7 days in healthcare (March 10th-16th, 2025)

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Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

  • Biomedicine: The most expensive drug ever approved, $20 million a year.
  • Global Health: After assessing the global burden of oral disease, half of the world’s population has oral problems.
  • International Health Policy: In a move similar to Elon Musk’s DOGE, the British government is closing NHS England, laying off up to 30,000 people.
  • National Health Policy: Five years into the pandemic, the public health system has more staff and more bottlenecks.
  • Companies: Private healthcare will have to invest $1 billion in hospitals to meet the upcoming demand.

Biomedicine

  • The most expensive drug ever approved: a gene therapy that cures butterfly skin and could cost $20 million per patient. It was recently approved by the EMA and the drug is called Vyjuvek.
  • A key, decades-long mystery about Parkinson’s disease has been unraveled with the discovery of the PINK1m protein, which adheres to the surface of damaged mitochondria.

Global Health

  • The global burden of oral disease. For the first time, a review of the global burden of oral disease has been published. The study shows that half of the world’s population is affected by untreated caries, severe periodontitis, edentulism (the absence of one or more teeth), and other oral disorders. Knowing the facts is good, but action is needed.

International Health Policy

  • According to The Economist, DOGE is also reaching the UK, with the closure of NHS England. NHS England, the agency that manages the NHS in England, was created in 2012 as an attempt to maintain a professional management approach independent of political changes in each legislative term. Now their functions are transferred directly to the health department, headed by Wes Starmer. The truth is that the problems are worse: 6.5 million people on waiting lists and productivity 18.5% lower than before COVID. The reasons given by Starmer are twofold: 1. Allocate more money to doctors and nurses and not so much to bureaucrats; and 2. Ensure oversight by elected politicians. This movement seems similar to DOGE in the USA, but the inspiration behind it is neither Javier Milei nor Elon Musk, but Alan Milburn, a former health secretary under Tony Blair. This operation could lead to the dismissal of up to 30,000 people. We’ll see if the results live up to the promises.
  • How DOGE (Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency) is driving public health officials in the USA crazy. The MAGA movement sees the CDC as “the most incompetent and arrogant agency in the federal government.”
  • Kennedy has already broken his promise on vaccines. The health secretary is undermining America’s vaccination infrastructure.
  • Congressmen and activists denounce that Trump’s tax cuts are being funded by Medicaid cuts. More than 70 million Americans are on that program (a health insurance program for the poor), which is threatened by $880 billion in cuts.
  • The childbirth scandal in France, with rising infant mortality. The high infant mortality rate (under 1 year of age) is blamed on the closure of small maternity wards.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • The Congressional Health Commission gives the green light to the creation of the State Agency for Public Health. This agency will coordinate surveillance, risk assessment, and rapid response to potential health crises. We’ll see what happens during the parliamentary process.
  • Fifth anniversary of the emergence of COVID-19. This is the state of the healthcare system five years after the pandemic: more staffed, but also more collapsed. There are 45,000 more doctors and nurses, but almost all indicators have worsened. Meanwhile, then-spokesperson Simón and Minister Illa appear on screens to explain how well the situation was managed in Spain. It must be that the delays in implementing measures; the chaotic communication; the two lockdowns declared unconstitutional; the serious governance problems; the absence of a committee of experts; the lack of involvement of professional organizations or patients; the late expert report that fails to compare management between regions or that of Spain with other countries; the high mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants (Spain is among the three countries in the world with the highest mortality rate); the lack of attention to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Commission for Social and Economic Reconstruction; the problems and corruption in the purchase of materials, etc., are all things we have invented. Of course, aside from this downside, the entire COVID-19 process also had its positive side: the behavior of the general population, professionals, patients, law enforcement agencies, and many businesses.

Companies

  • International
    • Roche signs the largest deal in anti-obesity drugs, for a licensing agreement with Zeland Pharma,
  • National
    • Advent is exploring the sale of its Vitaldent and Dentix dental business; the fund appears to be seeking more than €700 million, given the positive results.
    • Private healthcare will need to invest €1 billion annually in new hospitals to meet demand, as according to Colliers, by 2023 there will be 14.6 million people covered by private insurance, and a bed ratio of 4.13 per 1,000 inhabitants is needed, which is the current ratio.

Biomedicine

  • Is butter bad for your health? Oil appears to be a better alternative, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, which followed 220,000 doctors and nurses for 33 years. https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/03/07/is-butter-bad-for-you
  • Australian man survives 100 days with artificial heart. The patient lived for more than 100 days before receiving a donor heart. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/12/australian-man-survives-100-days-with-artificial-heart-in-world-first-success
  • Mutated DNA restored to normal with a single injection, a breakthrough in gene therapy, after a study in 9 patients. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/10/health/gene-editing-beam-mutation-dna.html
  • A key decades-long mystery about Parkinson’s disease has been solved with the discovery of the PINK1m protein, which adheres to the surface of damaged mitochondria. https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/resuelven-misterio-durado-decadas-sobre-parkinson-20250313121641-nt.html. Access the original Science article: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu6445
  • The most expensive drug ever approved: a gene therapy that cures butterfly skin and could cost $20 million per patient. It has recently been approved by the EMA and the drug is called Vyjuvek https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-03-12/el-medicamento-mas-caro-jamas-aprobado-una-terapia-genica-que-cura-la-piel-de-mariposa-y-puede-costar-20-millones-por-paciente.html
  • An annual injection can prevent HIV infection; it is lenacapavir, and the study is still in Phase 1. https://elpais.com/ciencia/2025-03-11/una-inyeccion-anual-puede-prevenir-la-infeccion-por-vih.html. Access the original article in The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00405-2/abstract
  • Money and education slow biological aging, according to a study of more than 800 people published in Nature Medicine. More than 60 age-related diseases are related to education and socioeconomic status. https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/dinero-educacion-frenan-envejecimiento-biologico-20250314114141-nt.html

Global Health

  • The global burden of oral disease. For the first time, an article on the global burden of oral disease has been published. The study shows that half of the world’s population is affected by untreated caries, severe periodontitis, edentulism (the absence of one or more teeth), and other oral disorders. Knowing the facts is good, but action is essential. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00460-X/abstract. Access the original article in The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)02811-3/fulltext
  • A malignant avian flu strain is spreading rapidly in Antarctica, https://www.science.org/content/article/deadly-avian-flu-strain-spreading-rapidly-antarctica
  • Israel blocks humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r448

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • The termination of NIH grants is causing complete chaos. Until Trump’s second term, NIH—the world’s largest biomedical research funding agency—did not typically cancel grants. Of the more than 60,000 grants the agency awards each year, rarely more than 20 were canceled, always with justified reasons. During Trump’s new term, more than 100 have already been canceled, and it seems the plan is to continue along these lines. More than 1,000 grants are eligible for cancellation. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/03/nih-grant-terminations/682039/
    • How DOGE (Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency) is driving public health officials in the US crazy. The MAGA movement sees the CDC as “the most incompetent and arrogant agency in the federal government.” https://www.economist.com/united-states/2025/03/10/how-doge-is-driving-americas-public-health-guardians-mad
    • Kennedy has already broken his promise on vaccines. The health secretary is undermining America’s vaccination infrastructure. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/03/rfk-jr-quiet-assault-vaccination/682040/
    • Federal agencies dedicated to mental illness and addiction have experienced steep cuts. Offices have already been closed, and staff may be reduced by 50%. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/health/federal-cuts-substance-abuse-mental-health.html
    • Congressmen and activists denounce that Trump’s tax cuts are being financed by Medicaid cuts. More than 70 million Americans are enrolled in that program (a health insurance program for the poor), which is threatened by $880 billion in cuts. https://elpais.com/us/2025-03-14/congresistas-y-activistas-denuncian-que-la-rebaja-de-impuestos-de-trump-a-los-ricos-se-financiara-con-los-recortes-de-medicaid.html
    • Kennedy links the measles outbreak to diet, citing bizarre theories, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/10/health/measles-texas-kennedy-fox.html
  • China
    • The obesity crisis is big business. NovoNordisk’s current dominance in China is numbered: March 20, 2026, when the patent expires. The market could reach 900 million people by 2030 https://www.ft.com/content/8f05d97a-acfd-4514-84d4-07f03ffc9eeb
  • United Kingdom and the National Health Service
    • According to The Economist, DOGE is also coming to the UK, with the closure of NHS England. NHS England, the agency that manages the NHS in England, was created in 2012 as an attempt to maintain a professional management line outside of political changes in each legislative term. Now its functions are passed directly to the Ministry of Health, headed by Wes Streting. The truth is that the problems are greater: 6.5 million people on waiting lists and productivity 18.5% lower than before COVID. The reasons given by Starmer are twofold: 1. Allocate more money to doctors and nurses and not so much to bureaucrats; and 2. Ensure oversight by elected politicians. This movement seems similar to DOGE in the US, but the inspiration behind it is neither Javier Milei nor Elon Musk, but Alan Milburn, a former health secretary under Tony Blair. https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/03/12/doge-comes-to-englands-health-service. This document explains the functions of NHS England, which were primarily supervisory: https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/what-we-do/
    • Up to 30,000 jobs could be lost as a result of the closure of NHS England. The number of layoffs has risen from the expected 10,000 to between 20,000 and 30,000 https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/14/30000-jobs-could-go-in-labours-radical-overhaul-of-nhs
    • The Guardian analysis: why NHS England is closing and what it means for patients. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Health Secretary had ever announced such a change https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/13/why-has-nhs-england-been-abolished-and-what-does-it-mean-for-patients
    • NHS England, the creation of Tory Andrew Landsley, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/14/what-were-the-lansley-reforms-and-how-did-they-create-nhs-england
    • Analysis of the closure of NHS England by two prestigious think tanks. King’s Fund: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/press-releases/response-government-plans-abolish-nhs-england, Nuffield Trust: https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/nhse-to-be-scrapped-nuffield-trust-responds
    • The British government announces changes to the “broken” welfare system. Benefits for some people with disabilities may be reduced https://www.ft.com/content/988d7b23-e53f-45c7-a001-1a0702521928
  • France
    • The childbirth scandal in France, with rising infant mortality. The high infant mortality rate (under 1 year of age) is attributed to the closure of small maternity wards. https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2025/03/13/4-1-le-scandale-des-accouchements-en-france-la-hausse-de-la-mortalite-infantile-une-exception-francaise_6579865_3232.html
    • The new “Nutri-score” has been validated, following disagreements within the government. https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2025/03/14/le-nouveau-nutri-score-valide-apres-des-dissensions-gouvernementales_6580810_3245.html
  • Canada
    • Health care in Canada, at a key moment. Trudeau leaves many plans in motion: child benefits (Canada Child Benefit), climate change initiatives, cannabis legalization, and the Canadian dental plan, among others. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00501-X/fulltext
  • Indonesia
    • Indonesia is considering offering checkups for everyone, which theoretically will detect diseases earlier. It is an attempt at promotion and prevention. We will see its effects. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00499-4/abstract
  • European Union
    • Brussels presents its plan to make the EU less dependent on foreign sources for critical medicines, based on aid to European industry and reviewing public procurement criteria. Currently, 90% of these drugs are produced outside of Europe https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-03-11/bruselas-presenta-su-plan-para-que-la-ue-dependa-menos-del-exterior-en-medicinas-criticas-como-los-antibioticos.html
    • The European industry warns of a wave of generic drug shortages due to the wastewater directive. Medicines for Europe, the generic medicines trade association, supports the companies that have filed a lawsuit with the Court of Justice of the European Union. https://www.elperiodico.com/es/sociedad/20250310/industria-europea-advierte-oleada-escasez-115136632
    • 2.3 million companies and 13.3 million jobs: the impact of the health and social sector in the EU, https://www.consalud.es/industria/23-millones-empresas-133-millones-empleos-impacto-sector-salud-social-en-ue_155772_102.html
    • The ECDC warns of the increase in measles in the EU and calls for a review of vaccinations, https://diariofarma.com/2025/03/11/el-cedc-alerta-por-el-aumento-del-sarampion-en-la-ue-y-llama-a-revisar-su-vacunacion

National Health Policy

  • Central Administration
    • The Council of Ministers gives the green light to parliamentary processing of the law on alcohol and minors, which restricts its sale and advertising. The law seeks to reduce consumption by limiting the spaces where drinking is allowed, as well as advertising and sponsorship. https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/03/11/67d01c5c21efa0f5078b457a.html
    • The Health Commission of Congress gives the green light to the creation of the State Public Health Agency. This Agency will coordinate surveillance, risk assessment, and rapid response to potential health crises https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/comision-sanidad-congreso-da-luz-verde-texto-centro-estatal-salud-publica.html
  • Initiatives and news from the autonomous communities
    • Aragon prepares a strategy for the comprehensive treatment of rare diseases, https://diariofarma.com/2025/03/07/aragon-prepara-una-estrategia-para-el-tratamiento-integral-de-las-enfermedades-raras
    • Strategic pillars of the new health promotion model in Castilla-La Mancha, https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/son-pilares-estrategicos-nuevo-modelo-promocion-salud-castilla-mancha.html
    • The UPM (Polytechnic University of Madrid) creates its new Faculty of Health Sciences with a focus on the Medicine program, https://www.consalud.es/formacion/upm-nueva-facultad-ciencias-salud-con-foco-puesto-en-carrera-medicina_155699_102.html
  • Fifth anniversary of the emergence of COVID-19
    • This is how the healthcare system is five years after the pandemic: more staff, but also more collapsed. There are 45,000 more doctors and nurses, but almost all indicators have

Companies

  • International News
    • Novo Nordisk shares fall after results from latest anti-obesity drug trials, https://www.ft.com/content/7f7e4aa3-d356-4c3a-88d9-002997855525
    • Roche signs the largest deal in anti-obesity drugs, for a licensing agreement with Zeland Pharma, https://www.ft.com/content/80c5c67e-c55d-4fb1-bfb3-da96644edc82
    • Pfizer and Arvinas’ breast cancer drug disappoints the market, https://www.elconfidencial.com/mercados/2025-03-11/farmaco-de-pfizer-contra-el-cancer-de-mama_4083528/
    • Gilead Sciences presents advances in HIV at CROI 2025 and strengthens Its commitment to the cure, https://www.consalud.es/medicamentos/gilead-presenta-avances-vih-croi-2025-refuerza-apuesta-cura_155896_102.html
  • National
    • Advent is exploring the sale of its Vitaldent and Dentix dental business. It appears the fund is seeking more than €700 million, given the positive results, https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2025-03-14/advent-jp-moran-vender-negocio-dental-vitaldent-dentix_4085418/
    • Private healthcare will have to invest €1 billion annually in new hospitals to meet demand, as according to Colliers, by 2023 there will be 14.6 million people covered by private insurance, and a bed ratio of 4.13 per 1,000 inhabitants is needed, which is the current ratio. https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250312/sanidad-privada-debera-invertir-millones-ano-nuevos-hospitales-atender-demanda/930407089_0.html, original Colliers report: https://www.colliers.com/en-es/research/informe-healthcare-spain-2025

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