7 days in healthcare (January 6th-12th, 2025)

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Summary

The most impactful news in health this week were:

  • Biomedicine: Colombian scientist Manuel Elkin Patarroyo dies.
  • Global health: The world breaks the 1.5º C warming target for the first time in 2024.
  • International health policy: Keir Starmer launches the private sector to reduce the waiting list in England.
  • National health policy: The government extends the deadline for insurers to apply for the MUFACE agreement by two weeks.
  • Companies: Ribera expands its healthcare network with the incorporation of the Perpetuo Socorro hospital in Cartagena and its polyclinics.

Biomedicine

  • Colombian scientist Manuel Elkin Patarroyo dies, father in 1987 of the vaccine against malaria, the first synthetic vaccine in the world. He had won the Prince of Asturias Award in 1994 and died at the age of 78 at his home in Bogotá.
  • We need to talk about genetic editing in humans. Scientists believe tens of thousands of DNA variants are associated with human disease.

Global Health

  • World breaks 1.5C warming warning target for first time in 2024. Copernicus data shows 2024 was the hottest year on record, suggesting climate change is evolving faster than expected.
  • World ill-prepared to tackle infectious diseases in 2025. While Covid has taught many lessons, the world is no more prepared for another pandemic, according to both the UN and WHO. May 2025 is the deadline for the delayed “Treaty on Pandemics”.

International Health Policy

  • Trump’s second term threatens US leadership in global health. Doubts about continued US contribution to scientific development, infectious disease control and pandemic preparedness.
  • Keir Starmer launches private sector to reduce waiting list in England. Says he is not interested in putting ideology ahead of patients.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • Castilla y León consolidates its position in the elite of personalized medicine with its own strategy until 2030. The motto is ‘Multiomics: a new era for health’ and it follows in the footsteps of Navarra and Cantabria
  • The government extends the deadline for insurers to opt for the MUFACE agreement by two weeks.
  • According to Oscar López, MUFACE accumulates imperfections. He says that for the government the priority is to renew the agreement, although the model is old and needs to be improved. It is difficult not to agree with the minister (absence of primary care, care based on specialties, lack of a transparent information system), but the cause of these imperfections must be sought in the Administration, responsible for the successive tenders, and which never adequately regulated this issue, leaving a regulation as complex as the healthcare one to non-specialized Administrations (Public Administrations, Justice, Defense).

Companies

  • International
    • Lilly, in advanced talks to buy an American biotech for up to 2.5 billion dollars.
  • National
    • BIOSIM’s vision: why best-selling biologics may be left without biosimilars. Iqvia expects 110 biologics to lose their patents in Europe between 2023 and 2032. However, this will not mean that biosimilars will arrive for all these drugs. The reason explained by Encana Cruz, general director of BIOSIM, is that while developing a generic costs approximately one million euros and takes between one and two years, developing a biosimilar requires 100 to 300 million euros and six to eight years.
    • Ribera expands its healthcare network with the incorporation of the Perpetuo Socorro hospital in Cartagena and its polyclinics. With this, the company now has 15 hospitals, including the one in Cascais, Portugal, and a bariatric surgery hospital in the Czech Republic.

Biomedicine

  • Colombian scientist Manuel Elkin Patarroyo dies. He was the father of the malaria vaccine, the world’s first synthetic vaccine, in 1987. He won the Prince of Asturias Award in 1994 and died at the age of 78 at his home in Bogotá (https://diariofarma.com/2025/01/10/muere-el-padre-de-la-vacuna-contra-la-malaria-manuel-elkin-patarroyo)
  • We need to talk about gene editing in humans. Scientists believe that tens of thousands of DNA variants are associated with human diseases. Polygenic genome editing, currently in development, could reduce the likelihood of certain diseases. We must be prepared for these technologies, which will come. This will be a great achievement, but also with limitations and challenges (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00015-4)
  • Herpes virus and repeated head trauma in contact and military sports linked to Alzheimer’s, study finds. According to the WHO, around 55 million people have dementia, with around 10 million new cases diagnosed each year (https://www.ft.com/content/4d2b7a67-0541-4fc2-8105-11ba69a0cb96)
  • Study links high fluoride exposure to lower IQ in children. Although water fluoridation was one of the public health milestones of the 20th century, there is evidence linking the level of fluoridation to lower cognitive functions in children (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/health/fluoride-children-iq.html)

Global Health

  • The world breaks the 1.5ºC warming alert target for the first time in 2024. Copernicus data shows that 2024 was the hottest year on record, suggesting that climate change is evolving faster than expected (https://www.ft.com/content/fd914266-71bf-4317-9fdc-44b55acb52f6
  • Infectious diseases in 2025. Although Covid left many lessons, the world is not more prepared for another pandemic, according to both the UN and the WHO. May 2025 is the deadline set for the delayed “Treaty on Pandemics” (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00036-4/fulltext)
  • Optimism about a global treaty on plastics. Negotiations will continue in 2025 (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv2404)
  • Cautions about alcohol warnings. According to The Economist, although it is clear that drinking a lot of alcohol causes serious health problems, this should not lead to demonizing moderate alcohol use (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/01/09/health-warnings-about-alcohol-give-only-half-the-story)
  • Sugary drinks linked to global rise in diabetes. A new global study shows higher levels of consumption in Latin America and parts of Africa (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/06/health/sugary-soda-beverages-diabetes-heart-disease.html)
  • The growing threat of deadly diseases jumping from animals to humans. (https://www.ft.com/content/a7148663-dd17-4334-b423-b92204ed56cd)
  • What is known about HMPV, the virus that is spreading in China. According to medical experts, the situation is very different and much less worrying than the covid pandemic (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/07/health/hmpv-virus-china.html)

International health policy

  • USA
    • Trump’s second term threatens US leadership in global health. Doubts about the continued US contribution to scientific development, infectious disease control and pandemic preparedness (https://www.ft.com/content/0362f2dc-75f5-4f33-aba3-1080be05d541)
    • The CDC should be treated with a scalpel, not an axe. The new administration must not alter the great benefits that this agency has brought to public health in the USA (https://www.ft.com/content/cabb1e14-45c7-42bc-8266-a96e7e1e6d70)
  • United Kingdom and the National Health Service
    • Medical leaders express doubts about the government’s ability to reduce waiting lists, by creating community diagnostic centres, creating 14 surgical platforms and increasing the use of online monitoring technology (https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r19)
    • Keir Starmer calls on the private sector to reduce the waiting list in England. He says he is not interested in putting ideology before patients (https://www.ft.com/content/a62a9715-30f4-4bbf-9f9b-d450690e244d)
  • France
    • Exceptional right of pharmacists to extend treatment for chronic conditions beyond the prescription period (https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/monitors/health-systems-monitor/updates/hspm/france-2023/expansion-of-pharmacists-exceptional-right-to-deliver-treatment-for-chronic-conditions-beyond-the-prescription-period)

National health policy

  • Initiatives and news from the autonomous communities
    • Castilla y León consolidates itself in the elite of personalized medicine with its own strategy until 2030. The motto is ‘Multiomics: a new era for health’ and follows in the footsteps of Navarra and Cantabria (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/disruptores/autonomias/castilla-leon/20250107/castilla-leon-consolida-elite-medicina-personalizada-estrategia-propia/913658823_0.html)
  • MUFACE
    • The government extends the deadline for insurers to opt for the MUFACE agreement by two weeks (https://elpais.com/economia/2025-01-10/el-gobierno-amplia-dos-semanas-el-plazo-para-que-las-aseguradoras-opten-al-concierto-de-muface.html)
    • The end of MUFACE puts 13,000 jobs and the viability of 20 hospitals at risk (https://www.vozpopuli.com/economia/el-fin-de-muface-tambien-pone-en-riesgo-13000-puesto-de-trabajo-y-la-viabilidad-de-20-hospitales.html)
    • According to Oscar López, Muface accumulates imperfections. He says that for the government the priority is to renew the agreement, although the model is old and needs to be improved (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/seguros/2025/01/08/677e507b468aeb894d8b4595.html)
    • Two health economists talk about the transparency of the MUFACE model (https://elpais.com/economia/2025-01-12/transparencia-sostenible.html)

Companies

  • International news
    • Lilly in advanced talks to buy US biotech for up to $2.5 billion (https://www.ft.com/content/fdd081b7-4ae3-4160-a246-a0afe1b86df2)
    • Elon Musk ally tries to take over psychedelic biotech Lykos (https://www.ft.com/content/ae447a7f-4252-4150-9eee-6bba7ce99905)
    • GSK close to $1 billion deal for biotech developing treatment for rare tumor (https://www.ft.com/content/fe25ff13-aa55-4090-aae5-8c9f96239fd8)
  • National news
    • BIOSIM’s vision: why biologics are bestsellers They may run out of biosimilars. Iqvia expects 110 biologics to lose their patents in Europe between 2023 and 2032. However, this will not mean that biosimilars will be available for all these drugs. The reason explained by Encana Cruz, general director of BIOSIM, is that while developing a generic costs approximately one million euros and takes between one and two years, developing a biosimilar requires 100 to 300 million euros and six to eight years (https://www.diariomcom/farmacia/industria/biologicos-superventas-quedarse-biosimilares.html)
    • Bayer obtains financial support from the Government in the midst of restructuring its business in Spain. The company will access PERTE financing for decarbonisation (https://www.vozpopuli.com/economia/empresas/bayer-consigue-respaldo-financiero-del-gobierno-para-su-reestructuracion-en-espana.html)
    • KKR, one of the largest venture capital funds, will pay 250 million to compensate the thousands of people affected by the bankruptcy of Dentix, according to the agreement that is being finalised with the bankruptcy administration (https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2025-01-09/kkr-acuerdo-millonario-compensar-afectados-quiebra-dentix_4038811/)
    • Ribera expands its healthcare network with the incorporation of the Perpetuo Socorro hospital in Cartagena and its polyclinics. With this, the company now has 15 hospitals, including the one in Cascais, Portugal, and a bariatric surgery hospital in the Czech Republic (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250110/ribera-salud-amplia-red-asistencial-incorporacion-hospital-perpetuo-socorro-cartagena-policlinicas/915408740_0.html)
    • Grifols moves on to the final phase of the plasma mega-contract being prepared by the Ministry of Health after the Australian giant CSL’s offer was derailed (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/13164197/01/25/grifols-pasa-a-la-final-del-megacontrato-de-plasma-tras-descarrilar-la-oferta-de-csl.html)