7 days in healthcare (July 27th- August 2nd, 2026)

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Summary

News of the week:

  • According to The Economist, the fires in Europe are only just beginning.

The most impactful health news of the week included:

  • Biomedicine: Therapeutic vaccines: scientific and regulatory barriers delay the leap of these vaccines to clinical trials.
  • Global health: How many people are dying as a result of the USAID shutdown?
  • International health policy: Burnham says difficult decisions will be needed to fix the social services system.
  • National health policy: Zaragoza will be the headquarters of the State Public Health Agency.
  • Companies: Quirón, Ribera, HM Hospitals, and Vithas lead the private hospital business.

Biomedicine

  • Therapeutic vaccines: scientific and regulatory barriers delay the leap of these vaccines to clinical trials. Advances in immunology and messenger RNA for treating diseases such as cancer, HIV, and autoimmune disorders promise an increasingly personalized model. The goal is to move from “vaccines” solely to prevent diseases to those that cure existing ones.
  • Learning from a decade of progress in amyloidosis. With new treatments, 10-year survival rates have increased from 5% to 20%.
  • Alzheimer’s: The BCG vaccine, a clue to unexpected protection against the disease. A study suggests that the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis, effective in treating bladder cancer, could also be effective against Alzheimer’s.
  • One of the largest genetic studies to date confirms that fibromyalgia is a neurological disease. The research involved 53 researchers from 7 countries, and its results are based on genetic data from more than 2.5 million adults.

Global Health

  • How many people are dying as a result of the USAID shutdown? The shutdown was spearheaded by Elon Musk, who continues to claim it hasn’t caused any deaths, contrary to Bill Gates’ assertion that Musk is killing the world’s poorest children. The influential journal The Lancet stated in July 2025 that closing USAID would result in 14 million deaths by 2030. USAID accounted for a quarter of global health aid. Furthermore, some funding was maintained. While The Lancet’s figures are undoubtedly exaggerated, Musk’s claim of zero mortality is simply untrue.
  • The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is the fastest-growing in history and is spreading at an unprecedented rate.

International Health Policy

  • British Prime Minister Burnham says that difficult decisions will be needed to fix the social services system. The PM is calling for a multi-party agreement, but previous governments have failed in this area.
  • The fires in Europe are only just beginning. The situation will almost certainly worsen. The problem of wildfires is not solely a climate issue, but climate matters, and Europe is the continent experiencing the greatest temperature increase. And these fires will not be limited to the summer months.
  • The fires are not solely a climate issue, but climate matters, and Europe is the continent with the highest temperature rise.
  • Trump activates tariffs on medicines and forces pharmaceutical companies to choose between paying more or relocating to the US. Large European companies will pay 15% tariffs to export to the United States.
  • Trump will end subsidies for premium Medicare drugs. Millions of older Americans will have to pay more for medications starting next year.
  • Former officials protest US plans to defund the Pan American Health Organization, warning that Americans will be more susceptible to infectious diseases.
  • Following the Obamacare cuts, hospitals are treating more uninsured patients. These Americans who lost their insurance are now seeking help in hospital emergency rooms and cannot pay the bills.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • Zaragoza will be the headquarters of the State Public Health Agency, an organization established by law 15 years ago. The agency will play a leading role in responding to emergencies and setting priorities in health policies.
  • Galicia, Asturias, the Basque Country, Valencia, and Andalusia reach agreements with their doctors and end their strikes. This occurs amidst the Ministry of Health’s ongoing dispute over the Framework Statute.
  • Heat and wildfires in Spain. The heat has contributed to approximately 150,000 hectares burning in 26 major fires, including the deadly Los Gallardos fire and the blazes in Ávila, Madrid, and Toledo, which led to the activation of a national emergency for the first time due to a wildfire.
  • The Spanish Association of Health Economics (AES) questions the “confederal” governance of drug pricing, as outlined in the Draft Medicines Law. The AES warns that regional participation in decisions regarding specific medications could exceed the established distribution of powers. It proposes that pricing decisions should rest with the Ministry.

Companies

  • International
    • Novo Nordisk shares fall 10% after a disappointment with a cardiovascular drug trial. The company had been trying to diversify beyond obesity medications.
  • National
    • Quirón, Ribera, HM Hospitals, and Vithas lead the private hospital sector. Private hospital groups increased their revenue by 6% last year.

Biomedicine

  • Therapeutic vaccines: Scientific and regulatory barriers delay the transition of these vaccines to clinical trials. Advances in immunology and messenger RNA for treating diseases such as cancer, HIV, and autoimmune disorders promise an increasingly personalized approach. The goal is to move from “vaccines” solely to prevent diseases to those that cure existing ones (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/innovacion/20260802/barreras-cientificas-regulatorias-retrasan-el-salto-de-las-vacunas-terapeuticas-la-clinica/348436_0.html)
  • Preparing medical students for the future of AI in medicine. Little has been written about how AI should be incorporated into medical education (https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(26)00164-6/fulltext)
  • Physicians’ warning about e-cigarettes for smoking cessation: differentiating evidence and values. E-cigarettes may be effective for quitting traditional cigarettes (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2852330)
  • Learning from a decade of progress in amyloidosis. With new treatments, 10-year survival has changed from 5% to 20% (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01548-5/fulltext)
  • The overall burden of disease: elevated LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol). The burden of elevated LDL-C has increased in recent years (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2852266)
  • There is a way to prevent ovarian cancer. Since most cases originate in the fallopian tubes, their removal can be effective (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/health/ovarian-cancer-fallopian-tubes.html)
  • Alzheimer’s: The BCG vaccine, an unexpected clue to protection against the disease. A study suggests that the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis, effective in treating bladder cancer, could also be effective against Alzheimer’s (https://sante.lefigaro.fr/medecine/alzheimer-le-vaccin-bcg-revele-une-piste-de-protection-inattendue-contre-la-maladie-20260726)
  • One of the largest genetic studies confirms that fibromyalgia is a neurological disease. The research involved 53 researchers from 7 countries and its results are based on genetic data from more than 2.5 million adults (https://www.elmundo.es/salud/2026/07/29/6a69bfbde4d4d8d6098b459e.html)

Global Health

  • How many people are dying as a result of USAID closing? The closure was promoted by Elon Musk and he continues to say that it has not caused any deaths, contrary to the opinion of Bill Gattes, who accuses Musk of killing the poorest children in the world. The influential The Lancet said in July 2015 that closing USAID would mean 14 million deaths by 2030. USAID accounted for ¼ of global health aid. On the other hand, part of the funds were maintained. Surely, The Lancet data is exaggerated, but what is not true is Musk’s claim of zero mortality (https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/07/30/how-many-people-are-dying-as-a-result-of-usaids-demise)
  • Hantavirus: the need for a regional response platform in Latin America (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01188-8/fulltext)
  • The Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo is the fastest growing in history and is spreading at an unprecedented rate (https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100469)
  • Reforming the global health architecture requires confronting political economy. The study argues that health aid to developing countries cannot be effective without a change in the global capitalist model (https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100315)
  • Polio will grow again if eradication efforts do not end soon. The elimination of polio is possible, if countries continue to consider it an absolute public health priority (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02308-8)
  • In South Africa, the prevention and screening of AIDS threatened by the definitive halt of American aid. The USA has ended the PEPFAR program, which financed 17% of the expenses of the fight against HIV in that country in 2024 (https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2026/07/29/sida-l-afrique-du-sud-au-defi-de-compenser-l-arret-definitif-de-l-aide-americaine_6736361_3212.html)
  • Anthony Fauci, who led the fight against covid in the USA, invokes the fifth amendment in a tough appearance in the Senate on covid. Fauci, who is a figure vilified by Republicans, refused to answer the Senate’s questioning, claiming that the Senator who led the commission just wants to grab onto something he can say to try to put him in jail. (https://www.ft.com/content/35811ce1-84a7-4a59-aa91-15c6bdd24392?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • Trump activates tariffs on medicines and forces pharmaceutical companies to choose between paying more or relocating to the country. Large European companies will pay 15% tariffs to export to the United States (https://elpais.com/economia/2026-08-01/trump-activa-los-aranceles-a-los-medicamentos-y-obliga-a-las-farmaceuticas-a-elegir-entre-pagar-mas-o-trasladarse-al-pais.html)
    • Trends in health spending by income level (2005-2023). During this period, the population in the highest income quintile spent 1.8% more annually, which should be compared with the lack of growth in the lowest quintile (https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/epdf/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.01325)
    • The new anti-abortion crusade. With legal abortions on the rise, an aggressive campaign is beginning (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/07/29/the-anti-abortion-crusades-new-fight)
    • Prevention of hepatitis A in the USA depends on routine childhood vaccinations (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00510-6/abstract)
    • Why is cyclophora so difficult to stop in the USA? The challenges of MAHA (Make America Healthty Again) (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01549-7/fulltext)
    • Trump’s systematic assault on science. The administration is politicizing basic research funding (https://www.ft.com/content/722d308d-d2d6-4390-976e-0a2e6f124d80?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
    • Trump will end subsidies for premium Medicare drugs. Millions of older Americans will have to pay more for prescription drugs starting next year (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/business/medicare-drug-subsidies-part-d.html)
    • Former officials protest US plans to defund the Pan American Health Organization, warning that Americans will be more susceptible to infectious diseases (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/health/paho-us-pan-american-health-organization-withdrawal.html)
    • After Obamacare cuts, hospitals are treating more uninsured patients. These Americans who lost their insurance are now seeking help in hospital emergency rooms and cannot pay the bills (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/business/aca-obamacare-health-insurance.html)
    • The Trump Administration dispenses $600 million worth of vaccines that RFK, Jr. had rejected, highlighting the contradictions within the American administration (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/29/gavi-vaccines-rfk-rubio-thimerosal-autism-01016663)
  • China
    • China created more molecules in 2025 than the United States and the European Union combined. The report ‘The Pharmaceutical Industry in Figures’, by EFPIA, shows how Europe continues to lose its leadership in pharmaceutical innovation (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/industria/china-creo-mas-moleculas-2025-estados-unidos-union-europea-juntas.html)
  • United Kingdom
    • Burnham says that difficult decisions will be needed to fix the social services system. The PM calls for a multi-party agreement, but other governments have failed in this area (https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/uk-pm-burnham-set-out-first-steps-social-care-speech-2026-07-28/)
    • Burnham does not rule out raising taxes to fix social services, according to Louise Casey’s review, although he says inefficiencies must be addressed first (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jul/29/andy-burnham-social-care-louise-casey-tories-kemi-badenoch-reform-nigel-farage-uk-politics-latest)
    • Burnham warns that the British healthcare system will collapse if social care is not integrated. The new British Prime Minister presents a three-point reform to unify both sectors and equalize their salaries (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/politica/internacional/20260729/andy-burnham-avisa-de-que-el-la-sanidad-britanica-colapsara-si-no-se-integra-atencion-social-en-sistema/348301_0.html)
  • France
    • The deficit in public hospitals is estimated at €2.3 billion in 2025, representing 2.1% of the budget (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/07/28/le-deficit-des-hopitaux-publics-estime-a-2-3-milliards-d-euros-en-2025-selon-la-drees_6734804_3224.html)
  • Argentina
    • Strong rejection From Argentine pharmacies to the deregulation plan that will allow the sale of medications in kiosks. Argentina seeks to introduce free competition in the pharmaceutical market to reduce prices. The proposal allows the sale of medications in large stores and online purchases (https://diariofarma.com/2026/07/26/fuerte-rechazo-de-la-farmacia-argentina-al-plan-de-desregulacion-que-permitira-vender-medicamentos-en-kioskos)
  • European Union
    • The fires in Europe are only just beginning. The situation will surely worsen. The problem of wildfires is not just a climate problem, but climate matters, and Europe is the continent with the highest temperature rise. And they won’t just be a summer problem (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/07/28/europes-fires-are-just-the-start)

National Health Policy

  • Central Government
    • Zaragoza will be the headquarters of the State Public Health Agency, an organization established by law 15 years ago. The agency will play a leading role in emergency response and in setting priorities for health policies (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2026-07-28/zaragoza-sera-la-sede-de-la-agencia-estatal-de-salud-publica-un-organismo-previsto-por-una-ley-de-hace-15-anos.html)
    • SESPAS welcomes the fact that the Public Health Agency already has a designated headquarters and notes the remaining challenges for its implementation. SESPAS points out that challenges remain and that the success of AESAP will depend, among other things, on its resource allocation, technical independence, and coordination capacity (https://sespas.es/2026/07/28/sespas-valora-que-la-agencia-estatal-de-salud-publica-tenga-ya-una-sede-designada-y-recuerda-los-retos-pendientes-para-su-puesta-en-marcha-2/)
    • Treasury “announces” that it will inject €170.529 billion into the autonomous communities in 2027 to finance healthcare and long-term care, in accordance with the regional financing system (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/politica/sanidad-hoy/20260729/hacienda-inyectara-las-autonomias-millones-en-para-financiar-sanidad-dependencia/348294_0.html)
  • Regional governments
    • Galicia, Asturias, the Basque Country, Valencia, and Andalusia reach agreements with their doctors and end the strikes. This occurs amidst the Ministry of Health’s ongoing battle over the Framework Statute (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260801/galicia-asturias-pais-vasco-valencia-andalucia-logran-acuerdos-medicos-ponen-fin-huelgas/1003744340337_0.html)
    • The Basque Country is processing the first law in Spain that gives patients decision-making power. The future legislation is one of the pillars of the agreement supported by thirty social partners to transform regional healthcare (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/20260731/pais-vasco-tramita-la-primera-ley-de-espana-que-da-poder-decision-al-paciente/348446_0.html)
    • The Valencian Community presents the 35-hour workweek for healthcare professionals. The 35-hour workweek in the Valencian public healthcare system will apply to “all professional categories” (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/la-comunidad-valenciana-presenta-la-jornada-laboral-de-35-horas-semanales-para-profesional-sanitario.html)
  • Spain, caught between record heat and wildfires
    • Heat and wildfires in Spain. The heat has contributed to the burning of some 150,000 hectares in 26 major fires, including the deadly Los Gallardos fire and the one in Ávila, Madrid, and Toledo, which led to the activation of a national emergency for the first time for a wildfire (https://elpais.com/expres/2026-07-31/espana-atrapada-entre-el-record-de-calor-y-el-record-de-incendios.html)
    • July leaves 2,036 deaths attributed to the heat. The increased excess mortality of this fourth heat wave, which is affecting the most vulnerable most (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/julio-deja-2036-muertes-atribuibles-calor-espana.html)
  • Antibiotic consumption
    • Antibiotic consumption in Spain will decrease by 5.1% in 2025 and has fallen by nearly 19% since 2015. This decline represents the largest annual drop since the COVID-19 pandemic (https://diariofarma.com/2026/07/28/el-consumo-de-antibioticos-en-espana-baja-un-51-en-2025-y-cae-cerca-del-19-desde-2015)
  • Pharmaceutical deficit
    • The pharmaceutical trade deficit has tripled in just one year, exceeding €4.439 billion (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260728/deficit-comercial-farmaceutico-espana-triplica-solo-ano-supera-millones/1003744334985_0.html)
  • Drug Pricing
    • The Spanish Health Economics Association (AES) questions the “confederal” governance of drug pricing. The AES warns that regional government participation in decisions about specific medications could exceed the established distribution of powers. It proposes that decisions on prices fall to the Ministry (https://diariofarma.com/2026/07/26/aes-cuestiona-la-gobernanza-confederal-del-rd-de-financiacion-y-precio-de-medicamentos)
  • CIS and healthcare spending
    • 79% of Spaniards consider the resources allocated to healthcare in Spain insufficient, according to the CIS (https://diariofarma.com/2026/07/29/el-79-de-los-espanoles-ve-insuficientes-los-recursos-destinados-a-sanidad-segun-el-cis)

Companies

  • International
    • Novo Nordisk shares fall 10% after a disappointment with a cardiovascular drug trial. The company had been trying to diversify beyond obesity drugs (https://www.ft.com/content/c74ec2be-a9d1-4d8d-a2a5-8efca381952e?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
    • KKR nears $4 billion to buy medical device company Integer Holdings (https://www.ft.com/content/664f7b45-d92a-44c4-9824-9008001e887e?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
    • J&J prepared to pay $5.5 billion in talcum powder lawsuit (https://www.ft.com/content/a05d4748-cd84-4c2a-ac30-1c8e87799b10?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • National News
    • Grifols shares rise 7% after profits climb 28.7% to reach €227 million through July (https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2026-07-28/grifols-gana-alcanzar-beneficio-primer-semestre_4397307/)
    • Quirón, Ribera, HM Hospitals, and Vithas lead the private hospital sector. Private hospital groups increased their revenue by 6% last year

 

 

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