7 days in healthcare (May 4th-10th, 2026)

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Summary

The most impactful health news of the week included:

  • Biomedicine: Stem cell medicine. The scope of what’s to come.
  • Global health: Liver health, a forgotten aspect of the non-communicable disease agenda.
  • International health policy: The response to hantavirus shows that Trump’s cuts have compromised US preparedness.
  • National health policy: Sánchez forces the Canary Islands government to accept the Hondius ship in Tenerife.
  • Companies: Moderna announces work on a hantavirus vaccine and its stock price jumps 14%.

Biomedicine

  • Stem cell medicine. The scope of what’s to come. The totipotent nature of stem cells means they can be used for the regeneration of damaged tissues and for the treatment of some diseases (Parkinson’s, spinal cord injury, bullous keratopathy, and others). It is reasonable to assume that stem cell therapy will play a prominent role in the future.
  • Blood test that provides clues about tumor response to treatment. A biomarker indicates which tumors will respond best to treatment.
  • The human genome encodes a new category of molecules. An article in Nature demonstrates that the genome encodes peptides, a new type of molecule, which may be useful for the production of new drugs.

Global Health

  • Liver health, a forgotten aspect of the non-communicable diseases (NCD) agenda, despite being the second leading cause of lost workdays in Europe.
  • Pandemic Agreement delayed by differences over pathogen sharing. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed an extension of talks on the rules for sharing pathogens, delaying the effective entry into force of the Pandemic Agreement.
  • What you should know about hantavirus. What it is, how it is transmitted, what symptoms it causes, and treatment. Interesting review from the BMJ.

International Health Policy

  • The hantavirus response shows that Trump’s budget cuts have compromised US preparedness, according to an article published in the NYT.
  • Republicans in the USA see high-risk plans as the future of health insurance. These plans consist of high deductibles, which can reach $7,000.
  • AI is reshaping European healthcare systems. The report presents how AI is being introduced into the healthcare systems of the WHO-Europe.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • Sánchez is forcing the Canary Islands government to accept the Hondius ship in Tenerife, despite the opposition of the Canary Islands president. The Ministry of Transport, through the Merchant Marine, issued a binding resolution to impose the reception of the ship for security reasons. The government has turned what is a public health crisis, which should be managed with consensus, discretion, and efficiency, into a political confrontation and a spectacle for television. This is without even considering the dubious option, despite the support of the WHO and a certain degree of international consensus. But it is at least doubtful that dispersing potential carriers among several countries is the best solution. Regarding Spain, the crisis is occurring without the implementation of the State Public Health Agency.
  • The Ministry of Health plans to promote 16 regulations in 2026, focusing on public management and pharmaceuticals. Updates to the Medicines Act and the Framework Statute are planned, although this government is more effective at announcing laws than passing them.
  • Osakidetza (the Basque Health Service) is committed to a faster diagnostic model in pathology. Osakidetza has completed the full implementation of digital pathology, a milestone in the modernization of the healthcare system that allows for faster, more precise, and more collaborative analysis of tissue samples, especially in addressing diseases such as cancer.
  • Spain, a country of 50 million inhabitants (plus almost 100 million tourists per year), has infrastructure for 40 million.

Companies

  • International
    • Moderna announces work on a hantavirus vaccine and its stock price soars 14%. The laboratory has announced preliminary research for a hantavirus vaccine, which generated a significant boost in its stock price.
    • BioNTech cuts 1,860 jobs due to falling vaccine sales. Three production plants in Germany are threatened with closure.

  • National
    • Quirónsalud Barcelona presents the first private lung cancer screening program in Spain. Screening using low-dose Computed Tomography (CT) has been shown to reduce mortality by between 20% and 26% in high-risk populations. It is the first program of its kind outside the public sector.
    • The Cordón family has increased its investment to €125 million in its mega-complex healthcare facility in Madrid. The center expects to generate between €100 and €150 million in revenue in its fifth year, and the family is already considering replicating this concept in other regions of Spain, according to the hospital’s CEO and CFO, Alfonso Escárate.

Biomedicine

  • Stem cell medicine: The future. The totipotent nature of stem cells means they can be used to regenerate damaged tissues and to treat certain diseases (Parkinson’s, spinal cord injury, bullous keratopathy, and others). Stem cell therapy is expected to play a prominent role in the future (https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(25)00814-9/fulltext)
  • Does acupuncture work? This technique of Chinese origin is over 3,000 years old. Recent studies consider it useful in pain management, but beyond that, its beneficial effects are questionable (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/05/01/does-acupuncture-work)
  • Colonoscopy and cancer prevention: The new arithmetic of benefit. A recent analysis discussed in The Lancet reaffirms that colonoscopy is useful in the early diagnosis of colon cancer, but has no effect on mortality (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00794-4/fulltext)
  • Blood test that provides clues about tumor response to treatment. A biomarker indicates which tumors will respond best to treatment (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01353-7)
  • The human genome encodes a new category of molecules. An article in Nature demonstrates that the genome encodes peptides, a new type of molecule, which may be useful for the production of new drugs (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/05/06/the-human-genome-encodes-for-a-new-category-of-molecule). Access the original article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10459-x
  • A new atlas of human organs, with three-dimensional access to the organs (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adz2240)

Global Health

  • The agreement on pandemics is delayed due to differences in the sharing of pathogens. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed an extension to the talks on pathogen sharing rules, delaying the effective entry into force of the Pandemic Agreement (https://www.consalud.es/politica/se-estancan-las-negociaciones-sobre-el-intercambio-de-patogenos.html)
  • Liver health, a forgotten aspect of the non-communicable diseases (NCD) agenda, despite being the second leading cause of lost workdays in Europe (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00710-5/fulltext)
  • Lebanon’s healthcare system: a silent victim of war. Lebanon’s already weakened healthcare system is under-resourced and in some cases devastated by Israeli attacks (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00907-4/fulltext)
  • What you should know about hantavirus: what it is, how it is transmitted, what symptoms it causes, and treatment. An interesting review from the BMJ (https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj.s877)
  • Hantavirus in Argentina: 198 deaths in 13 years and a virus that has spread from Patagonia to central provinces like Buenos Aires. This season alone, it has already killed 9 people. The country is experiencing the paradox that what happened on the cruise ship is forcing it to collaborate with the WHO, an organization that Javier Milei abandoned following in Donald Trump’s footsteps (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/05/05/69f9fd9721efa0e5668b459d.html)
  • Argentina again criticizes the WHO regarding the hantavirus outbreak: “It is once again putting politics before evidence.” “The WHO is trying to use an extraordinary health event to influence a sovereign decision by Argentina,” Javier Milei asserted (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/05/08/69fd205bfdddff57158b456d.html).
  • María Neira: “Primary prevention is the great challenge for public/private collaboration in managing global health.” Neira emphasized not only the importance of early detection, but also that it is necessary to go further. In this regard, she argued that “mayors are the new health ministers.” Decisions regarding urban planning, energy policies, and food systems directly determine the health of the population. citizens(https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13903932/05/26/maria-neira-oms-las-enfermedades-infecciosas-siguen-siendo-un-reto-para-la-salud-mundial-porque-nos-hacen-vulnerables.html)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • WHO Director says hantavirus outbreak proves USA must get back on track. WHO and US authorities are working together, despite Trump’s decision (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/07/hantavirus-outbreak-cruise-who-tedros-00910213)
    • Hantavirus response shows Trump’s cuts have compromised US preparedness, according to a NYT article (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/07/health/hantavirus-americans-cdc.html)
    • Supreme Court temporarily restores mail-in abortion pill distribution (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/us/politics/supreme-court-abortion-pill.html)
    • Republicans see high-risk plans as the future of health insurance. They consist of having high deductibles, which can reach $7,000 (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/03/republicans-embrace-high-deductible-obamacare-plans-00902194)
    • Hospitals are largely to blame for the increase in healthcare costs in the USA. Health insurance premiums for an American family can exceed $27,000 a year. Hospitals are largely responsible for the rise in healthcare prices in the USA (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/opinion/health-care-hospitals-insurance.html)
    • Kennedy launches a campaign to help Americans stop taking antidepressants. The health secretary says Americans are overusing psychiatric medication (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/science/rfk-antidepressants-ssris-hhs-maha.html)
    • A study shows that half of patients with metastatic lung cancer do not receive treatment, according to a study (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/07/well/metastatic-lung-cancer-study.html). Access the original JAMA study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2848634?guestAccessKey=dc8a51f8-dc91-49b9-92dc-974c33b8cd3b&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=050726
    • Why Republicans Support Psychedelic Drugs. For decades, Republicans opposed psychedelic drugs, but now, with Trump, they are fully in favor (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/03/science/ibogaine-psychedelics-rogan-trump.html)
  • United Kingdom
    • Innovation, Economic Growth, Medical Technologies, and the NHS: From Strategy to Implementation. The proposals in the “10-Year Health Plan for England” suggest that the NHS will have to work differently with the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/long-reads/innovation-economic-growth-medtech-nhs-strategy-delivery)
  • France
    • How the French healthcare system is preparing for hantavirus. Transportation, virological tests and clinical examinations, as well as the repatriation of the five French citizens on the ship (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/05/08/hantavirus-comment-le-systeme-sanitaire-et-les-etablissements-de-sante-de-reference-francais-se-preparent_6687083_3224.html)
    • The Academy of Medicine recommends flu vaccination for caregivers and healthcare workers. According to the Academy, this would reduce infections and mortality (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2026/05/05/l-academie-de-medecine-recommande-l-obligation-vaccinale-contre-la-grippe-pour-les-soignants_6685595_1651302.html)

National Health Policy

  • Central Administration
    • The Ministry of Health plans to promote 16 regulations in 2026, focusing on public management and pharmaceuticals. Updates to the Medicines Act and the Framework Statute are planned (https://diariofarma.com/2026/05/05/sanidad-preve-impulsar-16-normas-en-2026-con-el-foco-en-la-gestion-publica-y-la-farmacia)
    • The Ministry of Health is preparing the ground for centralized public procurement of digital apps and artificial intelligence. The Department is finalizing an order for this (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260505/sanidad-prepara-terreno-compras-centralizadas-publicas-apps-digitales-inteligencia-artificial/1003744233333_0.html)
    • Eleven regions join the framework agreement to acquire 62 CT scanners. A new option is introduced for bidders to offer a lease with or without an option to purchase the equipment. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260507/once-ccaa-incorporan-acuerdo-marco-adquirir-equipos-tac-ahorraran-millones-sanidad-publica/1003744236949_0.html)
  • Regional Governments
    • The Community of Madrid is implementing AI in hospitals to expedite cancer diagnosis. Madrid’s public hospitals are testing systems focused on prostate and breast tumors. (https://theobjective.com/tecnologia/2026-05-06/comunidad-madrid-ia-hospitales-diagnostico-cancer/)
    • Osakidetza is committed to a faster diagnostic model in pathology. Osakidetza has completed the full implementation of the digitalization of its Pathology Department, a milestone in the modernization of the healthcare system that allows for faster, more precise, and more collaborative analysis of tissue samples, especially in the treatment of diseases such as cancer. (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/pais-vasco/osakidetza-apuesta-por-un-modelo-de-diagnostico-mas-rapido-y-preciso-con-la-digitalizacion-de-la-anatomia-patologica.html)
    • New Medicine degree in Burgos (https://www.consalud.es/formacion/nuevo-grado-de-medicina-en-burgos-una-formacion-de-calidad-ya-garantiza-buenos-puestos-en-el-mir.html)
    • Galicia creates a support unit to reduce bureaucracy in Primary Care. It will have 50 qualified professionals and will be launched in the coming weeks (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/galicia/galicia-creara-una-unidad-de-apoyo-para-reducir-burocracia-en-primaria-3357)
    • The Balearic Islands Health Pact sets the roadmap for digital transformation (https://diariofarma.com/2026/05/07/el-pacto-por-la-salud-de-baleares-marca-la-hoja-de-ruta-para-la-transformacion-digital)
  • Hantavirus in Spain
    • Sánchez forces the Canary Islands government to accept the Hondius ship in Tenerife, despite the opposition of the Canary Islands president. The Ministry of Transport, through the Merchant Marine, issued a binding resolution mandating the acceptance of the ship for safety reasons (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/20260510/sanchez-impone-gobierno-canarias-acogida-hondius-pese-negativa-clavijo-autorizar-fondeo-tenerife/1003744239815_0.html).
    • The Public Health Agency, announced by Sánchez six years ago for crises such as hantavirus, still lacks headquarters and statutes. The creation of AESAP was approved in 2025, but the Ministry of Health has not yet made it operational. Experts describe the delay as “Kafkaesque.” (https://www.elespanol.com/espana/20260508/agencia-salud-anunciada-sanchez-hace-anos-crisis-hantavirus-sigue-sin-sede-estatutos/1003744236875_0.html)
    • The People’s Party (PP) demands the government approve the Plan for Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies. The party’s Deputy Secretary for Health, Carmen Fúnez, has met with the entities and civil society organizations that signed the ‘Manifesto for Strengthening Preparedness and Response to Health Emergencies in Spain’ and is advancing a non-legislative motion to demand progress (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/hantavirus-pp-plan-preparacion-respuesta/)
  • Sick Leave
    • The occupational health of Spaniards is worsening, reaching 1.07 million sick leaves each week. Spain has gone from being below the OECD average to being the third country with the most sick leaves out of the 38 member states. economies that make up the Organization (https://www.elindependiente.com/economia/2026/05/05/salud-laboral-espanoles-empeora-alcanza-cifras-record-1-millon-bajas-medicas-semana/)
    • Only five autonomous communities cede the management of sick leave to mutual insurance companies, despite the agreement signed in 2024 (Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Asturias, Castilla-La Mancha, and Cantabria) (https://www.eleconomista.es/economia/noticias/13903405/05/26/solo-cinco-autonomias-ceden-la-gestion-de-bajas-a-las-mutuas-pese-al-pacto-firmado-en-2024.html)
  • Psychology
    • Spaniards take six months to access a psychologist for the first time in the public healthcare system, 90 days longer than the European average. Currently, our country has six clinical specialists per 100,000 inhabitants, three times less than the European average (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260504/espanoles-tardan-meses-acceder-primera-vez-psicologo-sanidad-publica-dias-europeos/1003744229920_0.html)
  • Infrastructure problems, also in healthcare
    • Spain, a country of 50 million inhabitants (plus almost 100 million tourists per year), has infrastructure for 40 million. (https://elpais.com/economia/negocios/2026-05-09/espana-llegara-pronto-a-los-50-millones-de-habitantes-y-100-millones-de-turistas-estas-son-las-necesidades-de-inversion-mas-urgentes.html)

Companies

  • International
    • Laboratories are researching more than 90 vaccines to address new health threats. The pipeline includes developments against HIV, respiratory diseases, and antimicrobial resistance, for which there are still no effective solutions (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13905096/05/26/los-laboratorios-investigan-mas-de-90-vacunas-para-hacer-frente-a-nuevas-amenazas-sanitarias.html)
    • How GSK is rebuilding its cancer business: R&D and acquisitions (https://www.ft.com/content/ae053d2c-de07-47a8-92fa-3310b20eae19?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
    • BioNTech cuts 1,860 jobs due to declining vaccine sales. Three production plants in Germany threatened with closure (https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2026/05/05/biontech-supprime-1-860-postes-sur-fond-de-chute-des-ventes-de-vaccins-anti-covid_6685654_3234.html)
    • The anti-obesity pill boosts Novo Nordisk’s treatments, which improves its forecasts. The Danish pharmaceutical company increases its profit by 67% in the first quarter and rises more than 6% on the stock market (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/industria/2026/05/06/69fb2892e5fdea09318b457b.html)
    • Moderna announces work on a hantavirus vaccine and its stock jumps 14%. The laboratory has announced preliminary research for a hantavirus vaccine, which generated a significant boost in its stock price (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2026/05/08/69fe304fe5fdea771c8b4592.html)
  • National News
    • Quirónsalud Barcelona presents the first private lung cancer screening program in Spain. Screening using low-dose computed tomography (CT) has been shown to reduce mortality by between 20% and 26% in high-risk populations. It is the first program of its kind outside the public sector (https://www.consalud.es/industria/sanidad-privada/el-hospital-quironsalud-barcelona-presenta-el-primer-programa-de-la-sanidad-privada-en-espana-para-el-cribado-precoz-del-cancer-de-pulmon.html)
    • Rovi’s stock price plummets 16% after a 48% drop in profits and lower annual forecasts (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2026-05-06/rovi-se-desploma-en-bolsa-tras-reducir-el-beneficio-un-48-y-rebajar-sus-previsiones-anuales.html)
    • The Cordón family increases its investment to €125 million in its mega-complex healthcare facility in Madrid. The center expects to generate between €100 and €150 million in revenue in its fifth year, and the family is already considering replicating this concept in other regions of Spain, according to the hospital’s CEO and CFO, Alfonso Escárate (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13901448/05/26/la-familia-cordon-eleva-la-inversion-a-125-millones-en-su-megacomplejo-sanitario-en-madrid.html).
    • Almirall accelerates R&D and assesses sales in its general medicine portfolio. The group will focus on developing new proprietary products specializing in skin diseases (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2026/05/09/69fe22f9e5fdeaea5c8b458b.html).

This post is also available in: Spanish