Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

• Biomedicine: A new gene-editing strategy could enable the development of treatments for rare diseases.
• Global Health: Trump’s anti-climate change agenda could cause 1.3 million deaths annually.
• International Health Policy: In France, medical records can be downloaded directly to mobile phones starting next Tuesday.
• National Health Policy: “There’s no money for healthcare because the money is in Quirón or in the pockets of millionaires” (statements by the Minister of Health).
• Companies: Lilly joins the trillion-dollar club thanks to its anti-obesity treatments.

Biomedicine

• A new gene-editing strategy could enable the development of treatments for rare diseases. Instead of requiring a personalized gene-editing system for each patient, the new approach may allow for a standardized approach for many diseases.
• An initial look at mRNA vaccines to prevent the flu. These types of vaccines, according to initial studies, may be more effective than traditional vaccines.
• Chronic kidney disease: breaking the silence. Because it was initially silent, it didn’t receive much attention, but the burden of this disease is growing: 788 million people worldwide have chronic kidney failure.

Global Health

• Trump’s anti-climate change agenda could cause 1.3 million deaths annually, according to a study. Rising temperatures are already causing a large number of deaths. Trump’s “America First” agenda will increase that number.
• Bill Gates says that climate change is not as serious as other problems that humanity must address. According to Gates, much progress has been made on the issue of climate change, and although it still represents a serious danger, the most serious threats, especially in poor countries, are poverty and disease. He is receiving strong criticism for this, as it is considered a dangerous distraction.

International Health Policy

• The digital Vital Card is available on mobile phones throughout France starting Tuesday. It will be available for download on iOS or Android, and this application will allow insured individuals to access their medical records directly from their mobile phones.
• The NHS is proceeding with its plan to lay off thousands of workers. According to the Secretary of State for Health, this will generate £1 billion in bureaucratic savings over the legislative term, which will be dedicated to improving care.
• The European Investment Bank is focusing on healthcare. Experts estimate that the closure of USAID will result in 88 deaths per hour. Other estimates put the figure at 14 million deaths by 2030. In response, some Scandinavian countries and philanthropists are increasing aid to these countries, as is the European Investment Bank.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• “There is no money for healthcare because the money is in Quirón or in the pockets of millionaires.” This is the economic analysis of healthcare by the Minister of Health. No comment.
• Cantabria launches its Healthcare Humanization Plan 2025-2029. Pascual presents a “cross-cutting and comprehensive” strategy that seeks to recover the traditional values ​​of Medicine and restore “necessary silences, reassuring glances, supportive hands, and explanations that bring peace.” An extraordinary step.
• Cantabria presents its Genomics Strategy 2025-2029, focusing on research and data. Idival reports that the regional cohort has already reached 50,000 volunteers, 20% of the population between 40 and 70 years old. A success for the Cantabria region.
• The Parliament of Catalonia approves the Integrated Social and Healthcare Agency. A strategic step that connects Catalonia with the most advanced policies in Europe. This step is of utmost importance and will undoubtedly serve as a lesson for many other autonomous communities. Given the prevalence of chronic diseases, the relationship between healthcare and social services is key. •
• An interesting analysis of the serious situation of waiting lists in Spain (12% of the population at some stage of waiting). “The problem is not money, but the model,” says Juan Abarca in his article, since public healthcare spending has increased by 50% in the last 10 years. He attributes this problem to the refusal to change the administrative management model, so incompatible with efficiency. Despite the seriousness of the problem, this issue is not on the agenda of the Ministry of Health.

Companies

• International
  • Lilly joins the club of companies with a market capitalization of one trillion dollars, thanks to its anti-obesity treatments

• National News
  • Santander aims to expand its health insurance business by hiring the CEO of Sanitas. This will likely change the landscape of health insurers in Spain.
  • Palex strengthens its presence in Switzerland with the acquisition of the medtech company Anandic. The group, owned by Apax Partners and Fremman Capital, expands its offering in the hospital sector with the acquisition of the firm, which has a turnover of €37 million and employs around 70 professionals. This is its third acquisition this year.

Biomedicine

• An initial look at mRNA vaccines for preventing influenza. According to initial studies, these vaccines may be more effective than traditional vaccines (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2514597)
• Chronic kidney disease: breaking the silence. Because it was initially silent, it didn’t receive much attention, but the burden of this disease is growing: 788 million people worldwide have chronic kidney disease (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02363-3/fulltext). The declaration from the last World Health Assembly urges the prevention and control of this disease: https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB156/B156_CONF6-en.pdf
• Lung cancer screening saves lives, but it could save many more. Low-dose computed tomography screening is effective, but it is not performed on more than 80% of potential candidates (https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2025.23244)
• Obesity medications will be available globally. The expiration of some patents will help (https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2025/11/12/weight-loss-drugs-will-go-global)
• A new gene-editing strategy could enable the development of treatments for rare diseases. Instead of requiring a customized gene-editing system for each patient, the new approach may allow for a standardized approach to many diseases (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/health/gene-editing-rare-diseases.html). Access the original article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09732-2
• CAR-T immunotherapy is reaching the most common form of heart disease. Modified cells in mice reduced the accumulation of arterial plaque, preventing atherosclerosis (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/inmunoterapia-cart-llega-forma-comun-enfermedad-cardiaca-20251121122240-nt.html)
• The cell of origin of Ewing sarcoma has been identified. The discovery, by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and the Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute, opens the door to new therapies. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/oncologia/identificada-celula-origen-sarcoma-ewing.html)
• Targeted heat from LED lights: a research avenue for fighting cancer. A team from the universities of Porto and Texas is developing a photothermal system that opens the door to new treatments in outlying areas and even home interventions (https://elpais.com/proyecto-tendencias/2025-11-19/calor-dirigido-con-luces-led-una-via-en-estudio-para-combatir-el-cancer.html). Access the original article: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c03135

Global Health

• Trump’s anti-climate change agenda could cause 1.3 million deaths annually, according to a study. Rising temperatures are already causing a large number of deaths. Trump’s “America First” agenda will increase that number (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/19/trump-emissions-policy-could-cause-climate-deaths). Access the original article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-99156-5
• France is not extending its participation in the fight against AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, according to several associations. France, which had pledged €1.596 billion in 2022, has not made any commitments this year (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2025/11/21/la-france-ne-prolonge-pas-sa-participation-au-fonds-mondial-de-lutte-contre-le-sida-la-tuberculose-et-le-paludisme-selon-plusieurs-associations_6654372_3244.html)
• Experts warn of the global risk of ultra-processed foods. Three articles published in ‘The Lancet’ highlight the decline in fresh food and the unethical practices of the food industry (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/aumento-alimentos-ultraprocesados-amenaza-salud-publica-20251119143411-nt.html). Access the original Lancet article: https://www.thelancet.com/series-do/ultra-processed-food
• Bill Gates says that climate change is not as serious as other problems humanity faces. According to Gates, much progress has been made on climate change, and although it still poses a serious danger, the most serious threats, especially in poor countries, are poverty and disease (https://www.gatesnotes.com/home/home-page-topic/reader/three-tough-truths-about-climate). It has received strong criticism for this, as it is considered a dangerous distraction: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03712-2

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The CDC website is now anti-vaccine, at the direct direction of RFK, Jr. (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2025/11/cdc-website-autism-vaccine-kennedy/685001/)
  • Certain Republicans in the Senate are working on a plan to lower healthcare costs. There are only a few weeks left before Obamacare subsidies expire and those enrolled will have to pay much more expensive policies (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/18/aca-obamacare-subsidies-extension-00655842)

• United Kingdom
  • The NHS is proceeding with its plan to lay off thousands of workers. According to the health secretary, this will allow for savings of £1 billion in bureaucracy over the legislative term, which will be dedicated to improving care (https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj.r2399)
  • The official report concludes that the British government’s response during Covid (Boris Johnson) was insufficient and delayed (https://www.ft.com/content/7ea6f7c8-e59a-466b-964a-8c9acf218415)

• France
  • The digital version of the Vital Card has been available on mobile phones throughout France since Tuesday. It can be downloaded on iOS or Android, and this application will allow policyholders to access their medical records directly from their mobile phones (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/11/18/la-carte-vitale-dematerialisee-disponible-sur-smartphone-des-mardi-partout-en-france_6653837_3224.html)

• European Union
  • The European Investment Bank is focusing on health. Experts estimate that the USAID shutdown is causing 88 deaths per hour. Other estimates put the death toll at 14 million by 2030. In response, some Scandinavian countries and philanthropists are increasing aid to these countries, as is the European Investment Bank (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02362-1/fulltext).
  • The ECDC attributes the unusual spread of influenza in Europe to the subclass K A (H3N2) strain (https://diariofarma.com/2025/11/20/el-ecdc-atribuye-el-avance-inusual-de-la-gripe-en-europa-a-la-nueva-cepa-subclade-k).

National Health Policy

• Central Government Initiatives
  • “There is no money for health because the money is in Quirón or in the pockets of millionaires” (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/monica-garcia-hay-dinero-salud-dinero-quiron-o-bolsillos-millonarios.html) and “We are going to create a law that shields the National Health System from privatization ambitions” (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/parlamentarios/garcia-vamos-a-crear-una-ley-que-blinde-el-sns-de-ansias-privatizadoras–8384)
  • The Ministry of Health allocates 100,000 euros to promote abortion as something positive. According to the document, the aim is to generate “a positive narrative about the exercise of this sexual and reproductive right” (https://theobjective.com/espana/2025-11-20/sanidad-100-000-euros-campana-aborto-positivo/)
  • Countdown to choosing the headquarters of the State Public Health Agency: the regions can now submit their applications. Barcelona, ​​Zaragoza, Granada, León, Oviedo, and Lugo are some of the cities that have applied to host this long-awaited agency (https://www.lne.es/sociedad/2025/11/18/cuenta-elegir-sede-agencia-estatal-salud-publica-comunidades-presentar-candidaturas-123858111.html)
  • All autonomous communities, except the Basque Country and Galicia, have joined the government’s €1.7 billion mega-contract for vaccines (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20251121/todas-ccaa-pais-vasco-galicia-adhieren-megacontrato-vacunas-millones-gobierno/1003744022477_0.html)

• Initiatives of autonomous communities
  • Cantabria launches its Humanization Plan of Healthcare 2025-2029. Pascual presents a “cross-cutting and comprehensive” strategy that seeks to recover the traditional values ​​of Medicine and return “necessary silences, reassuring glances, supportive hands, and explanations that bring peace” (https://diariofarma.com/2025/11/18/cantabria-inicia-su-plan-de-humanizacion-de-la-asistencia-sanitaria-2025-2029). Access the full text of the Plan: https://saludcantabria.es/documents/20117/200245/Plan%20de%20Humanización%20de%20la%20Asistencia%20Sanitaria%20en%20Cantabria%202025_2029.pdf/37ff204a-9ecb-48c6-035a-c62a2a3eb583
  • Cantabria presents its Genomics Strategy 2025-2029, focusing on research and data. Idival reports that the regional cohort has already reached 50,000 volunteers, 20% of the population between 40 and 70 years old (https://diariofarma.com/2025/11/16/cantabria-presenta-su-estrategia-de-genomica-2025-2029-con-un-enfoque-innovador-en-investigacion-y-datos)
  •  The Parliament of Catalonia approves the Integrated Social and Healthcare Agency. A strategic step connecting Catalonia with the most advanced policies in Europe (https://govern.cat/salapremsa/notes-premsa/765848/el-parlament-de-catalunya-aprova-la-creacio-de-l-agencia-d-atencio-integrada-social-i-sanitaria-agaiss-cat)
  • Valencian Health Service commissions IQVIA to develop the single electronic health record for 69 million euros (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/empresas/noticias/13656394/11/25/la-sanidad-valenciana-encarga-la-historia-clinica-unica-a-la-multinacional-iqvia-por-69-millones-de-euros.html)

• Healthcare spending
  • Per capita healthcare spending in Spain is 21% of the OECD average (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20251117/gasto-sanitario-per-capita-espana-debajo-media-ocde/1003744013957_0.html)
  • Public spending on healthcare does not exceed the 7% threshold and remains far below the EU average (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20251119/gasto-publico-sanidad-no-salva-barrera-pib-queda-lejos-media-union-europea/1003744018956_0.html)

• Framework Statute
  • Doctors acknowledge a good relationship with the healthcare system, but admit to “many nuances” in their latest proposal (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20251121/estatuto-marco-medicos-admiten-buena-sintonia-sanidad-reclaman-matices-ultima-oferta/1003744024683_0.html)

• Sick leave
  • Spanish companies lose €148 billion annually due to sick leave (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-11-22/bajas-medicas-empresas-perdida-productividad/)

• Escalation of kidney disease in Spain
  • The unstoppable rise in kidney disease in Spain: 40% more dialysis and transplants in almost 20 years. The increase is not only due to increased life expectancy. This is also due to the fact that the risk factors associated with the disease are not being addressed. (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20251119/imparable-escalada-enfermedad-renal-espana-dialisis-trasplantes-anos/1003744018463_0.html)

• Analysis of waiting lists in Spain
  • An interesting analysis of the serious situation of waiting lists in Spain (12% of the population in some stage of waiting). “The problem is not money, but the model,” says Juan Abarca in his article, since public healthcare spending has increased by 50% in the last 10 years. He attributes this problem to the refusal to change the administrative management model, which is so incompatible with efficiency (https://www.elespanol.com/opinion/tribunas/20251118/acabar-listas-espera-sanidad-publica/1003744017410_12.html)
• An interesting article by Víctor Lapuente, professor at the University of Gothenburg: Healthcare for all
  • He calls for increased public resources; less pharmaceutical spending, which is well above the European average; a smaller and unsustainable network of regional hospitals; and more, not less, public-private partnerships. and the streamlining of a highly bureaucratic management system. Without surgery, we accomplish nothing (https://elpais.com/opinion/2025-11-18/sanidad-para-todas.html)

Companies

• International
  • The American group Abbott invests in cancer screening technology with a $23 billion deal (https://www.ft.com/content/e1a60b35-8b88-474b-a779-64b35889b12e)
  • A new initiative supported by GSK seeks to combat super-resistant bacteria with AI (https://www.ft.com/content/85252c42-0834-487c-9287-3446f838b58e)
  • Lilly joins the trillion-dollar club thanks to its anti-obesity treatments (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-11-21/eli-lilly-entra-en-el-club-de-empresas-del-billon-de-dolares-en-bolsa-ante-la-pasion-por-los-tratamientos-anti-obesidad.html)

• National News
  • Pfizer carries out layoffs in Spain as part of its company restructuring plan (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20251117/pfizer-ejecuta-despidos-espana-parte-plan-reestructurar-compania/1003744014688_0.html)
  • Palex strengthens its presence in Switzerland with the purchase of the medtech company Anandic. The group owned by Apax Partners and Fremman Capital expands its offering in the hospital sector with the acquisition of the firm, which has a turnover of €37 million and employs around 70 professionals. This is its third acquisition this year (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2025/11/21/6920bcfa468aeb3a4f8b4575.html)
  • Fedefarma invests €28 million to expand a logistics center in Barcelona (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2025/11/21/692048a0468aeb03688b459e.html)
  • Santander aims to grow in health insurance by hiring the CEO of Sanitas (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/seguros/2025/11/21/691f7505e5fdeaf5118b4588.html)

 

Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

• Biomedicine: James Watson, co-discoverer of the helical structure of DNA, dies at 97.
• Global Health: Why the Belem COP summit must drive action against climate change.
• International Health Policy: Trump announces an agreement to lower the price of anti-obesity drugs to a maximum of $149 per month.
• National Health Policy: Obesity costs Spain €130 billion per year.
• Business: Ribera remains the final candidate to acquire the Benidorm Clinical Hospital group.

Biomedicine

• James Watson, co-discoverer of the helical structure of DNA, dies at 97. The American biochemist, along with Briton Francis Crick, was responsible for the most important biological discovery of the 20th century. James Watson made contributions to genetics and cancer research throughout his life.
• Radiation may be unnecessary in many breast cancers, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
• The brain atlas reveals genetic risks for cancer and mental illness.

Global Health

• Why the Belem COP summit must drive action against climate change. Delegates at the Brazil Conference must push for agreements to develop a low-carbon economy. There is no Planet B.
• Abandoning the WHO and defunding USAID. A harsh article against the current US administration published in the American Journal of Medicine.

International Health Policy

• Trump announces an agreement to lower the price of anti-obesity drugs to a maximum of $149 per month. The agreement is with Lilly and Novo Nordisk.
• Healthcare costs in the US are rising rapidly. Costs for those covered through an insurer have increased 8.5% this year, according to PwC. Similar increases affect insurance purchased through Obamacare.
• The Chinese life sciences industry is overtaking the American one. Meanwhile, the US is abandoning its winning formula.
• Vaping has surpassed smoking in the UK for the first time. 5.4 million vapers, compared to 4.9 million smokers.
• The UK must pay more for medicines or companies will leave the country, says the US envoy. The warning comes directly from US Ambassador Warren Stephens.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Obesity costs Spain €130 billion a year. The analysis quantifies the cost of the 18 diseases linked to obesity.
• The Ministry of Health has given the PP-governed regions one month to submit screening data before taking legal action. However, it is unlikely that things will escalate, as the Ministry has accepted the proposal from the PP councilors to hold a new Interterritorial Council meeting, following their major blunder of refusing to provide information on the screenings, citing certain technicalities. It is great news that the SAS professional unions are not joining the “white tide” protest against President Juanma Moreno.

Companies

• International
  • Pfizer wins the bid against Novo Nordisk for €10 billion for the start-up Metsera.

• National
  • Ribera emerges as the final candidate to acquire the Hospital Clínico Benidorm group. Their offer was selected after a process involving several candidates.
  • Madrid, Málaga, and Barcelona dominate the opening of private hospitals. A dozen new developments are projected by 2028.

Biomedicine

• James Watson, co-discoverer of the helical structure of DNA, dies at 97. The American biochemist, along with Briton Francis Crick, was responsible for the most important biological discovery of the 20th century. James Watson made contributions to genetics and cancer research throughout his life (https://www.ft.com/content/283fc6c1-8de8-422c-9cf6-5b7971f42436)
• mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 may enhance the effects of immunotherapy. Patients who received the vaccine within 100 days of starting cancer immunotherapy benefited from increased survival and slower disease progression (https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj.r2245)
• Can dopamine reboot the brain? Dopamine is not just the “pleasure drug,” but has other important functions (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/10/31/can-a-dopamine-detox-reset-your-brain)
• Radiation may be unnecessary in many breast cancers (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/health/breast-cancer-radiation.html) Original article in the New England Journal of Medicine: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2412225
• The brain atlas reveals genetic risks for cancer and mental illness (https://www.ft.com/content/c370aca1-d00f-447a-9679-b4275ba40688) Original article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09652-1.epdf?sharing_token=FVButLmtPomHNfvcqd8Ga9RgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0NNU-pgHg4IN6Hg57R5fB1bGzjdB76kH6y7av2_ws2XGhlQiePPnp3O8TWBYtaVY9FvbjTObb0E18bvJU5QxG7ZtWGnGmfEx8iZCGgrwzKJNBqu7kagu6BNPl3bIOR9zymOZYiZrn4fQX7S-
• AI-engineered antibodies promise a major breakthrough in new drug development. A team at the University of Washington is using generative AI to create new cancer antibodies (https://www.ft.com/content/328a3211-6f2f-471e-b7bd-eb3c1a768f1c)
• Taking 5,000 steps a day may help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (https://www.ft.com/content/91fce803-976a-442d-9798-931a076a94aa). Access the original publication in Nature Medicine: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03955-6
• Small exercise “snacks”: the new recipe against sedentary lifestyles (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/enformate/2025-11-04/pequenos-snacks-de-ejercicio-la-nueva-receta-contra-el-sedentarismo.html). Access the original article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254625000705
• Hans Clevers: “Organoids predict with 85% accuracy whether a drug is useful against cancer” (https://www.larazon.es/salud/hans-clevers-organoides-predicen-85-acierto-farmaco-util-frente-cancer_20251103690399729de7280e3d374855.html)

Global Health

• Trying to understand the health risks of drone warfare. The use of drones as a weapon of war began under Obama. Russia is said to launch 5,400 drone attacks on Ukraine per month. Although there are no exact figures, it is estimated that drones are responsible for 70% of military casualties (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02261-5/fulltext)
• Why the Belem COP summit must drive action against climate change. Delegates at the Brazil Conference must push for agreements to develop a low-carbon economy. There is no Planet B (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03567-7)
• Abandoning the WHO and defunding USAID. A scathing article against the current US administration published in the American Journal of Medicine (https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(25)00401-2/fulltext)
• How a warmer world is making pregnancies riskier. Some scientists link global warming to the increasingly frequent adverse events during pregnancy (https://www.ft.com/content/a6a08a27-2d21-4e6b-be9f-1846d2c4ac18)
• Trump as a threat to global health. An important podcast from Le Monde, highly critical of Trump and Kennedy (https://podcasts.lemonde.fr/lheure-du-monde/202511030300-comment-trump-menace-la-sante-mondiale)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • Healthcare costs in the USA are rising rapidly. Costs for those covered through an insurer have increased by 8.5% this year, according to PwC. Similar increases are affecting insurance purchased through Obamacare (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2025/11/06/americas-health-care-costs-are-shooting-up)
  • What Trump’s deal to lower obesity drug prices means for citizens. The agreement varies greatly in price depending on the type of product, dosage, and payment method (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/health/trump-obesity-drug-prices-explainer.html)
  • Trump announces a deal to lower the price of anti-obesity drugs to a maximum of $149 per month. The agreement is with Lilly and Novo Nordisk (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/health/obesity-drug-prices-trump.html)
  • Big Food Companies’ war against Kennedy is heating up, against the proposed labeling system and other regulations (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/health/rfk-big-food-companies-maha.html)

• China
  • The Chinese life sciences industry is overtaking the American one. Meanwhile, the US is abandoning its winning formula (https://www.economist.com/business/2025/11/06/chinas-life-sciences-industry-is-turning-american)
  • China seeks self-sufficiency in science in the next five-year plan. Beijing wants to make progress primarily in semiconductor technologies, AI, and basic research (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03491-w)

• United Kingdom
  • Why management matters in England’s 10-year Health Plan. Top-level managers and medical leadership are key to the plan’s success (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/long-reads/why-management-matters-nhs-10-year-plan)
  • What the next NHS Workforce Plan must not ignore. As the government prepares a 10-year HR plan, lessons should be learned from the 2023 plan (https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/plan-b-what-the-forthcoming-nhs-workforce-strategy-should-not-ignore)
  • Medical training in the UK needs major changes. Many bottlenecks that benefit no one (https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj.r2251)
  • Vaping surpasses smoking in the UK for the first time. 5.4 million vapers, compared to 4.9 million smokers (https://www.ft.com/content/79f45567-aca2-4f08-8ad7-ecadf6194dcb)
  • Reform of the UK welfare system is inevitable. Benefit reform is essential if very significant tax increases are to be avoided (https://www.ft.com/content/0bd791ae-7172-4352-9392-18bf5e65d572)
  • The UK must pay more for medicines or companies will leave the country, says the US envoy. The warning comes directly from US Ambassador Warren Stephens (https://www.ft.com/content/faca5df6-2485-441f-b285-014e2865491b)
  • NHS productivity is worsening, even as hospital efficiency increases. NHS productivity—measured in terms of services delivered per unit of input, such as staff—was 1.5% lower in the three months to June 2025, compared to the previous year (https://www.ft.com/content/c8ce887a-a2a6-4bbb-a820-8c52a627b3e6)

• France
  • Fears of pharmaceutical deserts are growing. In rural areas, the cessation of pharmacy services is increasing. (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/11/02/la-crainte-des-deserts-pharmaceutiques-gagne-les-campagnes-il-en-va-de-notre-qualite-de-vie-en-milieu-rural_6651073_3224.html)

National Health Policy

• Central Government Initiatives
  • The Ministry of Health publishes its mega-contract for vaccines: 25 lots for €1.693 billion (https://diariofarma.com/2025/11/03/sanidad-publica-su-macrocontrato-de-vacunas-para-25-lotes-por-1-693-millones-de-euros)

• Regional Government Initiatives
  • The Amancio Ortega Foundation donates €11.24 million to the National Paraplegic Hospital of Toledo (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/11/04/6909c36dfc6c836f258b4575.html)
  • Osakidetza opens the door to manufacturing CAR-T cell therapies in its hospitals (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/pais-vasco/osakidetza-abre-la-puerta-a-fabricar-terapias-car-t-en-sus-hospitales-6120)
  • The three Galician universities have reached a preliminary agreement to decentralize Medicine. The agreement is between the rectors of the Universities of Vigo, A Coruña, and Santiago de Compostela (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/galicia/las-tres-universidades-gallegas-preacuerdan-descentralizar-medicina-9165)
  • Catalonia leads the export of doctors to other Spanish provinces. Barcelona, ​​Lleida, and Tarragona are the largest exporters to other regions (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/medicina/los-medicos-cambian-de-provincia-mucho-mas-que-antes-cataluna-la-gran-exportadora.html)
  • Castilla y León launches its research strategy in advanced therapies (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/castilla-y-leon/arranca-la-estrategia-de-investigacion-e-innovacion-en-terapias-avanzadas-de-castilla-y-leon.html)
  • Andalusia awards Phase I of its CAR-T project to develop cancer therapies. Funded with €4.2 million from European funds (https://diariofarma.com/2025/11/02/andalucia-adjudica-la-fase-i-de-su-proyecto-car-t-para-desarrollar-terapias-contra-el-cancer)
  • Asturias leads Spain in cancer rates and is projected to reach 8,760 cases by 2050 (https://www.elcomercio.es/asturias/asturias-lidera-tasa-cancer-espana-20251105115404-nt.html)

• Waiting lists
  • The surgical waiting list has decreased slightly, reaching 848,340 patients with an average wait time of 118 minutes. (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/las-listas-de-espera-quirurgicas-en-espana-dejan-848340-pacientes-y-118-dias-de-espera-media.html). Access the original document from the Ministry of Health: https://www.sanidad.gob.es/estadEstudios/estadisticas/inforRecopilaciones/docs/Datos_ccaa_jun2025.pdf

• Report on Obesity in Spain
  • Obesity costs Spain 130 billion euros per year. The analysis quantifies the cost of the 18 diseases related to obesity (https://elglobalfarma.com/industria/obesidad-cuesta-espana-130-000-millones-ano-carga-economica-oculta/). Access the report “Social Value of the Disease”: https://assets.ctfassets.net/fqfkufria9xc/7gzvV9NTHpcIw4TblybEAa/d1af71fa9f168c14d5fb311b4fd40ae1/Valor_Social_de_la_Obesidad.pdf

• The controversy surrounding breast cancer screening in Andalusia and the plans of the new Andalusian Minister of Health
  • The Ministry of Health gives the PP-governed regions one month to submit screening data before taking legal action (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-11-04/sanidad-requiere-oficialmente-a-las-comunidades-del-pp-que-le-remitan-los-datos-sobre-los-cribados-antes-de-ir-a-los-tribunales.html)
  • The Ministry of Health yields to the request of the PP councilors and convenes an extraordinary Interterritorial Council meeting on November 12 (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/sanidad-cede-peticion-consejeros-pp-convoca-interterritorial-extraordinario-dia-12.html)
  • The professional unions of the Andalusian Health Service (SATSE and CSIF) turn their backs on the White Tide movement and withdraw from their demonstration against Juanma Moreno (https://www.abc.es/espana/andalucia/sindicatos-profesionales-sas-dan-espalda-mareas-blancas-20251106163104-nts.html)

Companies

• International
  • Obesity drugs boost Lilly’s profits (https://www.ft.com/content/32f0dae4-fc82-47df-9170-530562c341a7)
  • Pfizer wins €10 billion bid against Novo Nordisk for start-up Metsera (https://www.ft.com/content/d9f58a26-5395-4acb-8dfc-d55cb53f946e)
  • AI-powered Apple Watch reveals heart damage. Researchers say this early screening to detect structural disease on a large scale (https://www.ft.com/content/4766c95e-9a87-4ec8-9f18-1f54df0ba713)

• National News
  • Semi-public pharmaceutical company Terafront Farmatech will launch its strategic plan before 2026. The company was founded in 2024 (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20251104/farmaceutica-semipublica-terafront-farmatech-lanzara-plan-estrategico/1003743996712_0.html)
  • Echevarne launches a bid for Aspy from Atrys to create a leader in occupational risks (https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2025-11-03/echevarne-lanza-una-oferta-por-aspy-a-atrys-para-crear-el-lider-en-riesgos-laborales_4240173/)
  • Ribera remains the final candidate to purchase the Hospital Clínico Benidorm group. Its offer was chosen after a selection process involving several candidates (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13631611/11/25/ribera-salud-se-queda-como-candidato-final-para-la-compra-del-grupo-hospital-clinica-benidorm.html)
  • Madrid, Málaga, and Barcelona dominate the openings of private hospitals. A dozen new hospital developments are projected by 2028 (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13628637/11/25/madrid-malaga-y-barcelona-copan-las-aperturas-de-hospitales-privados.html)
  • Analysts back Grifols: Santander and CaixaBank believe it’s worth nearly twice as much (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-11-07/los-analistas-respaldan-a-grifols-santander-y-caixabank-creen-que-vale-cerca-del-doble.html)

 

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

• Biomedicine: Vision is being restored using a retinal implant for people suffering from macular degeneration.
• Global health: Housing: a determinant of health and equity.
• International health policy: The transformation of mental health in Europe: from crisis to opportunity.
• National health policy: Tensions between Autonomous Communities and the Ministry of Health over the provision of information on screenings and their presence on the Interterritorial Council.
• Companies: Rovi will manufacture Roche’s new obesity drug entirely in Spain.

Biomedicine

• Vision is being restored using a retinal implant for people suffering from macular degeneration, which could reach one million in the USA alone. The treatment allows people to see enough to read.
• “Guided missiles” targeting tumor cells open a new highway for treating cancer. If half a century ago we looked to chemotherapy, and fifteen years ago to immunotherapy, now we look to “immunoconjugated drugs” (ADCs), treatments that work like a Trojan horse, delivering chemotherapy into tumor cells. This is the conclusion of the ESMO (European Congress of Oncology), held last week in Berlin.

Global Health

• Housing: a determinant of health and equity. A study by UN Habitat shows that 2.8 billion people live in inadequate housing, 1 billion live in informal accommodation, and 300 million are homeless. Housing problems are accompanied by poor health—including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, mental illness, infectious diseases, and injuries—and are one of the primary determinants of health. Climate change does not contribute to the problem.
• The rise in cancer cases in people under 50 is confirmed. A study conducted in 42 countries warns of an increase in six tumors (thyroid, kidney, breast, colorectal, endometrial, and leukemia) in adults aged 20 to 49.

International Health Policy

• The transformation of mental health in Europe: from crisis to opportunity. Approximately 17% of Europeans suffer from a mental illness, yet one in three does not receive the treatment they need. Many European countries have one psychiatrist for every 200,000 people. Children and young people are experiencing a rapid decline in mental health.
• The Nuffield Trust publishes the salaries of doctors in the NHS. According to these tables, a consultant (senior hospital specialist) would earn an average of £105,500, while a GP partner (senior primary care physician) would earn £175,000.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Tensions between PP-backed Autonomous Communities and the Ministry of Health over the provision of screening information and their presence at the Interterritorial Council. The PP-backed autonomous communities refuse to provide the screening data requested by the Ministry, claiming they lack the computer system to receive it and that the Ministry would seek it for political purposes. Apparently, this was in agreement with Génova. They are absent from the last Interterritorial Council of the NHS. The reasons given for not providing screening information do not seem entirely consistent, as the Ministry’s coordination function requires information. As the “Ten-Year Health Plan for England” (p. 87) states, “The NHS is a service, funded by taxpayers’ money and accountable to the public. It has no right to withhold information.” The councillors were also absent from the last NHS Inter-Regional Council meeting, a meeting on which there is a rather discouraging record on both sides.
• The controversy over breast cancer screening in Andalusia and the plans of the new Andalusian Health Minister. What began as a health issue could become a serious political problem for the Andalusian government, with elections looming. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has requested information on the issue. Meanwhile, the new Andalusian Health Minister promises reforms and creates a Committee of Experts to analyze them.
• Cardiac mortality in hospitals is higher in the poorest communities. The lower the GDP per capita, the higher the mortality from heart failure in hospitals. The data, absolutely well compiled and reliable, comes from the Spanish Society of Cardiology. This highlights a serious problem in the NHS: the lack of transparency regarding results that allow for comparisons of communities, areas, hospitals, etc.

Companies

• International
  • Agreement between AstraZeneca and Microsoft to boost innovation in healthcare, to promote the development of artificial intelligence, digital health, and advanced data analytics programs

• National
  • Rovi will manufacture Roche’s new obesity drug entirely in Spain. It will have an economic impact on the country of more than 2 billion euros

Biomedicine

• “Guided missiles” targeting tumor cells open a new highway for treating cancer. If half a century ago we looked to chemotherapy, and fifteen years ago to immunotherapy, now we look to “immunoconjugated drugs” (ADCs), treatments that function like a Trojan horse, delivering chemotherapy to the interior of tumor cells. This is the conclusion of the ESMO (European Congress of Oncology), held last week in Berlin (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-10-25/los-misiles-teledirigidos-a-las-celulas-tumorales-abren-una-nueva-autopista-para-plantar-cara-al-cancer.html)
• An unexpected bonus for the COVID-19 vaccine: it improves cancer treatment. Patients who received an mRNA COVID vaccine and are starting cancer immunotherapy are living significantly longer (https://www.science.org/content/article/surprise-bonus-covid-19-vaccines-bolstering-cancer-treatment)
• DNA identifies two deadly bacteria that attacked Napoleon’s army. Genetic material extracted from 13 teeth in a Lithuanian grave reveals infectious diseases that brought down the army during its retreat from Russia (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/health/dna-identifies-2-bacterial-killers-that-stalked-napoleons-army.html)
• Sugar rationing in childhood reduces heart disease by 20%. This conclusion was reached after analyzing medical records in the United Kingdom of people born before and after the end of restrictions in 1953 (https://www.ft.com/content/a39926a0-e910-4a1c-b085-3eb90cd85d93). Access the original article: https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj-2024-083890
• Vision is restored using a retinal implant in people suffering from macular degeneration, which may affect one million in the United States alone. The treatment allows enough vision to be read (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/health/retinal-implant-macular-degeneration.html). Original article in the NEJM: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2501396
• New therapies for ocular melanoma offer hope. This is a cell therapy using T lymphocytes, presented at the recent Berlin Oncology Congress (https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2025/10/20/melanome-de-l-il-l-espoir-de-nouvelles-therapies_6648267_1650684.html)
• Weight loss drugs reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by 20%. A study suggests that the protective effect is not only due to weight loss (https://elpcom/salud-y-bienestar/2025-10-22/los-farmacos-adelgazantes-reducen-en-un-20-el-riesgo-de-sufrir-eventos-cardiovasculares.html). Access the original article in The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01375-3/fulltext

Global Health

• Increase in cancer cases in people under 50 confirmed. A study conducted in 42 countries warns of an increase in six tumors (thyroid, kidney, breast, colorectal, endometrial, and leukemia) in adults aged 20 to 49 (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/10/20/68f66acafc6c833d2c8b45ac.html). Access the original article in the Annals of Internal Medicine: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-24-02718
• Housing: a determinant of health and equity. A UN Habitat study shows that 2.8 billion people live in inadequate housing, 1 billion live in informal dwellings, and 300 million are homeless. Housing problems are accompanied by poor health—including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, mental illness, infectious diseases, and injuries—and are one of the primary determinants of health. Climate change is not contributing to the problem (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(25)00229-4/fulltext)
• How attacks on healthcare are a new strategy of war. The number of military actions and attacks against healthcare infrastructure and personnel has increased in the last five years (https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj.r2153)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • Republicans are not yet negotiating the extension of Obamacare. But they are getting close. The discussion centers on how to extend key subsidies before the end of the year (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/21/obamacare-insurance-extension-shutdown-00616150)

• United Kingdom
  • Is the NHS ready to have zero emissions by 2040? In 2020, it was announced that the NHS would have zero direct carbon emissions by 2040 and zero indirect carbon emissions by 2045. A recent review has made it possible to assess how much progress has been made, as well as how much remains to be done (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/blogs/carbon-net-zero-2040-is-nhs-on-track)
  • The Nuffield Trust publishes the salaries of doctors in the NHS. According to these tables, a consultant (senior hospital specialist) would earn an average of £105,500, while a GP partner (senior primary care physician) would earn £175,000 (https://www.nuffiorg.uk/resource/exploring-the-earnings-of-nhs-doctors-in-england-2025-update).
  • The NHS faces a four-hour workday. The difficulties in attracting NHS staff are leading to the study of this formula, for which there is still no clear evidence. But it is something that is on the table (https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj-2025-085261).

• Colombia
  • The Council of State blocks Petro’s intention to pass the healthcare reform by decree. The Supreme Court finds that the president exceeded his powers by failing to pass the measure through Congress, which changed the functions of the EPS and modified Primary Care (https://elpais.com/america-colombia/2025-10-24/el-consejo-de-estado-frena-la-intención-de-petro-de-sacar-la-reforma-a-la-salud-por-decreto.html)

• WHO
  • The WHO deplores the drastic budget cuts affecting humanitarian aid globally. In 2025, the Agency received 40% of the aid it received the previous year (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2025/10/24/l-oms-deplore-des-coupes-budgetaires-drastiques-affectant-l-aide-humanitaire-mondiale_6649086_3244.html)

• European Union
  • The transformation of mental health in Europe: from crisis to opportunity. Approximately 17% of Europeans suffer from a mental illness, yet one in three does not receive the treatment they need. Many European countries have one psychiatrist for every 200,000 people. Children and young people are experiencing a rapid decline in mental health (https://www.thelacom/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00284-4/fulltext)
  • The European Union is considering banning ethanol in hand products due to cancer fears (https://www.ft.com/content/49dd345a-1b85-4e04-bd2e-fec38ce9637c)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration Initiatives
  • ALS patients will receive up to 10,000 euros per month under the new decree. This comes one year after the law was passed, which was already long overdue. 500 million euros are allocated for this purpose (https://elpais.com/espana/2025-10-21/los-enfermos-de-ela-recibiran-hasta-10000-euros-al-mes-para-sus-cuidados-con-el-nuevo-decreto.html)
  • The Ministry of Health will promote a data exchange system for access to innovation between autonomous communities. The idea is to share data on access to medications, since, currently, this data is unknown (https://diariofarma.com/2025/10/22/sanidad-impulsara-un-sistema-de-intercambio-de-datos-de-acceso-a-innovacion-entre-ccaa)
  • Congress approves the PP bill to grant financial compensation to celiac patients. There will be a registry of patients with this condition and tax benefits will be established (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/celiacos-compensacion-economica/)

• Initiatives from the Autonomous Communities
  • The Basque Country’s regional minister returns to the CISNS and discusses a key meeting with the Ministry of Health. The discussion is on the cohesion fund, on which talks are underway (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/pais-vasco/alberto-martinez-anuncia-una-reunion-muy-positiva-con-el-ministerio-y-vuelve-a-la-senda-de-la-colaboracion.html)
  • Galicia declares 29 special pharmaceutical zones to facilitate rural pharmacies, in collaboration with the Galician Pharmaceutical Associations (https://diariofarma.com/2025/10/20/galicia-declara-las-29-zonas-farmaceuticas-especiales-para-facilitar-la-viabilidad-de-boticas-rurales)

• Tensions between the PP-led Autonomous Communities and the Ministry of Health over the provision of information and presence in the Interterritorial Council
  • The PP-led communities will not provide data on their screenings and accuse the Ministry of Health of not creating a system to share them. The arguments are that the computer system is not ready and also that the minister will use the data against them. Andalusia distances itself from the measure (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20251020/ccaa-pp-no-pueden-dar-datos-cribados-cancer-disponen-sistema-informatico/1003743978005_0.html)
  • Genoa (National PP management) reached an agreement with the PP health councilors not to provide screening data. The arguments are that the computer system is not ready and also that the minister will use the data against them. Andalusia disassociates itself from the measure (https://elpais.com/espana/2025-10-22/genova-consensuo-con-los-gobiernos-del-pp-el-plante-a-la-peticion-de-sanidad-sobre-los-cribados-de-cancer.html)
  • The PP-led regional governments are leaving the Interterritorial Council en bloc, denouncing the government’s partisan and sectarian use of the Council (https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/10/24/las-comunidades-del-pp-abandonan-en-bloque-el-consejo-interterritorial-de-salud-cadena-ser/)

• The controversy over breast cancer screening in Andalusia and the plans of the new Andalusian Health Minister
  • How the mammogram crisis was concocted. It seems that at the Virgen del Rocío Hospital, it was decided not to inform women, as the computer system would do it, which did not happen (https://elpais.com/expres/2025-10-25/como-se-fraguo-la-crisis-de-las-mamografias-ordenaron-dejar-de-informar-a-las-mujeres-porque-lo-haria-un-programa-informatico-y-no-paso.html)
  • The Andalusian Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the failures in breast cancer screening. The Public Prosecutor’s Office asks the Moreno government to report on what happened (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-10-23/la-fiscalia-andaluza-investiga-los-fallos-en-el-cribado-de-cancer-de-mama.html)
  • The Andalusian government promises reforms, but avoids clarifying what went wrong with breast cancer screening (https://elpais.com/expres/2025-10-23/el-ejecutivo-andaluz-promete-reformas-pero-evita-aclarar-que-fallo-en-los-cribados-de-cancer-de-mama.html)
  • The new Andalusian minister begins his term with 16 proposals to improve healthcare in Andalusia. He promises a multidisciplinary committee of experts to analyze the system’s challenges and nearly 4,000 more staff, the largest structural staff expansion in recent decades (https://diariofarma.com/2025/10/22/antonio-sanz-abre-su-etapa-de-gestion-con-16-propuestas-para-mejorar-la-sanidad-en-andalucia)

• Health Barometer
  • Confidence in public healthcare and citizen satisfaction are falling, although Primary Care is improving. Although the public system remains the preferred system, more and more people are choosing the private system (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-10-22/cae-la-confianza-en-la-sanidad-publica-y-la-satisfaccion-de-los-ciudadanos-cómo-mejora-la-atencion-primaria.html). Access to the Health Barometer (2nd wave, 2025, July 2025): https://www.cis.es/documents/d/cis/es3519mar

• Too many deaths at work
  • Particularly in the construction sector, which places Spain above the European average (https://elpais.com/opinion/2025-10-21/demasiadas-muertes-en-el-trabajo.html)

• Equity and cardiac mortality
  • Cardiac mortality in hospitals is higher in poorer communities. The lower the GDP per capita, the higher the mortality from heart failure in hospitals (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-10-23/la-mortalidad-cardiaca-en-los-hospitales-es-mayor-en-las-comunidades-mas-pobres.html)

• Healthcare spending
  • Healthcare spending continues to decline relative to GDP, reaching 9.53%. It went from 11.03% of GDP in 2020 (the year of COVID-19, due to a drop in GDP and increased healthcare spending) to 9.53% in 2023 (latest official data) (https://diariofarma.com/2025/10/21/el-gasto-sanitario-continua-su-descenso-suave-respecto-del-pib-en-2023-bajo-hasta-el-953)

• Healthcare budget
  • The Ministry of Health freezes its budget by 16%, while regional governments increase it by a further 7%. Asturias is the region with the highest budget per capita, specifically 2,436 euros (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13610640/10/25/sanidad-congela-un-16-de-su-presupuesto-mientras-las-autonomias-gastan-hasta-un-7-mas.html)

• 6th FEDEA Healthcare Observatory
  • FEDEA warns that the Spanish healthcare sector lost 9,000 jobs in one year. Spain’s share of healthcare employment is similar to that of the EU (6.5% and 6.2%, respectively, by 2024) (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-10-26/fedea-alerta-sector-sanitario-espanol-pierde-empleos/). Access the 6th FEDEA Healthcare Observatory: https://documentos.fedea.net/pubs/eee/2025/eee2025-24.pdf?utm_source=sanidad&utm_medium=enlace&utm_campaign=estudio&_gl=1*18y7r6x*_ga*NTQ0MTk3NzUwLjE3NDY1Mzg3ODY.*_ga_K71EGLC8JC*czE3NjE0NTg1ODAkbzIkZzAkdDE3NjE0NTg1ODAkajYwJGwwJGgw

Companies

• International
  • The FDA reapproves GSK’s new blood cancer drug after a new trial (https://www.ft.com/content/c6b57b2a-94d2-4e71-9b06-0da915110f11)
  • The chairman of NovoNordisk and several board members resign following disagreements with the majority shareholder, the NovoNordisk Foundation, over the composition of the board (https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2025-10-21/novo-nordisk-junta-fundacion-gobernanza-1hms_4232315/)
  • AstraZeneca and Microsoft agree to boost innovation in healthcare and promote the development of artificial intelligence, digital health, and advanced data analytics programs (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/acuerdo-astrazeneca-microsoft-impulsar-innovacion-salud.html)

• National
  • Merck strengthens its presence in Spain and invests 5 million in its biotechnology plant in Tres Cantos. This plant aims to increase growth hormone production capacity (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20251024/merck-refuerza-presencia-espana-invierte-millones-planta-biotecnologica-cantos-madrid/1003743984107_0.html)
  • Rovi will manufacture Roche’s new obesity drug entirely in Spain. It will create an economic impact on the country of more than 2 billion (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20251021/rovi-producira-farmaco-roche-elevara-ventas-negocio-fabricacion-terceros/1003743979574_0.html)

 

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)

 

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)

• European Union
  • The WHO and the European Medicines Agency reject the link between paracetamol and autism defended by Trump (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-09-23/la-oms-y-la-agencia-europea-del-medicamento-rechazan-el-vinculo-entre-paracetamol-y-autismo-que-defiende-trump.html)
  • Europe sets a goal of reaching 1,000 multinational clinical trials annually (https://diariocom/2025/09/23/europa-se-pone-por-objetivo-alcanzar-los-1-000-ensayos-clinicos-multinacionales-anuales)

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.)

• Framework Statute
  • CESM and SMA consider the latest proposal for the Framework Statute to be “a new insult to the medical community” (https://www.cesm.org/2025/09/22/cesm-y-sma-consideran-que-la-ultima-propuesta-de-estatuto-marco-es-un-nuevo-insulto-para-el-colectivo-medico/)
  • Doctors are against treating patients in co-official languages. They denounce that the implementation of this measure in the new version of the Statute responds to “political interests (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250926/medicos-atender-pacientes-lenguas-cooficiales-penalizara-contratacion-personal/1003743941010_0.html)

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)