7 days in healthcare (May 19th-25th, 2025)

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Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

  • Biomedicine: A type of mammography proves better than ultrasound for women with dense breasts.
  • Global health: Gaza is a victim of silence and impunity.
  • International health policy: Trump’s attacks on science become harsher and more indiscriminate.
  • National health policy: Doctors consider the changes introduced in the draft of the new Framework Statute insufficient.
  • Business: Vivaltó Santé reorganizes the board of Ribera Salud, removing the company’s founders.

Biomedicine

  • A type of mammography proves better than ultrasound for women with dense breasts. Contrast-enhanced mammography identifies three times more tumors than ultrasound, according to a study published in The Lancet.
  • What we know about blood tests for Alzheimer’s. The tests allow us to determine whether patients with memory and reasoning problems have Alzheimer’s or not.

Global Health

  • The Lancet Editorial: Gaza is a victim of silence and impunity. Nearly half a million people are on the brink of starvation, caused by the Israeli government’s denial of access to humanitarian aid, which is only part of the horror the population is suffering.
  • More than 1 billion young people will suffer health problems by 2030. A study by The Lancet predicts a major challenge, particularly due to obesity and mental health problems.

International Health Policy

  • Trump’s attacks on science are becoming harsher and more indiscriminate. The system of research grants from various agencies is being dismantled.
  • China will donate $500 million to the WHO to compensate for the US void.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • Doctors consider the changes introduced in the draft of the new Framework Statute insufficient, although they postpone the strike until June.
  • The IDIS calls for a “law of guarantees,” a lifeline for public/private collaboration.

Companies

  • International
    • The pharmaceutical industry is focusing on acquiring drugs in development. GSK and Pfizer are the latest to make such moves.
    • Lilly has launched Mounjaro in 40 countries and plans to expand to new markets in the second quarter of 2025.
  • National
    • Vivaltó Santé is reorganizing the board of Ribera Salud, eliminating the company’s founders.
    • Fear of getting sick and long waiting lists are driving up the private hospital business.

Biomedicine

  • What we know about blood tests for Alzheimer’s. The tests determine whether patients with memory and reasoning problems have Alzheimer’s (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/health/blood-test-alzheimers.html)
  • A type of mammogram proves to be better than ultrasound for women with dense breasts. Contrast-enhanced mammography identifies three times more tumors than ultrasound, according to a study published in The Lancet (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/health/dense-breasts-cancer-mammograms.html). Access the original article: https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2825%2900582-3
  • Surgeons perform a human bladder transplant for the first time. The operation may be important for certain patients with bladder problems (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/18/health/bladder-transplant-human.html)

Global Health

  • The Lancet Editorial: Gaza is a victim of silence and impunity. Nearly half a million people are on the brink of starvation, caused by the Israeli government’s denial of access to humanitarian aid, which is only part of the horror the population is suffering (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01082-7/fulltext)
  • How to fight the next pandemic, without the US. The world is preparing, through the WHO’s Pandemic Agreement, to fight the next pandemics without the United States, which, along with other populist governments, describes the treaty as a result of the actions of international bureaucrats and the Davos Club (https://www.economist.com/international/2025/05/20/how-to-fight-the-next-pandemic-without-america)
  • More than 1 billion young people will suffer from health problems by 2030. A study by The Lancet announces the great challenge, especially due to obesity and mental health problems (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-05-20/mas-de-1000-millones-de-jovenes-sufriran-problemas-de-salud-en-2030.html) Access the original article from The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00503-3/fulltext?dgcid=tlcom_carousel1_lancetadolescenthealth25
  • The Lancet maps sexual violence against children (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00734-2/fulltext)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • The Trump Administration, through “MAHA” (Make America Healthy Again), accuses certain companies, especially processed food and technology companies, of harming children’s health. “Big Food,” Bayer, and Facebook, are cited in the 68-page report published last Thursday (https://www.ft.com/content/4d900d6e-4b37-47e0-b3c4-e50780b0bde1)
    • Trump’s attacks on science are becoming harsher and more indiscriminate. The system of research grants from various agencies is being dismantled (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/05/21/trumps-attack-on-science-is-growing-fiercer-and-more-indiscriminate)
    • The FDA forced to restrict access to COVID vaccines (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/health/fda-covid-vaccines.html)
  • China
    • China will donate $500 million to the WHO to compensate for the US gap (https://www.consalud.es/politica/china-donara-500-millones-de-dolares-a-la-oms-para-compensar-el-vacio-de-estados-unidos.html)

National Health Policy

  • Central Government Initiatives
    • The Ministry approves an innovative drug to slow the progression of ALS (https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/serviciosdeprensa/notasprensa/sanidad14/paginas/2025/220525-medicamento-causa-genetica-ela.aspx)
    • The new Melilla hospital will open its doors on May 26 (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/ministerio-sanidad/el-hospital-universitario-de-melilla-abre-sus-puertas-el-lunes-26-de-mayo-1579)
  • Community Initiatives Autonomous communities
    • The Extremadura Health Service will eliminate exclusivity for its department and section heads (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/servicio-extremeno-salud-eliminara-exclusividad-jefes-servicio-seccion.html)
    • The “Cuélebre,” the large healthcare data warehouse that uses AI and will allow for the prediction of the evolution of a disease affecting 150,000 Asturians (chronic kidney disease in polymedicated patients) (https://www.lne.es/asturias/2025/05/22/cuelebre-gran-almacen-datos-sanitarios-117679429.html)
    • The configuration (with 15-bed towers) of the new large hospital in Malaga has been presented (https://www.elespanol.com/malaga/malaga-ciudad/20250525/nuevo-hospital-malaga-torres-plantas-helipuerto-gran-plaza-conexion-metro/1003743766357_0.html)
  • Framework Statute
    • Doctors consider the changes introduced in the draft of the new Framework Statute insufficient, although they postpone the strike until June (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250523/medicos-consideran-insuficientes-cambios-introducidos-sanidad-borrador-estatuto-marco/1003743769473_0.html)
  • MUFACE
    • ASISA raises the fees of its medical teams by between 6.5 and 12% to treat MUFACE members (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250514/asisa-eleva-retribuciones-cuadros-medicos-atender-mutualistas-muface/1003743758109_0.html)
    • MUFACE allocates 2.3 billion to Adeslas and 1.9 billion to Asisa (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/seguros/2025/05/20/682b70cee5fdea22298b45ab.html)

Companies

  • International News
    • The pharmaceutical industry focuses on acquiring drugs in development. GSK and Pfizer are the latest to make such moves (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250522/industria-farmaceutica-pone-foco-adquisicion-medicamentos-desarrollo/1003743767372_0.html)
    • Lilly has launched Mounjaro in 40 countries and plans to bring it to new markets in the second quarter of 2025 (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250513/lilly-lanzado-mounjaro-paises-preve-llevarlo-nuevos-mercados-segundo-trimestre/1003743754889_0.html)
    • The battle between Novo Nordisk and Lilly over obesity drugs is intensifying (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-05-23/la-batalla-de-novo-nordisk-y-eli-lilly-por-los-medicamentados-contra-la-obesidad-se-agudiza-nuevas-estrategias-ante-un-contexto-cambiante.html)
  • National
    • Vivaltó Santé reorganizes the board of Ribera Salud, dispensing with the company’s founders and defenders of the public/private partnership model (https://www.expansion.com/valencia/2025/05/22/682f36ece5fdeae56f8b4619.html)
    • Fear of getting sick and long waiting lists boost hospital business Private (https://cincodias.elpais.com/extras/ciencia-salud/2025-05-16/el-panico-a-enfermar-y-la-larga-lista-de-espera-en-la-publica-disparan-el-negocio-hospitalario-privado.html)
    • Grifols receives authorization in the US for a Phase 2 trial of an eye drop, and the stock rises (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-05-21/grifols-recibe-autorizacion-de-ee-uu-para-el-ensayo-de-fase-2-de-un-colirio-y-la-accion-recupera-los-950-euros.html)
    • ISDIN will grow at double digits and maintain its profitability, says its CEO (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/05/20/682bb965e5fdea61708b459d.html)

This post is also available in: Spanish