Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

• Biomedicine: According to a study published in Nature, blood type may no longer be important for kidney transplants.
• Global health: Low-income countries are trying to cope with the loss of international aid for health programs.
• International health policy: The Economist says Donald Trump’s cure for drug prices is worse than the disease.
• National health policy: The Ministry of Health rejects, for the umpteenth time, the right for doctors to have their own Statute.
• Business: Almost 30% of the population have health insurance in Spain.

Biomedicine

• First kidney transplant modified to have “universal” blood type. This could change the future of kidney transplants, as the donor’s blood type no longer matters.
• Hans Clever, organoid pioneer, wins the “Abarca Prize”. Hans Clevers, Professor of Molecular Genetics at Utrecht University (Netherlands), is the winner of the 5th Abarca Prize, the Doctor Juan Abarca International Medical Sciences Award, for his pioneering research and development of organoid technology, which represents one of the most promising tools in contemporary biomedicine. Their ability to model human organs and reproduce individual diseases makes them a fundamental pillar for personalized medicine, where treatment is no longer generalized but rather tailored to the needs of each patient.
• Artificial neurons that can replace real ones to repair brains with Alzheimer’s. New neurons created in the laboratory can learn and communicate using chemical and electrical signals just like natural ones, opening the door to new treatments that were previously unviable.

Global Health

• How countries are surviving cuts in healthcare aid. The reduction in aid affects USAID (dismantled), as well as the WHO, UNAIDS, the UN Population Fund, GAVI, and the Vaccine Alliance. This is affecting many countries, especially sub-Saharan African countries. The response of many of these countries is to allocate more money from their own budgets to healthcare.
• RFK Jr. torpedoes a United Nations declaration on non-communicable diseases. An unexpected US intervention led to the approval of a declaration on these diseases by the United Nations.

International Health Policy

• Donald Trump’s cure for drug prices is worse than the disease. Both Democrats and Republicans are obsessed with drug prices in the US. But that price does not depend on the greed of pharmaceutical companies, as Trump suggests. The Economist’s analysis of 220 listed companies indicates that three-fifths of excess profits, defined as those exceeding 10%, are captured by other agents in the system: hospitals, insurers, distributors, and PBMs (Pharmacy Benefits Management). Trump’s approach could stifle innovation. Trump’s proposal that Europeans pay more and Americans pay less cannot work, according to The Economist.
• Medicaid cuts, at the root of the US government shutdown, could lead to thousands of layoffs.
• The NHS announces a new online hospital model. The innovative new care model will not have a physical location, but will connect patients with expert clinicians anywhere in England. The first patients will be able to use this service starting in 2027.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• The Ministry of Health rejects, for the umpteenth time, the idea that doctors should have their own Statute. The ministry notes that, after meeting with the CESM and SMA strike committees, both unions have requested the withdrawal of the draft and the negotiation of an exclusive one for doctors. Curiously, doctors had their own Statute during the Franco regime and for much of the democratic process. It was the PP (People’s Party) that approved the Framework Statute, which ended the specific Statute for doctors, which has proven to be necessary.
• ICS objective: fully implement its 2007 law. The Catalan Health Institute (ICS) has been a public company by law for 18 years, a formula that it has not fully implemented but will do so.
• Andalusia admits serious delays in breast cancer diagnosis and will create a preferential treatment system for women.

Companies

• International
  • Permira activates the sale of its Spanish-German pharmaceutical giant Neuraxpharm for more than €2.5 billion.

• National
  • Health insurance exceeds 14 million customers and is preparing price increases. Health insurance continues to add customers year after year and has already surpassed the 14 million mark by June 2025. At the end of last year, it had 13.89 million policyholders, an increase of 2.89%, according to data from the ICEA association. This means that nearly 30% of the Spanish population has purchased some coverage included in this category.

Biomedicine

• Hans Clevers, organoid pioneer, wins the Abarca Prize. Hans Clevers, professor of Molecular Genetics at Utrecht University (Netherlands), is the winner of the 5th Abarca Prize, the Doctor Juan Abarca International Medical Sciences Award, for his pioneering research and development of organoid technology, which represents one of the most promising tools in contemporary biomedicine. Their ability to model human organs and reproduce individual diseases makes them a fundamental pillar for personalized medicine, where treatment is no longer generalized but rather tailored to the needs of each patient. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/genetica/hans-clevers-pionero-organoides-gana-abarca-prize.html)
• First kidney transplant modified to have “universal” blood type. This could change the future of kidney transplants, as the donor’s blood type no longer matters (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03248-5#:~:text=03%20October%202025-,First%20human%20transplant%20of%20kidney%20modified%20to%20have%20’universal’%20blood,compatible%20with%20all%20blood%20types.&text=Rachel%20Fieldhouse%20is%20a%20reporter%20for%20Nature%20in%20Sydney%2C%20Australia.)
• A new technique can transform a woman’s skin into eggs. The trials have been conducted on mice, but it could transform the future of fertility treatments, as women themselves can generate eggs (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/09/30/a-new-technique-can-turn-a-womans-skin-cells-into-eggs)
• A century-old drug and another for allergies can partially regenerate the damage caused by multiple sclerosis. The combination of metformin and the antihistamine clemastine can recover part of the myelin that covers the nerves and whose destruction causes the disease. (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20251001/farmaco-centenario-alergia-logran-regenerar-parcialmente-dano-causado-esclerosis-multiple/1003743946473_0.html)
• A study of twins reveals that a higher educational level is associated with better cognitive performance in old age. The molecule of life continually suffers breaks, and the cell must repair them. (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-10-02/un-estudio-en-gemelos-revela-que-un-mayor-nivel-educativo-se-asocia-con-un-mejor-rendimiento-cognitivo-en-la-vejez.html)
• A catalog of DNA scars sheds light on a path to circumventing cancer resistance. The molecule of life continually suffers breaks, and the cell must repair them. Research identifies how each of the 20,000 human genes affects DNA repair and opens the door to fine-tuning cancer treatments (https://elcom/salud-y-bienestar/2025-10-02/un-catalogo-de-las-cicatrices-en-el-adn-alumbra-un-camino-para-sortear-las-resistencias-del-cancer.html). Access the original article in Science: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr5048
• Artificial neurons that can replace real ones to repair brains with Alzheimer’s. New neurons created in the laboratory can learn and communicate using chemical and electrical signals just like natural ones, opening the door to new treatments that were previously unfeasible (https://www.elcocom/tecnologia/novaceno/2025-10-05/neuronas-artificiales-reparacion-cerebro-humano-tecnologia_4221615/). Access the original article in Nature Communications: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63640-7

Global Health

• How countries are surviving cuts in healthcare aid. The reduction in aid affects USAID (dismantled), as well as the WHO, UNAIDS, the UN Population Fund, GAVI, and the Vaccine Alliance. This is affecting many countries, especially sub-Saharan ones. The response of many of these countries is to dedicate more money from their own budgets to healthcare (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1961)
• RFK Jr. torpedoes a UN declaration on non-communicable diseases. An unexpected US intervention led to the approval of a UN declaration on these diseases (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r2033)
• Nature editorial: The end of GDP mania: how the world should better measure prosperity. At the last UN General Assembly, a working group was launched by the Secretary-General to “go beyond GDP” as an indicator of prosperity. This indicator has been widely used over the past 70 years, but it is well known to generate negative incentives. The idea is for the new indicator to be based on the Sustainable Development Goals (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03144-y)
• To understand why more and more young people are getting cancer (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/well/cancer-young-people.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The Economist Editorial: Donald Trump’s drug price cure is worse than the disease. Both Democrats and Republicans are obsessed with drug prices in the US. But that price doesn’t depend on the greed of pharmaceutical companies, as Trump suggests. The Economist’s analysis of 220 listed companies shows that three-fifths of excess profits, defined as those exceeding 10%, are captured by other agents in the system: hospitals, insurers, distributors, and PBMs (Pharmacy Benefits Management). Trump’s approach could stifle innovation. Trump’s proposal that Europeans pay more and Americans pay less cannot work, according to The Economist (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/10/02/donald-trumps-cure-for-drug-prices-is-worse-than-the-disease)
  • Countdown for 17 companies, Monday, September 29, marked the end of the ultimatum to respond to Trump. On August 1, US President Donald Trump sent letters to 17 multinational pharmaceutical companies demanding a “binding commitment” to reduce drug prices in the country, bringing them in line with those in other advanced economies. According to the president’s own TruthSocial profile, the companies he targeted were: AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, Gilead, Merck (EMD Serono), Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Genentech, J&J, GSK, MSD, Regeneron, Sanofi, and Eli Lilly. (https://elglobalfarma.com/industria/cuenta-atras-17-companias-farmaceuticas-finaliza-ultimatum-responder-trump/)
  • What could a government shutdown mean for the health care industry? (https://www.healthcom/2025/09/articles/legislative-developments/what-could-a-government-shutdown-mean-for-the-health-care-industry/)
  • Pfizer ultimately gives Trump what he wanted. This agreement was celebrated with great fanfare in the Oval Office. Although it’s not clear, the commitment is to lower drug prices to European levels. We’ll see. (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2025/10/pfizer-trump-deal/684442/)
  • Government shutdown begins, potentially leading to mass layoffs (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/us/politics/government-shutdown-deadlock.html)
  • Before the shutdown, the FDA approves a generic version of an abortion pill (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/health/abortion-pill-generic-fda.html#:~:text=The%20Food%20and%20Drug%20Administration,restrict%20access%20to%20abortion%20medication.)

• United Kingdom
  • The NHS announces a new online hospital model. The new innovative care model will not have a physical location, but will connect patients with expert clinicians anywhere in England. The first patients will be able to use this service starting in 2027. (https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/09/new-nhs-online-hospital-to-give-patients-more-control-over-their-care/)

• France
  • France celebrates 80 years of Social Security, which it considers the most equitable and cost-effective model possible (https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2025/10/03/80-ans-de-la-securite-sociale-ce-modele-est-le-plus-equitable-et-le-plus-rentable-possible_6644240_3232.html)

• Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • According to the WHO, the new Ebola epidemic has caused 42 deaths (https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2025/10/02/en-rdc-la-nouvelle-epidemie-d-ebola-a-fait-42-morts-selon-l-oms_6644061_3212.html)

• Argentina
  • Healthcare under Milei. Many health workers in Argentina fear that upcoming reforms will undermine universal coverage, guaranteed by the Constitution (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02007-0/fulltext)

• European Union
  • The EU strengthens its investment in research and development with health as a priority. The latest data published by Eurostat confirm that European spending on research and development (R&D) stood at 869 euros per inhabitant in 2023 (https://www.consalud.es/politica/la-ue-refuerza-su-inversion-en-investigacion-y-desarrollo-con-la-salud-como-prioridad.html)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration Initiatives
  • The Ministry of Health strengthens the Cohesion Fund. The Ministry is reviewing referral processes and costs to ensure a more equitable system among autonomous communities and will allow for fairer compensation for patients who must travel for low-prevalence conditions (https://www.consalud.es/politica/arranca-la-audiencia-publica-para-la-actualizacion-del-fondo-de-cohesion-sanitaria.html)

• Autonomous Community Initiatives
  • A report reveals that Catalonia lost a third of its best doctors due to the “procès” (Spanish independence process). A study claims that “political polarization” affects talent attraction and hospital performance (https://theobjective.com/espana/cataluna/2025-10-01/documento-cataluna-tercio-medicos-proces/)
  • Galicia allocates 100 million to purchase two CAR-T drugs to treat 250 patients with multiple myeloma (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/galicia-destina-100-millones-comprar-farmacos-car-t-tratar-250-pacientes-mieloma-multiple.html)
  • ICS objective: fully deploy its 2007 law. The Catalan Institute of Health (ICS) has been a public company by law for 18 years, a strategy it has not fully implemented but will do so. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/objetivo-ics-desplegar-100-ley-de2007.html)
  • The Basque Country leaves the CISNS. The Minister of Health, Alberto Martínez, accuses the Ministry of Health of implementing a distribution of the Health Cohesion Fund that, he claims, forces the Basque Country to finance 60% of the total (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/pais-vasco-cisns-portazo-conocimiento-euskera-convocatoria-mir/)
  • Andalusia admits serious delays in breast cancer diagnosis and will create a preferential circuit for women (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-10-01/andalucia-admite-graves-retrasos-en-el-diagnostico-de-cancer-de-mama-y-creara-un-circuito-preferente-para-mujeres.html)

• Framework Statute
  • Doctors return to strike against the draft Statute. This Friday, October 3, the entire medical and medical profession in Spain is called for a national strike. This is the second general strike called by the Strike Committee, made up of the State Confederation of Medical Unions (CESM) and the Andalusian Medical Union (SMA), following the national strike they held on June 13. (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/10/03/68df98e9e85ece4b7c8b4591.html)
  • For the umpteenth time, the Ministry of Health rejects the idea of ​​doctors having their own Statute. The ministry notes that, following the meeting with the CESM and SMA strike committees, both unions have requested the withdrawal of the draft and the negotiation of a new one exclusively for doctors. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/sanidad-rechaza-enesima-vez-medico-tenga-estatuto-marco-propio.html#:~:text=Profesión%20Reforma-,Sanidad%20rechaza%20por%20enésima%20vez%20que%20el%20médico%20tenga%20un,uno%20exclusivo%20para%20los%20médicos.)

• Controversy over abortions
  • Abortions in Spain continue to rise and are close to an all-time high (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-10-01/los-abortos-en-espana-siguen-subiendo-y-rozan-su-record-historico.html#:~:text=Los%20abortos%20en%20España%20sig uen%20rising%20and%20 touch%20their%20historical%20record,-In%202024%20se&text=The%20number%20of%20voluntary%20interruptions, 3,000%20more%20than%20in%202023.)

Companies

• International
  • Permira activates the sale of its Spanish-German pharmaceutical giant Neuraxpharm for more than 2.5 billion euros (https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2025-09-30/permira-activa-venta-neuraxpharm-salud-mental_4218501/)

• National
  • Health insurance exceeds 14 million customers and is preparing price increases. Health insurance adds customers year after year and has already surpassed the 14 million mark by June 2025. At the end of last year, it had 13.89 million policyholders, an increase of 2.89%, according to data from the ICEA association. This means that nearly 30% of the Spanish population has purchased some coverage included in this modality. (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/seguros/2025/09/28/68d921c0e5fdeac51f8b4584.html)
  • FENIN calls for a reduction in tariffs on health technologies between the EU and the US (https://fenin.es/comunicacion/fenin-pide-reducir-los-aranceles-a-las-tecnologias-sanitarias-entre-la-ue-y-ee-uu-para-asegurar-el-acceso-a-estos-bienes-esenciales/)
  • Europe purchases the HIPRA COVID-19 vaccine adapted to the LP.8.1 variant (https://diariofarma.com/2025/10/03/europa-compra-para-la-vacuna-de-hipra-contra-la-covid-19-adaptada-a-lp-8-1)
  • Rovi acquires a drug manufacturing plant in Phoenix (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/industria/2025/09/29/68dab57fe5fdea6c578b457a.html)
  • PharmaMar obtains US approval to combine cancer drugs (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-10-03/pharmamar-logra-la-aprobacion-de-la-fda-para-combinar-dos-farmacos-contra-el-cancer-de-pulmon.html)
  • Normon studies developing a generic version of anti-obesity drugs (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13567182/09/25/normon-estudia-desarrollar-la-version-generica-de-los-medicamentos-antiobesidad.html)

 

 

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