Summary

The most impactful health news of the week included:

• Biomedicine: AI Large Language Models (LLMs) are capable of outperforming most real-world clinical reasoning experiences.
• Global Health: The Ebola epidemic is not an inevitability, but the first consequence of a deliberately created void.
• International Health Policy: The anti-obesity drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro will be reimbursed by Social Security in France starting Monday.
• National Health Policy: For the first time, the People’s Party (PP) is leaning towards adapting the labor framework to the specific needs of doctors.
• Business: The pharmaceutical industry faces losses of nearly €438 billion due to patent expirations.

Biomedicine

• The value of LLMs in clinical reasoning. 65 years ago, cases involving complex clinical reasoning were the gold standard for evaluating physicians’ abilities. A study published in Science shows that AI, using Large Language Models (LLMs), is capable of outperforming most real-world clinical reasoning.
• AI matches or surpasses doctors in diagnosis. Two AI tools improve upon doctors’ diagnostic accuracy and treatment suggestions. One is MIRA, developed by researchers in Germany, and the other is AMIE, based on Google Gemini.
• A new drug targets one of the changes in cancer. It is for treating pancreatic cancer, is called “daraxonrasib,” and was developed by a Californian company called Revolution Medicines.

Global Health

• USAID: The Ebola epidemic is not an inevitability, but the first bill for a deliberately created void. In 2024, USAID had donated $1.2 billion to the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2025, that number dropped to $67 million. The US withdrawal benefits China, according to historian Mauro Campus, in an opinion piece for Le Monde.
• Migration: a reality, not an emergency. The review published in The Lancet states that migration and forced displacement continue to grow, and in 2024 more than 300 million people were international migrants. If they were a nation, they would be the fourth most populous. Human mobility is not an aberration but a fact of modern existence. It should not be treated as an extraordinary problem.
• The Ebola epidemic: one month after it began, the death toll has surpassed 200 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a mortality rate of 23%. There is neither a vaccine nor a specific treatment for this type of virus.

International health policy

• The anti-obesity medications Wegovy and Mounjaro will be reimbursed by Social Security in France starting Monday. Social Security will cover 65% of the cost for patients with massive obesity without comorbidities or severe obesity with comorbidities.
• France intends to make antibiotic resistance a strategic health security priority during its G7 presidency, considering it a global health and economic threat of the greatest magnitude.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• For the first time, the People’s Party (PP) is leaning towards specific labor regulations for doctors. Feijóo will make healthcare a “national priority” in the face of the new week of doctors’ strike. PP spokesperson and Deputy Secretary for Culture and Sport, Borja Sámper, stated this Monday, coinciding with the start of another week of doctors’ strike over the Framework Statute, that Alberto Núñez Feijóo will make healthcare a “national priority.” The PP leader conveyed his party’s support for some of the demands of the medical community and defended the need to adapt the labor framework to the specific needs of these professionals.
• The pharmaceutical reform bill is open for public consultation. The draft royal decree introduces dynamic pricing to strengthen competition in medicines that have already lost exclusivity and to encourage a gradual decrease in prices linked to the entry of generics and biosimilars.
• Medical unions will call an indefinite strike after the summer due to the “total lack of proposals” from the Ministry of Health. The Strike Committee warns of an escalation of the conflict to “maintain the demands of the group” if no progress is made in the coming weeks.

Companies

• International
  • The pharmaceutical industry faces losses of almost €438 billion due to the expiration of patents. To mitigate the blow, companies are focusing their efforts on acquiring pharmaceutical companies.

• National
  • The CEOE (Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Organizations) is launching a full-scale attack against absenteeism: it is demanding that Social Security cover sick leave and replacements from the first day. Around twenty business leaders are proposing measures such as limiting bonuses and reinstating dismissal for absenteeism.

Biomedicine

• AI matches or surpasses doctors in diagnosis. Two AI tools are improving on doctors in diagnostic accuracy and treatment suggestions. One is MIRA, developed by researchers in Germany, and the other is AMIE, based on Google Gemini (https://www.ft.com/content/734a45ee-86c4-47e1-8323-569bc14dcdd7?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
• The value of LLM models in clinical reasoning. Sixty-five years ago, cases with complex clinical reasoning were the gold standard for evaluating doctors’ abilities. A study published in Science shows that AI, with Large Language Models (LLMs), is able to outperform most real-world clinical reasoning exercises (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/06/ai-healthcare-uber-moment/687567/). Access the original Science study: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz4433
• Ancient DNA studies are rewriting the history of the plague. The study published in Nature shows that this disease did not necessarily originate in large human settlements (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/06/17/ancient-dna-is-rewriting-the-history-of-plague)
• A new drug targets one of the key changes in cancer. It is used to treat pancreatic cancer, is called “daraxonrasib,” and was developed by a Californian company called Revolution Medicines (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/06/12/a-new-drug-targets-one-of-cancers-master-switches)
• Orphan drugs generate six times more years of healthy life than conventional drugs. Patients, laboratories, and academics are calling for consideration of the long-term social impact of drugs targeting rare diseases (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260619/medicamentos-huerfanos-generan-veces-anos-vida-calidad-convencionales/1003744291085_0.html)
• With the same genes, a young person from Generation Z gains twice as much weight as a baby boomer. A study in the United Kingdom shows that the environment increases the predisposition to weight gain and widens the inequality gap in new generations (https://www.abc.es/salud/genes-joven-generacion-engorda-doble-baby-boomer-20260618200007-nt.html)
• A new vaccine shows promise against herpes, chlamydia, and other sexually transmitted diseases. US scientists have designed nanoparticles that act as a molecular “beacon” to recruit elite defenses in the reproductive tract, a promising advance in the face of record-breaking infections in Spain and Europe (https://www.abc.es/salud/nueva-vacuna-abre-via-frenar-epidemia-herpes-20260619200002-nt.html)

Global Health

• UNAIDS: HIV control dealt a severe blow by funding cuts. 2025 was disastrous for HIV control programs. UNAIDS is calling on governments and donors to renew their commitment to prevent a resurgence of the epidemic (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01238-9/fulltext)
• Migration: a reality, not an emergency. The review published in The Lancet states that migration and forced displacement continue to grow, and in 2024 more than 300 million people were international migrants. If they were a nation, they would be the fourth most populous. Human mobility is not an aberration but a fact of modern existence. It should not be treated as an extraordinary problem (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01240-7/fulltext)
• The Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo: challenges and priorities for epidemic preparedness and response. This article in The Lancet analyzes immediate and long-term priorities (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01141-4/abstract)
• USAID: The Ebola epidemic is not an inevitability, but the first bill of a deliberately created void. In 2024, USAID had donated $1.2 billion to the DRC. In 2025, that figure dropped to $67 million. The US withdrawal benefits China, according to historian Mauro Campus, in an opinion piece for Le Monde (https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2026/06/19/usaid-l-epidemie-d-ebola-n-est-pas-une-fatalite-mais-la-premiere-facture-d-un-vide-deliberement-creuse_6704910_3232.html).

• The Ebola epidemic: one month after it began, the death toll in the DRC has surpassed 200, with a mortality rate of 23%. There is neither a vaccine nor a specific treatment for this type of virus (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2026/06/18/un-mois-apres-le-debut-de-l-epidemie-d-ebola-en-republique-democratique-du-congo-le-bilan-depasse-200-morts_6704568_1651302.html)
• The myth of leishmaniasis as a purely veterinary disease: the largest human outbreak in Europe began in Spain in 2009. Many people associate this disease with dogs, but the parasite Leishmania infantum is endemic in our country, is transmitted by the bite of a small insect, and more and more animals are being discovered that can host it (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/06/14/6a29e71ee9cf4a99328b456d.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The Trump Administration intends to delay HIV aid to South Africa, citing “insufficient measures taken following the administration’s request” (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/18/pepfar-south-africa-white-afrikaners-hiv-aids-00968479)

• United Kingdom
  • UK officials are considering changing certain benefits Financial assistance for illness, including support at work or mental health support (https://www.ft.com/content/19b6eb96-a558-41f7-853c-39d336c90023?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

• France
  • The anti-obesity medications Wegovy and Mounjaro will be reimbursed by Social Security starting Monday. Social Security will cover 65% of the cost for patients with massive obesity without comorbidities or severe obesity with comorbidities (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2026/06/14/les-medicaments-antiobesite-wegovy-et-mounjaro-seront-rembourses-en-france-a-partir-de-lundi_6702600_1651302.html)
  • The Constitutional Council closes the door to a referendum on end-of-life issues (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/06/17/fin-de-vie-pourquoi-le-conseil-constitutionnel-ferme-la-porte-a-un-referendum_6704276_3224.html)
• G7
  • France intends to make antimicrobial resistance a priority during its G7 presidency strategic health security, considering it represents a global health and economic threat of the greatest scope (https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2026/06/14/la-presidence-du-g7-constitue-une-occasion-unique-pour-la-france-de-faire-de-l-antibioresistance-une-priorite-strategique-de-securite-sanitaire_6702747_1650684.html)
• EU
  • The European Parliament requests a moratorium on the obligations of the Water Directive. The European Parliament supports the suspension of extended producer responsibility for pharmaceuticals until its impact on the production and supply of medicines is assessed (https://diariofarma.com/2026/06/18/el-parlamento-europeo-solicita-una-moratoria-en-las-obligaciones-de-la-directiva-de-aguas)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration
  • The Ministry of Health establishes a common vaccination strategy for migrants and refugees in Spain. The Ministry of Health is unifying criteria for immunizing newly arrived migrants with initial doses in the early weeks, prioritizing MMR, polio, tetanus, and diphtheria vaccines, with accelerated schedules and coordination between regional governments and reception centers (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2026-06-16/vacunacion-migrantes-refugiados-espana-1tps_4373489/)
  • The government will include autism in the list of illnesses that qualify for childcare benefits (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260620/gobierno-incluira-autismo-listado-enfermedades-dan-acceso-prestacion-cuidado-menores/1003744293210_0.html)
  • The pharmaceutical reform bill is open for public consultation. The draft royal decree introduces dynamic pricing to strengthen competition in medicines that have lost their exclusivity and to promote a gradual decrease in prices linked to the entry of generics and biosimilars (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ministerio-sanidad/sanidad-abre-a-audiencia-publica-la-norma-que-regulara-la-financiacion-y-precios-de-los-medicamentos.html)

• Regional governments
  • Three public hospitals in Madrid, national centers for obtaining stem cells for bone marrow transplants. La Paz, 12 de Octubre, and Gregorio Marañón hospitals have been designated for their experience, technical capacity, and high specialization in areas such as advanced therapies (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/c-madrid/eligen-tres-hospitales-publicos-madrilenos-como-centros-nacionales-para-obtener-celulas-madre-destinadas-a-trasplante-de-medula.html)
  • The Torrejón Hospital is asking the Community of Madrid not to accept new resident physicians as a cost-saving measure. It appears that in other regions, the salaries of resident physicians (MIRES) are covered by the regional governments (https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2026-06-16/el-hospital-de-torrejon-pide-a-la-comunidad-de-madrid-no-recibir-nuevos-medicos-residentes-como-medida-de-ahorro.html)

• Medical conflict over the Statute
  • Medical unions will call an indefinite strike after the summer due to the “total absence of proposals” from the healthcare system. The Strike Committee is threatening to escalate the conflict to “maintain the demands of the group” if no progress is made in the coming weeks (https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/medicos-amenazan-huelga-indefinida-verano-ausencia-total-propuestas-sanidad_1_13302847.html)
• Euthanasia
  • Deaths by euthanasia increased by 32% last year. 565 people received euthanasia in Spain in 2025 (https://elpais.com/expres/2026-06-18/las-muertes-por-eutanasia-crecieron-un-32-el-ano-pasado.html)

• Feijóo’s statements on healthcare
  • Feijóo promises to respect the law on abortion time limits and “improve” the law regarding access to euthanasia. The leader of the People’s Party (PP) aspires to legislation regarding euthanasia that has “consensus” with “scientific societies,” “medical organizations,” “healthcare professionals,” and political groups, unlike the current law. It should be remembered that the euthanasia law was processed as a proposed law, not a bill, without any mandatory report (https://www.consalud.es/politica/feijoo-promete-respetar-la-ley-de-plazos-para-el-aborto-y-perfeccionar-la-relativa-al-acceso-a-la-eutanasia.html).
  • Feijóo will make healthcare a “national priority” in the face of the new week of doctors’ strike. The PP spokesperson and Deputy Secretary of Culture and Sport, Borja Sámper, stated this Monday, coinciding with the start of a new week of doctors’ strike over the Framework Statute, that Alberto Núñez Feijóo will make healthcare a “national priority.” The Popular Party leader has conveyed his party’s support for some of the demands of the medical community and has defended the need to adapt the labor framework to the unique characteristics of these professionals (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/feijoo-convertira-sanidad-prioridad-nacional-ante-huelga-medica-estatuto-marco/)

Companies

• International
  • Abbie closes a deal for nearly $11 billion to acquire biotech firm Apogee Therapeutics, developer of anti-inflammatory therapies (https://www.ft.com/content/cb5e94aa-1687-47fe-b55a-82e273e8b1bd?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Pharmaceutical patent applications decline for the second consecutive year, falling 6.5% in 2025. The explanation lies in the stabilization following Covid, higher R&D costs, and the advance of countries like China and India. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260615/solicitudes-patentes-farmaceuticas-retroceden-segundo-ano-consecutivo-cayeron/1003744278143_0.html)
  • The pharmaceutical industry faces losses of almost 438 billion euros due to patent expirations. To mitigate the blow, companies are focusing their efforts on acquiring pharmaceutical companies. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260619/industria-farmaceutica-enfrenta-perdidas-millones-euros-fin-patentes/1003744290775_0.html)
  • Novo Nordisk hopes to get Wegovy’s pill approved in China to overtake its competitor Lilly. The Danish pharmaceutical company is already ahead of its American counterpart in the US and UK markets. Both are betting on the success of oral treatment compared to injections (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2026-06-17/novo-nordisk-espera-aprobar-la-pastilla-de-wegovy-en-china-para-adelantar-a-su-competidora-eli-lilly.html)
  • According to Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK, the return on investment in the pharmaceutical sector will increase from 5% to 30% due to AI (https://www.eleconomista.es/mercados-cotizaciones/noticias/13978875/06/26/cathie-wood-ark-la-burbuja-tecnologica-creo-mucho-miedo-en-la-industria-de-la-inversion-y-eso-hoy-es-algo-bueno.html)

• National News
  • Grifols defends the IPO of its Biopharm business in the USA It will allow value to surface and debt to be reduced (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2026-06-18/grifols-defiende-que-la-salida-a-bolsa-del-negocio-de-biopharma-en-ee-uu-permitira-aflorar-valor-y-reducir-deuda.html)
  • Rovi specializes in the manufacture of injectable medications for obesity (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260618/rovi-especializa-fabricacion-inyectables-obesidad-clientes-ademas-roche/1003744289803_0.html)
  • The Valencian Regional Government is preparing multi-million euro claims against Sanitas and Ribera for the concessions. The Valencian Ministry of Health has informed healthcare concessionaires of an adjustment of between 50 and 60 million euros to compensate for ‘inflated’ settlements from the years of Covid (https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/comunidad-valenciana/2026-06-17/generalitat-sanitas-ribera-reclamacion-millonaria_4373881/)