competitiveness.” (https://diariofarma.com/2025/12/11/la-efpia-duda-que-el-acuerdo-farmaceutico-pueda-mantener-la-competitividad-de-la-industria)
    • The Farmaindustria considers the reform of the European Union’s pharmaceutical legislation insufficient. It considers that the agreement reached by the EU Council and the European Parliament “lacks ambition and concrete measures” to maintain competitiveness against the US and Asia. (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/industria/farmaindustria-ve-insuficiente-reforma-legislacion-farmaceutica-ue.html)
  • WHO
    • According to the WHO, there is a need for significant growth in the production of medications to combat obesity. According to the WHO, production must be expanded and prices reduced (https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj.r2540)
    • The WHO reaffirms that there is no link between vaccines and autism (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2025/12/11/l-oms-reaffirme-qu-il-n-y-a-pas-de-lien-entre-les-vaccins-et-l-autisme_6656938_1651302.html)

National Health Policy

  • Central Government Initiatives
    • The measures being prepared by the government aim to curb privatization. Minister Mónica García has announced that she is finalizing regulations to limit the entry of for-profit companies into the management of public health centers (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-12-08/las-medidas-que-prepara-el-gobierno-para-afrontar-el-escandalo-de-torrejon-una-ley-para-poner-coto-a-la-privatizacion-denuncia-a-la-fiscalia-y-una-inspeccion.html)
    • The government against the “Alzira model” in public healthcare. Antonio Casado says in “El Confidencial”: Banning private management in eight public hospitals to curb the “profit motive” would be like banning public procurement of private goods to avoid “bribes” (https://blogs.elconfidencial.com/espana/al-grano/2025-12-08/gestion-privada-hospitales-publicos-1hms_4262112/)
    • The ministry releases a document evaluating private healthcare in Spain. It should be noted that, as the document itself states, this is the first time the Ministry of Health has conducted an analysis of private healthcare, which, apart from other considerations, we consider positive. The Ministry cannot continue to ignore the reality of the private healthcare sector, as it has done until now. (https://www.sanidad.gob.es/gabinetePrensa/notaPrensa/pdf/20251091225131137451.pdf)
    • The government considers that almost a third of the hospitals in the National Health System (NHS) are privately managed, which it deems anomalous. Spending in these centers has increased by 84%, reaching 4.8 billion euros. “What was once an exceptional measure has become standard practice,” says the Ministry of Health (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-12-09/casi-un-tercio-de-los-hospitales-del-sistema-nacional-de-salud-estan-gestionados-por-la-privada.html)
  • Initiatives of the Autonomous Communities
    • Cantabria will create advanced palliative care and early intervention areas (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/cantabria/cantabria-creara-areas-de-cuidados-paliativos-avanzados-y-atencion-temprana-4883)
    • Asturias promotes changes in Health and the SESPA (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/asturias/nueva-estructura-salud-sespa-modelo-asistencial-eficiente-equitativo.html)
  • Scandal surrounding news from Torrejón Hospital
    • The Community of Madrid The Madrid regional government and the Ribera group both denied the scandal at their first meeting. A statement from the regional government simply disseminated the words of the company’s president, Emmanuel de Geuser, denying any kind of instruction to increase profits (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-12-09/la-comunidad-de-madrid-y-el-grupo-ribera-coinciden-en-negar-el-escandalo-del-hospital-de-torrejon-tras-su-primera-reunion.html)
  • Framework Statute
    • Four days of doctors’ strike against the Statute last week (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/12/09/6937c07b21efa089608b4572.html)
    • The Forum of the Medical Profession supports the strike against the Framework Statute. The Forum of the Medical Profession reaffirms its support to the mobilizations and the four days of national strike, considering that the draft of the Framework Statute does not guarantee real improvements in working conditions or in the quality of care (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/medicina/el-foro-de-la-profesion-medica-respalda-las-cuatro-jornadas-de-huelga-contra-el-borrador-del-estatuto-marco.html)
    • The People’s Party (PP) has registered a non-binding motion demanding the withdrawal of the reform of the Framework Statute. The PP is also requesting the appearance of the Minister of Health to explain “the chaos caused” by her proposed Framework Statute. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/pp-registra-pnl-exigiendo-retirada-reforma-estatuto-marco.html)
  • Deaths and cause of death
    • Deaths and cause of death in Spain in 2023 (a 6.1% decrease in deaths compared to 2022) (https://www.sanidad.gob.es/gabinetePrensa/notaPrensa/pdf/Defun101225134104376.pdf)
    • The age-adjusted mortality rate decreased by 7.2% in 2023 (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medicina-preventiva/tasa-mortalidad-ajustada-edad-disminuyo-72-2023.html)
  • Hospital Renovation
    • The works that will bring the hospitals of the future. The National Health System (NHS) is undergoing the largest hospital reform since the 1990s: dozens of centers under construction, emblematic demolitions, and new projects that will redefine healthcare. In 2025, centers such as the new University Hospital of Salamanca, the Provincial Hospital of Castellón, and the University Hospital of the Canary Islands (HUC) in Tenerife (following its comprehensive renovation of the Emergency Department and ICU) were inaugurated, while almost all the autonomous communities already have projects underway or out to tender that outline a systemic transformation. With the absence of a national inventory and significant regional differences, this silent process will determine the quality of healthcare in the next decade. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/mapa-sanitario-renovacion-obras-traeran-atencion-hospitalaria-futuro.html)

Companies

  • International
    • Pfizer drastically reduces its workforce in Switzerland while launching a global cost-cutting campaign. The pharmaceutical company will reduce its local team from 300 to around 70 employees before the end of the year (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/internacional/pfizer-recorta-mas-de-dos-tercios-de-su-plantilla-en-suiza-en-plena-expansion-de-su-campana-global-de-ahorro.html)
    • Novo Nordisk’s stock has fallen 50% this year and is now trading against the previous weight-loss drug market. The stock market crash has ended several years of spectacular gains following the approval of Ozempic and Wegowy (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-12-11/novo-nordisk-cae-un-50-en-el-ano-y-ya-cotiza-como-si-nunca-hubiera-existido-un-frenesi-de-los-farmacos-para-adelgazar.html)