Summary

The most impactful health news of the week included:

• Biomedicine: New techniques may prevent lung cancer.
• Global health: HIV: the fight against the disease is at risk due to the drop in international aid, according to the UN.
• International health policy: The OECD publishes its report with indicators for several countries.
• National health policy: The government approves the draft bill that gives a voice to patient organizations.
• Business: The American healthcare industry calls for fewer tax barriers and faster approvals for investing in Spain.

Biomedicine

• New techniques may prevent lung cancer. Despite the decline in tobacco use, lung cancer remains common. The Economist summarizes several studies in which: 1. Molecules that predict the onset of lung cancer are identified; 2. A drug exists that prevents the onset of this cancer.
• The first AI-designed vaccine may end the coronavirus for good. The first vaccine in history designed by a machine could generate immunity against all types of coronavirus that exist now and those that may be developed in the future.
• AI detects signs of breast cancer six years earlier than radiologists. Research using nearly 90,000 mammograms shows that commercial algorithms are able to detect tumor signatures invisible to the human eye, a finding that could redefine screening.
• When patients share almost everything with chatbots, the risks and opportunities of Large Language Models (LLMs) emerge. In January 2026, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health, a product that allows patients to sync their electronic health records and health apps directly with an LLM and receive personalized answers to health questions. Microsoft Pilot has introduced similar functionality.

Global Health

• HIV: The fight against the disease is at risk due to the drop in international aid, according to the UN. In a new report, UNAIDS lists several concrete and measurable effects of recent drastic cuts in international aid by various countries, particularly the USA.
• Ebola: What is known about the new epidemic hitting Central Africa. This outbreak is one of the most significant in recent years. Despite medical advances, the Ebola virus is particularly difficult to contain.

International Health Policy

• The OECD publishes its report with indicators for various countries. It appears that the existence of communities makes the data for Spain difficult to interpret.
• American doctors want a confrontation with Health Secretary RFK, Jr. This position was defended at the American Medical Association Assembly.
• Exodus of consultants from the UK. Many are leaving for Canada or Australia.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• The government approves the draft bill that gives a voice to patient organizations. The participation of eight representatives from Patient Associations is planned for the Interterritorial Council’s Advisory Committee, through an amendment to the National Health System’s Cohesion and Quality Law. While including patient associations on the Advisory Committee is certainly a positive step, this contrasts sharply with the fact that the same has not been done for professional representation (professional associations and scientific societies). Staff representation is monopolized by unions, which is entirely inadequate.
• The Health Ministry is expanding the VEO plan with €22 million. Given the current state of waiting lists and other NHS services, this program is highly questionable and borders on populist and electioneering measures.
• Zendal Hospital, the only one that closes at night and performs only 10 CT scans per year, has seen its workload plummet in the sixth year of operation. This center, promoted as the “world’s best pandemic hospital,” cost over €150 million. This hospital was a fiasco from the very beginning. It was built without a functional plan, that is, without defining its role beforehand, something unprecedented and unprecedented in Spain since the days of INSALUD (National Health Institute).
• All the autonomous communities, except Catalonia, are demanding that García “reopen negotiations” on the Framework Statute. All the autonomous communities, except Catalonia, have asked the Minister of Health to reopen negotiations on the Framework Statute to put an end to the doctors’ strikes. Catalonia’s attitude is striking, or perhaps not, although one would have to look for political reasons to explain it. The attitudes of Castilla-La Mancha and Asturias are noteworthy.

Companies

• International
  • AstraZeneca is making progress on its obesity pill, aiming to catch up with the leaders. This will put AstraZeneca in competition with Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

• National News
  • Grifols strengthens its position in Egypt as an alternative to the US with another $180 million investment. The most ambitious project in this new phase is to bring online the industrial complex where it will manufacture medications without the plasma leaving the African country.

Biomedicine

• Why is prostate cancer screening not justified? Surprisingly, for the simple reason that there is no evidence of its benefits (https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-894967)
• The next steps in chronic kidney failure (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01183-9/fulltext). The Lancet publishes recommendations for implementing the World Health Assembly’s recommendations on this disease: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00755-5/fulltext
• New techniques can prevent lung cancer. Despite the decline in tobacco use, lung cancer remains common. The Economist summarizes several studies in which: 1. Molecules that predict the development of lung cancer are identified; 2. A drug exists that prevents the development of this cancer (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/06/10/new-techniques-can-predict-and-prevent-lung-cancer)
• HIV: New reservoir cells discovered where the virus takes refuge and escapes treatment. This reservoir exists in a type of lymphocyte, according to a Chinese study (https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2026/06/09/vih-decouverte-de-nouvelles-cellules-reservoirs-ou-le-virus-se-refugie-et-echappe-aux-traitements_6700089_1650684.html)
• The race among scientists to find a treatment for the Ebola outbreak is underway. Several trials have already begun with promising drugs to treat the disease causing the current outbreak (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/health/ebola-treatment-bundibugyo-virus.html)
• Climate change amplifies antibiotic resistance, according to two recent research studies (https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2026/06/10/le-rechauffement-climatique-amplificateur-des-resistances-aux-antibiotiques_6700453_1650684.html)
• A new pill helps control blood sugar and reduce weight in type 2 diabetics. The oral drug elecoglipron matches the effectiveness of injectable therapies like Ozempic without the strict fasting requirements of current tablets. (https://www.abc.es/salud/pinchazos-nueva-pastilla-logra-controlar-azucar-reducir-20260608231501-nt.html)
• Rat kidneys successfully grown inside mice; this could be the future of transplants. The new technique, tested in Japan, opens an alternative path to addressing the global organ shortage and the dream of producing human kidneys in large animals. (https://www.abc.es/salud/logran-cultivar-rinones-dentro-ratones-mediante-bioingenieria-20260611180008-nt.html)
• The therapy revolutionizing cancer is on its way to doing the same for lupus. A trial with CAR-T cell therapy achieves remission of refractory lupus in five patients after almost a year (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260613/terapia-revoluciona-cancer-va-camino-hacerlo-lupus-personas-libres-enfermedad/1003744284215_0.html)
• The first AI-designed vaccine could end the coronavirus forever. The first vaccine in history designed by a machine could generate immunity against all types of coronavirus that exist now and those that may be developed in the future (https://www.elconfidencial.com/tecnologia/novaceno/2026-06-08/primera-vacuna-ia-exito-en-humanos-coronavirus_4369395/)
• The new shingles vaccine reduces cases of the disease by almost 90% among people over 80. The first data following the arrival of the drug in Spain reveal significant protection for the population most affected by the infection, although this protection decreases in patients aged 65 and over (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2026-06-08/la-nueva-vacuna-del-herpes-zoster-reduce-en-casi-un-90-los-casos-de-la-enfermedad-entre-mayores-de-80-anos.html).
• AI detects signs of breast cancer six years earlier than a radiologist. A study using nearly 90,000 mammograms shows that commercial algorithms can detect tumor signatures invisible to the human eye, a finding that could redefine screening (https://www.abc.es/salud/ia-detecta-senales-cancer-mama-seis-anos-20260609170000-nt.html)
• Socioeconomic environment leaves its mark on children’s brains. New research indicates that factors such as family income level are associated with a greater impact on the developing brain than other variables (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/06/11/6a2aa19ee4d4d8ff268b459e.html)
• Alzheimer’s surgery: an experimental technique aims to slow cognitive decline in the operating room. A clinical trial at the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital in Badalona is exploring the safety of an operation to facilitate the removal of neurotoxins from the brain that cause memory decline (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2026-06-08/cirugia-del-alzheimer-una-tecnica-experimental-trata-de-ralentizar-en-el-quirofano-el-deterioro-cognitivo.html)
• GLP-1 receptor agonists are associated with a lower risk of 13 obesity-related tumors. For the first time, this potential protective effect has been found in patients without diabetes. The observed reduction was 41% after two years (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/endocrinologia/glp-1-asocian-menor-riesgo-13-tumores-ligados-obesidad.html)
• When patients share almost everything with chatbots, risks and opportunities of LLMs (Large Language Models). In January 2026, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health, a product that allows patients to synchronize their electronic health records and health apps directly with an LLM language and receive personalized answers to health questions. Microsoft Pilot has introduced similar functionality (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/28502169

Global Health

• Global and regional trends in under-five mortality and scenario projection to 2030. The study’s results show that there are millions of preventable deaths in children and the decline in mortality has slowed since 2015 (https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2025-088684)
• Why did Ebola return? The Ebola outbreak in the DRC is unlikely to spread to the rest of the world, but it coincides with a decrease in health budgets, and the lack of preparedness for “Disease X” is worrying. (https://www.ft.com/content/e6e31057-aded-4109-9f5e-6808c7737b0d?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
• HIV: The fight against the disease is at risk due to the drop in international aid, according to the UN. In a new report, UNAIDS lists several concrete and measurable effects of the recent drastic cuts in international aid by various countries, especially the USA (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2026/06/12/vih-la-lutte-contre-la-maladie-est-mise-en-danger-par-la-chute-de-l-aide-internationale-previent-l-onu_6701115_3244.html)
• American Ebola shelters spark rejection and a political crisis in Kenya. Kenyan centers have protested against them. • Ebola: What we know about the new epidemic hitting Central Africa. This outbreak is one of the most significant in recent years. Despite medical advances, the Ebola virus is particularly difficult to contain (https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2026/06/10/ebola-ce-que-l-on-sait-de-la-nouvelle-epidemie-qui-frappe-l-afrique-centrale_6700480_4355770.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The US strategy of setting up shelters for Americans in contact with Ebola in Kenya, instead of returning them to the US, has been deemed excessive and unethical. Travel bans to the USA, facilitation of travel to Europe, and quarantine shelters in Kenya have been implemented. These measures are heavily criticized (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2026/06/10/ebola-la-strategie-des-etats-unis-jugee-excessive-et-contraire-a-l-ethique-par-des-experts-en-sante_6700407_3244.html)
  • American doctors want to go to war with Health Secretary RFK, Jr. This position was defended at the American Medical Association Assembly (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/10/ama-doctors-physicians-rfk-vaccines-00957489)

• United Kingdom
  • Consultants in the UK are leaving, with an exodus to Canada or Australia (https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-199151)

• France
  • The president of the High Authority for Health denounces unprecedented pressure from the pharmaceutical industry. Pressure for reimbursement under the Health Insurance system is becoming increasingly intense from 2025 onwards (https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2026/06/12/lionel-collet-president-de-la-haute-autorite-de-sante-denonce-des-pressions-dans-des-proportions-jamais-vues-de-l-industrie-pharmaceutique_6701053_3234.html)

• Israel
  • Calls to boycott the Israeli Medical Association. Calls are being made for their suspension from the World Medical Association due to Israel’s actions in Gaza (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01185-2/fulltext)

• OECD
  • The OECD publishes its report with indicators from various countries. It appears that the existence of regional governments makes the data for Spain difficult to interpret (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/como-perciben-los-pacientes-la-atencion-primaria-la-ocde-impulsa-reformas-sanitarias-en-19-paises.html). Access the Patient-Reported Indicator Surveys (Paris): https://www.oecd.org/en/about/programmes/patient-reported-indicator-surveys-paris.html

National Health Policy

• Central Administration
  • The government approves the draft bill that gives a voice to patient organizations. The participation of 8 representatives from Patient Associations on the Advisory Committee of the Interterritorial Council is foreseen, through an amendment to the Law on Cohesion and Quality of the National Health System (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/gobierno-aprueba-proyecto-ley-organizaciones-pacientes-agentes-fundamentales-sns.html). Access the draft bill: https://www.sanidad.gob.es/normativa/audiencia/docs/2026.02.11APL_organizaciones_pacientes_Texto_MAIN_IP.pdf
  • The government gives the green light to replacing the security seal coupon with a unique identifier. The regulation also updates the role of the SNSFarma Node, the NHS’s technological infrastructure used for exchanging information related to publicly funded medicines (https://diariofarma.com/2026/06/09/luz-verde-a-la-reforma-que-sustituira-el-cupon-precinto-por-el-identificador-unico-en-el-sns)
  • The Ministry of Consumer Affairs launches a public consultation on the project to prohibit the sale of energy drinks to minors under 16 years of age. With almost 40% of young people consuming these products, the Government is beginning the process to restrict their sale and protect minors from brand marketing (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/06/04/6a205309fc6c83ea4a8b458c.html)
  • Health Ministry expands the VEO plan with 22 million euros (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2026-06-12/sanidad-amplia-con-22-millones-de-euros-el-plan-veo-que-ya-ha-subvencionado-gafas-a-mas-de-325000-menores-de-17-anos.html)

• Regional administrations
  • Zendal Hospital, the only one that closes at night and performs 10 CT scans a year. Work has plummeted to a minimum in the sixth year of the center touted as the “best pandemic hospital in the world,” which cost more than €150 million (https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2026-06-12/la-imbatible-actividad-del-hospital-zendal-un-tac-que-se-usa-10-veces-al-ano-carece-de-pacientes-ingresados-y-cierra-cada-noche.html)

• Medical conflict over the Statute
  • All the autonomous communities, except Catalonia, are demanding that García “reopen negotiations” on the Framework Statute. All the autonomous communities, except Catalonia, have asked the Minister of Health to reopen negotiations on the Framework Statute to end the doctors’ strikes (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260610/ccaa-cataluna-reclaman-garcia-reanudar-negociacion-estatuto-marco/1003744280509_0.html)

• AI in the private sector
  • Private healthcare takes a stand against AI. The sector is at a medium level that can be described as ‘developing’ and exhibits wide variability among the different private healthcare providers, reaching “scalable” levels (https://www.abc.es/salud/sanidad-privada-identifica-prioridades-inteligencia-artificial-pilar-20260608155923-nt.html)

• Biosimilars
  • Biosim proposes a Biosimilars Plan to accelerate their adoption in the National Health System. The biosimilars sector submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Health to activate a national plan that expedites the adoption of these treatments. The employers’ association seeks to optimize pharmaceutical spending and standardize the use of drugs in the National Health System (https://diariofarma.com/2026/06/09/biosim-propone-un-plan-nacional-de-biosimilares-para-acelerar-su-adopcion-en-el-sns)

Companies

• International
  • GSK, in talks to buy cancer biotech Nuvalent for more than $9 billion (https://www.ft.com/content/c22fca23-2917-420b-9538-744a093d4b47?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • AstraZeneca makes progress on the obesity pill, to match the leaders. This will put AstraZeneca in competition with Lilly and Novo Nordisk (https://www.ft.com/content/d9d65841-ddc1-454a-91bf-33441f2f7821?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Lilly expects the European Medicines Agency to authorize its obesity pill by the end of 2026. The company hopes the regulatory body will also issue a positive opinion for the diabetes indication (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260610/lilly-preve-agencia-europea-medicamento-autorice-pildora-obesidad-finales/1003744279055_0.html)

• National
  • The American healthcare industry is calling for fewer tax barriers and faster approvals to invest in Spain. According to the document “The Future of Healthcare in Spain 2026,” presented by the American Chamber of Commerce in Spain, our country has some of the most competitive nominal tax rates in Europe, but administrative complexity and restrictive criteria significantly limit their real impact (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260612/industria-sanitaria-eeuu-reclama-trabas-fiscales-aprobaciones-agiles-invertir-espana/1003744282070_0.html).
  • Grifols is boosting its presence in Egypt as an alternative to the US with another €180 million investment. The most ambitious project in this new phase is to put into operation the industrial complex where it will manufacture medications without the plasma leaving the African country (https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2026-06-12/grifols-potencia-egipto-alternativa-plasma-eeuu_4371366/).
  • Conflict between Quirón and Ribera regarding the central laboratory in Madrid. The hospital giant explains that it needs time to install the machines, but underlying this is tension with the staff and the outgoing company (https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2026-06-11/conflicto-entre-quiron-y-ribera-por-la-prorroga-concedida-por-la-comunidad-al-coloso-sanitario-para-asumir-el-laboratorio-que-le-ha-adjudicado.html)

This post is also available in: Spanish