Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

• Biomedicine: For the first time, a CRIPS treatment is capable of treating a single mutation.
• Global health: The need to accelerate vaccine development in Africa.
• International health policy: The medical profession cannot remain silent in the US in the face of the government’s abuses in the healthcare world.
• National health policy: The People’s Party (PP) urges the government to halt the processing of the Framework Statute.
• Companies: Big Pharma’s profits are threatened in the US.

Biomedicine

• For the first time, a CRIPS treatment is capable of treating a single mutation. Genome sequencing showed that a child had a rare genetic disease called carbamoyl phosphate synthetase deficiency, which produces high levels of ammonia. A specific gene-editing system was designed for him. This was done in record time, as there was no time available, as the child would have died. He is now ready to be discharged. The technique was base editing using CRISPR.
• “Reverse vaccines,” the promise for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. These diseases are caused by a harmful reaction of the immune system. The goal is to slow it down, unlike vaccines. The issue is broader, as these types of diseases affect 800 million people worldwide, from multiple sclerosis to lupus, type 1 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Global Health

• Accelerating vaccine development in Africa. This continent suffers a significant burden of infectious diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and others. HIV research in Africa has strengthened its clinical trial capacity, laboratory network, and regulation, serving as an example for other vaccine initiatives.
• Real solutions for non-communicable diseases. Despite their high prevalence and impact on mortality, this is an area where progress is very slow. The cause is political; compared to infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases rarely generate urgency. These types of diseases are the cause of 85% of deaths among those aged 30-70 in the WHO European Region. This organization has just published a document proposing 25 measures for which there is evidence of their effectiveness.

International Health Policy

• Article from the New England Journal of Medicine: The Power of Doctors in Dangerous Times. Faced with attacks on science, cuts that threaten the health of the poorest Americans, and the collapse of American aid to provide solutions to global health, what doctors as a profession cannot do is remain silent. The history of the profession shows that defending the weakest has produced significant improvements in people’s lives. Doctors were very active in the passage of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, among other initiatives.
• Trump signs an executive order asking pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices, but without a genuine policy on the issue. This idea of ​​”asking” pharmaceutical companies to lower prices, under threat of hellfire, is truly curious and contrasts with the well-designed, gradual policy of the Biden era. On the same day the news was released, pharmaceutical companies rose on the stock market.
• Ministers are trying to improve the draft 10-year plan for the NHS, amid comments that, as currently worded, it lacks anything likely to generate interest among the British public. The lead drafter, Tom Kibasi, has been replaced. One of the main proposals is the development of an NHS app.
• The European Health Data Space came into force on March 26, 2025. Despite its fine words, there are doubts that the current level of data harmonization will allow progress. This would not be the first time in the European Union (medical device regulation, in vitro diagnostic technology regulation) that implementation problems render interesting initiatives meaningless.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Controversial launch of the new Drug Law, with nearly 400 objections and a highly questionable pricing system.
• The Ministry of Health wants to create the position of health administrator in all autonomous communities. The term itself is misleading and limiting. In Catalonia, they use the more appropriate term “clinical assistant.” It is essential to clearly define the functions of this personnel, which is absolutely necessary.
• The PP demands that the Government halt the processing of the Framework Statute, given professional rejection and the “lack of dialogue” with the autonomous communities.

Companies

• International
  • Big Pharma’s profits are under threat in the US. According to Gallup, only a fifth of Americans have a positive opinion of these companies, as the impression has been created of a greedy sector. The executive order signed by Trump on May 12 and the threat of tariffs are major concerns for this sector.

• National
  • Vitaldent is considering an international expansion and aims for a valuation of $1 billion. Advent, the parent fund, is considering divesting from the company.

Biomedicine

• For the first time, a CRIPS treatment is capable of treating a single mutation. Genome sequencing showed that a child had a rare genetic disease called carbamoylphosphate synthetase deficiency, which produces high levels of ammonia. A specific gene-editing system was designed for him. This was done in record time, as there was no time available, as the child would have died. He is now ready to be discharged. The technique was base editing using CRISPR. (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/05/15/for-the-first-time-a-crispr-drug-treats-a-child’s-unique-mutation)
• Curb your enthusiasm: what evidence does the evidence tell us about using AI in radiology (https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/curb-your-enthusiasm-what-does-the-evidence-tell-us-about-using-ai-in-radiology-diagnostics)
• Can AI teach medicine? AI can greatly contribute to medical education. AI can outperform humans in pattern recognition and data processing, but it lacks the intuition and empathy that an experienced educator brings (https://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r822/rr)
• “Reverse vaccines,” the promise for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. These diseases are caused by a harmful reaction of the immune system. The goal is to slow it down, unlike vaccines. The issue is broader, as these types of diseases affect 800 million people worldwide, from multiple sclerosis to lupus, type 1 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. (https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/may/12/autoimmune-disease-inverse-vaccines)
• A substance discovered that reverses age-related brain deterioration (https://www.elconfidencial.com/tecnologia/novaceno/2025-05-17/ciencia-investigacion-molecula-revertir-demencia-cerebro_4130574/). Access the original article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.14493
• Brazil’s complete genome reveals millions of unknown genetic variants (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/genoma-completo-brasil-desvela-millones-variantes-geneticas-20250515191554-nt.html
• The pill against high blood pressure in adults also helps children with butterfly skin (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-05-12/la-pastilla-contra-la-hipertension-en-adultos-tambien-ayuda-a-los-ninos-con-piel-de-mariposa.html)

Global Health

• Accelerating vaccine development in Africa. This continent suffers a great deal from infectious diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and others. HIV research In Africa, it has strengthened its clinical trial capacity, laboratory network, and regulation, serving as an example for other vaccine initiatives (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00564-1/fulltext)
• Real solutions for non-communicable diseases. Despite their high frequency and impact on mortality, this is an area where progress is very slow. The cause is political: compared to infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases rarely require urgent action. These types of diseases cause 85% of deaths among those aged 30-70 in the WHO European Region. This organization has just published a document proposing 25 measures for which there is evidence of their effectiveness. (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00107-3/fulltext). Access the original document, published in The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00073-0/fulltext

International Health Policy

• USA
  • Article from the New England Journal of Medicine: The Power of Physicians in Dangerous Times. Faced with attacks on science, cuts that threaten the health of the poorest Americans, and the collapse of American aid to provide solutions to global health, what physicians as a profession cannot do is remain silent. The history of the profession shows that defending the weakest has produced significant improvements in people’s lives. Physicians were very active in the passage of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, among other initiatives (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2502493)
  • As Congress debates cuts to Medicaid, a relevant study highlights how it saves lives (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/health/medicaid-cuts-congress.html). Access the study demonstrating the lives saved by Medicaid: https://www.nber.org/papers/w33719
  • Trump signs an executive order asking pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices, but without a real policy on the issue. This idea of ​​”asking” pharmaceutical companies to lower prices, under threat of hellfire, is truly curious and contrasts with the well-designed, gradual policy of the Biden era. The same day the news was released, pharmaceutical companies rose on the stock market (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/health/trump-drug-prices.html
  • mp’s plan is to equalize drug prices in the US with those of other developed countries. Pharmaceutical companies oppose any form of government-mandated drug pricing. The truth is that the price of brand-name drugs in the US (not generics, which account for 91% of prescriptions) is more expensive in the US than in other developed countries, and this has always been an obsession of Trump’s, even during his first term (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/11/health/drug-prices-executive-order.html)
  • Article in Science: Trump’s Fear Factor: Scientists Remain Silent, While Cuts Continue (https://www.lifescience.net/entries/768994/trumps-fear-factor-scientists-go-silent-as-funding/)
  • California Governor Gavin Newsom, a prominent member of the Democratic Party, proposes limiting universal access to health care for undocumented immigrants. The idea is for the Medi-Cal program to stop accepting undocumented citizens as of January 1, 2026. Current enrollees will pay a monthly fee of $100 to continue coverage. Emergency medical care and pregnancy care are guaranteed in all cases. The goal is to save Medi-Cal approximately $5.4 billion annually (https://elpais.com/us/2025-05-14/el-gobernador-de-california-propone-limitar-el-acceso-universal-a-los-servicios-de-salud-a-los-indocumentados.html)

• China
  • China suspends the import of Chickens from Brazil, due to the detection of avian flu (https://www.ft.com/content/0f88b3f0-4348-4370-abfb-1934050ca733)

• United Kingdom and the National Health Service
  • Ministers are trying to improve the draft 10-year plan for the NHS, amid comments that, as currently worded, it lacks any appeal to the British public. Lead editor Tom Kibasi has been replaced. One of the main proposals is the development of an NHS app (https://www.ft.com/content/2d8c41bd-0c1c-4de0-8721-c2f507aafeba)
  • NHS waiting lists rise for the first time in seven months, calling into question one of Labour’s key promises (https://www.ft.com/content/2d8c41bd-0c1c-4de0-8721-c2f507aafeba)

• France
  • Macron raises the possibility of an end-of-life referendum, which is questioned by many constitutionalists (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/05/14/macron-evoque-la-possibilite-d-un-referendum-sur-la-fin-de-vie_6606038_3224.html)

• Brazil
  • Brazil’s complete genome reveals millions of unknown genetic variants. This is a milestone for personalized medicine in Latin America (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/genoma-completo-brasil-desvela-millones-variantes-geneticas-20250515191554-nt.html)

• European Union
  • The Lancet Report: The European Health Data Space, which came into force on March 26 of this year, 2025. Despite its fine words, there are doubts that the current level of data harmonization will allow progress. This wouldn’t be the first time in the European Union (medical device regulation, in vitro diagnostic technology regulation) that implementation issues render interesting initiatives worthless (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01029-3/fulltext?rss=yes)
  • Europe opens the consultation period with the sector for the future Biotechnology Law (https://diariofarma.com/2025/05/15/europa-abre-el-periodo-de-consultas-para-la-ley-de-biotecnologia)
  • EFPIA reveals the secrets of the different speeds of access to innovative drugs in different countries (https://www.consalud.es/industria/la-efpia-expone-las-barreras-que-dificultan-la-disponibilidad-uniforme-de-medicamentos-innovadores-en-la-ue.html)

National Health Policy

• Central Government Initiatives
  • A Royal Decree on Consumer Affairs is announced to ensure healthy nutrition in hospitals and nursing homes (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-05-15/consumo-regulara-las-comidas-de-hospitales-y-residencias-de-mayores-como-hizo-con-los-comedores-escolares.html)
  • Controversial launch of the new Medicines Law, nearly 400 objections, and a highly questionable pricing system (https://www.consalud.es/industria/industria-y-profesionales-presentan-cerca-de-400-alegaciones-a-la-nueva-ley-del-medicamento-que-marcan-el-debate-sobre-su-futuro.html)
  • The Public Health Agency returns to Congress with the same text rejected in March (https://diariofarma.com/2025/05/10/la-agencia-de-salud-publica-vuelta-al-congreso-con-el-mismo-texto-rechazado-en-marzo)
  • The Ministry of Health will take the Health Care Framework to the Interterritorial Meeting on May 21 (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/c-madrid/sanidad-llevara-el-marco-de-cuidados-en-salud-al-interterritorial-del-proximo-21-de-mayo.html)
  • The Ministry of Health wants to create the position of the Administrative staff in all autonomous communities. The term itself is misleading and limiting. In Catalonia, they use the most appropriate term “clinical assistant.” It is essential to clearly define the functions of this staff, which is absolutely necessary (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/otros-profesionales/sanidad-quiere-crear-la-figura-del-administrativo-en-salud-en-todas-las-comunidades-autonomas-tambien-somos-profesion-sanitaria.html)

• Autonomous community initiatives
  • The Draft Digital Health Law of Cantabria, open for public hearing (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/cantabria/cantabria-saca-a-audiencia-publica-su-anteproyecto-de-ley-de-salud-digital-6918)
  • The figures for the future Trueta Hospital, with an investment of 700 million euros and launch in 2031 (https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2025-05-14/las-cifras-del-futuro-hospital-trueta-inversion-de-700-millones-y-puesta-en-marcha-en-2031.html)
  • Madrid begins construction on the City of Health with the Proton Therapy Unit (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/c-madrid/madrid-arranca-las-primeras-obras-de-la-ciudad-de-la-salud-con-la-unidad-de-protonterapia-y-el-edificio-industrial.html)

• Hospital-acquired infections
  • More than 7,000 people die each year from hospital-acquired infections (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20250515/personas-mueren-ano-infecciones-adquiridas-hospitales-no-respuestaclara/1003743757464_0.html). Access the latest EPINE study: https://epine.es/api/documento-publico/2024%20EPINE%20Informe%20España.pdf/reports-esp

• Framework Statute
  • The PP demands that the Government halt the processing of the Framework Statute due to professional rejection and the “lack of dialogue” with the autonomous communities (https://www.consalud.es/politica/el-pp-exige-al-gobierno-que-paralice-la-tramitacion-del-estatuto-marco-ante-el-rechazo-profesional-y-la-falta-de-dialogo-con-las-ccaa.html)

• Oral Health
  • The IDIS Foundation’s oral health report has been published (https://www.fundacionidis.com/informes/otros-informes/observatorio-de-salud-bucodental)

Companies

• International News
  • Big Pharma’s profits are under threat in the US. According to Gallup, only a fifth of Americans have a positive opinion of these companies, as this has created the impression of a greedy sector. The executive order signed by Trump on May 12 and the threat of tariffs are major concerns for this sector (https://www.economist.com/business/2025/05/13/big-pharmas-jumbo-profits-are-under-threat-in-america)
  • NovoNordisk reaches agreements with American biotech companies to boost its pipeline of new obesity drugs (https://www.ft.com/content/ee6cff85-24bf-42fd-a58a-9f484cc3a713)
  • NovoNordisk CEO dismissed due to the company’s poor performance on the stock market (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/empresas/ceo-novo-nordisk-destitute.html)

• National
  • Vitaldent considers going international and aims for a valuation of 1 billion. Advent, the parent fund, is considering divesting from the company (https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2025-05-14/donte-group-vitaldent-salto-bolsa-advent-venta_4128203/)
  • Almirall almost triples its profits in the first quarter (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13358691/05/25/almirall-casi-triplica-sus-ganancias-en-el-primer-trimestre-hasta-los-216-millones.html)
  • Grifols triples its profits and increases its turnover by 7.4% (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2025/05/12/68221454468aeb3d0d8b459b.html)
  • Spanish pharmaceutical companies are awarded subsidies from the Health Department grants €127 million for its R&D plans (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-05-12/las-farmas-espanolas-se-adjudican-subvenciones-del-perte-de-salud-por-127-millones-para-sus-planes-de-id.html)

This post is also available in: Spanish