Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

• Biomedicine: A revolution in medicine: a molecule produced by gut bacteria causes atherosclerosis.
• Global health: Western aid cuts are more deadly for Africa than COVID-19.
• International health policy: The significance of Trumpcare. The American population without health insurance will exceed 10%, reversing all the improvements of Obamacare.
• National health policy: The creation of a State Public Health Agency goes to Congress for final ratification.
• Companies: Grifols restarts construction of its new plant in Barcelona.

Biomedicine

• A revolution in medicine: a molecule produced by gut bacteria causes atherosclerosis. A study by Banco Santander reaches a curious conclusion: gut bacteria produce a molecule that not only induces but also causes atherosclerosis. David Sancho is the leader of the project, which opens up new treatment prospects for this disease that kills 18 million people a year.
• The world is winning the battle against cancer. When President Nixon announced the “war on cancer” in 1971, it was optimistic that an astronaut would land on the moon, and it was thought that cancer would be defeated in 5-10 years. Nothing could be easier. What was thought to be a blitzkrieg turned out to be a war of trenches and attrition. This is not to say that significant progress isn’t being made. Although the number of cancer deaths continues to rise (due to population growth and aging), the mortality rate, and especially the age-adjusted mortality rate, is declining significantly.

Global Health

• Western aid cuts are more deadly for Africa than Covid, warns Wellcome. Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, announced that 83% of the International Development Agency’s programs will be canceled; as will 40% of British programs.
• The US rejects the WHO’s pandemic response measures. The decision could impede global cooperation in future health crises.
• Bill Gates predicts an unprecedented global health catastrophe. The philanthropist predicts disaster as a result of US aid cuts.

International Health Policy

• The significance of Trumpcare. The American population without health insurance will exceed 10%, alternating with all the improvements of Obamacare.
• Quantifying Trumpcare. The “big and beautiful law” is estimated to produce 45,000 additional deaths per year.
•  Millions will lose Medicaid coverage under the new law. 17 million Americans will lose health coverage.
• The United Kingdom invests in preparedness for future pandemics with the new National Center for Biosecurity.
• Budget cuts plan in France: budget adjustment threatens public health. French Prime Minister François Bayrou has announced that they will implement a budget cut plan that aims to save approximately €43.8 billion.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• The creation of the State Public Health Agency goes to Congress for final ratification. The Senate text includes the six popular amendments and must now be approved by the Lower House.
• 40% of the people who apply for the MIR are foreigners. There are candidates of 50 different nationalities. More than 500 candidates came from Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.

Companies

• International
  • Sales of the obesity drug Lilly is studying will exceed $12 billion in 2031. This is an oral therapy, which will allow it to gain market share.

• National
  • Grifols restarts construction of its new plant in Barcelona, ​​with a $160 million investment and 400 hires.

Biomedicine

• A revolution in medicine: a molecule produced by gut bacteria causes atherosclerosis. A study by Banco Santander reaches a curious conclusion: gut bacteria produces a molecule that not only induces but also causes atherosclerosis. David Sancho is the leader of the project, which opens up new treatment prospects for this disease that kills 18 million people a year (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-07-16/revolucion-en-la-medicina-una-molecula-prodido-por-bacterias-del-intestino-causa-la-atherosclerosis-culpable-de-millones-de-muertes.html). Access the original article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09263-w
• The world is winning the battle against cancer. When President Nixon announced the “war on cancer” in 1971, he was optimistic about landing an astronaut on the moon, and it was thought that cancer would be defeated in 5-10 years. Nothing could be easier. What was thought to be a blitzkrieg turned out to be a war of trenches and attrition. This is not to say that significant progress isn’t being made. Although the number of cancer deaths continues to rise (due to population growth and aging), the mortality rate, and especially the age-adjusted mortality rate, is declining significantly (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/07/17/the-world-is-winning-the-war-on-cancer)
• 18 children were born after in vitro fertilization using DNA from three people. Genetic material from both mother and father, transferred to a healthy donor egg, reduces the risk of fatal diseases (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jul/16/eight-healthy-babies-born-after-ivf-using-dna-from-three-people)
• A universal cancer vaccine is getting closer. An mRNA-based vaccine, combined with immunotherapy, has been shown to trigger a strong antitumor response in mice (https://www.larazon.es/salud/desarrollan-vacuna-universal-cancer-que-despierta-sistema-inmunologico_20250718687a07233c6d9a1f947f37b9.html)
• Can “aging” be cured? Researchers and companies are searching for a cure. Scientific advances in aging have progressed so much that a door has been opened to combating age-related diseases (https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2025/07/19/peut-on-guerir-la-vieillesse-chercheurs-et-biotechs-en-quete-d-un-remede_6622209_3234.html)
• Proteins in the human body reveal warning signs of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The findings were published by Bill Gates in Nature Medicine (https://www.ft.com/content/f9fa691c-4502-4324-9c4b-b3252abfc40e). Access the original article: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41591-022-00044-w

Global Health

• Western aid cuts are more deadly for Africa than Covid, warns Wellcome. Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, announced that 83% of the International Development Agency’s programs will be canceled; as well as 40% of Britons (https://www.ft.com/content/79f2f00a-a692-4248-a319-8833265af34c)
• Measles cases are emerging in Europe and the US; this is what the anti-vaccine conspiracy has brought (https://www.theguardian.com/society/commentisfree/2025/jul/14/measles-cases-surging-europe-us-anti-vax-conspiracy-theory)
• The US rejects WHO pandemic response measures. The decision may prevent global cooperation in future health crises (https://www.ft.com/content/478955b0-83ec-4c1b-abf0-1b81dcd98622)
• Bill Gates predicts an unprecedented global health catastrophe. The philanthropist predicts disaster as a result of the cut in American aid (https://www.elconfidencial.com/tecnologia/ciencia/2025-07-15/bill-gates-predice-catastrofe-mundial-1qrt_4173081/)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The Meaning of Trumpcare. The uninsured American population will exceed 10%, alternating with all the improvements of Obamacare (https://www.eccom/united-states/2025/07/16/the-meaning-of-trumpcare)
  • Quantifying Trumpcare. The “big and beautiful law” is estimated to produce 45,000 additional deaths per year (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2025/07/17/quantifying-trumpcare)
  • The Lancet Report: Millions will lose Medicaid coverage under the new law. 17 million Americans will lose health coverage (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01486-2/abstract)
  • The Lancet Editorial: The Senate must act. The Senate should analyze the discrepancy between Kennedy’s promises and his actions (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01488-6/fulltext?rss=yes)
  • Kennedy strengthens his Trumpism with his MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement (https://elpais.com/internacional/2025-07-19/kennedy-se-afianza-en-el-trumpismo-con-su-movimiento-maha-hagamos-ee-uu-saludable-de-nuevo.html)

• United Kingdom
  • United Kingdom invests in preparedness for future pandemics with the new National Biosecurity Center. Unlike other powers such as the United States, the UK Secretary of Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, emphasizes the importance of learning from what happened during the pandemic (https://www.consalud.es/industria/reino-unido-preparacion-futuras-pandemias-nuevo-centro-nacional-bioseguridad.html).

• France
  • Budget cuts plan in France: budgetary adjustment threatens public healthcare. French Prime Minister François Bayrou has announced that they will implement a budget cut plan that aims to save approximately €43.8 billion (https://www.consalud.es/politica/plan-de-recortes-en-francia-el-ajuste-presupuestario-amenaza-la-sanidad-publica.html).
  • The push for longevity clinics in France. They are trying to exploit the “eternal youth” business (https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2025/07/19/l-essor-des-cliniques-de-longevite-nouveau-filon-du-bien-vieillir_6622111_3234.html)

• India
  • A corruption scandal permeates medical education in India. A study reveals bribery between government officials and private medical schools (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01487-4/abstract?rss=yes)la)

• Europe
  • Mortality maps in Europe: which diseases are the most lethal in each country? According to Eurostat data from 2022, the leading cause of death in Europe is circulatory diseases (32% of deaths), followed by cancer (22%). But the figures vary from country to country. According to them, Spain is one of the countries with the lowest death rates from circulatory diseases (26%) (https://www.elconfidenciacom/salud/2025-07-17/mapas-mortalidad-europa-enfermedades-letales_4173800/)

National Health Policy

• Central Government Initiatives
  • The creation of the State Public Health Agency goes to Congress for final ratification. The Senate text includes the six Popular Party amendments and must now be approved by the Lower House (https://www.cones/politica/la-creacion-de-agencia-estatal-de-salud-publica-pasara-al-congreso-para-su-ratificacion-definitiva.html)
  • The government announces new aid to promote AI in health (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/gobierno-anuncia-nuevas-ayudas-180-millones-impulsar-ia-sector-empresarial-salud.html)

• Autonomous Community Initiatives
  • The Balearic Islands create an autonomous committee for communication with citizens to improve healthcare. The Balearic Health Service has established the Regional Committee for Digital Communication with Citizens, a consultative and advisory body established as a “key tool for leading and coordinating” strategic projects that are transforming the way the public health system communicates with the population. (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/baleares/baleares-comite-comunicacion-ciudadana-sevicio-salud.html#:~:text=El%20Servicio%20de%20Salud%20balear%20ha%20constitución%20el%20Comité%20Autonómico,sanitario%20público%20se%20comunica%20con)

• MIR Exam
  • The Ministry of Health brings forward the MIR exam to January 24 (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/baleares/baleares-comite-comunicacion-ciudadana-sevicio-salud.html#:~:text=El%20Servicio%20de%20Salud%20balear%20ha%20constitución%20el%20Comité%20Autonómico,sanitario%20público%20se%20comunica%20con)
  • 40% of the people who take the MIR exam are foreigners. There are candidates of 50 different nationalities. More than 500 candidates were selected from Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador (https://www.consalud.es/formacion/mir/el-40-de-las-personas-que-se-presentan-al-mir-son-extranjeras-tres-paises-superan-las-500.html)

• AIREF
  • Airef anticipates savings of 500 million euros through efficient healthcare management in the Canary Islands. Access the full report: https://www.airef.es/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Informe-ejecución-presupuestaria-deuda-pública-regla-de-gasto-AAPP-2025/Islas-Canarias.pdf

Companies

• International
  • GSK’s cancer drug fails to gain support from the US regulatory panel (https://www.ft.com/content/3801ceab-7c66-4825-9c3c-dc50279139c7)
  • Sales of the obesity drug Lilly is studying will exceed $12 billion in 2031. It is an oral therapy, which will allow it to gain market share. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250715/ventas-medicamento-obesidad-estudiando-lilly-superaran-millones/1003743847070_0.html)

• National
  • Grifols restarts construction of its new plant in Barcelona, with a 160 million investment and 400 hires (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13465772/07/25/grifols-invertira-160-millones-y-contratara-a-400-personas-en-su-nuevo-complejo-en-cataluna.html)
  • Spain adds seven new pharmaceutical production plants by 2024. For the first time, it has more than 180 plants, 111 of which are for human use. (https://www.farmaindustria.es/web/prensa/notas-de-prensa/2025/07/17/espana-suma-siete-nuevas-plantas-de-produccion-de-medicamentos-en-2024-incrementando-la-seguridad-estrategica-el-tejido-industrial-y-el-numero-de-empleos-en-el-sector/)
  • Cofares, Bidafarma, and Hefame break a record in pharmaceutical logistics (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/07/18/687a9a28468aeb42378b4576.html)

This post is also available in: Spanish