7 days in healthcare (October 6th-12th, 2025)

 

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

  • Biomedicine: Chinese doctors perform the first pig-to-human liver transplant.
  • Global Health: The burden of global cancer: progress, projections, and challenges.
  • International Health Policy: What do Trump’s agreements with pharmaceutical companies mean?
  • National Health Policy: The government launches an ideological offensive on healthcare.
  • Business: HM Hospitals will open four new centers in Malaga, Barcelona, ​​and Madrid before 2030.

Biomedicine

  • Chinese doctors perform the first pig-to-human liver transplant. They transplanted a section of a genetically modified pig’s liver into a cancer patient, detecting no signs of rejection.
  • The Nobel Prize in Medicine rewards three scientists for research into what prevents the immune system from attacking its own body: Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi.
  • Initial clues to cancer found in changes in blood proteins. Scientists have found a way to raise the alarm about the risk of certain diseases by monitoring the levels of thousands of blood proteins.

Global Health

  • The burden of global cancer: progress, projections, and challenges. The study published in The Lancet examines 47 types of cancer in 204 groups of countries and territories. Cancers of the trachea, bronchus, and lung were the leading cause of death, followed by colorectal, stomach, breast, and esophagus.
  • Vaping is triggering a new era of nicotine addiction. The WHO says at least 15 million children globally are addicted to vaping and accuses the tobacco industry of recruiting more customers through these new products. E-cigarettes are creating new nicotine addicts. Studies have suggested that e-cigarettes can damage blood vessels and lung function.

International Health Policy

  • What does Trump’s deal with Pfizer mean for global drug pricing? So far, Trump has secured price agreements with Pfizer and AstraZeneca and promised investment in the US from Roche, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Lilly. However, there is one important restriction: the reductions will not affect all drugs. Furthermore, Trump’s agreements are not based on regulation, but on the power of pressure and threats. It is doubtful that a stable future can be built on these foundations.
  • The British government is prepared to pay more for drugs purchased by the NHS. The government is willing to pay up to 25% more for medicines to curb the flight of companies from the United Kingdom. This demonstrates the strength of the pharmaceutical industry and the British government’s high value on having an innovative biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • The government launches an ideological offensive on healthcare. Abortion, waiting lists, so-called “privatization,” and the breast cancer screening scandal in Andalusia are the topics chosen for confrontation in the healthcare sector. All of this demonstrates the government’s desire to put healthcare at the forefront of political confrontation.
  • The government approves medical cannabis for the treatment of epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Dispensing will be done by specialist doctors in hospital settings.
  • Madrid will become the first city in the world with four proton therapy teams. La Paz and Fuenlabrada, with public facilities, will follow the private Quirón and CUN. It is difficult to assess this situation. On the one hand, it is supposed to provide opportunities, but on the other, it is difficult to forget the recent report by the Catalan Agency for Healthcare Quality on the lack of value proton therapy provides compared to other therapies. A case worth following.
  • The scandal of the failed breast cancer screenings in Andalusia. Dozens of women in Andalusia are joining forces to take legal action against the failures of breast cancer screenings. The lawyer for Amama, the association that represents women who suffered delays in screening, says they will file individual and collective lawsuits. This scandal erodes Juanma Moreno’s image. A very difficult challenge considering that the regional elections are less than a year and a half away. Until now, the Andalusian regional government’s healthcare policy under the PP has included very negative elements, such as the dismantling of public healthcare companies and the conversion of all their previously employed staff to statutory contracts. On the other hand, the president’s swift reaction and his commitment to transparency are commendable. It must be difficult with a PP without a well-known healthcare policy, which leaves healthcare at the mercy of regional franchises. 
  • Ayuso intensifies the abortion controversy by refusing to comply with the law regarding the list of objectors, citing constitutional rights and international treaties.
  • Civismo Foundation report on the economic impact of absenteeism at work. Every day, 1.5 million Spaniards do not go to work, 1.2 million of whom are on sick leave, with an impact on GDP exceeding 3%.

Companies

  • International
    • AstraZeneca could initiate a stock market exodus from London to New York. Other pharmaceutical companies could continue with their decision to list on Wall Street.
  • National
    • HM Hospitals will open four new centers in Malaga, Barcelona, ​​and Madrid before 2030. According to its president: “Our first priority is to continue investing, whether organically or non-organically, in the regions where we already operate. Having an isolated hospital in Cuenca is not part of our expansion policy; it does not provide us with synergies.” The HM Hospitals growth model is worthy of study in business schools.
    • Myths and realities of drug tariffs in the EU: they are not in force, but could be applied tomorrow. Trump’s back-and-forth with tariffs has created a situation of high uncertainty for the innovative pharmaceutical industry.

Biomedicine

  • The Nobel Prize in Medicine rewards three scientists for research into what prevents the immune system from attacking the body itself: Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi (https://www.ft.com/content/b4428ec4-168e-476f-b6db-0ba20df2bf96)
  • Chinese doctors perform the first pig-to-human liver transplant. They transplanted a section of a genetically modified pig’s liver into a cancer patient, detecting no signs of rejection (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/health/chinese-surgeons-first-pig-human-liver-transplant.html). Access the original article in the Journal of Hepatology: https://www.journal-of-hepatology.eu/article/S0168-8278(25)02497-3/fulltext
  • Early clues to cancer found in blood protein changes. Scientists have found a way to raise an alarm about the risk of certain diseases by monitoring the levels of thousands of blood proteins (https://www.ft.com/content/e3fc8557-de39-4fdd-b195-dad341ab9c07)
  • Financial Times editorial: The transformative potential of AI in healthcare. AI can transform healthcare and patient outcomes: 1. Through earlier disease detection; 2. The technology can analyze X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, as well as facilitate robotic surgery; and 3. The ability to reduce administrative burden. Accelerating the adoption of AI in healthcare should be a priority for governments worldwide (https://www.ft.com/content/83f18513-137e-4b9c-8c7b-b0b45e0d7e39)
  • Nanoparticle therapy reverses Alzheimer’s disease in mice. An innovative experiment explores the treatment of Alzheimer’s by modulating the blood-brain barrier. This required only three injections of nanoparticles, which acted as bioactive substances, not mere vectors for a therapeutic molecule. These “supramolecular drugs” restored the blood-brain barrier to proper function, resulting in a recovery from the disease’s symptoms in the animals. (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/terapia-nanoparticulas-revierte-alzheimer-ratones-20251007145204-nt.html)

Global Health

  • The burden of global cancer: progress, projections, and challenges. The study published in The Lancet examines 47 types of cancer in 204 groups of countries and territories. Cancers of the trachea, bronchus, and lung were the leading cause of death, followed by colorectal, stomach, breast, and esophageal cancers (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01570-3/fulltext). Access the original article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01635-6/abstract
  • The withdrawal of American aid: a new era of HIV in Malawi. The government is trying to recover the diagnostic and treatment efforts that disappeared after the withdrawal of American aid, which is difficult given the situation of public finances (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02059-8/fulltext)
  • Vaping is triggering a new era of nicotine addiction. The WHO says at least 15 million children globally are addicted to vaping and accuses the tobacco industry of recruiting more customers through these new products. E-cigarettes are creating new nicotine addicts. Studies have suggested that e-cigarettes can damage blood vessels and lung function (https://www.ft.com/content/63d9b683-f825-438e-aa34-f85eca2de4ed)
  • Nearly 55,000 children in Gaza are suffering from malnutrition, including 12,800 in severe condition, due to the blockade of humanitarian aid, according to The Lancet (https://www.elespanol.com/mundo/oriente-proximo/20251009/ninos-padecen-desnutricion-aguda-gaza-due-blocko-ayuda-humanitaria-the-lancet/1003743960773_0.html)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • Trump announces a price agreement with AstraZeneca. With the agreement, AstraZeneca commits to selling to Medicaid at prices similar to those in Europe. The agreement follows that with Pfizer last week (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/health/trump-drug-prices-astrazeneca.html)
    • The agreement with AstraZeneca is aimed at lowering prices in exchange for a tariff reduction. Trump boasts that the AstraZeneca CEO wouldn’t be there (in the Oval Office) if it weren’t for the potential tariffs (https://www.ft.com/content/bec69a41-7ff5-4071-9afc-7dd89b4ae088)
    • What does Trump’s agreement with Pfizer mean for global drug pricing? So far, Trump has secured price agreements with Pfizer and AstraZeneca and promised investments in the US from Roche, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Lilly. However, there is an important caveat: the reductions will not affect all drugs (https://www.ft.com/content/92f309c8-f4d2-441b-8e48-507f640c6ee4)
    • Pfizer guarantees Trump a $70 billion investment in the coming years “to bring production back home” (https://diariofarma.com/2025/10/01/pfizer-garantiza-a-trump-una-inversion-de-70-000-millones-en-los-proximos-anos-para-devolver-la-produccion-a-casa)
    • Trump pushes pharmaceutical companies to raise drug prices in Europe to lower them in the US (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-10-06/trump-empuja-a-las-farmaceuticas-a-subir-los-precios-de-los-medicamentos-en-europa-para-bajarlos-en-ee-uu.html)
  • United Kingdom
    • The government is prepared to pay more for medicines purchased by the NHS. The government is willing to pay up to 25% more for medicines to curb the flight of companies from the UK (https://www.ft.com/content/dd11cc82-a558-4012-9f33-ea5bf8e250ce)
  • France
    • France among the countries most affected by cancer in the world. According to the study published in The Lancet, France and Monaco are the countries with the highest number of cancers per 100,000 inhabitants. Alcohol, tobacco, and possibly also environmental pollution are at the root of this problem (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2025/10/10/cancer-pourquoi-la-france-fait-partie-des-pays-les-plus-touches-au-monde_6645641_3244.html)
  • European Union
    • The Trump effect on pharmaceuticals: they will be more expensive and delayed in the EU (https://www.larazon.es/salud/efecto-trump-farmacos-seran-mas-caros-tardios_2025101268e7e2640e3c6c50982dcdaf.html)
    • European strategic autonomy requires funding, as has been done in China and the United States. As was made clear at the BioSpain meeting, if Europe wants to achieve strategic autonomy in medicines, it will have to invest millions, just as the US and China have done (https://diariofarma.com/2025/10/09/la-autonomia-estrategica-europea-requiere-fondos-como-se-ha-hecho-en-china-y-ee-uu)
    • Myths and realities of drug tariffs: they are not in effect, but could be implemented tomorrow. Trump’s back and forth on tariffs has created a situation of high uncertainty for the innovative pharmaceutical industry. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20251011/mitos-realidades-aranceles-medicamentos-no-vigor-trump-podria-activarlos-manana/1003743963614_0.html)

National Health Policy

  • General Health Policy
    • The government launches an ideological offensive against the PP barons for privatizing healthcare and education. Abortion, waiting lists, so-called “privatization,” and the breast cancer screening scandal in Andalusia are the topics chosen for confrontation in the healthcare sector (https://elpais.com/espana/2025-10-08/el-gobierno-va-a-la-ofensiva-ideologica-contra-el-pp-por-la-privatizacion-de-la-sanidad-y-la-educacion-hay-que-recuperar-el-ascensor-social.html)
  • Central Administration Initiatives
    • The Government approves medical cannabis to treat epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. Dispensing will be done by specialist doctors in hospital settings (https://theobjective.com/sanidad/2025-10-07/gobierno-aprueba-cannabis-medicinal/)
    • The government approves direct aid of 100 euros for children under 16 years of age for glasses and contact lenses. Beneficiaries will be able to access the benefit through participating entities, mainly opticians (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/10/07/68e533a5fdddffbb128b4589.html)
    • The Ministry of Health will request information from all autonomous communities about breast screenings (https://www.larazon.es/andalucia/sanidad-pedira-todas-comunidades-informacion-sus-cribados-cancer-mama_2025100768e545ef0e3c6c509826f08b.html)
  • Initiatives from autonomous communities
    • The Madrid healthcare system supports 190,000 irregular immigrants, almost double the number from two years ago. This number of people is equivalent to the population of cities in southwest Madrid such as Leganés or Fuenlabrada (https://www.vozpopuli.com/espana/politica/el-sistema-de-salud-madrileno-soporta-190000-inmigrantes-irregulares-casi-el-doble-que-hace-dos-anos.html)
    • Junts will request that 80% of medical places be reserved for Catalan students. They also want the C1 Catalan certificate to be mandatory for all professionals two years after starting work (https://theobjective.com/espana/cataluna/2025-10-07/junts-80-plazas-medicina-catalanes/)
    • Madrid makes hospitals available to care for Gazan children (https://theobjective.com/sanidad/2025-10-06/madrid-hospitales-disposicion-sanidad-ninos-gazaties/)
    • Navarra and Asturias reduce contracts with the Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/navarra/navarra-revisa-contratos-con-la-empresa-israeli-teva-y-promete-sustituirlos-cuando-haya-alternativa.html)
  • Proton Therapy
    • Madrid will become the first city in the world with four proton therapy units. La Paz and Fuenlabrada, with public facilities, will follow the private Quirón and CUN (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/c-madrid/madrid-se-convertira-en-la-unica-ciudad-del-mundo-con-cuatro-dispositivos-de-protonterapia-2025-10-06-2025-10-06.html)
  • Crisis in Andalusian healthcare due to breast cancer screening
    • Dozens of women in Andalusia are joining forces to bring the breast cancer screening scandal to justice. The lawyer for Amama, the association that represents women who suffered delays in screening, says they will file individual and collective lawsuits (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-10-07/decenas-de-mujeres-se-unen-para-llevar-a-la-justicia-el-escandalo-de-las-mamografias-nadie-las-habia-escuchado.html).
    • The screening scandal erodes Juanma Moreno’s image. A very difficult test considering that the regional elections are less than a year and a half away (https://elpais.com/expres/2025-10-12/el-escandalo-de-los-cribados-de-cancer-pone-a-prueba-la-imagen-de-juanma-moreno.html)
    • Editorial in El País: Resign, but also explain (https://elpais.com/opinion/2025-10-11/dimitir-pero-tambien-explicar.html)
    • Andalusia creates a breast cancer unit in Seville (https://diariofarma.com/2025/10/09/andalucia-crea-una-unidad-de-refuerzo-en-sevilla-para-el-cancer-de-mama-y-aplicara-la-ia-a-los-cribados)
  • Controversy over abortions
    • Ayuso intensifies the abortion controversy, by refusing to comply with the law regarding the list of objectors, invoking constitutional rights and international treaties (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/ayuso-obligara-sanitarios-practicar-aborto/)
  • Palliative care
    • Spain, at the bottom of the list of advanced countries in palliative care, behind Uganda and Thailand. Spain ranks 28th in the analysis of 192 countries. The top spots are occupied by Germany, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Austria, and Norway. The study was prepared by the Atlantes Observatory of the University of Navarra, endorsed by the WHO (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-10-08/espana-esta-a-la-cola-de-los-paises-avanzados-en-cuidados-paliativos-por-detras-de-uganda-o-tailandia.html)
  • Workplace absenteeism
    • Civismo Foundation report on the economic impact of workplace absenteeism. Every day, 1.5 million Spaniards do not go to work, 1.2 million of whom are on sick leave, with an impact on GDP exceeding 3% (https://civismo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025.09-CASME-Informe-Absentismo-FCivismo.pdf)
  • Eye health
    • Spain is close to failing in eye health and well-being. The eye condition of Spaniards scores 5.23 out of 10, according to the 5th Eye Health and Well-being Barometer, published by Miranza (https://www.elmundo.es/uestudio/2025/10/08/68e638e921efa0ea6d8b45dc.html).

Companies

  • International
    • AstraZeneca’s hypertension drug is successful in the final phase of the trial. Baxdostrat meets targets for patients with resistant hypertension and could generate sales of US$5,000 per year (https://www.ft.com/content/2bd9690e-8e1a-4c3f-b00f-0aeeccccefcb).
    • AstraZeneca could trigger a stock market exodus from London to New York. Other pharmaceutical companies may also follow their decision to list on Wall Street (https://cincodias.elpais.com/opinion/2025-10-08/astrazeneca-puede-iniciar-un-exodo-bursatil-de-londres-a-nueva-york.html)
    • AstraZeneca signs a $555 million agreement on AI for the identification of immunological targets, with the idea of ​​having an AI partner for drug development (https://www.ft.com/content/c4b5153f-be07-454d-911f-31bb011f09ae)
    • NovoNordisk’s agreement to acquire the American biotech company Akero, specializing in liver diseases, for $5 billion takes it beyond obesity. (https://www.ft.com/content/90c2bcd9-1706-4869-aeff-96c6befd9609)
  • National
    • HM Hospitals will open four new centers in Malaga, Barcelona, ​​and Madrid before 2030. According to its president: “Our first priority is to continue investing, whether organic or non-organic, in the regions where we already operate. Having an isolated hospital in Cuenca is not part of our expansion policy; it doesn’t provide us with synergies.” (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-10-11/hm-hospitales-cinco-nuevos-centros-malaga-barcelona-madrid/)
    • Pharmaceutical companies express their concern to the government about Trump, whose arrival is disrupting the political landscape in the world of medicines. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20251005/pone-espada-pared-farmaceuticas-trasladan-gobierno-preocupacion-trump/1003743954294_0.html)
    • Anti-smoking drugs have fallen by double digits in one year in Spanish pharmacies (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13578453/10/25/los-farmacos-antitabaco-pierden-fuerza-y-caen-a-doble-digito-en-ingresos.html)

7 days in healthcare (September 29th-October 5th, 2025)

 

 

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)

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)

 

 

7 days in healthcare (September 22nd-28th, 2025)

 

Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

  • Biomedicine: Huntington’s chorea successfully treated for the first time in a therapeutic trial.
  • Global Health: RFK Jr. could undo the strategies that normalized vaccination in the 20th century.
  • International Health Policy: The Lancet begins to evaluate the disastrous health outcomes of the Trump Administration’s policies, both in the United States and globally.
  • National Health Policy: CESM and SMA consider the latest Framework Statute proposal to be “a new insult to the medical profession.”
  • Companies: Pfizer enters the obesity treatment business.

Biomedicine

  • Huntington’s chorea successfully treated for the first time in a therapeutic trial in the United Kingdom, using gene therapy.
  • Durotaxis: a new therapeutic target discovered against metastatic cancer. Tumor hardness is not only a diagnostic sign, but is essential for metastasis. These “highways” have been identified as functioning like a GPS that guides tumor cells. It is believed that this may be a new dimension for blocking the spread of cancer.

Global Health

  • RFK Jr. could undo the strategies that normalized vaccination in the 20th century. The rise of this heterodox man to power in the Trump Administration threatens to reverse the great advances achieved, primarily through the alliance of the military, industry, and science.
  • Are healthcare systems prepared for Alzheimer’s? Thanks to the emergence of new biomarkers, the disease can now be diagnosed, and optimal management of Alzheimer’s involves early detection.
  • 42% of cancer deaths are linked to 42 preventable risk factors. The clearest example is tobacco, but there are others. All are well-known to scientists: obesity, high blood sugar levels, unhealthy diets, alcohol and other drug use, sedentary lifestyle, etc. And there are a good handful that aren’t usually in the public’s hands, such as pollution or exposure to radon, asbestos, or arsenic.

International Health Policy

  • The Lancet begins to assess the Trump Administration’s grim health outcomes. The Department of Health has made deep cuts, breaking up agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Clinical trials have been canceled. Scientists and students are leaving the country. An estimated 10 million Americans will lose Medicaid coverage. Rural clinics and hospitals are closing. Vaccine hesitancy is growing. The number of measles cases is the highest since 1992. Medicaid cuts alone are estimated to result in 10,000 deaths. This only considers the impact of health policies. There are also impacts from inequality, housing, and so on. The closure of USAID alone is estimated to result in 14 million deaths globally. It is important to find a way to bring these disasters to the attention of the public.
  • Trump intends to impose a 100% tariff on patented medicines from pharmaceutical companies that do not have a plant in the US. The message, once again, was launched on his social media platform (Truth Social). “Starting October 1, 2025, we will apply a 100 percent tariff on any branded or patented pharmaceutical product, unless a company is building its pharmaceutical plant in the US.” Blackmail and bullying are the main weapon of political negotiation.
  • The Minister of Science says the UK wants to reach an agreement with the pharmaceutical industry. The government is prepared to pay more for medicines, says Lord Patrick Vallance. These statements follow the collapse of talks between the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS, as well as the announcement of the withdrawal of investments in the UK by both AstraZeneca and Merck.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • CESM and SMA consider the latest proposal for the Framework Statute to be “a new insult to the medical community.” The question is: does a Statute that provokes such a belligerent stance from medical unions make sense, not to mention professional groups, who have never been seriously consulted?
  • The Ministry of Health is preparing Spain’s integration into the European Health Data Area. The ministry is launching a preliminary public consultation, which will be open until October 20, to adapt the Spanish legal system to the use of big data in research and clinical trials.
  • Catalonia will use diagnostic tests performed in private centers to reduce waiting lists. All users with mutual insurance companies will be able to enter X-rays and ultrasounds generated outside the public system into La Meva Salut through a new platform. A brave and useful measure for patients and the system.
  • Castilla-La Mancha creates the Network of Experts to develop its Precision Health Strategy. The Ministry of Health of Castilla-La Mancha has approved the creation of a regional structure for the design, development, and implementation of public health policies. This is the Network of Experts and Professionals in Precision Health of the Castilla-La Mancha Health System.
  • Healthcare competitive examinations in Asturias: Gijón’s great logistical challenge: hosting 50,000 healthcare competitive examination candidates at the fairgrounds in one weekend. As a logistical challenge, it may be interesting, but as a system for selecting personnel and filling vacancies, it couldn’t be more aberrant.

Companies

  • International
    • Pfizer buys Metsera and challenges Lilly and Novonordisk in the multi-million dollar anti-obesity treatment business. A strategic move by Pfizer. Metsera, valued at $7.3 billion. With this, Pfizer challenges groups such as Novonordisk and Lilly, which have led the industry in recent years.
  • National
    • HM Hospitals opens its Nuevo Norte hospital in the Las Tablas neighborhood (Madrid) with an investment of 30 million. Another milestone in the development of the largest private hospital network in the Community of Madrid.
    • 21% of healthcare technology companies suffered losses in 2023, according to FENIN, which compiled the accounts of these companies filed with the commercial registry.

Biomedicine

  • Durotaxis: a new therapeutic target against metastatic cancer discovered. Tumor hardness is not only a diagnostic signal but is essential for metastasis. These “highways” have been identified as functioning as a GPS that guides tumor cells. It is believed that this may be a new dimension in blocking cancer spread (https://elpais.com/ciencia/2025-09-25/durotaxis-descubierta-una-nueva-diana-terapeutica-contra-el-cancer-metastasico.html). Access the original article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-025-01697-8/metrics
  • A new gene therapy based on “suicide genes” shows curative potential in Ewing’s sarcoma. These genes are so named because, when activated, they cause the tumor to self-destruct (https://gacetamedicom/investigacion/terapia-genica-genes-suicidas-sarcoma-ewing/). Access the original article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40781473/
  • Huntington’s disease successfully treated for the first time in a therapeutic trial in the United Kingdom using gene therapy (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/sep/24/huntingtons-disease-treated-successfully-for-first-time-in-gene-therapy-trial). Reference to the original trial by the company uniQure: https://www.uniqure.com/investors-media/press-releases

Global Health

  • Are healthcare systems prepared for Alzheimer’s? Thanks to the emergence of new biomarkers, the disease can now be diagnosed, and optimal management of Alzheimer’s disease requires early detection (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01812-4/fulltext).
  • RFK Jr. could undo the strategies that normalized vaccination in the 20th century. The rise of this heterodox figure to power in the Trump Administration threatens a reversal of the great advances achieved, primarily through the alliance of the military, industry, and science (https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2025/09/23/robert-kennedy-jr-pourrait-defaire-les-strategies-qui-ont-normalise-la-vaccination-au-xx-siecle_6642516_3232.html)
  • 42% of cancer deaths are linked to 42 preventable risk factors. The clearest example is tobacco, but there are others. All are well-known to scientists: obesity, high blood sugar levels, unhealthy diets, alcohol and other drug use, sedentary lifestyle, etc. And there are a good number that are not usually in the hands of the public, such as pollution or exposure to radon, asbestos, or arsenic (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-09-25/el-42-de-las-muertes-por-cancer-estan-vinculadas-a-44-factores-de-riesgo-evitables.html9). Access the original article in The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01635-6/abstract
  • Cardiovascular diseases caused 1 in 3 deaths in 2023 (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/enfermedades-cardiovasculares-causaron-muertes-2023-20250924180023-nt.html). Access the original article: https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.08.015
  • GAVI warns of a lack of funding following US cuts; a $3 billion gap remains for 2026-2030 (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/gavi-fondos-recorte-estados-unidos/)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • Trump intends to impose a 100% tariff on patented drugs from pharmaceutical companies that do not have a plant in the US. The message, once again, was launched on his social media platform (Truth Social). “Beginning October 1, 2025, we will apply a 100% tariff on any branded or patented pharmaceutical product, unless a company is building its pharmaceutical plant in the US” (https://www.eleconomista.es/economia/noticias/13563967/09/25/trump-impone-un-arancel-del-100-a-medicamentos-patentados-de-farmaceuticas-que-no-construyan-una-planta-en-eeuu.html)
    • Article in The Lancet: Assessing how the Trump Administration will affect health outcomes. The Department of Health has made deep cuts, breaking up agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the CDC. Clinical trials have been canceled. Scientists and students are leaving the country. An estimated 10 million Americans will lose Medicaid coverage. Rural clinics and hospitals are closing. Vaccine hesitancy is growing. The number of measles cases is the highest since 1992. Medicaid cuts alone are estimated to result in 10,000 deaths. This only considers the impact of health policies. There are also impacts from inequality, housing, and so on. The closure of USAID alone is estimated to result in 14 million deaths globally. It is important to find a way to bring these disasters to the attention of the public (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01849-5/fulltext?rss=yes)
    • Health experts condemn US vaccine recommendations (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01956-7/fulltext)
    • RFK, Jr. says the US rejects global health goals (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/health/rfk-jr-un-chronic-disease.html)
    • The Trump administration, against all experts, is trying to link Tylenol to autism (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02876-1)
    • Trump wants American pharmaceutical companies to bring prices closer to European ones (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/25/health/drug-prices-trump.html)
    • How Trump’s tariffs will affect American medicines (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/health/trump-drug-tariffs-prescription-costs.html)
  • United Kingdom
    • The science minister says the UK wants to end discussions with the pharmaceutical industry. The government is prepared to pay more for medicines, says Lord Patrick Vallance. These statements follow the collapse of talks between the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS, as well as the announcement of the withdrawal of investments in the UK by both AstraZeneca and Merck (https://wwft.com/content/47158365-8d96-4388-9c29-173a51a8792e)
  • France
    • The number of abortions continues to rise in France in 2024. A total of 251,270 procedures were performed, 7,000 more than in 2023 (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/09/25/le-nombre-d-avortements-a-continue-d-augmenter-en-france-en-2024_6642863_3224.html)
    • Artists and feminist activists demonstrate against the high mortality rate of clandestine abortions (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/09/28/des-artistes-et-des-militantes-feministes-se-mobilisent-pour-les-femmes-mortes-d-un-avortement-clandestin_6643225_3224.html)

National Health Policy

  • Central Administration Initiatives
    • The government will incorporate and finance apps and digital products as part of public health services (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250923/gobierno-incorporara-financiara-apps-productos-digitales-parte-servicios-sanidad-publica/1003743935423_0.html)
    • The Ministry of Health is preparing for Spain’s integration into the European Health Data Area. The Ministry is launching a preliminary public consultation, which will run until October 20, to adapt the Spanish legal system to the use of big data in research and clinical trials (https://diariofarma.com/2025/09/22/sanidad-prepara-la-integracion-de-espana-en-el-espacio-europeo-de-datos-sanitarios)
    • The Ministry of Health is launching a public hearing on the draft Royal Decree on Universal Healthcare Access. Foreigners without a residence permit will have to declare that they do not have other health coverage and prove that they live in Spain to obtain the document that will grant access to medical care. (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-09-26/sanidad-saca-a-audiencia-publica-el-proyecto-de-real-decreto-de-acceso-sanitario-universal.html#:~:text=El%20Ministerio%20de%20Sanidad%20ha,con%20cargo%20a%20fondos%20públicos.)
    • The Ministry of Health is making progress in unifying criteria for health coverage for immigrants within the NHS (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/09/26/68d6a1e0e4d4d854378b4598.html)
  • Autonomous community initiatives
    • Castilla La Mancha will open 48 new health centers in the next three years (https://theobjective.com/sanidad/2025-09-26/castilla-mancha-centros-salud/#:~:text=Bildu%20y%20ERC»-,Castilla%2DLa%20Mancha%20will%20open%2048%20health%20centers%20in%20three,an%20investment%20of%20300%20million&text=Castilla%2DLa%20Mancha%20will%20open%2048%20health%20centers%20in%20toda,y%20el%20resto%20en%202028.)
    • Catalonia will use diagnostic tests performed in private centers to reduce waiting lists. All members of the health insurance network will be able to enter X-rays and ultrasounds generated outside the public health system into La Meva Salut through a new platform (https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2025-09-26/cataluna-usara-las-pruebas-diagnosticas-realizadas-en-centros-privados-para-reducir-las-listas-de-espera.html)
    • 30,000 Andalusians now collect their hospital medication from community pharmacies (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/comunitaria/30000-andaluces-recogen-medicacion-hospitalaria-farmacias-comunitarias.html)
    • Ayuso announces the expansion of the Niño Jesús Hospital with a new building (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/c-madrid/ayuso-anuncia-la-ampliacion-del-hospital-nino-jesus-con-un-nuevo-edificio.html)
    • Castilla La Mancha creates the Network of Experts to develop its Precision Health Strategy. The Ministry of Health of Castilla-La Mancha has approved the creation of a regional structure for the design, development, and implementation of public health policies. This is the Network of Experts and Professionals in Precision Health of the Castilla-La Mancha Health System, composed of three bodies: Coordination, Board of Directors, and Advisory Committee. (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/castilla-mancha/castilla-la-mancha-crea-la-red-de-expertos-en-salud-de-precision-6462)
    • Eight autonomous communities are working on a pilot program for Consultation Transcription Agents. Forty-seven primary care health centers from eight autonomous communities are participating, having already registered 3,131 consultations and received 750 surveys, with a satisfaction rating of 4/5. (https://diariofarma.com/2025/09/22/ocho-ccaa-trabajan-en-un-programa-piloto-de-agentes-de-transcripcion-de-consulta)
    • Health examinations in Asturias: Gijón’s great logistical challenge: hosting 50,000 health examination candidates at the fairgrounds over a weekend (https://www.lne.es/asturias/2025/09/27/gran-desafio-logistico-gijon-acoger-122000167.html)
    • The Rare Diseases Unit planned at the HUCA (Oviedo) will begin operating in 2026 (https://www.elcomercio.es/asturias/unidad-enfermedades-raras-prevista-huca-funcionamiento-20250926203738-nt.html#:~:text=Consejería%20de%20Salud%20trabaja%20en,operativa%20en%20junio%20de%202026.)

Companies

  • International
    • EFPIA: The pharmaceutical industry in figures (https://www.efpia.eu/media/uj0popel/the-pharmaceutical-industry-in-figures-2025.pdf)
    • The FDA recognizes the Apple Watch’s high blood pressure monitoring system (https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/us-fda-clears-apple-watch-hypertension-feature-2025-09-12/)
    • Pfizer buys Metsera and challenges Lilly and Novonordisk in the multi-million dollar obesity treatment business. Strategic move by Pfizer. Metsera, valued at $7.3 billion. With this, Pfizer challenges groups such as Novonordisk and Lilly, which have led this business in recent years (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-09-22/pfizer-planea-comprar-metsera-por-6210-millones-para-atacar-el-millonario-negocio-de-los-tratamientos-anti-obesidad.html)
  • National
    • 21% of healthcare technology companies suffered losses in 2023, according to FENIN, for which it has compiled the accounts of these companies filed with the commercial registry (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250924/empresas-sector-tecnologia-sanitaria-perdieron-dinero/1003743938646_0.html#:~:text=Más%20información%3A%20El%20sector%20de,más%20que%20el%20año%20anterior&text=La%20Federación%20Española%20de%20Empresas,Es%20decir%2C%20perdieron%20dinero.)
    • The debt of the regions with the healthcare technology companies reaches 1,000 million. The average payment period is 74 days, exceeding the agreed-upon 60 days (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-09-25/deuda-regiones-empresas-tecnologia-sanitaria/#:~:text=no%20tiene%20espacio»-,La%20deuda%20de%20las%20regiones%20con%20las%20empresas,sanitaria%20alcanza%20los%201.000%20millones&text=La%20deuda%20pública%20de%20las,a%201.000%20millones%20de%20euros.)
    • HM Hospitals opens its Nuevo Norte hospital in the Las Tablas neighborhood (Madrid) with an investment of 30 million euros. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250924/hm-hospitales-inaugura-hospital-nuevo-norte-inversion-millones-ofrecera-atencion-integral/1003743939021_0.html)
    • Sanitas will open new mental healthcare centers in Madrid, Murcia, and Alicante (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250921/sanitas-abrira-centros-cuidado-salud-mental-madrid-murcia-alicante/1003743931919_0.html)
    • The Valencian Health Department is demanding €302 million in settlements from Ribera Salud and Sanitas concessions. (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13559852/09/25/la-sanidad-valenciana-reclama-302-millones-en-liquidaciones-a-concesiones-de-ribera-salud-y-sanitas.html)

7 days in healthcare (September 15th-21st, 2025)

 

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

  • Biomedicine: A new AI model predicts susceptibility to more than 1,000 diseases.
  • Global health: Bill Gates, despite cuts, remains optimistic about global health.
  • International health policy: Under the “10-year Health Plan for England,” the best- and worst-performing NHS trusts are made public.
  • National health policy: Pedro Sánchez brings waiting lists into the electoral debate.
  • Business: Apple enters the patient monitoring market.

Biomedicine

  • A new AI model predicts susceptibility to more than 1,000 diseases. European scientists have developed a new AI model, trained by analyzing multiple medical records, that can predict susceptibility to more than 1,000 diseases in the future. The generative AI system, called Delphi-2M, was developed in Cambridge, analyzing the medical records of 400,000 participants in the UK Biobank. Developing a tool based on this experience that is useful for clinical routines can take between 5 and 10 years.
  • Childhood obesity, a global health crisis. For the first time, the global prevalence of obesity among children (aged 5-19) exceeds malnutrition, according to UNICEF. This increase is particularly worrying for children under 5, since at this age, obesity can affect the development of all organs. Globally, in 2024, there were 35.5 million children under 5 years of age who were obese. If current trends continue, one-third of children and adolescents will be obese by 2050.
  • A blood test can predict the progression of Alzheimer’s. This prognostic test accurately predicts which people with mild cognitive impairment will progress to dementia. The results have been published in iScience, and the test now has the CE mark, allowing its use in the EU.

Global Health

  • Bill Gates remains optimistic about global health. Although the money dedicated to global health is dwindling, science is advancing by leaps and bounds, and many people are determined to ensure that innovations reach children.
  • Reducing tobacco use globally (a new NEJM series). Tobacco kills more than 7 million people each year, including 1.3 million from secondhand smoke. It is a cause of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory diseases. Today, the highest mortality rates from tobacco are in low- and middle-income countries, where 80% of consumers live and where the tobacco industry’s efforts have been concentrated over the last 20 years.

International Health Policy

  • Under the “10-Year Health Plan for England,” the best- and worst-performing NHS trusts are made public. The tables for hospital trusts, non-acute trusts, and ambulance services are now publicly available on the NHS website. A remarkable example of transparency.
  • How RFK Jr. could eliminate vaccines without banning them. The vaccine business was predictable and growing. Since RFK Jr.’s arrival, it has become clear that the American government is no longer a reliable partner in the vaccine business, leading to investment being withdrawn.
  • The EU is failing to solve the problem of chronic drug shortages. The EU Court of Auditors warns that the European bloc “still lacks a well-oiled system to address serious drug shortages.” Part of the cause lies in supply chain vulnerabilities, due to the outsourcing of much of the production, especially of antibiotics and painkillers, to Asian countries. Another obstacle is the fragmentation of the EU’s single market for medicines.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • Pedro Sánchez brings waiting lists into the electoral debate by bringing them up in last Tuesday’s parliamentary debate, accusing the PP-led regions of having long waiting lists. It could perhaps be assumed that waiting lists only occur in PP-led regions and that the Ministry of Health has nothing to do with the problem.
  • Numerous legislative delays in the Ministry of Health, as in the entire government. Mónica García’s portfolio has eight royal decrees pending, on topics as diverse as cannabis and subsidies for eyeglasses.
  • Madrid aims to promote pharmaceutical innovation, in collaboration with Farmaindustria. The aim is to strengthen the region’s leadership in biopharmaceutical innovation and boost both employment and investment.
  • Spain offers health insurance that is 79% cheaper than Europe. Premiums are well below those of Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, which is considered a threat to its sustainability, according to ASPE. It seems that the sector has focused more on quantity than quality.
  • The arrival of foreign doctors to Spain is growing every year, especially from Latin America. The main countries of origin include Colombia, Argentina, Cuba, Venezuela, and Bolivia. In the case of Spain, the arrival of foreign doctors has continued to grow from 2012 to 2023. The emigration of Spanish doctors remains stable, with a downward trend. Spain is the third largest importer of doctors, after the United Kingdom and Germany.

Companies

  • International
    • Apple enters the patient monitoring market, which will reach 11.5 billion by 2033. The FDA has authorized Apple for hypertension monitoring. The company intends to implement this feature in more than 150 countries. However, for now, it will not be available in Europe. This is because the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has not yet authorized this feature on Apple smartwatches.
  • National
    • The new Vithas Hospital in Barcelona will have 160 rooms, 14 operating rooms, and 1,800 professionals. It is located in the municipality of Esplugues de Llobregat.

Biomedicine

  • The Lancet Editorial: Childhood obesity, a global health crisis. For the first time, the global prevalence of obesity among children (aged 5-19) exceeds malnutrition, according to UNICEF. This increase is particularly worrying for children under 5, since obesity at this age can affect the development of all organs. Globally, in 2024, there were 35.5 million obese children under 5. If current trends continue, one-third of children and adolescents will be obese by 2050 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01906-3/fulltext?rss=yes)
  • A new AI model predicts susceptibility to more than 1,000 diseases. European scientists have developed a new AI model, trained by analyzing multiple medical records, that can predict susceptibility to more than 1,000 future diseases. The generative AI system, called Delphi-2M, was developed in Cambridge, analyzing the medical records of 400,000 participants in the UK Biobank. Developing a tool based on this experience that can be useful for clinical routines could take between 5 and 10 years (https://www.ft.com/content/598e07ec-954f-49b7-9bc5-ce77f9fff934). Access the original article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09529-3/metrics
  • Orgorglipron, a novel GLP-1 small molecule for the oral treatment of obesity. This issue of the NEJM presents the results of the clinical trial with this Lilly drug (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2511774).
  • What does nicotine do to your brain? More and more nicotine is being consumed on its own. The global vaping market is expected to reach $47.5 billion in 2028, up from $22.5 billion in 2023. Nicotine does not cause lung cancer or emphysema. Several studies show that nicotine has positive effects on the brain, such as attention and memory (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/09/12/what-nicotine-does-to-your-brain).
  • A blood test can predict the progression of Alzheimer’s. This prognostic test accurately predicts which people with mild cognitive impairment will progress to dementia. The results have been published in iScience, and the test now has the CE mark, allowing its use in the EU (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/biomarcador-sangre-permite-anticipar-progresion-alzheimer-20250919060000-nt.html)
  • Biogen’s Tofersen opens a new era of precision medicine in ALS. The Biogen drug targets the 2% of patients with a mutation in the SOD1 gene. It is the first therapy in 30 years. (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/industria/tofersen-llega-espana-abre-nueva-medicina-precision-ela.html)

Global Health

  • Article by Bill Gates: Why I’m still optimistic about global health. Although the money dedicated to global health is dwindling, science is advancing by leaps and bounds, and many people are determined to ensure that innovations reach children. That’s why I’m optimistic (https://elpais.com/opinion/2025-09-19/por-que-sigo-siendo-optimista-sobre-la-salud-mundial.html)
  • Reducing tobacco use globally (a new NEJM series). Tobacco kills more than 7 million people each year, including 1.3 million from secondhand smoke. It is a cause of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory illnesses. Today, the highest mortality rate from tobacco is in low- and middle-income countries, where 80% of tobacco users live and where the tobacco industry’s efforts have been concentrated over the past 20 years (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2510566?af=R&rss=currentIssue)
  • Gaza and the collapse of public health. Various institutions committed to health equity address the world’s public opinion regarding the devastation of civilians in Gaza since October 2023 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01690-3/fulltext?rss=yes)
  • In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, vaccination against a new Ebola epidemic has begun. Since the detection of the first case on August 20, there have been 28 deaths and 81 cases in Kasaï province (https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2025/09/15/en-rdc-la-vaccination-a-commence-face-a-la-nouvelle-epidemie-d-ebola_6641237_3212.html)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • How RFK, Jr. could eliminate vaccines without banning them. The vaccine business was predictable and growing. Since RFK, Jr.’s arrival, it has become clear that the American government is no longer a reliable partner in the vaccine business, leading to investment withdrawal (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2025/09/vaccine-business-industry-kennedy-trump/684252/)
    • RFK, Jr.’s MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) Plan spares fatty, salty, and sugary foods, ubiquitous in the USA. While the Trump administration (RFK, Jr.) is raging against vaccines, no plan is expected regarding these products that are so harmful to health (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2025/09/12/le-plan-de-robert-kennedy-jr-pour-rendre-sa-sante-a-l-amerique-epargne-les-aliments-gras-sales-et-sucres-omnipresents-aux-etats-unis_6640614_3244.html)
    • The United States is on the verge of having a dual and unequal vaccination system. This means threats to the “Vaccines for Children” program (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2025/09/acip-vaccine-for-kids-rfk-jr/684284/)
    • Kennedy’s vaccine panel voted to limit access to COVID vaccines (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/health/cdc-vaccines-mmrv-hepatitis-b.html)
  • United Kingdom
    • In the implementation of the 10-Year Health Plan for England, the best and worst performing NHS trusts are made public (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq8eqxlypv7o). To access the table of acute trusts: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/acute-trust-league-table/; To access the non-acute hospital table: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/non-acute-hospital-trust-league-table/; to access the ambulance company table: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/ambulance-trust-league-table/)
    • The Royal College of Psychiatrists calls for greater access to psychedelic treatments (https://www.ft.com/content/47d1b980-1bfe-4d17-80e0-3f80d45cf597)
    • The United Kingdom, victim of Trump’s threats: AstraZeneca and MSD halt their investments in the country. Meanwhile, both companies have announced new investments in the USA (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250916/reino-unido-victima-amenazas-trump-astrazeneca-msd-paralizan-inversiones-pais/1003743925279_0.html)
  • France
    • Sharp rise in Chikungunya cases in the French metropolis (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2025/09/17/chikungunya-forte-hausse-des-cas-autochtones-en-metropole-sante-publique-france-appelle-a-la-vigilance-face-aux-moustiques-tigres_6641594_3244.html)
  • Colombia
    • The Petro government continues its confrontation with the EPS (https://elpais.com/america-colombia/2025-09-16/el-gobierno-de-petro-choca-con-la-contraloria-por-la-crisis-de-la-nueva-eps.html)
  • European Union
    • The EU is failing to solve the problem of chronic medicine shortages. The EU Court of Auditors warns that the European bloc “still lacks a well-oiled system to address serious medicine shortages.” Part of the cause lies in the vulnerabilities of the supply chain, due to the outsourcing of much of the production, especially of antibiotics and painkillers, to Asian countries. Another obstacle is the fragmentation of the EU single medicines market (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-09-17/la-ue-no-logra-resolver-su-problema-de-escasez-cronica-de-medicamentos.html?event_log=oklogin)
    • The WHO warns Europe about its dependence on foreign-trained doctors and nurses. Between 2014 and 2023, the number of foreign-trained doctors practicing in the European Region increased by 58%, while the number of nurses increased by 67%. (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2025-09-17/dependencia-medicos-enfermeras-extranjeros_4210597/)

National Health Policy

  • Central Administration Initiatives
    • Pedro Sánchez brings waiting lists into the electoral debate, bringing it up in last Tuesday’s parliamentary debate, accusing the PP-run regions of having long waiting lists (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/parlamentarios/pedro-sanchez-pone-las-listas-de-espera-sanitarias-en-el-debate-electoral-5045)
    • Numerous legislative delays in the Ministry of Health, as in the entire government. Mónica García’s ministry has eight royal decrees pending, on topics as diverse as cannabis and subsidies for eyeglasses:
      • Royal Decree (RD) establishing the regulatory standards for the provision of visual aids to minors up to sixteen years of age.
      • Royal Decree establishing the conditions for the preparation and dispensing of master formulas based on standardized cannabis preparations
      • Royal Decree regulating the assessment of health technologies
      • Royal Decree regulating the selective financing procedure for medical devices charged to the pharmaceutical provision of the National Health System for non-hospitalized patients and determining the margins corresponding to their distribution and dispensing
      • Royal Decree regulating the direct granting of subsidies to public universities to finance the increase and maintenance of places for Medicine degrees in the 2025-2026 academic year
      • Royal Decree regulating medical devices for in vitro diagnostics
      • Royal Decree amending Royal Decree 579/2017, of June 9, regulating certain aspects related to the manufacture, presentation, and marketing of tobacco products and related products
      • Royal Decree amending Royal Decree 1277/2003, of October 10, establishing the general bases for the authorization of healthcare centers, services, and establishments.

Along with these initiatives, Mónica García has her bill on the universality of the National Health System, the bill on the prevention of underage drinking, and the bill on medicines and medical devices pending before the Health Committee of Congress. Regarding the latter, sources from the Ministry acknowledge that there are more doubts about whether it can be processed soon. (https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2025-09-21/sanchez-tapar-paralisis-legislativa-propaganda-ministerial_4212730/)

    • New Advanced Therapies Plan. An opportunity to extend a model, until now focused on CAR-T, which is now being expanded to include the set of advanced therapy medicines (ATM) (https://diariofarma.com/2025/09/16/el-nuevo-plan-de-terapias-avanzadas-abre-un-horizonte-de-oportunidades-y-retos). Access the Plan: https://www.sanidad.gob.es/ca/areas/farmacia/infoMedicamentos/terapiasAvanzadas/docs/AFTerapiasAvan2025.pdf
    • The Ministry says it has already finalized the Royal Decree on Health Technology Assessment (https://diariofarma.com/2025/09/18/sanidad-asegura-que-tiene-ya-ultimado-el-rd-de-evaluacion-de-tecnologias-sanitarias)
    • The Ministry is making progress on the State Plan for health crises (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/sanidad-avanza-plan-estatal-afrontar-futuras-crisis-sanitarias.html)
    • The Ministry expects to approve the AI ​​Strategy in the NHS “soon” (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ministerio-sanidad/sanidad-espera-aprobar-proximamente-la-estrategia-de-ia-en-el-sistema-nacional-de-salud.html)
    • The Ministry of Health hopes to reinstate plain tobacco packaging during the legislative process (https://cincodias.elpais.com/legal/2025-09-19/sanidad-recuperara-el-empaquetado-neutro-del-tabaco-en-el-tramite-legislativo-asi-es-la-guerra-entre-la-industria-y-las-organizaciones-sanitarias.html)
    • The race for the headquarters of the State Public Health Agency is in its final sprint. Zaragoza, Barcelona, ​​Granada, Oviedo, León, and Lugo can all apply for the selection process, which is apparently about to begin. (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/bisturi/la-carrera-de-la-agencia-de-salud-publica-encara-su-sprint-final-4792)
  • Initiatives from the Autonomous Communities
    • The measures proposed by the Basque Health Pact for Primary Care. Changes are planned in the governance and comprehensive care model, incorporating new professional profiles (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/medidas-pacto-salud-vasco-atencion-primaria/#:~:text=El%20Pacto%20plantea%20garantizar%20una,las%20áreas%20rurales%20y%20vulnerables.)
    • Madrid aims to promote pharmaceutical innovation, in collaboration with Farmaindustria. The aim is to strengthen the region’s leadership in biopharmaceutical innovation and boost both employment and investment (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/c-madrid/madrid-presenta-una-estrategia-pionera-para-consolidarse-como-referente-mundial-en-innovacion-biofarmaceutica.html).
    • The Asturian Ministry of Health is preparing to merge the departments (https://www.elcomercio.es/asturias/salud-prepara-gran-cambio-estructura-directiva-ante-20250919225400-nt.html)
    • Catalonia is moving toward a more efficient laboratory network (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/analisis-clinicos/cataluna-avanza-red-laboratorios-mas-eficiente.html)
  • Health Insurance
    • Spain offers health insurance that is 79% cheaper than Europe, threatening its viability. Premiums are well below those of Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, which is considered a threat to its sustainability, according to ASPE. It seems that the sector has opted more for quantity than quality (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-09-17/espana-seguros-salud-baratos-europa-amenaza-viabilidad/). Access the document: https://www.aspesanidad.es/categorias-informes/catedra-ucm/
    • Spain, leader in company health insurance. 51% of policies are group policies, which are usually cheaper than individual policies (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-09-21/espana-liderseguros-salud-empresa-51-polizas-colectivas/)
  • Workplace absenteeism in the Spanish healthcare system
    • Workplace absenteeism in the Spanish healthcare system is more than four percentage points above the national average. 10.3% of healthcare professionals do not go to work every day, according to the Randstad Research report (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250917/absentismo-laboral-sanidad-espanola-puntos-encima-media-nacional/1003743928816_0.html#:~:text=Aunque%20no%20es%20nada%20nuevo,encima%20de%20la%20media%20nacional.)

Companies

  • International
    • Swiss company Roche reaches a $3.5 billion deal to acquire American drugmaker 89bio (https://www.ft.com/content/bdcd53d5-047b-48a8-94c6-2c2311a1453a)
    • Apple enters the patient monitoring market, which will reach $11.5 billion by 2033. The FDA has authorized Apple for hypertension monitoring. The company intends to implement this feature in more than 150 countries. However, it will not currently be available in Europe. This is because the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has not yet authorized this feature on Apple smartwatches. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250919/apple-entra-mercado-monitorizacion-pacientes-alcanzara-millones/1003743930629_0.html#:~:text=De%20esta%20manera%2C%20Apple%20entra,de%20hipertensión%20de%20forma%20remota.)
    • Trump’s drug tariffs bear new fruit: GSK and Lilly will invest 29.532 billion in the USA (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250917/aranceles-trump-medicamentos-dan-nuevos-frutos-gsk-lilly-invertiran-millones-eeuu/1003743929464_0.html)
    • Biogen presents the first approved treatment in decades for a genetic form of ALS (https://www.consalud.es/industria/biogen-presenta-tofersen-el-primer-tratamiento-aprobado-en-decadas-para-un-forma-genetica-de-ela.html)
    • Novo Nordisk flexes its muscles against Lilly with a clinical trial in the midst of its search for a new weight-loss drug (https://www.eleconomista.es/mercados-cotizaciones/noticias/13548247/09/25/novo-nordisk-saca-musculo-frente-a-eli-lilly-con-un-ensayo-clinico-en-plena-busqueda-de-un-nuevo-farmaco-adelgazante.html)
    • Orforglipron, Lilly’s weapon to beat Novo Nordisk and its Ozempic pill on the stock market (https://cincodias.elpais.com/mercados-financieros/2025-09-19/orforglipron-el-arma-de-eli-lilly-para-batir-en-bolsa-a-novo-nordisk-y-su-ozempic-en-pildora.html)
  • National
    • The new Vithas hospital in Barcelona will have 160 rooms and 14 operating rooms and 1,800 professionals. It is located in the municipality of Esplugues de Llobregat (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/nacional/vithas-inaugura-en-barcelona-su-hospital-mas-grande-160-camas-14-quirofanos-y-1800-profesionales.html)
    • Olympia Centro Médico Pozuelo, owned by Quirón, offers 27 specialties (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/nacional/abre-sus-puertas-el-olympia-centro-medico-pozuelo.html)
    • HIPRA inaugurates its new campus in Girona with a planned investment of 500 million euros (https://elglobalfarma.com/industria/hipra-inaugura-campus-girona-inversion-500-millones-reforzar-autonomia-estrategica/)
    • New Zealand commissions ACS to build its largest hospital. New Zealand’s coalition government has approved the construction of Dunedin’s new hospital, with a budget of 900 million euros (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/09/20/68cd9117e5fdeaeb3c8b45c6.html)

15 days in healthcare (September 1st-14th, 2025)

Summary

The most impactful health news stories of the last two weeks were:

  • Biomedicine: The importance of prioritizing prevention in a disease as prevalent as heart failure.
  • Global Health: The decline in global fertility will cause the population to decrease significantly in the relatively short term.
  • International Health Policy: Evangelical Christians, Trump’s traditional partners, are lobbying Congress to restore USAID health aid.
  • National Health Policy: The proposed Tobacco Law bans smoking on terraces, prohibits smoking for minors, and limits vaping.
  • Business: The new Apple Watch includes notifications of possible hypertension.

Biomedicine

  • Heart failure: time to prioritize prevention. Heart failure is a major contributor to the global burden of cardiovascular disease. It affects 55 million people and is a common cause of hospital admissions. The prevalence has tripled in recent decades. Conventional pathophysiology previously emphasized myocardial abnormalities. It is now known that there are extra-myocardial factors, such as obesity, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Not all causes of myocardial disease can be prevented, but early detection and intervention are of great importance.
  • Exposure to air pollution increases the risk of dementia, according to scientists.
  • A large study confirms the relationship between following a planet-friendly diet and lower mortality.
  • Revolution in post-infarction therapy. The systematic prescription of beta-blockers after a heart attack is questioned. Study led by the CNIO and with the participation of more than 100 European hospitals.

Global Health

  • There is no need to fear the decline in global fertility, although humanity will decrease in size much sooner than we think, without necessarily negative consequences. In 1968, Paul Erlich, a biologist, published a book stating that humanity was growing so much that millions would perish from lack of food. This prediction has proven false. Two-thirds of the population lives in regions with fertility below replacement levels. It is believed that this can be partly offset by developments in artificial intelligence and the extension of working life.
  • The nuclear threat. On the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons remain a threat. Although we have fallen from a peak of 70,000 in 1984 to 12,000 today, the downward trend is slowing, and even India, North Korea, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and possibly Russia are increasing their nuclear arsenals. The health community has an important role to play in building evidence about the threats and effects of nuclear weapons.
  • The negative effects of the Trump Administration’s denial of the negative effects of climate change. The impact of climate change is real. Denying it is self-destructive. The US administration is trying to minimize efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This will make the country and the world worse off. The situation is worrying, as the United States is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China. The Trump administration is pushing a dangerous agenda regarding solid fuels.

International Health Policy

  • Evangelical Christians, traditional partners of Trump, are lobbying Congress to restore USAID health aid. This surprising move reflects the growing discontent with some of Trump’s policies among Republicans.
  • Americans are facing the largest increase in health insurance costs in 16 years due to rising premiums. Insurance companies blame Trump’s tariff policy for this increase.
  • The United States is urging the United Kingdom to offer a better deal to pharmaceutical companies. The announcement follows the suspension of investment projects in the United Kingdom by AstraZeneca and Merck, which have caused great concern in the government.
  • The British Department of Health is exploring private investors to finance the new centers planned in the “10-Year Health Plan for England.” The move could boost investment, but it could reignite the debate over the controversial PFI (Private Finance Initiative) model.
  • NHS provider rankings are back. The measure bears a strong resemblance to the Blair-era star ratings. Minister of Health at the time (2000): Alan Milburn, Non-Executive Advisor to the current Minister of Health: Alan Milburn. A dose of transparency is undoubtedly good for the NHS, as it would be for our SNS.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • The draft Tobacco Law bans smoking on terraces, prohibits smoking for minors, and limits vaping. The law will have to be debated in Congress, where the Ministry wants to reinstate plain packaging, which was dropped from the initial text. The measure has been poorly received by restaurateurs, but the benefits of increasing smoke-free public spaces have been proven, given the evidence of negative effects on passive smokers. Furthermore, the history of the same ban in British pubs shows that the measure did not have as many negative effects on these establishments as announced.
  • More than 25,000 NHS doctors will access training courses offered by scientific societies through FACME. The initiative is financed by Next Generation funds and consists of 20 free online courses. This measure is important, since until now the Ministry delegated the continuing education of professionals to companies (pharmaceutical and medical technology), a situation that could not continue. FACME’s involvement appears very positive.
  • SERGAS (Galician health system) is incorporating 33 new researchers with statutory staff positions. This is an important measure, as it normalizes the presence of researchers in the NHS, utilizing a previously underutilized option in the Science, Technology, and Innovation Law. These options are provided by Law 17/2022, in its First Final Provision, which broadly develops this issue, breaking new ground.
  • The unions do not rule out a general strike if the Ministry moves forward with its Framework Statute project. The Framework Statute needs reform (if not repeal), but the Ministry’s reform plan contains more negative elements than positive ones.
  • Farmaindustria proposes 7 new measures to attract pharmaceutical innovation to Spain.

Companies

  • International
    • The new Apple Watch includes notifications for possible hypertension. This feature will also be incorporated into previous models. The development of useful wearables is part of the future. In his presentation, Tim Cook (Apple’s president) said that this feature will allow the diagnosis of more than 1 million people with high blood pressure in the first year in the United States alone. Hypertension is a silent disease that leads to serious complications that can be prevented with diagnosis and treatment.
    • How Novartis forged ahead with an incredible breakthrough in cancer, pioneering “radioligand” therapy, a new form of targeted therapy.
  • National
    • The oncology multinational Genesis Care is putting its subsidiary in Spain up for sale. The Australian giant has decided to divest from the Spanish market, no longer considering it strategic within its core business, following the recent global restructuring.

 

Biomedicine

  • The 2025 Lasker Awards, given to pioneers in cell biology and cystic fibrosis (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/health/lasker-awards-medicine.html)
  • The Lancet Editorial: Heart Failure: Time to Prioritize Prevention. Heart failure is a major contributor to the global burden of cardiovascular disease. It affects 55 million people and is a common cause of hospital admission. Its prevalence has tripled in recent decades. Conventional pathophysiology emphasized myocardial abnormalities. It is now known that there are extramyocardial factors, such as obesity, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Not all causes of myocardial disease can be prevented, but early detection and intervention are of paramount importance (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01775-1/fulltext?rss=yes)
  • According to the president of the Royal College of Radiologist, AI currently does not save radiologists time and can lead to overdiagnosis (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1840)
  • Prostate cancer can be detected with faster and cheaper scanners (https://www.ft.com/content/81665626-4519-4b99-9a96-39a324af2445). Original article in JAMA: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2838799
  • From immortal jellyfish to elephants, scientists are searching for the secrets of long life in animals. These creatures may hold clues about extending human lifespans (https://www.ft.com/content/72fe4b7d-c3c3-49b6-8315-6216ca7b3789)
  • Alzheimer’s disease: lithium gives hope (https://elpais.com/ciencia/materia-gris/2025-09-12/enfermedad-de-alzheimer-el-litio-da-esperanza.html). Original article in Nature Neuroscience: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02059-1
  • Scientists discover a powerful new way to prevent cancer. While cancer was once thought to be a mutation in a cell’s DNA that caused uncontrolled growth, it is now known that mutations that cause cancer are normal in healthy tissues, such as the esophagus and stomach, as well as in other tissues including the colon, lungs, and ovaries. Why these cells don’t grow into tumors is a mystery. It is known that the activity of nearby healthy cells can prevent the development of cancer. Stimulating the development of these cells can have a beneficial effect and opens up new opportunities for prevention (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/09/02/scientists-are-discovering-a-powerful-new-way-to-prevent-cancer)
  • Exposure to air pollution increases the risk of dementia, according to scientists (https://www.theguardicom/environment/2025/jul/24/air-pollution-raises-risk-of-dementia-say-cambridge-scientists). Access the original article in The Lancet Planetary Health: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(25)00118-4/fulltext
  • A large study confirms the relationship between following a planet-friendly diet and lower mortality (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-09-05/un-gran-estudio-confirma-la-relacion-entre-seguir-una-dieta-respetuosa-con-el-planeta-y-una-menor-mortalidad.html). Access the original article in Science: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adq5147
  • The first global map of brain activity challenges the traditional view of the brain. The journal “Nature” publishes the first comprehensive map of brain activity that reveals how decision-making is distributed (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/primer-mapa-global-actividad-cerebral-desafia-vision-20250903141407-nt.html).
  • Revolution in post-infarction therapy: the systematic prescription of beta-blockers after a heart attack is questioned. Study led by the CNIO and with the participation of more than one hundred European hospitals (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/cardiologia/revolucion-en-la-terapia-post-infarto-la-cardiologia-reaccionara-rapido-5757
  • What tissues can be regenerated with stem cells? Currently, there are only three established advanced therapy treatments: the use of chondrocytes, corneal ligament cells, and engineered skin (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-09-12/que-tejidos-se-pueden-regenerar-con-celulas-madre.html)
  • The discovery of the “black box” of cancer opens the door to predicting the evolution of each tumor (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-09-10/el-hallazgo-de-la-caja-negra-del-cancer-abre-la-puerta-a-predecir-la-evolucion-de-cada-tumor.html). Access the original article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09374-4

Global Health

  • The Economist Editorial: There’s no need to fear a decline in global fertility, although humanity will shrink much sooner than we think, without necessarily negative consequences. In 1968, biologist Paul Erlich published a book stating that humanity was growing so much that millions would perish from lack of food. This prediction has proven false. Two-thirds of the population lives in regions with fertility below replacement levels. It is believed that this can be partly offset by developments in artificial intelligence and the extension of working life (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/09/11/dont-panic-about-the-global-fertility-crash)
  • The Lancet Editorial: The nuclear threat, politics, science, and public opinion. On the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons remain a threat. Although we have fallen from a peak of 70,000 in 1984 to 12,000 today, the downward trend is slowing, and India, North Korea, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and possibly Russia are increasing their nuclear arsenals. The health community has an important role to play in building evidence about the threats and effects of nuclear weapons (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01817-3/fulltext?rss=yes)
  • Nature Editorial: The impact of climate change is real. Denying it is self-defeating. The US administration is trying to minimize efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This will make the country and the world worse off. The situation is worrying, as the US is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China. The Trump administration is pushing a dangerous solid fuels agenda (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02868-1)
  • The plastics treaty remains in limbo due to lack of agreement. A devastating missed opportunity, according to The Lancet (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01816-1/fulltext?rss=yes)
  • Ixchiq, the first authorized vaccine against the chikungunya virus (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2025/09/03/chikungunya-ixchiq-le-premier-vaccin-autorise-contre-le-virus-sur-la-sellette_6638496_3244.html)
  • The use of water as a weapon of war. Water has been used as a weapon of war for millennia. But in the current conflicts in Gaza, Syria, and Ukraine, this is reaching significant proportions, as both acute and energy infrastructure have been repeatedly attacked, with very negative health consequences (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01087-6/fulltext)
  • EBOLA returns to the Congo (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2025/09/11/ebola-returns-to-congo)
  • According to UNICEF, obesity now exceeds malnutrition among children and adolescents (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2025/09/10/l-obesite-depasse-desormais-la-sous-nutrition-chez-les-enfants-et-ados-alerte-l-unicef_6640202_1651302.html)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • The US Supreme Court authorizes the National Institute of Human Rights (NIH) to cut $2 billion in research funding. This will allow the Trump administration to continue cutting scientific research (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02721-5)
    • Evangelical Christians, traditional Trump partners, are lobbying Congress to restore USAID health aid (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/02/trump-evangelicals-foreign-humanitarian-aid-congress-00537322)
    • Article in the NEJM: The Corporatization of Health Institutions: Healthcare, Investors, and the Priority of Profit (https://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJMp2505258)
    • Kennedy is wrong: We should praise experts, not destroy them (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1863)
    • Trump wants to crack down on pharmaceutical company advertising. The administration is considering measures to require companies to include more information about medications (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/09/trump-announces-crackdown-on-pharmaceutical-advertising-00553814)
    • Americans face the largest increase in health insurance costs in 16 years due to rising premiums. (https://www.com/content/9af0c46d-4665-49ae-b153-15ce7d65ca55)
    • Florida backtracks on its vaccine policy and maintains most mandatory injections. Just days after announcing the vaccination mandate for children, the state government has limited the scope of the measure, although Governor De Santis assures that he is working to eliminate them altogether in the future (https://elpais.com/us/2025-09-10/florida-recula-en-su-politica-de-vacunas-y-mantiene-la-mayoria-de-las-inyecciones-obligatorias.html)
  • China
    • China will produce generic Ozempic and Wegovy starting in 2026, after the patents expire (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250902/patentes-ozempic-wegovy-caducan-china-empresas-pais-preparan-lanzar-genericos/1003743907006_0.html)
  • United Kingdom
    • The United States urges the United Kingdom to offer better agreement with pharmaceutical companies. The announcement follows the suspension of investment projects in the United Kingdom by AstraZeneca and Merck (https://www.ft.com/content/a4dc3ba5-fc5b-4d51-8d5e-690ae7930391)
    • Government talks resume with pharmaceutical companies on drug prices for the NHS (https://www.ft.com/content/53543a40-a2ee-49a5-b395-9572a02120a8)
    • The Department of Health is exploring private investors to finance new centers in England, planned in the “10-Year Health Plan for England.” The move may boost investment, but it could reignite debate over the controversial PFI model (https://www.ft.com/content/91d0fb5d-1783-407f-8c00-c54e92412403)
    • Can the UK’s new, but old, provider ranking tables revitalize the NHS? The move bears a strong resemblance to the Blair-era star ratings. Health Minister at the time (2000): Alan Milburn, Non-executive advisor to the current Health Minister: Alan Milburn (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/sep/09/the-nhs-league-tables-resemble-blairs-star-ratings-of-2000-can-they-revive-the-health-service)
    • The waiting list is growing, but less than expected. Waiting lists rose from 4.5 million at the time of COVID-19 has reached 7.5 million. However, the National Audit Office’s forecasts were that we would now be around 12 million. There are several reasons that could explain this situation (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/blogs/missing-millions-nhs-waiting-list)
  • France
    • The increase in medical deductibles, a volatile measure on hold. Projects seeking to increase patient contributions for medications and medical consultations have been rejected by the advisory board of the CNAM (Caisse nationale d’assurance-maladie). (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/09/04/le-doublement-des-franchises-medicales-une-mesure-inflammable-en-suspens_6638952_3224.html#:~:text=de%20la%20santé-,Le%20doublement%20des%20franchises%20médicales%2C%20une%20mesure%20inflammable%20en%20suspens,dont%20l’avis%20est%20consultative.)

National Health Policy

  • Central Administration Initiatives
    • The draft Tobacco Law bans smoking on terraces, prohibits minors from smoking, and limits vaping. The law will have to be debated in Congress, where the Ministry wants to reinstate plain packaging, which was dropped from the initial text (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-09-09/el-proyecto-de-ley-del-tabaco-veta-el-humo-en-las-terrazas-prohibe-fumar-a-los-menores-y-limita-el-vapeo.html)
    • The Ministry of Health opens the Preliminary Draft Law on Patient Organizations for public consultation, open until September 23, 2025 (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/sanidad-consulta-publica-ley-organizaciones-pacientes/)
    • The issues that will mark the new political course in healthcare. The configuration of the foundations of the already approved State Public Health Agency, and the pending approvals of the Drug Law and the Anti-Tobacco Law (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/temas-nuevo-curso-politico-sanidad/)
    • Spain and the United Kingdom agree to include healthcare innovation in their bilateral agreement (https://diariofarma.com/2025/09/04/espana-y-reino-unido-incluyen-potenciar-la-innovacion-sanitaria-en-su-acuerdo-bilateral)
    • The Ministry of Health promotes a new pact to renew the high-tech features of the NHS. The first agreement focuses on neonatal equipment (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/ministerio-sanidad/sanidad-impulsa-un-nuevo-pacto-para-renovar-la-alta-tecnologia-del-sns-8895)
    • More than 25,000 NHS physicians will have access to training courses offered by scientific societies, through FACME. The initiative is funded by Next Generation funds and consists of 20 free online courses (https://www.sanidad.gob.es/gabinete/notasPrensa.do?id=6741)
  • Autonomous community initiatives
    • Castilla y León launches a new MIR loyalty program with attractive spots and improvements (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/castilla-y-leon/castilla-y-leon-abre-una-segunda-convocatoria-de-fidelizacion-mir.html)
    • All the health measures Ayuso announced during the debate on the State of the Region. The Plan to Combat Public Health Threats, the Center for the Production of Advanced Therapies, and the new neonatal screening for critical congenital heart disease are among the projects that the Ministry headed by Matute will promote (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/medidas-sanitarias-ayuso-debate-estado-region/).
    • The Autonomous Communities are calling for regulations on the purchase of medicines and greater participation (https://diariofarma.com/2025/09/09/las-ccaa-piden-una-normativa-de-compra-de-medicamentos-y-mayor-participacion).
    • The SERGAS (National Service of Gas Natural Fenosa) is incorporating 33 new researchers with statutory staff positions. (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/galicia/caamano-destaca-la-incorporacion-de-los-primeros-33-investigadores-con-plaza-de-personal-estatutario.html#:~:text=El%20consejero%20de%20Sanidad%20de,sitúa%20Galicia%20a%20la%20vanguardia.)
    • The HUCA (Central University Hospital of Asturias) opens an office for the Center for Biomedical Engineering (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/asturias/el-huca-inaugura-una-oficina-del-centro-de-ingenieria-biomedica-para-impulsar-la-innovacion-sanitaria.html)
  • Reactions to the Tobacco Bill
    • Restaurant owners react against it: “It’s against restaurant owners, not against tobacco” (https://www.elmundo.es/economia/2025/09/09/68c0453621efa0304b8b45b6.html)
    • The government’s inconsistency regarding vaping, equating it with tobacco, but its sale is free. There is no control over the sale of these products to minors (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-09-10/incoherencia-gobierno-vapeo-equipara-tabaco-vendera-bazares/)
  • Framework Statute
    • Unions do not rule out a general strike if the Ministry moves forward with its Framework Statute project (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/sindicatos-descartan-huelga-general-sanidad-sigue-adelante-estatuto-marco_2025091068c1bb81bf88027389797750.html)
  • Black August of heat-related deaths
    • 2,170 deaths, the highest number on record (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/09/10/68c183ff21efa0a3528b459a.html)
  • Pharmacy Faculties
    • 6 new Pharmacy Faculties, which are planned to be added to the current 28 (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/farmaceutico-joven/grado/seis-facultades-farmacia-mas-vista-cifra-preocupa-medicina.html#:~:text=de%20centros%20académicos-,Seis%20Facultades%20de%20Farmacia%20más%20a%20la%20vista%2C%20pero%20la,con%20tu%20email%20y%20contraseña.)
  • Pharmaceutical Innovation
    • 7 new measures proposed by Farmaindustria to attract Pharmaceutical innovation in Spain (https://elglobalfarma.com/industria/7-medidas-industria-innovacion-biofarmaceutica-espana/)
  • Life expectancy
    • Spain is no longer the European country with the highest life expectancy: Italy and Sweden are ahead. Spain stagnates at 84, while in those countries it reaches 84.1 (https://www.vozpopuli.com/economia/macroeconomia/espana-ya-no-es-el-pais-con-mas-esperanza-de-vida-de-la-ue-italia-y-suecia-le-adelantan.html#:~:text=España%20ha%20dejado%20de%20ser,así%20los%20niveles%20de%20España.)

Companies

  • International
    • The new Apple Watch includes notifications for possible hypertension. This feature will also be incorporated into previous models (https://www.applesfera.com/apple-watch/que-apple-watch-detecten-hipertension-importante-mejor-que-solo-paso-ambicioso-plan-salud-apple)
    • How Novartis advanced an incredible discovery against cancer, pioneering “radioligand” therapy, a new form of targeted therapy (https://www.ft.com/content/a955b66c-89ac-4d2f-83dc-2b93baa4d56a)
    • The American regulator approves a version of the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, from Eisai and Biogen (https://www.ft.com/content/4147b61e-6cc9-40c2-adb0-18ff97d1c878)
    • The CapVest fund acquires the European generics giant Stada (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250901/fondo-capvest-compra-gigante-medicamentos-genericos-europeo-stada/1003743906823_0.html)
    • Abbvie to pay $1.2 billion for Gilgamesh’s psychedelic development (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/abbvie-pagara-1200-millones-dolares-psicodelico-desarrollo-gilgamesh.html)
    • Permira seeks $4 billion to acquire contract drugmaker Cambrex (https://www.ft.com/content/9395570c-da42-4b89-84fb-7a28a76b247c)
    • NovoNordisk to lay off 9,000 employees with the goal of save more than €1 billion a year (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-09-10/novo-nordisk-despedira-a-9000-empleados-el-11-de-la-plantilla-ante-el-aumento-de-la-competencia-en-los-tratamientos-de-obesidad.html#:~:text=La%20compañía%20danesa%2C%20fabricante%20de,que%20ronda%20los%2078.400%20trabajadores.)
  • National
    • The multinational oncology company Genesis Care puts its subsidiary in Spain up for sale. The Australian giant has decided to divest from the Spanish market, no longer considering it strategic within its core business, following the recent global restructuring (https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2025-09-02/multinacional-oncologia-genesiscare-kpmg-venta-filial-espana_4200352/).
    • Ribera has expanded its influence in Central Europe with the acquisition of Multi Med in Poland. This is a medical company dedicated to diagnostic imaging and outpatient rehabilitation care (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/internacional/ribera-entra-en-polonia-con-multi-med-y-consolida-su-presencia-en-centro-europa.html)
    • Vithas reaccredits four of its hospitals with the world’s most demanding quality seal (https://www.consalud.es/industria/sanidad-privada/vithas-reacredita-cuatro-de-sus-hospitales-con-el-sello-de-calidad-mas-exigente-del-mundo.html)
    • FAES strengthens its licensing business with acquisitions (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/09/12/68c35ccd468aeb8f188b458d.html)

7 days in healthcare (September 1st-7th, 2025)

 

Due to vacation time, this week’s news summary will be added to next week’s, which will contain news from September 1-14, 2025.

7 days in healthcare (August 25th-31st, 2025)

 

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

  • Biomedicine: The first transplant of an animal lung into a human chest works for nine days.
  • Global Health: The great progress of vaccines, which could be reversed.
  • International Health Policy: It seems the CDC is done for.
  • National Health Policy: Spain will have a shortage of 100,000 healthcare workers by 2035.
  • Companies: Pills, the new target of “pharmaceuticals” to increase obesity.

Biomedicine

  • The first transplant of an animal lung into a human chest works for nine days. A Chinese company, Clonorgan Biotechnology, was responsible for “humanizing” the pig using CRISPR technology. The recipient was a 39-year-old man who was brain-dead. The implant worked for nine days, until the patient’s family asked to end the experiment. The history of xenotransplants dates back to 1906.
  • The gut-brain connection. A macro study links digestive disorders with neurodegenerative diseases. The journal Science Advances publishes a study examining the connection between the gut and the brain and how digestive or metabolic disorders increase the risk of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

Global Health

  • Unraveling the maze of vaccine progress. Vaccines have been considered the single largest contributor to the decline in infant mortality worldwide. However, the United States, long considered the leader in medical science, is alarmingly jeopardizing decades of progress through severe budget cuts, politicization of research agendas, the closure of USAID, and the withdrawal from the WHO.
  • Cholera: The situation is worsening and the number of deaths is increasing, according to the WHO. The global cholera situation continues to deteriorate and is aggravated by conflict and poverty. Although the number of cases is decreasing, mortality is increasing.

International Health Policy

  • It seems the CDC is finished. Management changes are undermining staff morale and undermining the Agency’s national and international leadership role. Its role is to establish immunization criteria for Americans.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • Spain will have a shortage of 100,000 healthcare workers by 2035, due to the retirement of baby boomers. In the next decade, 1,081,834 retirements will be recorded, but only 974,523 jobs will be created. This would require the development of a 10-year Human Resources Plan for healthcare, as has been done in the United Kingdom.
  • The Valencian Community’s new plan for the Humanization of Healthcare includes everything from adapting spaces to new forms of participation.

Companies

  • International
    • Pills, the new target for pharmaceutical companies to increase obesity. Lilly and Novonordisk take the lead in the race for weight-loss pills.
  • National
    • Bayer relaunches Spanish-made aspirin as a pain reliever in the USA. American patients now have access to prescription-free aspirin for pain relief, manufactured exclusively in Spain.

Biomedicine

  • The dialogue on NCDs (non-communicable diseases) needs to change. On September 25, the Fourth High-Level Conference on Non-Communicable Diseases will be held at the UN General Assembly. This meeting is not expected to be successful, as commercial pressures are preventing truly effective measures from being considered: increased taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01743-X/fulltext?rss=yes).
  • These are the ADC (conjugated) drugs that are beginning to demonstrate efficacy in different types of cancer. These drugs act in a similar way to the mythical Trojan horse, entering the tumor cell and acting in a very precise and direct manner. After decades of achieving good results in breast cancer, research is now underway in ovarian, cervical, and lung cancer (https://www.larazon.es/salud/asi-son-farmacos-adc-que-comienzan-demostrar-eficacia-diferentes-tipos-cancer_2025083168b3908f506ef67d06e8f584.html)
  • The first transplant of an animal lung into a human chest works for nine days. A Chinese company, Clonorgan Biotechnology, was responsible for “humanizing” the pig using CRISPR technology. The recipient was a 39-year-old man who was brain-dead. The implant worked for nine days until the patient’s family asked to end the experiment. The history of xenotransplants dates back to 1906 (https://elpais.com/ciencia/2025-08-25/el-primer-trasplante-de-un-pulmon-animal-en-el-pecho-de-una-persona-funciona-durante-nueve-dias.html). Access the original article in Nature Medicine: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03861-x
  • The gut-brain connection. A macro study links digestive disorders with neurodegenerative diseases. The journal Science Advances publishes a study examining the connection between the gut and the brain and how digestive or metabolic disorders increase the risk of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s (https://elpais.com/ciencia/2025-08-27/la-conexion-intestino-cerebro-un-macroestudio-relaciona-los-trastornos-digestivos-con-enfermedades-neurogenerativas.html). Access the original article in Science Advances: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu2937

Global Health

  • The global resurgence of Chikungunya. This disease appeared on Reunion Island, a French island in the Indian Ocean, in 2005-2006. It originally affected one-third of the population. The disease is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti vector, the same transmitter of dengue fever. But, unlike dengue, Chikungunya is a chronic disease with significant joint involvement. An article published this year reports 35 million cases of the disease each year and around 3,700 deaths. (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01745-3/abstract?rss=yes)
  • Using a global health trends perspective, in studies published in The Lancet, Angela Chang and colleagues show that 2019 was the year with the lowest adjusted mortality in human history, which was altered in 2020 by the pandemic. The world is witnessing a rise in raw morality (measured as deaths per 1,000 people/year) (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01337-6/abstract?rss=yes)
  • Unraveling the skein of vaccine progress. Vaccines have been considered the single largest contributor to the decline in child mortality worldwide. However, the United States, long considered the leader in medical science, is alarmingly jeopardizing decades of progress through severe budget cuts, politicization of research agendas, the closure of USAID, and withdrawal from the WHO (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aea7053)
  • Cholera: the situation is worsening and the number of deaths is increasing, according to the WHO. The global cholera situation continues to deteriorate and is exacerbated by conflict and poverty. Although the number of cases is declining, mortality is rising (https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2025/08/29/cholera-la-situation-s-aggrave-et-le-nombre-de-deces-augmente-selon-l-oms_6637432_3212.html#:~:text=La%20situation%20de%20cette%20infection,«%20accès%20retardé%20aux%20soins%20».)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • The CDC appears to be finished. Leadership changes are undermining staff morale and undermining the agency’s national and international leadership role. Its role is to establish immunization criteria for Americans (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/08/cdc-resignations-tipping-point/684038/)
    • The Trump Administration will consolidate health inequities. The White House AI Plan purges information from government websites, removes data from marginalized communities, and removes data that contradicts political ideology (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/08/ai-health-inequities/684047/)
  • United Kingdom
    • Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticizes pharmaceutical companies for their shortsightedness in not negotiating the price offer (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/aug/25/wes-streeting-criticises-shortsighted-drug-firms-for-rejecting-pricing-offer)
  • France
    • Calls for mobilization for a return under pressure. Although Prime Minister Bayrou has not reiterated the figure of 5.5 billion in healthcare savings, concern in the sector at all levels is high (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/08/26/sante-des-appels-a-la-mobilisation-pour-une-rentree-sous-tension_6635470_3224.html)
  • European Union
    • The commercialization of Gilead’s preventive treatment for AIDS, approved by the European Union. The method of administration of this drug could transform the fight against AIDS, but its cost raises serious questions regarding accessibility (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2025/08/27/vih-la-commercialisation-du-traitement-preventif-prometteur-de-gilead-validee-par-l-union-europeenne_6635889_1651302.html)
    • Is Europe committed to cancer screening? These are the differences between countries. While more than 80% of women in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland have access to breast screening, in Greece, Poland, and Romania, participation remains well below the European average (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/europa-comprometida-con-los-cribados-de-cancer-estas-son-las-diferencias-entre-paises.html)

National Health Policy

  • Autonomous Community Initiatives
    • Catalonia is considering concentrating specialist physicians in the busiest centers and hospitals. The idea is to concentrate some medical specialties in busier centers (https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2025-08-25/salud-estudia-concentrar-a-los-medicos-especialistas-en-los-centros-y-hospitales-con-mayor-actividad-en-cataluna.html#:~:text=En%20su%20avance%20para%20reformar,cambios%20demográficos%20y%20mayor%20cronicidad.)
    • Doctors of Catalonia will activate a CSIR Observatory. The idea is for physician representatives to be able to explain the measures implemented and their results in real time (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/medicos-cataluna-activara-observatorio-csir.html)
    • The Valencian Community’s new plan for the Humanization of Healthcare includes adapting spaces to new forms of participation (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/plan-humanizacion-asistencia-sanitaria-sistema-valenciano-salud/)
    • Catalonia is breaking away from the trend and creating a more fragmented healthcare map. This affects the Barcelona metropolitan area and would begin by dividing the Barcelona Nord and Maresme sectors in two (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/cataluna/cataluna-se-sale-de-la-tendencia-y-traza-un-mapa-sanitario-mas-fragmentado-5325)
    • Catalonia aims to professionalize leadership and management positions. To this end, a bill is being prepared (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/cataluna-propone-profesionalizar-cargos-direccion-gestion.html)
    • Castilla-La Mancha leads the race for the 2026 healthcare budget. Over the summer, it designed the macroeconomic framework, which was submitted for evaluation by AIREF, the first region to submit its accounts for oversight (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/castilla-mancha/castilla-la-mancha-lidera-la-carrera-del-presupuesto-sanitario-de-2026-7132)
  • Professionals
    • Spain will have a deficit of 100,000 healthcare workers in 2035, due to the retirement of baby boomers. In the next decade, 1,081,834 retirements will be recorded, but only 974,523 jobs will be created (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-08-27/espana-deficit-sanitarios-jubilacion-baby-boomers/)

Companies

  • International
    • Lilly’s obesity pill achieves its goals in a trial. Results show an average weight loss of 10.5% (https://www.ft.com/content/78e99a27-9b63-4c42-80c4-3459c737db9b)
    • Pills, the new target for “pharmaceuticals” to increase obesity. Lilly and Novonordisk take the lead in the race for weight-loss pills (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/industria/2025/08/25/68ab8210468aeb5c2c8b4594.html)
  • National
    • Bayer relaunches aspirin manufactured in Spain as a pain reliever in the USA. American patients now have access to non-prescription aspirin for pain relief, manufactured exclusively in Spain (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13514705/08/25/bayer-relanza-la-aspirina-fabricada-en-espana-como-analgesico-en-eeuu.html)
    • Grifols, a shielded industrial giant. The group manufactures everything it sells in the country in the USA and rules out any impact from tariffs (https://www.expansion.com/directivos/2025/08/26/68ad5ca5468aeb8a7c8b4584.html)

7 days in healthcare (August 18th-24th, 2025)

 

Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

  • Biomedicine: Nature editorial: canceling mRNA research is the greatest irresponsibility.
  • Global health: WHO Pandemic Agreement.
  • International health policy: RFK Jr. and MAHA (Make American Healthy Again): dangerous, emboldened, and growing.
  • National health policy: 2026 MIR call for applications: The Official State Gazette publishes this year’s official call for applications.
  • Business: The expiration of key patents will cost pharmaceutical companies in Europe $12.53 billion.

Biomedicine

  • Nature editorial: canceling mRNA research is the greatest irresponsibility. Despite the fact that mRNA vaccines saved millions of lives during the COVID pandemic, RFK Jr. announces the withdrawal of $500 million from this research. It’s the technology that Trump himself had supported in his first term, and it has potential to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, and hereditary diseases. Although other countries are choosing another path, it’s hard to imagine mRNA research without the United States.
  • Article in The Economist: RFK Jr.’s attacks on mRNA research are damaging the world. Perhaps the most significant impact is reducing the world’s capacity to rapidly produce a vaccine against a potential pandemic. Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the UAE, and the United Kingdom are competing to continue this research. Van de Leyden says the EU should step up and launch a special initiative.
  • Pregnant women need protection during heat waves. A recent analysis of 198 studies in 66 countries indicates that preterm birth increases by 4% for every degree Celsius increase in temperature in the months before birth.

Global Health

  • WHO Pandemic Agreement. This agreement, reached in May 2025 at the WHO General Assembly, has been an important step in preparing for future pandemics. However, some points remain to be clarified, such as the annex on sharing access to pathogens (PABS).

International Health Policy

  • RFK, Jr., and MAHA (Make American Healthy Again): dangerous, emboldened, and growing. Whether due to incompetence or misinformation, the actions of this movement represent the greatest threat to the health of Americans and millions of people globally.
  • Trump and Van der Leiden confirm the controversial 15% single tariff on pharmaceutical products, received with extreme reluctance by the European pharmaceutical industry (EFPIA).

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • 2026 MIR Call: The Official State Gazette (BOE) publishes this year’s official call: 12,366 specialized healthcare training places.
  • Health effects of forest fires. Alterations in the mucous membranes, cardiovascular, neurological, and immune systems are mentioned, not to mention the psychological effects.

Companies

  • International
    • The expiration of key patents will cost pharmaceutical companies €12.53 billion in Europe. This means that pharmaceutical companies will lose €12.53 billion in revenue in Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, from 2024 to 2029, according to the consulting firm IQVIA.
    • Lilly and NovoNordisk are bowing to Trump: raising prices in Europe and lowering them in the US. Two of the 17 multinationals that received Trump’s letter on July 31 have already taken the first steps.
  • National
    • Brussels authorizes the purchase of Vitaldent by OTPP. This means the sale of the Donte Group by KKR to the Canadian fund Ontario Teachers (OTPP).

Biomedicine

  • Nature editorial: canceling mRNA research is the ultimate irresponsibility. Despite the fact that mRNA vaccines saved millions of lives during the COVID pandemic, RFK Jr. announces the withdrawal of $500 million from this research. It is the technology that Trump himself had supported in his first term and that has potential to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, and hereditary diseases. Although other countries are choosing another path, it is difficult to imagine mRNA research without the United States (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02612-9)
  • Article in The Economist: RFK Jr.’s attacks on mRNA research are damaging the world. Perhaps the most significant impact is reducing the world’s capacity to rapidly produce a vaccine against a potential pandemic. Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the UAE, and the United Kingdom are competing to continue this research. Van de Leyden says the EU should step up and launches a special initiative (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/08/20/rfk-jrs-attack-on-mrna-technology-endangers-the-world)
  • Editorial in The Economist: Pregnant women need protection during heat waves. A recent analysis of 198 studies in 66 countries indicates that preterm birth increases by 4% for every degree Celsius increase in temperature in the months before birth (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/08/21/pregnant-women-need-protecting-from-heatwaves)
  • New technology paves the way for human eye transplants (https://www.elconfidencial.com/tecnologia/novaceno/2025-08-24/nueva-tecnologia-trasplante-de-ojos-humanos_4195354/)

Global Health

  • Editorial in The BMJ: The WHO’s pandemic agreement. This agreement, reached in May 2025 at the WHO General Assembly, has been an important step in preparing for future pandemics. However, there are some points that need clarification, such as in the annex for sharing access to pathogens (PABS) (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1742)
  • Cholera outbreak in Sudan with 40 deaths last week (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1756#:~:text=Sudan%3A%20Cholera%20outbreak%20worsens%20as%20clinics%20record%2040%20deaths%20in%20past%20week,-BMJ%202025%3B%20390&text=Doctors%20working%20with%20Médecins%20Sans,people%20die%20from%20the%20infection.)
  • Congo has astronomical rates of sexual violence, Victims have now lost access to care (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/health/rape-congo-sexual-violence.html)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • The Lancet Editorial: RFK, Jr. and MAHA (Make American Healthy Again): dangerous, emboldened, and growing. Whether due to incompetence or misinformation, the actions of this movement represent the greatest threat to the health of Americans and millions of people globally (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01683-6/fulltext)
    • COVID vaccine opponent, about to be named leader of the Federal Review Team on COVID Vaccine Safety. This person has described these vaccines as “the most nefarious medical product in the history of medical products” (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/health/covid-vaccines-rfk.html)
    • RFK Jr. attacks a group of pediatricians over vaccine recommendations (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/19/rfk-jr-attacks-pediatricians-covid-vaccine-recommendations-00515609)
    • Trump’s Budget Office is withdrawing HIV funding that had been approved by Congress (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/health/hiv-aids-pepfar-funding-trump.html)
  • United Kingdom
    • Secretary of State for Health ends talks with pharmaceutical companies over NHS pricing. The official position is that pharmaceutical companies must continue paying the recovery tax, which expires in 2028 and represents 22.9% of sales (https://www.ft.com/content/d3d991a4-f789-4448-a4d9-bf1716c2ebdb)
    • A third of doctors are considering leaving the UK, while only a quarter are satisfied with their career progress (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1671)
  • France
    • France faces medical deserts (https://podcasts.lemonde.fr/le-monde-festival-international-de-journalisme-les-rencontre/202508230400-pourquoi-la-france-fait-face-aux-deserts-medicaux)
  • European Union
    • Trump and Van der Leiden confirmed the controversial single tariff 15% for pharmaceutical products (https://elglobalfarma.com/politica/arancel-unico-trump-von-der-leyen-europa-eeuu/)
    • The European industry is responding to the tariff agreement between the EU and the US. According to EFPIA, the 15% tariff on pharmaceuticals, with no exceptions for innovative medicines, remains a concern for the future of patients and our sector in Europe (https://diariofarma.com/2025/08/22/la-industria-europea-responde-al-atrabajo-arancelario-entre-la-ue-y-estados-unidos). EFPIA’s response document: https://www.efpia.eu/news-events/the-efpia-view/statements-press-releases/efpia-responds-to-the-publication-of-the-us-eu-joint-framework-agreement/
    • The pharmaceutical industry expects to lose €18 billion due to tariffs, which will generate unsustainable costs. This figure is the one estimated by the pharmaceutical industry as a loss for the sector per year (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250822/industria-farmaceutica-ue-preve-perder-aranceles-generaran-costes- unsustainable/1003743894980_0.html#:~:text=The%20calculations%20prepared%20by%20the,%20European%20employer%20of%20innovative%20medicine.)

National Health Policy

  • Central Administration Initiatives
    • 2026 MIR Call: The Official State Gazette (BOE) publishes this year’s official call: 12,366 specialized healthcare training places (https://www.sanidad.gob.es/gabinete/notasPrensa.do?id=6737)
    • The PP attacks the “insufficient” number of MIR places, saying it condemns the system to collapse. He is particularly critical of the number of vacancies in Primary Care, only 36 more than the previous year (https://www.consalud.es/politica/el-pp-carga-contra-el-insuficiente-numero-de-plazas-mir-condena-al-sistema-al-colapso.html).
  • Autonomous community initiatives
    • The Galician Advanced Therapies Manufacturing Center is part of the CERTERA project of the ISCIII (https://www.xunta.gal/es/notas-de-prensa/-/nova/015812/centro-fabricacion-terapias-avanzadas-integra-consorcio-certera-plataforma-del).
  • Forest fires
    • A wide and diverse array of negative effects on health. Alterations in mucous membranes, the cardiovascular, neurological, and immune systems are mentioned, not to mention the psychological effects (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medicina-urgencias/incendios-forestales-amplio-diverso-rosario-efectos-negativos-salud.html)
  • New guide for the management of medical equipment
    • The SEEIC publishes a guide for the management of medical equipment (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/nueva-guia-para-la-gestion-del-equipamiento-medico-puede-ser-una-palanca-de-cambio.html). Access the guide in PDF format: https://seeic.org/images/site/2025/SEEIC_Guia_gestion_estrategica_y_responsable_de_equipamiento_medico_2025_NO_SOCIOS.pdf
  • New distribution of health areas in different regions
    • New health maps are being prepared in different regions, including Asturias, Aragon, Castilla-La Mancha, the Valencian Community, Cantabria, and La Rioja (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/las-ccaa-cambian-el-tablero-estos-son-los-nuevos-mapas-sanitarios-que-preparan.html#:~:text=Las%20CC.-,AA.,nuevos%20mapas%20sanitarios%20que%20preparan&text=La%20necesidad%20de%20garantizar%20una,de%20sus%20actuales%20mapas%20sanitarios.)
  • Heat wave
    • The heat wave ends with 1,149 deaths attributable to high temperatures (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/08/19/68a49288fc6c83bc7e8b459c.html)

Companies

  • International
    • NovoNordisk halves the price of Ozempic in the US (https://www.ft.com/content/825a4fb6-1f41-4f89-b2fb-5d344f48afa1)
    • Bill Gates funds an AI project for Alzheimer’s (https://www.expansion.com/economia/financial-times/2025/08/22/68a85c5ee5fdeaea038b4591.html)
    • The expiration of key patents will cost pharmaceutical companies in Europe €12.53 billion. This means pharmaceutical companies will lose €12.53 billion in revenue in Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom from 2024 to 2029, according to the consulting firm IQVIA (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13509150/08/25/el-vencimiento-de-patentes-clave-costara-12530-millones-a-las-farmaceuticas-en-europa.html#:~:text=Provocará%20que%20las%20farmacéuticas%20dejen,compuesta%20por%20varios%20fármacos%20superventas.)
    • Lilly and NovoNordisk will follow Trump’s lead: prices will rise in Europe and fall in the US. Two of the 17 multinationals that received Trump’s letter on July 31 have already taken the first steps (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/empresas/noticias/13511906/08/25/lilly-y-novo-nordisk-se-pliegan-a-trump-suben-precios-en-europa-y-bajan-en-eeuu.html)
    • NovoNordisk rebounds on the stock market after US approval to use Wegovy for liver diseases (https://cincodias.elpais.com/mercados-financieros/2025-08-18/novo-nordisk-repunta-en-bolsa-tras-la-aprobacion-de-ee-uu-para-utilizar-wegovy-en-enfermedades-hepaticas.html)
  • National
    • Pharma industry rejects Trump’s tariff; it is far from being a stimulus for the sector (https://elglobalfarma.com/industria/aranceles-trump-farmaindustria/)
    • Brussels authorizes the purchase of Vitaldent by OTPP. This means the sale of the Donte Group by KKR to the Canadian fund Ontario Teachers (OTPP) (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/08/18/68a36f28e5fdea993a8b458e.html)

 

7 days in healthcare (August 11th-17th, 2025)

 

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

  • Biomedicine: The rise of liver cancer must be reversed.
  • Global health: UN talks on plastics end without agreement.
  • International health policy: The suicide of science in the United States.
  • National health policy: Major waiting list crisis in Catalonia.
  • Companies: MSD and Pfizer will lead sales in the pharmaceutical sector in 2025.

Biomedicine

  • To reverse the rise of liver cancer. Let’s assume we go from 870,000 global cases of liver cancer in 2022 to 1.5 million in 2050. This is not pure speculation, but a projection by the Global Cancer Observatory. To avoid this future, we must address the causes: hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol consumption, and steatosis associated with metabolic dysfunction.
  • The world needs more than drugs to fight obesity, says the former CEO of NovoNordisk. According to estimates by The Lancet, more than half of adults and one in three children will be obese by 2050, which would be a catastrophe for health and the economy. Pharmaceutical companies alone cannot solve the crisis without addressing the root causes: restrictions on junk food and an emphasis on physical exercise, among other measures.
  • Interesting article by Juan Abarca on the importance of AI for healthcare professionals. It is said that AI can handle thousands of variables in seconds, compare patterns in millions of cases, and offer an accurate diagnosis based on objective data. But there is something that, at least for now, eludes it: the interpretation of subjective factors, the reading of emotional nuances, the intuition that emerges from experience, and human interaction.

Global Health

  • UN talks on plastics end without agreement. Environmental groups accuse a group of oil-producing powers of not making progress. Plastic production will grow by 70% between 2020 and 2040.
  • Joining forces for better pandemic preparedness: a call for a Global Pandemic Risk Observatory. Since the COVID pandemic, the world has seen how ill-prepared it is to detect global risks. A Global Pandemic Risk Observatory is proposed, unifying fragmented initiatives.

International Health Policy

  • The suicide of science in the United States. The world’s most powerful scientific agencies are being dismantled by an ignorant and fanatical government, says an editorial in El País, confirming a sad reality.
  • China no longer copies medicines; it produces 39% of new drugs and overtakes Europe. In 2024, for the first time, China surpassed Europe as the creator of new active ingredients: 25 in China, compared to 17 in Europe. And although the USA continues to lead this ranking, it does so by a small margin (28 molecules in 2024).
  • Big Pharma is losing its appeal in the United Kingdom. Although it has top-tier players like AstraZeneca and GSK, it appears to be losing favor in this industry, primarily due to the prices approved for NHS drugs. AstraZeneca’s announcement of a major investment in the USA, while withdrawing from another announced in the United Kingdom, is in line with this.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • Crisis with waiting lists in Catalonia. Six months to see a urologist and five for an orthopedic surgeon.
  • Catalonia launches the CSIR, a new model of Primary Care, with greater autonomy, new professional profiles, and digital support. They will begin with 27 pilot centers.
  • New productivity indicators in the Valencian Community. The goal is to define objectives, with their impact on variable productivity. (In favor, CESM; against, SATSE, CCOO, and UGT).

Companies

  • International
    • MSD and Pfizer will lead sales in the pharmaceutical sector in 2025, according to the consulting firm BioKnow. The order would be: MSD, Pfizer, J&J, Abbie, AstraZeneca, Roche, BMS, Lilly, and Sanofi.
  • National
    • Viamed Hospital in Tarragona opens its doors, with advanced technology and 96 individual rooms.

Biomedicine

  • An experimental vaccine targets pancreatic and colorectal cancer. This clinical trial is still in Phase I (https://gacetamedica.com/investigacion/vacuna-experimental-eficacia-cancer-pancreas-colorectal/). Access the original article in Nature Medicine: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03876-4
  • A better definition of human health is needed to implement the One Health strategy. Since COVID, the goal has been to promote the One Health concept, which signifies the interrelationship between human, animal, and environmental health. To advance this goal, a modification of the WHO’s 1948 definition of health is proposed, emphasizing “complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease” (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01015-3/fulltext).
  • Monoclonal antibodies revolutionized biomedical science and healthcare following Köhler and Milstein’s 1975 article describing a method for manufacturing antibody copies in the laboratory. At least 212 drugs have benefited from this approach (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02452-7).
  • To reverse the growth of liver cancer. Let’s assume the global rate of liver cancer increases from 870,000 in 2022 to 1.5 million in 2050. This is not pure speculation, but a projection from the Global Cancer Observatory. To avoid this future, we must address the causes: hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol consumption, and steatosis associated with metabolic dysfunction (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01530-2/fulltext#:~:text=is%20not%20inevitable.-,The%20Lancet%20Commission%20on%20addressing%20the%20global%20hepatocellular%20carcinoma%20burden,alcohol%20consumption%2C%20and%20metabolic%20dysfunction%2D)
  • The world needs more than drugs to fight obesity, says the former CEO of NovoNordisk. According to estimates by The Lancet, more than half of adults and one in three children will be obese by 2050, which would be a catastrophe for health and the economy. Pharmaceutical companies alone cannot solve the crisis without addressing the root causes: restrictions on junk food and an emphasis on exercise, among other measures (https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2025/08/11/the-world-needs-more-than-drugs-to-fight-obesity-writes-novo-nordisks-ex-boss)
  • Routine AI assistance surpasses the expertise of colonoscopy experts, as shown in a study of 1,400 patients conducted in Poland (https://www.ft.com/content/74b82366-1ea1-4f90-80aa-e84a1e655d28)
  • Scientists capture the first images of an egg implanting in the uterus (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/aug/15/scientists-capture-first-footage-of-human-embryo-implanting-in-a-uterus)
  • Scientists are developing brain implants capable of decoding internal language (words imagined in the brain, but whose paralysis prevents them from being translated as language) (https://www.ft.com/content/6bf4ef14-932b-4b2b-8d64-fac10fbfd43c)
  • Invisible cells of the immune system bring a possible cure for type 1 diabetes closer (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/celulas-invisibles-sistema-inmune-acercan-posible-cura-20250808140000-nt.html)
  • Interesting article by Juan Abarca on the importance of AI for professionals. It is said that AI can handle thousands of variables in seconds, compare patterns in millions of cases, and offer an accurate diagnosis based on objective data. But there is something that, at least for now, eludes it: the interpretation of the subjective, the reading of emotional nuances, the intuition that emerges from experience and human interaction. (https://www.elespanol.com/edicion/20250814/profesion-sanitaria-avance-imparable-inteligencia-artificial/1003743887506_12.html)

Global Health

  • Joining forces for better pandemic preparedness: a call for a Global Pandemic Risk Observatory. Since the COVID pandemic, the world has seen how ill-prepared it is to detect global risks. A Global Pandemic Risk Observatory is proposed, unifying fragmented initiatives (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01489-8/fulltext)
  • UN talks on plastics end without agreement. Environmental groups accuse a group of oil-producing powers of failing to make progress. Plastic production is expected to grow by 70% between 2020 and 2040. (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/15/climate/plastic-pollution-treaty-talks-collapse.html)
  • Gaza faces a dire new threat of antibiotic-resistant diseases (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/12/gaza-antibiotic-resistant-disease)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • This is Trump’s plan for the American pharmaceutical industry. The strategy includes taxing imports, putting pressure on prices, and regulatory incentives to repatriate drug production and reduce foreign dependence (https://www.consalud.es/industria/este-es-el-plan-de-trump-para-blindar-la-industria-farmaceutica-de-eeuu.html)
    • The suicide of science in the United States. The world’s most powerful scientific agencies are being dismantled by an ignorant and fanatical government, says an editorial in El País, confirming a sad reality (https://elpais.com/opinion/2025-08-11/el-suicidio-de-la-ciencia-en-ee-uu.html)
    • Kennedy’s next target: the federal vaccine court (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/health/kennedy-vaccine-court.html)
    • Proponents of new Medicaid cuts propose another new law, even more restrictive than Trump’s “beautiful law” (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/13/house-medicaid-cuts-brian-blase-00508181?utm_medium=email&utm_source=substack)
  • China
    • China no longer copies medicines, it produces 39% of new drugs, overtaking Europe. In 2024, for the first time, China surpassed Europe as a developer of new active ingredients: 25 in China, compared to 17 in Europe. And although the USA continues to lead this ranking, it does so by a narrow margin (28 molecules in 2024) (https://theobjecticom/economia/2025-08-17/china-copia-medicinas-39-nuevos-farmacos-europa/#:~:text=El%20Liberal%20%2D%20Economía-,China%20ya%20no%20copia%20medicinas%3A%20produce%20el%2039%25%20de%20los,farmacos%20y%20adelanta%20a%20Europa&text=De%20aquel%20Made%20in%20China,y%20ahora%20también%20en%20biofarmacéutica.)
  • United Kingdom
    • Big Pharma is moving away from the UK’s attraction. Although it has top-tier players like AstraZeneca and GSK, it appears to be losing favor in this industry, primarily due to the prices approved for NHS drugs. AstraZeneca’s announcement of a major investment in the USA, while withdrawing from another announced in the United Kingdom, is in line with this (https://www.ft.com/content/2566360d-f451-4f72-89b6-2290a7bf140d)
    • Vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer plummet in the United Kingdom (https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/08/13/vaccinations-to-prevent-cervical-cancer-have-plummeted-in-britain)
  • Uruguay
    • Liberal Uruguay and the right to die. The law has already been approved by the lower house and is expected to be approved by the Senate as well. It would be the first Latin American country with a law that can be enforced with guarantees. (https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2025/08/14/liberal-uruguay-and-the-right-to-die)

National Health Policy

  • Central Administration Initiatives
    • Prison healthcare in crisis: 72% of medical positions in Spanish prisons are unfilled (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250814/sanidad-penitenciaria-crisis-plazas-medicos-carceles-espanolas-sin-cubierta/1003743886697_0.html#:~:text=En%20concreto%2C%20el%2072%2C5,puestos%20ofertados%20se%20quedan%20vacíos.)
  • Autonomous Community Initiatives
    • Surgical collapse in Catalonia: deaths on waiting lists have soared by 80% in ten years (https://theobjective.com/sanidad/2025-08-11/colapso-quirurgico-cataluna-muertes-lista-espera-se-disparan/)
    • Six months to see a urologist and five for trauma: waiting lists are increasing in Catalonia (https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2025-08-15/seis-meses-para-ver-al-urologo-y-cinco-para-el-trauma-las-listas-de-espera-suben-en-cataluna.html)
    • Catalonia launches the CSIRs, a new Primary Care model with greater autonomy, new professional profiles, and digital support. They will begin with 27 pilot centers (https://www.consalud.es/politica/cataluna-hace-balance-del-primer-ano-de-pane-al-frente-de-salut-con-el-deficit-de-medicos-como-telon-de-fondo.html)
    • The Department of Health of Catalonia creates the General Directorate of Research and Innovation (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/cataluna/pane-impulsa-la-reforma-del-sistema-y-hospitales-en-el-primer-ano-de-govern-5647)
    • New productivity indicators in the Valencian Community. The goal is to define objectives and their impact on variable productivity. (In favor, CESM; against, SATSE, CCOO, and UGT) (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/comunidad-valenciana-nuevo-modelo-productividad-indicadores-innegociables.html)
  • Measles
    • Measles increase in Spain by 43% in the first six months of 2025 (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20250814/sarampion-crece-espana-primeros-meses-van-producir-brotes/1003743885608_0.html)

Companies

  • International
    • Lilly increases the price of obesity medications by 170% in the United Kingdom. The goal is to match the price with other European countries and responds to Trump’s pressure to equalize drug prices across all markets (https://www.ft.com/content/b71a1c59-2735-4ec8-b895-59c562edeeac)
    • MSD and Pfizer will lead sales in the pharmaceutical sector by 2025, according to the consulting firm BioKnow. The order would be: MSD, Pfizer, J&J, Abbie, AstraZeneca, Roche, BMS, Lilly, and Sanofi (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13499575/08/25/msd-y-pfizer-encabezaran-las-ventas-del-sector-farmaceutico-en-2025.html)
  • National
    • Viamed Hospital in Tarragona opens its doors, with advanced technology and 96 individual rooms (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/hospital-viamed-tarragona-abre-puertas.html)
    • Quirón, Ribera, and Vithas, leaders in the private hospital world. They increased their turnover by 6% last year, with 57% of it coming from insurance companies (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/08/14/689cf766e5fdeab5718b4583.html)
    • Skin Test (an aesthetic medicine and cosmetics laboratory) is targeting significant growth thanks to the British fund Charterhouse (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2025/08/15/689f7693e5fdea943d8b45b2.html).

7 days in healhtcare (August 4th-10th, 2025)

 

Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

  • Biomedicine: The discovery of lithium’s essential role in Alzheimer’s opens a hopeful avenue for treating the disease.
  • Global Health: The famines in Gaza and other conflict areas are a moral failure. This includes Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, and Yemen.
  • International Health Policy: Trump threatens pharmaceutical companies with retaliation if they don’t lower “vastly inflated prices.”
  • National Health Policy: The so-called “health reforms” of four pending laws (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and the Framework Statute) run into an unpredictable Congress.
  • Business: Lilly’s obesity pill disappoints but gives encouragement to NovoNordisk.

Biomedicine

  • The discovery of lithium’s essential role in Alzheimer’s opens a hopeful avenue for treating the disease. A Harvard team manages to reverse dementia in mice after a lithium supplement.
  • A large study (JAMA) supports lowering the age for colorectal cancer screening to 45 years and doing it at home. Until now, the recommendation was age 50 and older.

Global Health

  • The famines in Gaza and other conflict areas are a moral failure. This includes Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, and Yemen.
  • What the closure of USAID is really costing the world. The abrupt withdrawal of American aid is affecting millions of patients and entire countries in the coming years. In two decades, 92 million deaths had been avoided thanks to USAID. Perhaps the biggest disaster of the Trump Administration, although it’s difficult to say for sure with such a wide array of absurdities.

International Health Policy

  • Trump threatens retaliation against pharmaceutical companies if they don’t lower “massively inflated prices.” He also accuses other countries, including European ones, of freeloading on American innovation. Currently, medications are on average three times more expensive in the US than in other countries.
  • The EU is promoting effective strategies to stem the healthcare workforce drain: salary increases, improved working conditions, and increased staff.

National Health Policy (Spain)

  • The so-called “healthcare reforms” of four pending laws (tobacco, alcohol, medicines, and the Framework Statute) are facing an unpredictable Congress. Although calling these initiatives “healthcare reforms” is merely a use of language. It is, at best, “ordinary management,” often with misguided policies, such as those affecting the Framework Statute.
  • SESPA will begin competitive examinations in the fall to fill 2,031 positions, with more than 65,000 applicants. One problem is finding venues to hold the “tests.” Logically, as a spectacle, it’s not bad, but any resemblance to a professional selection in this format is purely coincidental.

Companies

  • International
    • Lilly’s obesity pill disappoints and gives NovoNordisk a boost. The weight loss is less than expected. It is striking that a few days ago, Lilly seemed the big winner and Novonordisk the loser in the race for obesity therapy. The situation is very volatile.
    • Demanding that 17 companies lower drug prices in the US raises legal, ethical, and economic problems. The lack of centralized negotiation, the absence of a binding cost-effectiveness assessment in pricing, and the fragmentation of insurance companies are at the heart of the problem. Without a comprehensive reform of the purchasing system, the impact of this initiative would be temporary, partial, and politically fragile, it is emphasized.
  • National
    • Grifols completes the purchase of 28 plasma collection centers in the US from Immunotek for 415 million.

Biomedicine

  • The discovery of lithium’s essential role in Alzheimer’s opens a promising avenue for treating the disease. A Harvard team successfully reversed dementia in mice after supplementing with the metal (https://elpais.com/ciencia/2025-08-06/el-descubrimiento-del-papel-esencial-del-litio-en-el-alzheimer-abre-un-esperanzador-frente-para-tratar-la-enfermedad.html). Access the original article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09335-x
  • A new drug target has been discovered to treat ALS (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/hallan-nueva-diana-farmacologica-tratar-ela-20250805110000-nt.html)
  • A biotechnology company is conducting a trial of antidepressants combined with genetic testing. A German pharmaceutical company, HMNC Brain Health, identifies patients who benefit from its drug (https://www.ft.com/content/4b5f120f-5000-4671-a7a0-5eceedb12da5)
  • Patients with chronic fatigue have different genes, according to a study by the University of Edinburgh, after analyzing 15,000 patients (https://www.ft.com/content/b82711ca-0842-4e73-9475-52435997e349)
  • The “big picture” of Alzheimer’s is missing the small pieces (https://www.ft.com/content/ba453de8-7ed0-44c1-b749-03bc33b05239)
  • Warning of the unexpected effects of Ozempic on muscle function (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/alertan-inesperados-efectos-ozempic-funcion-muscular-20250805141051-nt.html).
  • A large study (JAMA) supports lowering the age for colorectal cancer screening to 45 years and doing it at home. Until now, the recommendation was for children aged 50 and over (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20250804/gran-estudio-avala-bajar-edad-cribado-cancer-colorectal-anos-implantar-pruebas-casa/1003743873991_0.html)

Global Health

  • Children in Gaza are starving, while politicians engage in public relations spectacles (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1610)
  • Famines in Gaza and other conflict areas are a moral failing. This includes Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, and Yemen (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01542-9/fulltext?rss=yes)
  • Scientists warn of plastics as a serious health hazard, before UN talks begin (https://www.ft.com/content/09108445-c1cb-45c2-b145-d767d56aeb7b)
  • What the USAID shutdown is really costing the world. The abrupt withdrawal of US aid is affecting millions of patients and entire countries for years to come. In two decades, 92 million deaths had been averted thanks to USAID (https://www.ft.com/content/0a13ad23-eaa8-475d-a2a9-5e67ff0b2756)
  • The changing future of foreign aid. The demise of USAID has been followed by a decline in development aid funding from other European countries (https://www.ft.com/content/d877a584-72b1-4721-bc54-45117f06a104)

International Health Policy

  • USA
    • Fertility in the US plummets, reaching an all-time low. Even the most fertile states are having fewer children (https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2025/08/05/americas-fertility-crash-reaches-a-new-low)
    • On vaccines, RFK Jr. has completely broken with conventional thinking (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/health/kennedy-vaccines-mrna-trump.html)
    • RFK Jr. cancels nearly $500 million in mRNA vaccine contracts (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/05/health/rfk-jr-vaccine-funding.html)
    • Trump threatens pharmaceutical companies with retaliation if they don’t lower “vastly inflated prices.” He also accuses other countries, including European ones, of making gratuitous use of American innovation. Currently, medications are on average three times more expensive in the US than in other countries (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/07/31/688bb8f7fc6c830c798b458e.html)
    • The US is preparing a large-scale pilot program for Medicare and Medicaid to cover GLP-1 drugs for obesity (https://elglobalfarma.com/politica/eeuu-programa-piloto-medicare-medicaid-glp-1-obesidad/)
  • China
    • China is launching a war reminiscent of the COVID lockdowns in its fight against the Chikungunya virus (https://www.ft.com/content/25d57195-619e-4406-9b3f-c3566cf1747c)
    • China is stepping up its domestic development of obesity therapies, with 10 already in the final phase of trials. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250809/china-pisa-acelerador-desarrollo-local-terapias-obesidad-ultima-fase-ensayo/1003743875162_0.html)
  • United Kingdom
    • The medical exodus in the United Kingdom is a warning sign for the NHS. Doctors are increasingly willing to go abroad in search of better pay (https://www.ft.com/content/e26311ca-e821-40a4-afc3-f11595358a45)
  • France
    • Paris threatens a private equity-owned laboratory with a profit cap (https://www.ft.com/content/146aef21-8e0a-4969-8c3a-a961e46ba72c)
  • European Union
    • The EU is promoting effective strategies to stem the flow of healthcare workers: salary increases, improved working conditions, and increased staff (https://www.consalud.es/profesionaleseceta-atraer-retener-profesionales-sanitarios.html). Access the Eurofound report: https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/publications/2023/measures-tackle-labour-shortages-lessons-future-policy
    • The EMA recommends the approval of 13 new medicines, of which 5 are orphan medicines and 4 are biosimilars (https://diariofarma.com/2025/08/06/la-ema-recomienda-la-aprobacion-de-13-nuevos-medicamentos)

National Health Policy

  • Central Administration Initiatives
    • The so-called “health reforms” of four pending laws (tobacco, alcohol, medicines, and the Framework Statute) are running into an unpredictable Congress (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-08-06/del-tabaco-en-las-terrazas-a-las-guardias-medicas-las-reformas-sanitarias-se-topan-con-un-congreso-imprevisible.html)
  • Autonomous Community Initiatives
    • The Catalan private healthcare system will establish quality assurance systems. The Regional Ministry is drafting a bill, which will be submitted for public consultation (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/cataluna/la-sanidad-concertada-catalana-establecera-sistemas-de-garantia-de-calidad-2151)
    • SESPA will launch competitive examinations in the fall to fill 2,031 positions, with more than 65,000 applicants (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/sespa-iniciara-otono-oposiciones-cubrir-2031-plazas.html#:~:text=Profesión%20Procesos%20selectivos-,El%20Sespa%20iniciará%20en%20otoño%20las%20oposiciones%20para%20cubrir%202.031,de%202022%2C%202023%20y%202024.)
    • The Balearic Islands launch a pioneering plan for telemental health. This is a pilot program with video calls (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/baleares/las-islas-baleares-ponen-en-marcha-un-proyecto-de-telesalud-mental.html)
    • The new Malaga hospital of the Andalusian Regional Government is getting closer. The three proposals will be evaluated next week (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/andalucia/el-nuevo-hospital-de-malaga-cada-vez-mas-cerca-la-junta-de-andalucia-recibe-tres-propuestas.html)
  • MIR Test
    • The PP demands explanations in Congress for the changes in the MIR committee (https://www.consalud.es/formacion/mir/el-pp-registra-en-el-congreso-doce-preguntas-para-explicar-la-crisis-en-el-comite-del-mir.html)
  • COVID
    • COVID is raging this summer, with sales of self-diagnostic tests doubling (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2025-08-08/covid-desatado-verano_4187704/)

Companies

  • International
    • AstraZeneca is falling with The United Kingdom, with which the company expresses its disappointment, considering going public in New York (https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/08/03/astrazenecas-falling-out-with-britain)
    • BioNTech reaches agreement on COVID vaccine patent with CureVac (https://www.ft.com/content/7dc60b08-bde6-4564-a88c-f5a73e4de84c)
    • Lilly’s obesity pill disappoints but gives NovoNordisk encouragement. Weight loss is less than expected (https://www.ft.com/content/4ca30822-26a9-4a2d-8a19-3a07238ac182)
    • Sandoz is trying to lower the price of anti-obesity drugs by 70% in Canada (https://www.ft.com/content/e1da2702-e904-4c52-b7de-9525f0639f18)
    • Pharmaceutical companies are considering not launching their drugs in the EU to avoid Trump’s price cuts. The reason: the low profitability of the prices set by government agencies. It seems that Portugal already has a shortage of innovative medicines. Nearly half of pharmaceutical companies’ revenues originate in the USA (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250805/laboratorios-barajan-no-lanzar-farmacos-ue-eludir-bajada-precios-trump/1003743874507_0.html)
    • NovoNordisk closes the first half of the year with a profit of 7.442 billion euros, up 22%. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250806/novo-nordisk-cierra-primer-semestre-beneficio-millones/1003743876623_0.html#:~:text=despues%20de%20rebajar%20sus%20previsiones,)%2C%20un%2022%25%20más.)
    • Demanding that 17 companies lower drug prices in the US raises legal, ethical, and economic issues. The lack of centralized negotiation, the absence of a binding cost-effectiveness assessment in pricing, and the fragmentation of insurance companies are at the root of the problem. Without a comprehensive reform of the purchasing system, the impact of this initiative would be punctual, partial, and politically fragile, it is emphasized (https://elglobalfarma.com/industria/exigir-companias-bajen-precios-medicamentos-eeuu-problemas/).
  • National
    • Grifols completes the purchase of 28 plasma collection centers in the USA from Immunotek for 415 million (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-08-06/grifols-centros-plasma-eeuu-immunotek/#:~:text=Grifols%20ha%20consolidado%20la%20propiedad,(415%20millones%20de%20euros).)
    • CVC sells the Vitalia nursing homes to StepStone and Greykite for 900 million (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/08/04/688fa4f0e5fdea556d8b459b.html)