Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

• Biomedicine: 50 years of Prozac. A drug useful in many cases of depression.
• Global health: “Putting America First,” worsening health for populations at home (USA) and abroad.
• International health policy: European patients are waiting longer and longer for innovative drugs.
• National health policy: Numerous allegations against the new Drug Law.
• Companies: Investment in health, a defensive stronghold on the Stock Market.

Biomedicine

• 50 years of Prozac. A drug useful in many cases of depression, but which has been blamed for problems with driving suicide and withdrawal symptoms. Overall, it appears to have been an effective drug, although far from the ideal treatment for depression.
• Scientists use facial analysis with AI to predict cancer survival outcomes.

Global Health

• NEJM Editorial: “Putting America First,” worsening health outcomes for populations at home and abroad. In the initial months of the Trump Administration, executive orders have been signed to dismantle global health aid, which affects vulnerable populations, but will not only have very negative effects globally, but also serious implications for the American population.
• Malaria appears poised for a devastating return in Africa at its worst time in 25 years. The cuts in American international aid come at the worst time for malaria. In 2000, malaria killed one million people, 90% in Africa.

International Health Policy

• Article in Nature: Cuts in American science aid will take more than a generation to repair; leaders must speak out now. Anti-science policies of President Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk are dismantling key science agencies.
• Trump prepares tariffs on imported drugs. Although medicines had initially been excluded from the tariffs, Trump intends to apply them as well, which could be a problem, as the US is not prepared to do without imported medicines. The impact appears to be greatest on generics, which accounted for 91% of all drug prescriptions in the US in 2022.
• AI regulation in the US and healthcare. The Administration’s message is that they will not regulate, which could create a completely insecure environment in the healthcare world.
• Transitioning the NHS from analog to digital will cost £21 billion, says the Health Foundation, a think tank, including planning, capital expenditures, training, licensing, and maintenance.
• European patients are waiting increasingly longer for innovative medicines, according to the WAIT 2024 report and the Charles River Associates (CRA) Report, which analyzes the causes of delays in access to these types of innovative medicines.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• The State Public Health Agency law is back in force, with amendments until May 20.
• Salaries, on-call time, and bonuses: regional government incentives to attract doctors who complete their residency.
• Numerous objections to the new Drug Law. The Council of Pharmacists, the Council of Physicians, the PP regional governments, Farmaindustria, among others, have submitted objections.
• Statements on rural healthcare: Both on rural medicine (the Úbeda statement, presented by SEMERGEN) and on the difficulty of rural pharmacy continuing.

Companies

• International
  • Investment in healthcare, a defensive stronghold on the Stock Market, despite Trump’s threats.

• National
  • Sanitas partners with a Generali subsidiary to enter Portugal. Generali offers Sanitas its database of doctors and suppliers (20,000 doctors, 4,200 clinics and 90 hospitals).

Biomedicine

• 50 years of Prozac. A useful drug in many cases of depression, but one that has been blamed for causing suicide and withdrawal symptoms. Overall, it appears to have been an effective drug, although far from the ideal treatment for depression (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00981-X/fulltext?rss=yes)
• Is hay fever (or allergic rhinitis) getting worse with climate change? This disease was considered rare a few years ago, but is now very common. Industrialization, urbanization, and climate change appear to contribute to this increased frequency (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/05/02/is-your-hay-fever-getting-worse)
• Scientists use AI-powered facial analysis to predict cancer survival outcomes (https://www.ft.com/content/3ac60aaf-3b55-4f1c-858c-7b42b4cbd914)
• Weight-loss jabs may be good for mental health (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/10/weight-loss-jabs-may-be-good-for-mental-health-research-shows)
• Healing with one’s own genes: the silent revolution of gene therapy (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/curar-propios-genes-revolucion-silenciosa-medicina-genetica-20250509140338-nt.html)
• Can a group of HIV drugs prevent Alzheimer’s? (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/puede-grupo-farmacos-vih-prevenir-alzheimer-20250508130000-nt.html)
• A humanized mouse antibody makes cancer disappear in 84 people with a genetic mutation (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-05-09/un-anticuerpo-humanizado-de-raton-hace-desaparecer-el-cancer-de-84-personas-con-una-mutacion-genetica.html)
• A simple scanner detects Parkinson’s disease long before the first symptoms appear (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/posible-detectar-parkinson-simple-escaner-20250508120845-nt.html)

Global Health

• Malaria appears poised for a devastating comeback in Africa at the worst possible time. The US cuts in international aid come at the worst possible time for malaria. In 2000, malaria killed one million people, 90% in Africa (https://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r783)
• NEJM Editorial: “Putting America First,” Worsening Health for Populations at Home and Abroad. In the initial months of the Trump Administration, executive orders have been signed to dismantle global health aid, which affects vulnerable populations and will not only have very negative effects globally, but also serious implications for the American population (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2503243)
• The Lancet Article: A United Response to Trump’s Climate Change Policies Is Needed. Despite the evidence, the Trump administration is carrying out an unprecedented attack on climate change action and science in general (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00777-9/fulltext?rss=yes)
• UNICEF: “Cuts in international aid will have an impact on children; there’s no way around it” (https://elpais.com/internacional/2025-05-08/catherine-russell-directora-ejecutiva-de-unicef-los-recortes-en-la-ayuda-internacional-van-a-tener-un-impacto-en-los-ninos-no-hay-forma-de-evitarlo.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • Article in Nature: The cuts in aid to American science will take more than a generation to repair; leaders must speak out now. Anti-science policies of President Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk are dismantling key science agencies (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01348-w)
  • Trump is preparing tariffs on imported medicines. Although medicines had initially been excluded from the tariffs, Trump intends to apply them as well, which could be a problem since the US is not prepared to do without imported medicines. The impact appears to be greatest on generics, which accounted for 91% of all drug prescriptions in the US in 2022 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00982-1/fulltext)
  • AI regulation in the US and healthcare. The Administration’s message is that they will not regulate, which could create a completely insecure environment in the healthcare world (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00980-8/fulltext?rss=yes)
  • Immigrants are avoiding medical care, fearing deportation (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/health/migrants-health-care-trump.html)
  • Trump calls for more births, but fires fertility experts (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/07/health/trump-fertility-ivf-cdc.html)

• UK and the National Health Service
  • Switching the NHS from analog to digital will cost £21 billion, says a think-tank, the Health Foundation, including planning, capital expenditures, Training, licensing, and maintenance (https://www.ft.com/content/81a9fcfe-dae9-4145-948f-4638670a598e)
  • Staff and service reductions in hospitals are part of the NHS’s financial adjustment (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/09/nhs-hospitals-england-cuts-financial-reset)

• France
  • Nursing profession reform approved by the Assembly and the Senate (https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2025/05/06/reforme-du-metier-d-infirmier-apres-l-assemblee-nationale-le-senat-adopte-la-proposition-de-loi-qui-confere-de-nouvelles-missions-a-la-profession_6603242_823448.html)

• Poland
  • Polish women appeal to Donald Tusk, demanding the right to abortion (https://www.ft.com/content/081e6bad-8a64-4b0d-8265-59d1618b404a)

• Mexico
  • A pharmacy chain revolutionizes home healthcare (https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2025/05/08/a-mexican-pharmacy-chain-revolutionized-health-care-at-home)

• WHO
  • Countries must do more to close the life expectancy gap (https://www.ft.com/content/5f1e09de-2bc0-4ed8-b097-b63bfab6f7ae)
  • WHO report on the social determinants of health (https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/equity-and-health/world-report-on-social-determinants-of-health-equity

• Europe
  • European patients are waiting longer and longer for innovative medicines, according to the WAIT 2024 report and the Charles River Associates (CRA) report, which analyzes the causes of delays in access to these types of innovative medicines. (https://www.consalud.es/industria/farmaceutica/los-pacientes-europeos-esperan-cada-vez-mas-por-los-medicamentos-innovadores.html). Access to the WAIT 2024 (published May 2025): https://efpia.eu/media/oeganukm/efpia-patients-wait-indicator-2024-final-110425.pdf. Access to the CRA report: https://www.efpia.eu/media/er5dshuq/cra-efpia-root-causes-of-unavailability-and-delay-final-2025-report-29-apr-2025-stc.pdf

National Health Policy

• Central Administration Initiatives
  • The Ministry of Health is finalizing a wastewater pathogen surveillance system to monitor epidemiological threats (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-05-06/sanidad-ultima-un-sistema-de-vigilancia-de-patogenos-en-aguas-residuales-para-monitorear-amenazas-epidemiologicas.html)
  • The State Public Health Agency law is reinitiated, with amendments until May 20 (https://www.consalud.es/politica/revalida-para-la-creacion-de-la-agencia-de-salud-publica-el-congreso-arranca-nuevamente-su-tramitacion-y-podra-recibir-enmiendas-hasta-el-20-de-mayo.html)

• Autonomous Community Initiatives
  • Salaries, on-call time, and bonuses: the incentives for autonomous communities to recruit doctors who They finish their residency (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-05-11/salarios-guardias-y-complementos-los-incentivos-de-las-comunidades-para-conquistar-a-los-medicos-que-terminan-la-residencia.html)
  • The Balearic Islands complete the digital unification of their hospitals (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/baleares-culmina-unificacion-digital-hospitales.html)
  • Catalonia begins the reform of the law on pharmaceutical organization and care (https://diariofarma.com/2025/05/06/cataluna-inicia-la-reforma-de-la-ley-de-ordenacion-y-atencion-farmaceutica)
  • Catalonia: improvements in the professional career at the ICS are already noticeable (https://diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/cataluna-notan-mejoras-carrera-profesional-ics.html)
  • The Hospital del Mar and the Ramón y Cajal join the largest oncology network (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/oncologia-medica/el-hospital-del-mar-y-el-ramon-y-cajal-se-unen-a-la-mayor-red-oncologica-2577)
  • The SERGAS (National Service of Public Health) agrees on its goals for 2025: fewer than four days for an appointment at health centers (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/galicia/sergas-pacta-sus-objetivos-2025-menos-4-dias-cita-en-centros-salud.html)
  • The SESPA (National Service of Public Health) appoints 121 auditors to evaluate the quality of care in healthcare (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/asturias/mas-de-100-auditores-certificaran-la-calidad-de-la-sanidad-asturiana-5691)
  • Osakidetza is studying exclusive dedication to public healthcare as a merit for access to leadership positions (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/pais-vasco/osakidetza-dedicacion-exclusiva-sanidad-publica-merito-acceso-jefaturas_157705_102.html)
  • A new decree will strengthen the protection and security of medical data in La Rioja (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/la-rioja/el-nuevo-decreto-blindara-la-proteccion-y-seguridad-de-los-datos-medicos-en-la-rioja.html)

• Objections to the new Medicines Law
  • Contributions to the law after the deadline Last Thursday (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/politica/ley-medicamentos-son-aportaciones-anteproyecto.html)
  • Contributions from the Pharmaceutical Council: calls for the elimination of the selected pricing system (https://diariofarma.com/2025/05/10/el-cgcof-pide-suprimir-el-sistema-de-precios-seleccionados-y-abrir-la-negociacion-con-sanidad)
  • Contributions from doctors (https://elglobalfarma.com/farmacia/alegaciones-medicos-farmacia-ley-medicamentos-farmacia/)
  • Allegations presented by the People’s Party (https://elglobalfarma.com/politica/alegaciones-pp-ley-medicamentos/)
  • Allegations from Farmaindustria (https://diariofarma.com/2025/05/09/farmaindustria-pide-una-revision-integral-del-texto-del-ap-de-ley-de-los-medicamento)

• Rural Medicine
  • Úbeda Declaration on the Critical Situation of Rural Medicine (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/declaracion-ubeda-documento-denunciar-critica-situacion-vive-medicina-rural.html) Access the Úbeda Declaration, presented by SEMERGEN, entitled “The Strategic Value of Rural Medicine”: https://semergen.es/index.php?seccion=biblioteca&isubSeccion=detalleDocumento&idD=1371

• Rural Pharmacy
  • Rural pharmacy proposes a compensation system that provides stability to the model. Depopulation and aging in rural areas, as well as a lack of profitability, mean that the continuity of many pharmacies is jeopardized (https://diariofarma.com/2025/05/10/la-farmacia-rural-plantea-un-sistema-de-compensaciones-que-de-sostenibilidad-del-modelo)

• Spain is improving in access to innovative medicines
  • Spain is improving, against the EU trend, which is worsening globally (https://diariofarma.com/2025/05/07/wait-2024-espana-mejora-en-casi-todos-los-indicadores-a-contracorriente-de-la-ue)

Companies

• International News
  • Lilly hopes to seize NovoNordisk’s position in obesity drugs (https://www.economist.com/business/2025/05/07/eli-lilly-looks-set-to-steal-novo-nordisks-weight-loss-crown)
  • The pharmaceutical industry supports the development of a Global Action Plan on Rare Diseases (https://elglobalfarma.com/politica/industria-farmaceutica-plan-mundial-enfermedades-raras/)
  • Roche’s sharp decline on the stock market (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/economia/fuerte-retroceso-roche-13-sesiones-en-rojo-caida-en-bolsa-73.html)
  •  Healthcare investments remain a defensive stronghold on the stock market, despite Trump’s threats (https://cincodias.elpais.com/mercados-financieros/2025-05-11/la-inversion-en-salud-reducto-defensivo-en-bolsa-pese-a-las-amenazas-de-trump.html)

• National
  • Reig Jofre improves its results (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13356725/05/25/reig-jofre-gana-37-millones-de-euros-en-el-primer-trimestre-un-12-mas.html)
  • Rovi improves its profit (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/05/08/681c5fda468aeb8d4d8b458f.html)
  • Sanitas partners with a Generali subsidiary to enter Portugal. Generali offers Sanitas its database of doctors and suppliers (20,000 doctors, 4,200 clinics and 90 hospitals) (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/seguros/2025/05/09/681cf5f2e5fdea29188b457a.html)

This post is also available in: Spanish