7 days in healthcare (March 31st-April 6th, 2025)

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Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

  • Biomedicine: Mitochondrial transplants could cure diseases and prolong life.
  • Global health: The need to reduce mortality from postpartum hemorrhage.
  • International health policy: Trump’s executive order on tariffs. According to Section 3 (Implementation), b 4, medications (but not medical technologies) are excluded from the tariff.
  • National health policy. The Ministry and communities reach an agreement on the 2025-2027 Mental Health Plan, which includes $39 million in funding with eight strategic lines.
  • Companies: Keytruda, the drug that bills as much as Zara.

Biomedicine

  • Mitochondrial transplants could cure diseases and prolong life. Although organ transplants are well known, transplants of cellular organelles, such as mitochondria, are much less so. James McCully of Harvard Medical School has published the results of premature infants who underwent this type of transplant, as their mitochondria were damaged. Other preliminary results have also been published. This approach is being tested for many other diseases, as well as as a way to prolong life.
  • Vaccination against shingles may reduce the risk of dementia. A population-based study shows that the shingles vaccine reduces the chance of dementia by 20%.

Global Health

  • Reduction in mortality from postpartum hemorrhage. Globally, there are more than 300,000 deaths among women due to pregnancy and childbirth. Bleeding due to postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of death, with 70,000 deaths each year, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This is an event that can be prevented with early diagnosis.

International Health Policy

  • Medicines excluded from Trump’s tariffs. Trump’s trade war threatens to disrupt global distribution chains for medicines and healthcare products. We have already experienced the consequences of supply chain disruption during COVID-19, with limitations on obtaining protective equipment, vaccines, and medications. Many of the medications, drug ingredients, and medical devices used in the US are imported, mainly from China and India. Europe calls the tariff increase “chaos” and warns that it will “make medicines more expensive.”
  • More Americans cannot afford healthcare, according to Gallup. Eleven percent of the population cannot afford access to medicines and healthcare.
  • Only one in five UK citizens (21%) is satisfied with NHS services, according to a joint study by the King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • The Ministry and regional governments reach an agreement on the 2025-2027 Mental Health Plan, which entails funding of 39 million euros. Eight strategic lines: 1. Strengthening human resources in mental health; 2. Community mental health; 3. A human rights-oriented model; 4. Rational use of psychotropic drugs and improved prescribing; 5. Addressing the most vulnerable contexts and groups; 6. Perinatal, childhood, and adolescent mental health; 7. Strengthening mental health information systems; 8. Mental health and work.
  • The draft of Cantabria’s Digital Health Law will be ready this month. Guaranteed access to data is announced as the law’s central focus.
  • Catalonia creates a 30 million euro fund to attract scientists who emigrate due to Trump. The strategy already has a name: it will be called Catalonia Talent Bridge and seeks to “offer opportunities to researchers whose academic freedom and professional future may be threatened in the United States.”
  • Doctors are mobilizing against the government’s drafting of the Framework Statute. The points of contention: a specific statute for doctors, whether on-call work is paid as overtime, and issues related to public/private exclusivity.
  • Silicosis is resurfacing strongly, increasing by more than 1,400% between 2015 and 2019. This is an incurable respiratory disease caused by the inhalation of crystalline silica dust. Although historically considered a disease of the past associated with mining, cases have increased in recent decades, affecting new industrial sectors such as the handling of quartz agglomerates used in kitchen and bathroom countertops.
  • Comments on the AIREF report. The report goes from detecting certain problems to directly eliminating them, by not hiring new employees, based on the “uniformity” of the model and the precedents in certain countries.

Companies

  • International
    • Keytruda, the drug that bills as much as Zara. It is a monoclonal antibody from MSD, which is used against 15 types of cancer.
  • National
    • Brookfield resumes contact with Grifols to launch another takeover bid for 7 billion.

Biomedicine

  • Mitochondrial transplants could cure diseases and prolong life. Although organ transplants are well known, transplants of cellular organelles, such as mitochondria, are much less so. James McCully of Harvard Medical School has published the results of premature infants who underwent this type of transplant, as their mitochondria were damaged. Other preliminary results have also been published. This approach is being tested for many other diseases, as well as as a way to prolong life (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/03/31/mitochondria-transplants-could-cure-diseases-and-lengthen-lives)
  • The harm of smartphones and social media. The Netflix series “Adolescence” has been widely disseminated. Many of us viewed smartphones and social media as forces for good. We believed the benefits outweighed the potential drawbacks. However, this access can cause harm, making mental illness more common in children and adolescents. Adults can control access, but children and adolescents are more exposed, with negative consequences (https://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r658).
  • Getting vaccinated against shingles may reduce the risk of dementia. A population study shows that the herpes vaccine reduces the risk of dementia by 20% (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-04-02/vacunarse-contra-el-herpes-zoster-podria-reducir-el-riesgo-de-sufrir-demencia.html). Access the original article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08800-x
  • A drug could revolutionize the treatment of cocaine addiction. It is a gene therapy developed by Novartis (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/farmaco-revolucionar-tratamiento-adiccion-cocaina-20250404102300-nt.html). Access the original article: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adi4505
  • The pacemaker of the future, as small as a grain of rice and activated by light (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/marcapasos-futuro-pequeno-grano-arroz-activado-luz-20250402170000-nt.html)

Global Health

  • Reducing mortality from postpartum hemorrhage. Globally, there are more than 300,000 women who die from pregnancy and childbirth. Bleeding due to postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of death, accounting for 70,000 deaths each year, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This event can be prevented with early diagnosis (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00671-3/fulltext).

International Health Policy

  • Trump’s trade war and its impact on healthcare
    • Trump’s executive order on tariffs. According to Section 3 (Implementation), b 4, medicines are excluded from the tariff (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/regulating-imports-with-a-reciprocal-tariff-to-rectify-trade-practices-that-contribute-to-large-and-persistent-annual-united-states-goods-trade-deficits/)
    • Annex I of the executive order, which establishes tariffs for individual countries: European Union, 20%; Japan, 24%; China, 34%; etc. Russia, Cuba, and North Korea are not on the list (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Annex-I.pdf)
    • Trump’s trade war threatens to disrupt global supply chains for medicines and healthcare products. We have already experienced the consequences of supply chain disruption during COVID-19, with limitations on obtaining protective gear, vaccines, and medications. Many of the medications, drug ingredients, and medical devices used in the US are imported, primarily from China and India. Globalization has made China and India powerhouses in the production of APIs (raw materials for medicines) (https://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r648)
    • For the industry, on edge due to Trump’s tariffs, the key lies in drug manufacturing. Although medicines and vaccines are explicitly excluded from the tariffs, it is unknown how this will impact other components necessary for drug manufacturing. Sources at Farmaindustria say that 24% of the inputs for drug production in Europe come from the USA (https://elglobalfarma.com/industria/la-industria-aranceles-trump-fabricacion-medicamentos/).
    • Europe describes the tariff increase as “chaos” and warns that it will “make medicines more expensive” (https://diariofarma.com/2025/04/03/europa-califica-de-caos-la-subida-arancelaria-y-advierte-que-encarecera-los-medicamentos).
    • FENIN requests that healthcare technologies be exempt from any tariffs. The announced tariffs could jeopardize patient access to healthcare technology. Medtech Europe and COCIR have also expressed their concern to the EU (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/fenin-pide-tecnologias-sanitarias-queden-exentas-arancel.html)
  • USA
    • CDC cuts threaten US healthcare. The cuts will weaken the agency, which has been a model for the entire world (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/health/cdc-layoffs-kennedy.html)
    • FDA cuts threaten to raise drug costs and erode food safety. Initially, the cuts were intended to be administrative, but they also affect scientific staff (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/health/fda-layoffs-food-and-drug-safety-rfk-jr.html)
    • More Americans cannot afford healthcare, according to Gallup. 11% of the population cannot afford access to medications and healthcare (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/health/health-care-costs-gallup.html). Access the Gallup poll: https://news.gallup.com/poll/658148/inability-pay-care-medicine-hits-new-high.aspx
  • UK and the National Health Service
    • King’s Fund comments on an NHS satisfaction survey: only 1 in 5 citizens (21%) say they are satisfied with the NHS: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/reports/public-satisfaction-nhs-social-care-in-2024-bsa, Nuffield Trust comments on the same survey: https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/research/public-satisfaction-with-the-NHS-and-social-care-in-2024-Results-from-the-British-Social-Attitudes-survey. Access to the original document: https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-04/Public%20satisfaction%20with%20the%20NHS%20and%20social%20care%20in%202024_WEB%20%284%29.pdf

National Health Policy

  • Central Administration Initiatives
    • The Ministry and the regional governments reach an agreement on the 2025-2027 Mental Health Plan, which entails funding of 39 million euros. Eight strategic lines: 1. Strengthening human resources in mental health; 2. Community mental health; 3. A human rights-oriented model; 4. Rational use of psychotropic drugs and improved prescribing; 5. Addressing the most vulnerable contexts and groups; 6. Perinatal, childhood, and adolescent mental health; 7. Strengthening mental health information systems; 8. Mental Health and Work (https://www.alimente.elconfidencial.com/bienestar/2025-04-04/aprueban-plan-salud-mental-sanidad-ccaa_4102136/)
    • The draft of the Medicines Law will go to the next Council of Ministers, then go to a public hearing, and is expected to reach Congress as a bill by the end of 2025 (https://diariofarma.com/2025/04/02/el-anteproyecto-de-ley-de-los-medicamentos-ira-al-proximo-consejo-de-ministros)
    • The government aims to turn Spain into a medicines hub through eight measures (https://elglobalfarma.com/politica/hub-farmaceutico-gobierno-aemps-espana/)
  • Initiatives and news from the autonomous communities
    • The draft of the Digital Health Law Cantabria will be ready this month. Guaranteed access to data is announced as the cornerstone of the law (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/cantabria/anteproyecto-ley-salud-digital-cantabria-estara-listo-este-mismo-mes-abril_156580_102.html)
    • Galicia, the first region to purchase vaccines through risk-sharing agreements (https://diariofarma.com/2025/03/31/galicia-primera-comunidad-que-comprara-vacunas-con-de-acuerdos-de-riesgo-compartido)
    • The Community of Madrid will soon put out to tender the construction of the Ciudad de la Salud (Health City), comprising the La Paz Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Madrid. (https://www.eldebate.com/espana/madrid/20250403/madrid-licitara-proximamente-primeras-obras-ciudad-salud_285155.html)
    • Catalonia creates a 30 million fund to attract scientists who emigrate because of Trump. The strategy already has a name: it will be called Catalonia Talent Bridge and seeks to “offer opportunities to research staff whose academic freedom and professional future in the United States may be threatened” (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2025/03/31/67ea8400468aebc4488b4584.html)
    • Andalusians take to the streets for the sixth time over the deterioration of public healthcare under the Moreno government (https://elpais.com/espana/andalucia/2025-04-05/los-andaluces-salen-a-la-calle-por-sexta-vez-contra-el-deterioro-de-la-sanidad-pubica-por-el-gobierno-de-moreno.html)
  • Problems with the Framework Statute and, specifically, with the inclusion of doctors continue
    • Doctors mobilize against the drafting of the Framework Statute The government is planning. The issues of contention: a specific statute for doctors, the requirement that on-call work be paid as overtime, and issues related to public/private exclusivity (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-04-05/los-medicos-se-movilizan-contra-la-reforma-de-su-estatuto-que-planea-el-gobino-la-indignacion-es-enorme.html)
  • Silicosis
    • Silicosis is making a strong comeback, having increased by more than 1,400% between 2015 and 2019. This is an incurable respiratory disease caused by the inhalation of crystalline silica dust. Although historically considered a disease of the past associated with mining, cases have increased in recent decades, affecting new industrial sectors such as the handling of quartz agglomerates used in kitchen and bathroom countertops (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/04/03/67ee460ffdddff875f8b45a5.html). Ministry of Health report on the topic: https://www.sanidad.gob.es/fr/areas/saludLaboral/enfermedadesProf/docs/REMERGENCIA_SILICOSIS._Accesible.pdf
  • MUFACE
    • Comments on the AIREF report. The report goes from detecting certain problems to outright discontinuation, by not hiring new employees, based on the “uniformity” of the model and the precedents in certain countries (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-04-04/las-seis-incognitas-sobre-muface-que-se-han-desvelado-despues-de-renovarse-el-convenio.html)
    • Private hospitals are threatening to abandon MUFACE due to low insurance rates. ASPE urges the government to intervene (https://www.elperiodico.com/es/sanidad/20250401/muface-hospitales-privados-barajan-abandonar-bajas-tarifas-nuevo-concierto-115923543)
    • MUFACE awards the agreement to Adeslas and Asisa, which is expected to be signed by the end of April (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-04-03/muface-adeslas-asisa-concierto-sanitario/)

Companies

  • International News
    • Biotech M&A expected to return (https://www.ft.com/content/a4cad400-ae56-434a-94bd-080152263d90)
    • BectonDickinson in talks to divest from health sciences (https://www.ft.com/content/a5a94445-9185-4c26-be6a-ae3303838d81)
    • Drug discovery company Isomorphic Labs, a spin-off of Google’s DeepMind, raises $600 million (https://www.ft.com/content/14d93672-dce7-482d-9b32-fa3553b37273)
    • Keytruda, the drug with the same revenue as Zara. It is a monoclonal antibody from Merck, which is used against 15 types of cancer (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-04-02/keytruda-el-medicamento-que-factura-tanto-como-zara-y-genera-debate-sobre-la-duracion-de-las-patentes.html)

This post is also available in: Spanish