Summary

News of the Week:

• The PP is prepared to tackle healthcare system reforms: “the greatest risk to Spanish healthcare is not reforming it, but leaving it exactly as it is.”

The most impactful healthcare news stories of the week were:

• Biomedicine: The Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to three scientists (one American and two Germans) for their research on light-based brain mapping.
• Global Health: Trump makes international health aid conditional on specific agreements.
• International Health Policy: The pharmaceutical lobby sues the Trump Administration over Medicare drug price cuts.
• National Health Policy: A disastrous legislative term for healthcare comes to an end, with only one law passed and a prolonged conflict involving medical professionals.
• Business: CASER sells its network of 7 hospitals.

Biomedicine

• The Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to three scientists (one American and two Germans) for their research on light-based brain mapping. The technique, known as optogenetics, uses light to switch nerve cells “on” or “off” and reveal mysteries about the body’s most complex organ.
• Treatment for blindness using a new therapy based on the Nobel laureates’ research shows promise; a trial has been conducted on patients with retinitis pigmentosa.
• Tuberculosis treatment has advanced; now we need to halt drug resistance. The next major breakthrough might not be a new treatment, but rather discovering how resistance develops.
• New anti-obesity drugs: 515 serious adverse effects reported in a single year. However, while the risks are undeniable, the benefits far outweigh them, according to the French medicines safety agency.
• NYT Article: Will we ever understand dementia? Today, dementia affects 55 million people, with 10 million new cases added each year. Research in this field is crucial, as dementia may be a specific disease rather than merely a consequence of aging.

Global Health

• Trump makes international health aid conditional on specific agreements—a transactional approach to aid that marks a radical shift from the CDC’s traditional way of operating.
• We tend to forget about polio because vaccination works, yet the disease has not been eradicated globally. A recent study confirms a decline in polio vaccination coverage.

International Health Policy

• The pharmaceutical lobby is suing the Trump administration over Medicare drug price cuts. They are challenging the “GLOBE” rule, which aims to lower prices to match the lowest rates found outside the U.S.
• Cancer vaccines are the NIH’s next major priority. According to *The New York Times*, there are signs of an NIH strategy to rapidly develop vaccines, mirroring the approach taken with COVID-19.
• Anti-obesity drugs: a surge in patients is pushing the French healthcare system to its limits. This phenomenon highlights the extent of severe obesity in France.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Carmen Fúnez, National Deputy Secretary for Health and Social Policy of the Popular Party (PP): “We will implement bold reforms that involve all the stakeholders who strengthen the healthcare system.” She states that “the greatest risk to Spanish healthcare is not reform, but leaving the system exactly as it is.”
• Healthcare: one law passed, eight pending reforms, and a doctors’ strike averted at the last minute. It appears that several legislative initiatives are likely to be dropped, including the Framework Statute, laws on medicines, public management and NHS integrity, patient organizations, anti-smoking measures, underage alcohol consumption, universal NHS access, and NHS equity and cohesion. Only the State Public Health Agency Law and the Royal Decrees regarding health technology assessment and the funding of outpatient medical products were approved.
• The Ministry of Health is “accelerating” the approval of three Royal Decrees—covering the MIR (medical residency) system, tobacco regulations, and the statutes of the Spanish Public Health Agency—while lamenting the lapse of other legislative bills.
• Doctors have postponed their indefinite strike but warn that the issue will remain on the agenda for the next government. Various physician unions maintain the strike call and threaten to resume work stoppages if the incoming government fails to address their demands for a dedicated regulatory framework, specific negotiations, and changes regarding on-call shifts, retirement, and professional classification.
• The private healthcare sector deems the government’s proposal for ISFAS and MUGEJU insufficient. The government’s proposal covers a one-year period and includes a 2% increase.
• An article authored by Pedro Sánchez in the *New England Journal of Medicine* has sparked intense controversy within the scientific community.

Companies

• International

o              AI accelerates the upheaval forcing the pharmaceutical industry to reinvent itself. Pressure regarding pricing and access, combined with increasingly stringent evidence requirements, is displacing the traditional model, while AI compresses tasks that once took months into mere days.

• Domestic

o              Caser sells its hospital network. The insurer, controlled by the Swiss firm Helvetia, has commissioned EY to handle the sale of Hospitales Parque, a network of seven hospitals across the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Extremadura, and Castilla-La Mancha.

o              With a shortage of 100,000 nursing home places and 40,000 hospital beds, Spain has become a key hub for investment in healthcare real estate. Investment volume through September reached €900 million—representing 67% of the total investment recorded for the year—according to CBRE data.

o              HM Hospitales and Valdeluz have inaugurated their complex in Tres Cantos, which integrates a hospital and a senior care home. The hospital spans 9,000 m² and features 45 inpatient beds, while the care home offers a total of 148 places.

Biomedicine

• The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to three scientists (one American and two Germans) for their research on the brain’s mapping of light. The technique, known as optogenetics, uses light to switch nerve cells “on” or “off” and reveal mysteries about the most complex organ (https://www.ft.com/content/817cd33a-5091-4726-b5e8-e46376011f79?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
• Treating blindness with a new therapy based on Nobel Prize-winning research shows promise; a trial has been conducted on patients with retinitis pigmentosa (https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/blindness-treatment-based-nobel-winning-research-shows-promise-2026-10-09/)
• Lab-grown brain organoids: time for an international review. Researchers in the field say it is time to focus on biosafety, ethics, and the involvement of patients and the public (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-03048-5)
• Tuberculosis treatment has advanced; now we need to halt drug resistance. The next major breakthrough might not be a new treatment, but rather discovering how resistance emerges (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02963-x)
• Clinical trials indicate that AI chatbots can assist in urgent care. Nearly 100 patients discussed their situation with a Google bot before visiting a doctor (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/08/technology/ai-chatbots-urgent-care.html)
• New anti-obesity drugs: 515 serious adverse effects reported in one year—including 13 deaths—among 840,000 treated patients. The risks are undeniable, but the benefits far outweigh them, according to the French medicines safety agency (https://sante.lefigaro.fr/social/sante-publique/nouveaux-anti-obesite-en-un-an-515-effets-indesirables-graves-dont-13-deces-pour-840-000-personnes-traitees-20261007)
• A study warns of rising colorectal cancer rates in adolescents. The incidence of advanced-stage colon cancer appears to be increasing among young people, according to data presented at the recent American Academy of Pediatrics conference (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20261005/estudio-advierte-aumento-cancer-colorrectal-adolescentes-diagnostican-estadios-avanzados/1003744407157_0.html)
• NYT article: Will we ever understand dementia? Dementia currently affects 55 million people, with 10 million new cases added each year. Research in this field is crucial, as dementia may be a specific disease rather than merely a consequence of aging (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/10/science/will-we-ever-understand-dementia.html)

Global Health

• Kenya confirms its first case of Ebola (https://www.ft.com/content/d4a2ee8a-e41f-437f-b5cc-827806a512e8?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
• We tend to forget about polio because vaccination works, yet it has not been eradicated globally. A recent study reveals a decline in polio vaccination coverage (https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2026/10/09/nous-oublions-la-polio-parce-que-la-vaccination-fonctionne-mais-elle-n-est-pas-eradiquee-dans-le-monde_6790547_1650684.html)
• Delays by the Trump administration threaten funding for HIV research networks. These networks also developed treatments and prevention methods for other infectious diseases (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/07/health/hiv-research-delay-cuts-hhs-nih.html)
• Trump is making international health aid conditional on specific agreements—a transactional approach to aid that marks a radical shift from the CDC’s traditional way of operating (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/06/cdc-africa-pepfar-doge-aids-hiv-01107443)

International Health Policy

• USA

o              Pennsylvania measles outbreak reaches 1,004 cases and 5 deaths, and continues to grow (https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pennsylvania-measles-cases-rise-1004-outbreak-spreads-2026-10-05/)

o              Pharmaceutical lobby sues the Trump Administration over Medicare drug price cuts. It challenges the GLOBE rule, which aims to lower prices to match the lowest rates found outside the US (https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/pharmaceutical-trade-group-sues-trump-administration-2026-10-07/)

o              RFK Jr.’s MAHA movement is falling apart (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/04/rfk-kennedy-maha-tony-lyons-healthy-01105844)

o              Cancer vaccines are the NIH’s next big bet. According to the NYT, signs point to an NIH strategy to rapidly develop vaccines, similar to the approach taken with COVID-19 (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/09/science/cancer-vaccines-nih-big-bet.html)

o              Millions are losing private Medicare coverage and are forced to seek new plans. As Medicare Advantage renewal begins this month, many people are finding that some insurers no longer wish to cover this demographic (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/09/business/medicare-private-health-care-costs.html)

• Russia

o              Suspected plague case in Russia: the WHO is unable to assess the public health risks. Russian authorities deny any risk of an epidemic, but the WHO, the US, and the EU are demanding further information following a death in Siberia (https://sante.lefigaro.fr/social/sante-publique/soupcon-de-peste-en-russie-l-oms-n-est-pas-en-mesure-d-evaluer-completement-des-risques-pour-la-sante-publique-20261007)

o              Article from *The Atlantic*: “What We Really Know About the Plague Case in Russia.” According to this article, even if the person in Siberia did die of plague, there is no major cause for concern (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/10/russia-plague-pneumonia-panic/688897/)

• United Kingdom

o              Cancer treatment wait times: the government misses targets for the third consecutive year (https://www.bmj.com/content/395/bmj-2026-101064)

o              Heart disease treated at home under a new NHS scheme—notable given that the NHS is considered Europe’s most hospital-centric system. Under the new scheme, launched in London, heart failure patients receive high doses of medication at home, undergo remote monitoring, and have their treatment adjusted without any hospital visits. The system is said to save thousands of lives and millions of pounds (https://www.ft.com/content/b9822f5d-260a-4db0-8ab1-7551c5907a49?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

• France

o              Long-term medical conditions cost the health insurance system nearly €20 billion in 2025 (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/10/07/les-affections-longue-duree-ont-coute-pres-de-20-milliards-d-euros-a-l-assurance-maladie-en-2025_6789647_3224.html)

o              Anti-obesity drugs: a surge of patients pushes the French system to the limit. The phenomenon reveals the extent of severe obesity in France (https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2026/10/09/medicaments-antiobesite-la-ruee-des-patients-met-le-systeme-de-soins-francais-en-surchauffe_6790576_3234.html)

• India

o              How India is reshaping mental healthcare. Breaking the stigma and making medical treatments more accessible (https://www.ft.com/content/4af4398d-41e7-493b-a389-7a6ed701d796)

o              Global private equity funds are investing in healthcare in India, particularly in smaller cities (https://www.ft.com/content/09cde3c2-26d3-4390-8fc0-f6292561a5bf?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

• WHO
• The WHO favors lifestyle changes over GLP-1 drugs for childhood obesity, recommending adjustments to diet and exercise, as well as counseling (https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-endorses-lifestyle-changes-over-glp-1-drugs-child-obesity-fight-2026-10-07/)

National health policy

• Central Administration

o              All bills that lapse due to the new elections following a legislative term that saw the enactment of 22 laws and 43 decrees (https://elpais.com/espana/elecciones-generales/2026-10-06/todos-los-proyectos-que-caen-con-las-nuevas-elecciones-tras-una-legislatura-con-22-leyes-y-43-decretos.html)

o              Healthcare: one law passed, eight pending reforms, and a doctors’ strike averted at the last minute. It appears that the following bills will lapse: the Framework Statute, and legislation regarding medicines, public management and NHS integrity, patient organizations, anti-smoking measures, underage alcohol consumption, NHS universality, and NHS equity and cohesion. Only the State Public Health Agency Law was approved, along with the Royal Decrees on health technology assessment and the financing of outpatient medical products (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/14020033/10/26/sanidad-una-ley-aprobada-8-reformas-pendientes-y-una-huelga-medica-aplazada-in-extremis.html)

o              The Ministry of Health is “accelerating” the approval of three royal decrees—regarding medical residency training (MIR), tobacco, and the statutes of the Spanish Public Health Agency—while lamenting the lapse of other bills (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/sanidad-acelera-aprobar-reales-decretos-mir-tabaco-estatutos-agencia-salud-publica.html)

• Regional administrations

o              EEDS: Catalonia takes the lead by establishing its own body to access health data (https://diariofarma.com/2026/10/06/cataluna-se-anticipa-al-eeds-con-un-organismo-propio-para-acceder-a-datos-de-salud)

o              Galicia injects €320 million into primary care reform (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/galicia-inyecta-320-millones-reforma-atencion-primaria.html)

o              The Xunta gives the green light to the organizational and labor reform of primary care in Galicia (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/galicia/la-xunta-da-dado-luz-verde-a-la-reforma-organizativa-y-laboral-de-la-atencion-primaria-en-galicia.html)

o              The Principality of Asturias tightens oversight of health centers with appointment delays exceeding three days (https://www.lne.es/asturias/2026/10/08/principado-estrecha-control-centros-salud-135152644.html)

• PP healthcare proposals

o              Carmen Fúnez: “We will undertake bold reforms that involve all the stakeholders who strengthen the healthcare system.” She states that “the greatest risk to Spanish healthcare is not reforming it, but leaving it exactly as it is” (https://www.elespanol.com/eventos/2026/vii-simposio-del-observatorio-de-la-sanidad/20261007/carmen-funez-pp-haremos-reformas-valientes-cuenten-actores-dan-fuerza-sistema-sanitario/1003744411253_0.html)

o              The PP establishes healthcare as a priority in its election manifesto. Sources from the party’s headquarters (Génova) assure *Gaceta Médica* that the manifesto is not yet finalized, though they note that healthcare is a matter Feijóo is “personally very focused on” (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/pp-sanidad-prioridad-campana-electoral/)

o              The PP outlines its healthcare roadmap: a Framework Statute, more professionals, and primary care with greater problem-solving capacity. Carmen Fúnez, the PP’s Deputy Secretary for Health and Social Policy, outlines a ten-year strategy to reform the Framework Statute, adjust medical residency (MIR) positions, and reduce regional disparities (https://www.consalud.es/politica/el-pp-traza-su-hoja-de-ruta-sanitaria-estatuto-marco-mas-profesionales-y-una-primaria-mas-resolutiva.html)

• Medical dispute regarding the Framework Statute

o              Doctors are postponing the indefinite strike but warn that the issue will be on the next government’s agenda. Various physician unions are maintaining the call to action and threatening to resume work stoppages if the next government fails to address their demands for a dedicated framework, specific negotiations, and changes regarding on-call shifts, retirement, and professional classification (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/los-medicos-aplazan-la-huelga-indefinida-pero-avisan-que-estara-sobre-la-mesa-del-proximo-gobierno.html)

o              The *Metges de Catalunya* (Doctors of Catalonia) union is breaking ranks and maintaining the work stoppages (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/medicos-cataluna-desmarca-mantiene-huelga-indefinida.html)

• Sick leave

o              Sick leave claims in Spain have surged by 60%, now costing Social Security 16 billion euros. Waiting lists and a shortage of health inspectors are among the main problems (https://www.elespanol.com/eventos/2026/vii-simposio-del-observatorio-de-la-sanidad/20261008/bajas-medicas-disparan-espana-cuestan-millones-euros-seguridad-social/1003744412882_0.html)

• MUFACE

o              The private healthcare sector deems the government’s proposal for ISFAS and MUGEJU insufficient. The government’s proposal covers a one-year period and includes a 2% increase (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/empresas/sanidad-privada/20261002/la-sanidad-privada-tacha-de-insuficiente-la-propuesta-del-gobierno-para-isfas-mugeju-alerta-inestabilidad/354622_0.html)

• Article by Pedro Sánchez in the *New England Journal of Medicine*

o              Hantavirus: lessons learned regarding safety and solidarity. NEJM article with Pedro Sánchez as the lead author (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2611801)

o              A medical professor debunks Sánchez’s NEJM article (https://www.eldebate.com/sociedad/20261011/profesor-medicina-desmonta-articulo-sanchez-sobre-hantavirus-jefe-oms_468395.html)

Companies

• International

o              Humana surges. Shares rose 15% after analysts identified the company as the primary beneficiary of the 2027 Medicare star rating system (https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/humana-surges-after-emerging-top-beneficiary-2027-medicare-star-ratings-2026-10-09/)

o              McKesson and CD&R reach a $5.8 billion deal to acquire infusion services provider Option Care Health (https://www.ft.com/content/0bc54eaf-d545-4591-bb7c-ec3cbc1cb89a?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

o              AI accelerates the upheaval forcing the pharmaceutical industry to reinvent itself. Pressure regarding pricing and access, alongside rising demands for evidence, is displacing the traditional model, while AI compresses tasks that once took months into mere days (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/ia-acelera-terremoto-obliga-reinventarse-industria-farmaceutica.html)

o              Gardiner Harris, a *New York Times* reporter specializing in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, has published a book accusing Johnson & Johnson of causing thousands of deaths (https://www.elconfidencial.com/cultura/2026-10-11/gardiner-harris-johnson-and-johnson-escandalos-amianto-talco-muertes_4441152/

• Domestic

o              Caser is selling its hospital network. The insurer, controlled by the Swiss firm Helvetia, has commissioned EY to handle the sale of Hospitales Parque, a network of seven hospitals across the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Extremadura, and Castilla-La Mancha (https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2026-10-09/caser-pone-venta-hospitales-parque_4441333/)

o              Noucor acquires the German company Helm Pharmaceuticals. The firm—established in 2021 following Uriach’s sale of its chemical-pharmaceutical business—announced the acquisition from the German chemical group Helm (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2026/10/05/noucor-compra-alemana-helm-pharmaceuticals.html)

o              With a shortfall of 100,000 nursing home places and 40,000 hospital beds, Spain has become a key hub for investment in healthcare real estate in Europe. Investment volume through September totaled 900 million… …euros, representing 67% of all investment recorded in 2025, according to data from CBRE (https://www.elmundo.es/economia/empresas/2026/10/08/6ac5ff7721efa0ca2a8b4576.html)

o              HM Hospitales and Valdeluz are inaugurating their Tres Cantos complex, which integrates a hospital and a senior care residence. The hospital, spanning 9,000 m², features 45 inpatient beds, while the residence has a total capacity of 148 places (https://www.elespanol.com/madrid/comunidad/20261008/hm-hospitales-valdeluz-inauguran-complejo-cantos-integra-hospital-residencia-mayores/1003744413742_0.html)

o              Cinfa aims to diversify, believing it cannot rely solely on generics, according to statements by its Chairman, Enrique Ordieres (https://www.elespanol.com/eventos/2026/vii-simposio-del-observatorio-de-la-sanidad/20261007/ordieres-cinfa-buscando-ambitos-diversificarse-no-podemos-depender-genericos/1003744412555_0.html)

o              Sanitas rules out bidding for Muface, Mugeju, and Isfas (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20261011/jaureguizar-sanitas-descarta-pujar-muface-mugeju-isfas-enfocados-calidad-cantidad/1003744405407_0.html)

 

 

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