Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

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

Biomedicine

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

Global Health

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

International Health Policy

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

National Health Policy (Spain)

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

Companies

• International
  • The expiration of key patents will cost pharmaceutical companies €12.53 billion in Europe. This means that pharmaceutical companies will lose €12.53 billion in revenue in Spain, Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, from 2024 to 2029, according to the consulting firm IQVIA.
  • Lilly and NovoNordisk are bowing to Trump: raising prices in Europe and lowering them in the US. Two of the 17 multinationals that received Trump’s letter on July 31 have already taken the first steps.

• National
  • Brussels authorizes the purchase of Vitaldent by OTPP. This means the sale of the Donte Group by KKR to the Canadian fund Ontario Teachers (OTPP).

Biomedicine

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

Global Health

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

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The Lancet Editorial: RFK, Jr. and MAHA (Make American Healthy Again): dangerous, emboldened, and growing. Whether due to incompetence or misinformation, the actions of this movement represent the greatest threat to the health of Americans and millions of people globally (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01683-6/fulltext)
  • COVID vaccine opponent, about to be named leader of the Federal Review Team on COVID Vaccine Safety. This person has described these vaccines as “the most nefarious medical product in the history of medical products” (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/health/covid-vaccines-rfk.html)
  • RFK Jr. attacks a group of pediatricians over vaccine recommendations (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/19/rfk-jr-attacks-pediatricians-covid-vaccine-recommendations-00515609)
  • Trump’s Budget Office is withdrawing HIV funding that had been approved by Congress (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/health/hiv-aids-pepfar-funding-trump.html)

• United Kingdom
  • Secretary of State for Health ends talks with pharmaceutical companies over NHS pricing. The official position is that pharmaceutical companies must continue paying the recovery tax, which expires in 2028 and represents 22.9% of sales (https://www.ft.com/content/d3d991a4-f789-4448-a4d9-bf1716c2ebdb)
  • A third of doctors are considering leaving the UK, while only a quarter are satisfied with their career progress (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1671)

• France
  • France faces medical deserts (https://podcasts.lemonde.fr/le-monde-festival-international-de-journalisme-les-rencontre/202508230400-pourquoi-la-france-fait-face-aux-deserts-medicaux)
• European Union
  • Trump and Van der Leiden confirmed the controversial single tariff 15% for pharmaceutical products (https://elglobalfarma.com/politica/arancel-unico-trump-von-der-leyen-europa-eeuu/)
  • The European industry is responding to the tariff agreement between the EU and the US. According to EFPIA, the 15% tariff on pharmaceuticals, with no exceptions for innovative medicines, remains a concern for the future of patients and our sector in Europe (https://diariofarma.com/2025/08/22/la-industria-europea-responde-al-atrabajo-arancelario-entre-la-ue-y-estados-unidos). EFPIA’s response document: https://www.efpia.eu/news-events/the-efpia-view/statements-press-releases/efpia-responds-to-the-publication-of-the-us-eu-joint-framework-agreement/
  • The pharmaceutical industry expects to lose €18 billion due to tariffs, which will generate unsustainable costs. This figure is the one estimated by the pharmaceutical industry as a loss for the sector per year (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250822/industria-farmaceutica-ue-preve-perder-aranceles-generaran-costes- unsustainable/1003743894980_0.html#:~:text=The%20calculations%20prepared%20by%20the,%20European%20employer%20of%20innovative%20medicine.)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration Initiatives
  • 2026 MIR Call: The Official State Gazette (BOE) publishes this year’s official call: 12,366 specialized healthcare training places (https://www.sanidad.gob.es/gabinete/notasPrensa.do?id=6737)
  • The PP attacks the “insufficient” number of MIR places, saying it condemns the system to collapse. He is particularly critical of the number of vacancies in Primary Care, only 36 more than the previous year (https://www.consalud.es/politica/el-pp-carga-contra-el-insuficiente-numero-de-plazas-mir-condena-al-sistema-al-colapso.html).

• Autonomous community initiatives
  • The Galician Advanced Therapies Manufacturing Center is part of the CERTERA project of the ISCIII (https://www.xunta.gal/es/notas-de-prensa/-/nova/015812/centro-fabricacion-terapias-avanzadas-integra-consorcio-certera-plataforma-del).

• Forest fires
  • A wide and diverse array of negative effects on health. Alterations in mucous membranes, the cardiovascular, neurological, and immune systems are mentioned, not to mention the psychological effects (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medicina-urgencias/incendios-forestales-amplio-diverso-rosario-efectos-negativos-salud.html)

• New guide for the management of medical equipment
  • The SEEIC publishes a guide for the management of medical equipment (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/nueva-guia-para-la-gestion-del-equipamiento-medico-puede-ser-una-palanca-de-cambio.html). Access the guide in PDF format: https://seeic.org/images/site/2025/SEEIC_Guia_gestion_estrategica_y_responsable_de_equipamiento_medico_2025_NO_SOCIOS.pdf

• New distribution of health areas in different regions
  • New health maps are being prepared in different regions, including Asturias, Aragon, Castilla-La Mancha, the Valencian Community, Cantabria, and La Rioja (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/las-ccaa-cambian-el-tablero-estos-son-los-nuevos-mapas-sanitarios-que-preparan.html#:~:text=Las%20CC.-,AA.,nuevos%20mapas%20sanitarios%20que%20preparan&text=La%20necesidad%20de%20garantizar%20una,de%20sus%20actuales%20mapas%20sanitarios.)

• Heat wave
  • The heat wave ends with 1,149 deaths attributable to high temperatures (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/08/19/68a49288fc6c83bc7e8b459c.html)

• Inequalities in healthcare spending in autonomous communities
  • Differences of 69% between regions (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-08-18/record-historico-desigualdad-gasto-sanitario-69-regiones/#:~:text=La%20sanidad%20pública%20española%20affronta,y%20la%20que%20menos%2C%20Cataluña.)

Companies

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

• National
  • Pharma industry rejects Trump’s tariff; it is far from being a stimulus for the sector (https://elglobalfarma.com/industria/aranceles-trump-farmaindustria/)
  • Brussels authorizes the purchase of Vitaldent by OTPP. This means the sale of the Donte Group by KKR to the Canadian fund Ontario Teachers (OTPP) (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/08/18/68a36f28e5fdea993a8b458e.html)

 

 

Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

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

Biomedicine

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

Global Health

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

International Health Policy

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

National Health Policy (Spain)

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

Companies

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

• National
  • Grifols completes the purchase of 28 plasma collection centers in the US from Immunotek for 415 million.

Biomedicine

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

Global Health

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

International Health Policy

• USA
  • Fertility in the US plummets, reaching an all-time low. Even the most fertile states are having fewer children (https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2025/08/05/americas-fertility-crash-reaches-a-new-low)
  • On vaccines, RFK Jr. has completely broken with conventional thinking (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/health/kennedy-vaccines-mrna-trump.html)
  • RFK Jr. cancels nearly $500 million in mRNA vaccine contracts (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/05/health/rfk-jr-vaccine-funding.html)
  • Trump threatens pharmaceutical companies with retaliation if they don’t lower “vastly inflated prices.” He also accuses other countries, including European ones, of making gratuitous use of American innovation. Currently, medications are on average three times more expensive in the US than in other countries (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/07/31/688bb8f7fc6c830c798b458e.html)
  • The US is preparing a large-scale pilot program for Medicare and Medicaid to cover GLP-1 drugs for obesity (https://elglobalfarma.com/politica/eeuu-programa-piloto-medicare-medicaid-glp-1-obesidad/)

• China
  • China is launching a war reminiscent of the COVID lockdowns in its fight against the Chikungunya virus (https://www.ft.com/content/25d57195-619e-4406-9b3f-c3566cf1747c)
  • China is stepping up its domestic development of obesity therapies, with 10 already in the final phase of trials. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250809/china-pisa-acelerador-desarrollo-local-terapias-obesidad-ultima-fase-ensayo/1003743875162_0.html)

• United Kingdom
  • The medical exodus in the United Kingdom is a warning sign for the NHS. Doctors are increasingly willing to go abroad in search of better pay (https://www.ft.com/content/e26311ca-e821-40a4-afc3-f11595358a45)

• France
  • Paris threatens a private equity-owned laboratory with a profit cap (https://www.ft.com/content/146aef21-8e0a-4969-8c3a-a961e46ba72c)

• European Union
  • The EU is promoting effective strategies to stem the flow of healthcare workers: salary increases, improved working conditions, and increased staff (https://www.consalud.es/profesionaleseceta-atraer-retener-profesionales-sanitarios.html). Access the Eurofound report: https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/publications/2023/measures-tackle-labour-shortages-lessons-future-policy
  • The EMA recommends the approval of 13 new medicines, of which 5 are orphan medicines and 4 are biosimilars (https://diariofarma.com/2025/08/06/la-ema-recomienda-la-aprobacion-de-13-nuevos-medicamentos)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration Initiatives
  • The so-called “health reforms” of four pending laws (tobacco, alcohol, medicines, and the Framework Statute) are running into an unpredictable Congress (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-08-06/del-tabaco-en-las-terrazas-a-las-guardias-medicas-las-reformas-sanitarias-se-topan-con-un-congreso-imprevisible.html)

• Autonomous Community Initiatives
  • The Catalan private healthcare system will establish quality assurance systems. The Regional Ministry is drafting a bill, which will be submitted for public consultation (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/cataluna/la-sanidad-concertada-catalana-establecera-sistemas-de-garantia-de-calidad-2151)
  • SESPA will launch competitive examinations in the fall to fill 2,031 positions, with more than 65,000 applicants (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/sespa-iniciara-otono-oposiciones-cubrir-2031-plazas.html#:~:text=Profesión%20Procesos%20selectivos-,El%20Sespa%20iniciará%20en%20otoño%20las%20oposiciones%20para%20cubrir%202.031,de%202022%2C%202023%20y%202024.)
  • The Balearic Islands launch a pioneering plan for telemental health. This is a pilot program with video calls (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/baleares/las-islas-baleares-ponen-en-marcha-un-proyecto-de-telesalud-mental.html)
  • The new Malaga hospital of the Andalusian Regional Government is getting closer. The three proposals will be evaluated next week (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/andalucia/el-nuevo-hospital-de-malaga-cada-vez-mas-cerca-la-junta-de-andalucia-recibe-tres-propuestas.html)

• MIR Test
  • The PP demands explanations in Congress for the changes in the MIR committee (https://www.consalud.es/formacion/mir/el-pp-registra-en-el-congreso-doce-preguntas-para-explicar-la-crisis-en-el-comite-del-mir.html)

• COVID
  • COVID is raging this summer, with sales of self-diagnostic tests doubling (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2025-08-08/covid-desatado-verano_4187704/)

Companies

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

• National
  • Grifols completes the purchase of 28 plasma collection centers in the USA from Immunotek for 415 million (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-08-06/grifols-centros-plasma-eeuu-immunotek/#:~:text=Grifols%20ha%20consolidado%20la%20propiedad,(415%20millones%20de%20euros).)
  • CVC sells the Vitalia nursing homes to StepStone and Greykite for 900 million (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/08/04/688fa4f0e5fdea556d8b459b.html)

 

 

 

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

• Biomedicine: The universal cancer vaccine, from hope to a promising reality.
• Global health: The impact of the famine in Gaza: a painful death today and a curse for generations to come.
• International health policy: The US Republicans made cuts to Medicaid; will it cost them control of Congress?
• National health policy: Two years after the elections, what achievements has the government had in health care? Very few achievements, a lack of in-depth reforms, and, yes, many controversies.
• Companies: Almirall increases its profits by 72% in the first half of the year, to 26.5 million euros.

Biomedicine

• The universal cancer vaccine, from hope to a promising reality. The arsenal of vaccines is getting closer, with both preventive tools that combat pathogens that are risk factors for developing cancer, as well as therapeutic ones. It opens the possibility that it could be used in the fight against any cancer: it doesn’t attack the specific target protein in the tumor, but rather stimulates the immune system, boosting it as if it were fighting a virus.
• Scientists are shattering the myth that 10,000 steps a day are necessary for good health. The new standard for reducing disease risk is set at 7,000 steps, following a study of more than 150,000 adults.
• This test can predict a heart attack in your future.

Global Health

• The impact of famine in Gaza: a painful death today and a curse for generations to come. Gaza is consumed, exhausted by hunger. Samer Abuzerr, professor of Public Health at Khan Younis University of Science and Technology, explains that the lack of food now hurts more than the bombs. “Everything is catastrophic, but hunger, slow, silent, and preventable, is the most painful. Bombs kill instantly, but hunger kills in prolonged agony, especially children.”
• Nature editorial: Gavi needs $3 million to save two million children’s lives.

International Health Policy

• Republicans made cuts to Medicaid; will it cost them control of Congress? The Medicaid cuts in the “big and beautiful law,” according to Trump, threaten the Republicans’ results in the midterm elections.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Two years after the elections, what achievements has the government had in the health field? Few achievements: Veo Plan, for glasses and contact lenses; new newborn screening; Mental Health Action Plan 2025-2027; Specific Suicide Prevention Plan; and the State Public Health Agency.
• Congress gives the green light to the State Public Health Agency. Of the six amendments proposed by the People’s Party (PP) in the Senate, three were approved, including the one regarding exceptions to the reference pricing system.

Companies

• International
  • AstraZeneca’s plans in the USA increase pharmaceutical companies’ investments by up to 252 billion euros.

• National
  • Almirall increases its profits by 72% in the first half of the year, to 26.5 million euros.

Biomedicine

• The universal cancer vaccine, from hope to a promising reality. The arsenal of vaccines is increasingly closer, with both preventive and therapeutic tools that combat pathogens that constitute risk factors for developing cancer. This opens the possibility that it could be used in the fight against any cancer: it does not attack the specific target protein in the tumor, but rather stimulates the immune system, boosting it as if it were fighting a virus (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/vacuna-universal-cancer-avanza.html). Access the original article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-025-01380-1
• The dangers of self-testing for the consumer. These types of tests are useful for pregnancy or HIV, but in many other cases they have the potential to cause harm (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1543)
• Significant advances in the management of Crohn’s disease, with new monoclonal antibodies increasingly being developed that are useful in Crohn’s disease (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01522-3/fulltext)
• AI improves efforts to combat long COVID and other diseases with chronic fatigue (https://www.ft.com/content/9cdfadf4-21e2-4656-b0a8-235c5fdb68aa)
• The first pill for postpartum depression yields mixed results (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/22/health/post-partum-depression-treatment-pill.html)
• Obesity prediction can be guided by genetic data (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/21/health/obesity-genetic-risk-score.html)
• Scientists debunk the myth that 10,000 steps a day are enough for good health. The new standard for reducing disease risk is set at 7,000 steps, following a study of more than 150,000 adults (https://www.ft.com/content/6b1bee36-b1a3-4e9d-8391-0fd96bae3ec6).
• This test can predict a future heart attack (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/health/coronary-artery-calcium-heart.html). Access the original article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33997641/

Global Health

• The impact of famine in Gaza: a painful death today and a curse for generations to come. Gaza is consumed, exhausted by hunger. Samer Abuzerr, professor of Public Health at Khan Yunis University of Science and Technology, says that the lack of food now hurts more than the bombs. “Everything is catastrophic, but hunger, slow, silent, and preventable, is the most painful. Bombs kill instantly, but hunger kills in prolonged agony, especially children” (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-07-27/el-impacto-de-la-hambruna-en-gaza-una-muerte-dolorosa-hoy-y-una-condena-para-las-generaciones-venideras-los-ninos-comen-hojas.html)
• Gaza: Health workers protest demanding an end to atrocities (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1529)
• Rethinking the war on AIDS. The reduction in US aid forces recipient countries to adopt other strategies (https://www.economist.com/international/2025/07/24/rethinking-the-war-on-aids)
• Nature editorial: Gavi needs $3 million to save two million children’s lives (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02270-x)
• The fight against polio is jeopardized by the withdrawal of US funding. Despite significant progress, aid cuts are jeopardizing results (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2025/07/23/la-lutte-contre-la-polio-mise-en-peril-par-le-retrait-des-financements-americains_6623195_3244.html)
• The US wants to destroy stocks of female contraceptives intended for USAID beneficiary countries (https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2025/07/24/les-etats-unis-vont-detruire-des-contraceptifs-feminins-stockes-en-europe-qui-etaient-destines-a-des-pays-beneficiaires-de-l-usaid_6623521_3210.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • Republicans cut Medicaid; will this cost them control of Congress? The Medicaid cuts in Trump’s “big and beautiful bill” threaten Republicans’ midterm election results (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/06/republican-medicaid-cuts-midterms-big-beautiful-bill-00440023)
  • RFK, JR rescind support for flu vaccines, falsely linking them to autism (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/23/health/rfk-jr-flu-vaccines-thimerosal.html)
  • The Trump Administration’s policy toward NIH and the FDA jeopardizes new drug development, according to the Congressional Budget Office (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/health/trump-nih-medical-research.html)

• China
  • Concern in China over the outbreak of Chikungunya fever, which has left more than 2,500 cases. The most common symptoms of the disease include high fever, severe joint pain, and the appearance of skin rashes (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/07/23/68807445e9cf4af2128b45ab.html)

• United Kingdom
  • How has the Labour Party behaved with healthcare after its first year in power? Waiting lists have decreased, but only very slowly (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1379)
  • Trump, medicines, and the future of the NHS (https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/trump-medicines-and-the-nhs)

• European Union
  • The EU outlines its priorities for the next decade with a strengthening of its health policies (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ue-prioridades-proxima-decada-salud.html)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration Initiatives
  • Congress gives the green light to the State Public Health Agency. Of the six amendments proposed by the People’s Party (PP) in the Senate, three are approved, including the one regarding exceptions to the reference price system (https://diariofarma.com/2025/07/22/el-congreso-da-luz-verde-por-fin-a-la-agencia-estatal-de-salud-publica)
  • Two years after the elections, what achievements has the Government had in the area of health? Few achievements: Veo Plan for glasses and contact lenses; new newborn screening; Mental Health Action Plan 2025-2027; Specific Suicide Prevention Plan; and the State Public Health Agency (https://www.consalud.es/politilca/dos-anos-despues-de-las-elecciones-que-avances-sanitarios-ha-logrado-el-gobierno.html)
  • These are the legislative initiatives awaiting the Ministry of Health after the summer (https://www.consalud.es/politica/estas-son-las-iniciativas-legislativas-que-esperan-a-sanidad-tras-la-vuelta-del-verano.html)
  • The Ministry is working on new nursing prescription guidelines (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250720/sanidad-trabaja-nuevas-guias-prescripcion-enfermera-sedacion-insuficiencia-cardiaca-dolor-quirurgico/1003743853473_0.html)

• Initiatives from the Autonomous Communities
  • Catalonia will put more pressure on to ensure that doctors don’t speak Spanish (https://www.eldebate.com/espana/cataluna/20250722/preocupacion-govern-quejas-linguisticas-sanidad-358-2024-frente-casi-30-millones-visitas_319612.html)
  • La Rioja, a new step toward making the Faculty of Medicine a reality (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medico-joven/grado/rioja-nuevo-paso-facultad-medicina-sea-realidad-2026-2027.html)
  • Asturias signs a historic pact on mental health. One hundred public and private entities, including patients, family members, associations, political parties, unions, media outlets, professional associations, and city councils, signed the agreement, which will serve as the basis for the future regional law (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/asturias/asturias-rubrica-un-pacto-historico-por-la-salud-mental-con-especial-enfasis-en-los-jovenes.html).
  • Madrid begins processing the new Public Health Law (https://www.comunidad.madrid/noticias/2025/07/23/comunidad-madrid-inicia-tramitacion-nueva-ley-salud-publica-aumentara-mejorara-proteccion-poblacion).
  • Galicia will allocate €1.3 million for AI to streamline healthcare work. (https://diariofarma.com/2025/07/21/galicia-destinara-13-millones-de-euros-al-desarrollo-de-la-ia-para-desburocratizar-el-trabajo-sanitario)

• Kidney transplant
  • Kidney transplantation celebrates its 60th anniversary in Spain. What was an experimental operation six decades ago is now a common, highly effective therapeutic technique that has evolved significantly but still faces challenges, such as increasing the number of living donors (https://diariomedico.com/medicina/trasplantes/trasplante-renal-cumple-60-anos-espana-reto-aumentar-donantes-vivos.html).

Companies

• International
  • GSK’s leukemia drug is reapproved by the European Union regulator (https://www.ft.com/content/a7be675a-7d07-45bb-a533-353ca48971db).
  • AstraZeneca’s plans in the USA boost pharmaceutical company investments by up to 252 billion euros. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250726/planes-astrazeneca-eeuu-engordan-inversiones-grandes-farmaceuticas-millones/1003743861166_0.html)

• National
  • Almirall increases its profits by 72% in the first half of the year, up to 26.5 million (https://forbes.es/economia/771240/almirall-eleva-un-72-sus-ganancias-en-el-primer-semestre-hasta-265-millones/)

 

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

• Biomedicine: Cancer vaccines and the important role of immunotherapy.
• Global health: Plastic pollution is increasing, requiring an ambitious UN Treaty to curb it.
• International health policy: Dentists fight RFK Jr. over fluoride.
• National health policy: Feijóo believes the main healthcare problem is the lack of doctors. A blatant error.
• Business: HM Hospitals increases its turnover by 160% and has opened 16 hospitals in the last ten years.

Biomedicine

• Cancer vaccines and the future of immunotherapy. Vaccines have a major impact on the control of infectious diseases, most recently with COVID-19, as well as prophylactic vaccines for cancers related to certain pathogens. More recently, their use to modify the immune system, for example against melanoma and pancreatic cancer, has been envisioned. In macrometastasis, vaccines have induced regression in advanced stages of lung cancer, breast cancer, and lymphoma.
• Could hormones help treat certain forms of anxiety and depression? Conventional medications for these diseases don’t work in many cases. One promising area is hormone therapy. The idea is to increase the levels of existing hormones in patients’ bodies.
• Psychiatric medication needs innovation. Half of patients with depression don’t improve with antidepressants or antipsychotics. Most of the medications used have the same targets as in the 1960s. New developments are needed, although this is an area fraught with risk for investors.

Global Health

• Plastic pollution is growing, requiring the UN Treaty to curb it to be ambitious. Negotiations resume in Switzerland next month. Most plastics are single-use, and less than 10% are recycled.

International Health Policy

• Healthcare spending in the US will reach 20.3% of GDP in 2033 (i.e., it will continue to grow above GDP). Healthcare spending projections for the 2024-2033 period in the US. Spending projections in the US are for growth of 5.8% annually in the 2024-2033 period, above GDP growth (4.3%, on average), which would reach a GDP percentage of 20.3% in 2033, compared to 17.6% in 2023. And all this, despite the decline in health insurance coverage.
• Dentists are fighting RFK Jr. over fluoride. Some Republican states like Utah and Florida have already banned fluoride in water, considered by the CDC to be one of the greatest health achievements of the 20th century. Another RFK Jr. blunder, with difficult-to-calculate but serious effects.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Feijóo’s verbatim statement at the PP National Congress: “We need doctors in Spain, and no one can champion public services without addressing the main shortcoming of the Welfare State.” All this, despite the fact that Spain is one of the OECD and EU countries with the highest ratio of doctors per 100,000 inhabitants. A blatant error. In Spain, we do not have a global shortage of doctors; what we have is a lack of attraction for Primary Care; problems in areas that are difficult to cover; shortages in certain specialties, as a result of a lack of planning; and a pending discussion about what doctors do in relation to other professions (nurses, administrative clinical assistants, etc.). By the way, according to the “10-Year Health Plan for England,” released on July 3, fewer staff are expected by 2035 than the “Long Term NHS Workforce Plan” of 2023. The new digital environment and new professional interactions must be taken into account. We knew that the Spanish Ministry of Health lacks a policy, which it replaces with isolated and sometimes contradictory or negative actions, but we see that the PP opposition is not much better equipped on this issue. And, in that case, it is a civic duty to say so.

Companies

• International
  • Pharmaceutical companies ignore the threat of tariffs on the stock market. Pharmaceutical stocks show little reaction to Donald Trump’s latest announcement to impose 200% tariffs on the sector.

• National
  • HM Hospitals increases its turnover by 160% and has opened 16 hospitals in the last ten years.

Biomedicine

• Cancer vaccines and the future of immunotherapy. Vaccines have a major impact on the control of infectious diseases, most recently with COVID-19, as well as prophylactic vaccines for cancers related to some pathogens. More recently, their use is being envisioned to modify the immune system, for example against melanoma and pancreatic cancer. In macrometastasis, vaccines have induced regression in advanced stages of lung cancer, breast cancer, and lymphoma (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00553-7/abstract)
• Editorial in The Economist: Could hormones help treat certain forms of anxiety and depression? Conventional medications for these diseases do not work in many cases. One promising area is hormone therapy. The idea is to increase the levels of existing hormones in patients’ bodies (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/07/10/could-hormones-help-treat-some-forms-of-anxiety-and-depression)
• Brain aging is the best predictor of longevity, scientists say. The biological age of the brain plays a greater role in determining life expectancy than the biological age of muscles, heart, lungs, arteries, kidneys, pancreas, or the immune system (https://www.ft.com/content/06e6f310-ba2b-4e7b-a4ce-0a3d092450c4)
• Psychiatric medication needs innovation. Half of patients with depression do not improve with antidepressants or antipsychotics. Most of the drugs used have the same targets as in the 1960s. New developments are needed, although this is a risky area for investors (https://www.ft.com/content/e9ec21e8-7bdc-4a47-9b5d-1c3a6e192df7)
• This bacterium (Helicobacter pylori) will cause 11 million cases of gastric cancer in the coming years. 15.6 million people born between 2008 and 2017 worldwide will develop gastric cancer at some point in their lives, and 76% of these tumors—about 11 million—will be linked to a specific pathogen (https://www.ees/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/07/07/686bd6bafc6c83f9108b4594.html)
• A robot shows that machines may one day replace human surgeons (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-07-09/un-robot-muestra-que-algun-dia-las-maquinas-pueden-sustituir-a-los-cirujanos-humanos.html)

Global Health

• Nature Editorial: Plastic pollution is growing, requiring an ambitious UN Treaty to curb it. Negotiations resume in Switzerland next month. Most plastics are single-use, and less than 10% are recycled (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02064-1)
• The WHO is warning globally of the resurgence of diseases that were once feared. It has published global guidelines for the clinical management of arboviruses, such as dengue, Zika virus, and yellow fever. Although these pathogens transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes were limited to tropical and subtropical climates, their outbreaks are spreading as a result of climate change, population growth, increased travel and urbanization (https://www.eleconomista.es/actualidad/noticias/13457719/07/25/la-oms-advierte-a-nivel-mundial-de-la-reaparicion-de-unas-enfermedades-muy-temidas-del-pasado.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • Healthcare Spending Projections 2024-2033 in the USA. Spending projections in the USA predict annual growth of 5.8% in the period 2024-2033, above GDP growth (4.3% on average), which would reach a GDP percentage of 20.3% in 2033, compared to 17.6% in 2023. And all this, despite the decline in health insurance coverage (https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.00545)
  • Dentists battle RFK Jr. over fluoride. Some Republican states like Utah and Florida have already banned fluoride in water, considered by the CDC to be one of the greatest health achievements of the 20th century (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/10/rfk-jr-is-winning-on-fluoride-dentists-foresee-a-cavity-crisis-00445489)
  • The 2025 measles outbreak is the largest since 1992. Most cases are from Texas (https://www.ft.com/content/7de74912-04fd-4460-8c26-6df3185f9ad2)

• China
  • Anti-obesity drugs made in China may drive the next wave of treatment. Although the Chinese initially limited themselves to imitating Western medicines, they are now rapidly innovating in this field (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01987-z)

• United Kingdom
  • The “10-Year Health Plan for England,” explained by King’s Fund experts (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/long-reads/ten-year-health-plan-explained)
  • The 29% pay increase for residents is considered non-negotiable by the BMA (British Medical Association) (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jul/11/resident-doctors-29-pay-claim-is-non-negotiable-bma-chair-says#:~:text=The%2029%25%20demand%20is%20not,that’s%20why%20it%20looks%20inflexible.”)

National health policy

• Central government initiatives
  • Historic restructuring of military healthcare. The Ministry of Defense’s decision introduces a new model within the military medical leadership, with direct implications for the military careers of dozens of healthcare professionals. Robles advocates for a European military healthcare corps to address future pandemics (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/reestructuracion-historica-en-la-sanidad-militar-asi-afectara-a-la-carrera-del-cuerpo-de-sanitarios.html)

• Autonomous community initiatives
  • Cantabria promotes the first European law to protect neuro-rights and brain data (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-07-09/cantabria-impulsa-la-primera-ley-europea-para-proteger-los-neuroderechos-y-los-datos-cerebrales.html)

• Healthcare in Feijóo’s June 6 speech before the PP National Congress
  • Textual statement: There is a need for doctors in Spain, and no one can claim to champion public services without addressing the main shortcoming of the Welfare State. All this, despite the fact that Spain is one of the OECD and EU countries with the highest ratio of doctors per 100,000 inhabitants. A blatant error (https://www.pp.es/storage/2025/07/25.07.05-Discurso-Feijoo.pdf)

• Heat wave
  • The heat wave Heat wave leaves 286 dead in Barcelona and 108 in Madrid (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/07/09/686d0e1be85eceea068b459e.html)

• Laboratory Genetics Specialty
  • The General Council of Pharmaceutical Colleges opposes this specialty, considering that it would duplicate already established functions (https://www.farmaceuticos.com/noticias/el-consejo-general-de-colegios-farmaceuticos-se-opone-a-la-nueva-especialidad-de-genetica-de-laboratorio-por-considerar-que-duplicaria-funciones-ya-consolidadas/)

• Farmaindustria Mental Health Report
  • Farmaindustria promotes a report on mental health coordinated by psychiatrist Celso Arango. Raise awareness in society, improve training, and coordination among all professionals Integrating pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments based on scientific evidence, and improving information and monitoring systems are among the main recommendations (https://www.farmaindustria.es/web/prensa/notas-de-prensa/2025/07/02/el-primer-informe-del-comite-de-expertos-para-la-salud-mental-impulsado-por-farmaindustria-presenta-20-propuestas-para-reforzar-la-atencion-y-mejorar-el-uso-de-los-psicofarmacos/). Access the report: https://www.farmaindustria.es/web/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/06/InformeSaludMental_Farmaindustria.pdf

• New Healthcare Barometer
  • 53.9% of the population believes the healthcare system works well, and if they have used it, this figure rises to more than 80%. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/barometro-sanitario-539-poblacion-cree-sistema-sanitario-funciona-han-usado-sube-mas-80.html). Access to the 2025 Health Barometer, First wave (April 2025), https://www.sanidad.gob.es/estadEstudios/estadisticas/BarometroSanitario/home_BS.htm

Companies

• International
  • Merck reaches a $10 billion agreement to acquire Verona, a pharmaceutical company specializing in respiratory medications (https://www.ft.com/content/bf1c2253-15b3-426a-975d-15ddca1d84a5)
  • Novartis obtains approval for the first malaria drug for newborns (https://www.ft.com/content/71f07328-6414-4ddb-89bc-4ec700b7f839)
  • Medtronic records a 5% stock rise following important milestones in medical technology (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/economia/medtronic-registra-alza-bursatil-del-5-tras-importantes-hitos-en-tecnologia-medica.html)
  • Pharmaceutical companies ignore the threat of tariffs on the stock market. Pharmaceutical stocks show a positive trend. Little reaction to Donald Trump’s latest announcement to impose 200% tariffs on the sector. (https://www.expansion.com/economia/financial-times/2025/07/11/68703d47e5fdea93208b459c.html)

• National News
  • Ribera Salud buys a surgical center in Slovakia (https://www.expansion.com/valencia/2025/07/09/686e34c7468aeb7c5d8b457d.html)
  • HM Hospitals increases its turnover by 160% and has opened 16 hospitals in the last ten years (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250711/hm-hospitales-aumenta-facturacion-abierto-hospitales-ultimos-anos/1003743841939_0.html#:~:text=10%20years%2C%20HM%20Hospitales,de%20euros%20el%20año%20pasado.). Access to the HM 2024 Annual Report

 

Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

• Biomedicine: There are increasing cases of early-onset type 2 diabetes, before the age of 40.
• Global Health: Childhood vaccinations are stagnating in twenty wealthy countries, and serious diseases are resurfacing.
• International Health Policy: RFK Jr.’s approach to vaccines harms science, Americans, and the international community, especially developing countries. A real public danger.
• National Health Policy: The Basque Health Pact achieves a high level of consensus. Is this submission of measures to a vote by various groups a great skill on the part of the government or a dereliction of responsibility?
• Business: Trump’s plans on medicines risk increasing prices in Europe.

Biomedicine

• The Lancet Editorial: Early-onset type 2 diabetes. Although this type of diabetes was considered typical of people over 40, more and more cases of early onset are occurring before that age.
• Scientists have identified a marker that allows them to predict which patients will not respond to chemotherapy. This could help avoid ineffective treatments, especially in patients with ovarian, breast, prostate, and sarcoma tumors.

Global Health

• Childhood vaccination is stagnating in twenty wealthy countries, and serious diseases are resurfacing. A study published in The Lancet warns that global vaccination coverage has stalled or is even worsening. Developing areas are bearing the brunt, but the trend is also seen in the West.

International Health Policy

• The Economist Editorial: RFK’s approach to vaccines harms Americans. RFK is a vaccine skeptic. The dismissal of prestigious scientists from the vaccine committee, the reduction of funding for developing new vaccines, the elimination of international aid for vaccines, and the continuous negative messages about vaccines are turning it into a public danger for the US and the world.
• Europe is moving toward healthcare autonomy, with the famous essential medicines law.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• The Ministry of Health announces the creation of a law on patient organizations to “guarantee their independence.” A law on these organizations is announced with the idea of ​​guaranteeing their independence. Although patient associations are very pleased with this measure, we will see if it truly guarantees independence or, as this government does in other areas (Bank of Spain, INE, TVE, numerous companies, etc.), the initiative masks a desire for control.
• The minister commits to studying the introduction of co-official languages ​​in the MIR exam, at the request of the PNV (Nationalist Party) and Junts (Junts). The representative of young doctors of the OMC (Spanish Association of Medical Doctors) says that the MIR has other reform priorities. It doesn’t seem, in fact, that simple pressure from pro-independence parties could lead to an unplanned reform of the MIR system.
• The Basque Health Pact has reached a “high level of consensus” with the role of the private sector among the points to be negotiated. Apparently, 22 of its 24 strategic lines have been agreed upon. A surprising model for a government to make healthcare decisions, submitting measures to votes by very diverse groups. The British government, with its ten-year NHS plan, despite having greatly opened up participation, even with a special website, hasn’t thought to put the measures to a vote.
• Cancers remain the leading cause of death in Spain, which recorded a decrease in suicides in 2024.
• Not only is there a shortage of nurses, they are also poorly distributed. The nurse ratio is 6.36, compared to the EU average of 9.19. There is a high level of emigration to other countries, which complicates everything. Although the problem is real, this must be qualified by the category of “nursing assistants,” which does not exist in other countries.
• Operating rooms and beds are closed due to a lack of professionals, creating a serious healthcare problem in the summer. Is it a lack of professionals or poor distribution of vacation time due to union criteria? A recent study by Professor Beatriz Gonzalez’s group shows that if work was done in July-August and December like the rest of the months, there would be no waiting list problems.

Companies

• International
  • Trump’s plans regarding medicines risk increasing prices in Europe. Trump’s efforts to reduce prices in the US will possibly lead to higher prices in Europe.
  • Large pharmaceutical companies face losses of $300 billion due to patent expirations. This is the cumulative amount for the next five years, according to Evaluate forecasts.

• National
  • The Ribera Healthcare Group continues its expansion in Europe and agrees to acquire the Polish company Multi Med

Biomedicine

• Scientists have identified a marker that allows them to predict which patients will not respond to chemotherapy. This could help avoid ineffective treatments, especially in patients with ovarian, breast, prostate, and sarcoma tumors (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/06/23/685919b121efa0ed788b459f.html). Access the original article in Nature Genetics: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02233-y/metrics
• The benefits of the Alzheimer’s drug are too small to justify the cost, according to NICE (https://www.bmj.com/content/389/bmj.r1270)
• Do longevity drugs work? Certain drugs have an experimental effect similar to that of prolonged fasting (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/06/20/do-longevity-drugs-work)
• The Lancet Editorial: Early onset of type 2 diabetes. Although this type of diabetes was considered typical of people over 40, there are increasing numbers of early-onset cases before that age (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01295-4/fulltext?rss=yes)
• Vaccines offer dual protection against dementia, according to a study from the University of Oxford (https://www.ft.com/content/4843b63d-d777-40e4-a9df-427b8c16d57b)
• Gene editing helps correct harmful mutations in human mitochondrial DNA. The new tool known as a base editor edits mitochondrial DNA and represents a significant boost to rare genetic diseases (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/06/24/685ab199fc6c8300048b4587.html
• A coronary “Google Maps” to guide complex heart surgeries allows for more precise guidance on these complex diseases (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/06/23/68583a5cfdddff6f878b459b.html

Global Health

• The need to end nuclear weapons. In May 2025, the WHO voted to reestablish the mandate for this organization to reconsider the relationship between the health consequences of nuclear weapons and war. (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00987-0/fulltext)
• Childhood vaccination is stagnating in around twenty wealthy countries, and serious diseases are resurfacing. A study published in The Lancet warns that global vaccination coverage has stalled or is even worsening. Developing areas are bearing the brunt, but the trend is also evident in the West (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-06-25/la-vacunacion-infantil-se-estanca-en-una-veintena-de-paises-ricos-y-resurgen-graves-enfermedades.html). Access the original article in The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01037-2/fulltext

International Health Policy

• USA
  • Article in Nature: How to make America healthy, what needs to be fixed. The United States has a life expectancy below most developed countries, despite spending the most on healthcare. Chronic diseases are part of the problem, but so are gun violence, drug overdoses, and car accidents (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01969-1)
  • Editorial in The Economist: RFK’s approach to vaccines hurts Americans. RFK is a vaccine skeptic. The dismissal of prestigious scientists from the vaccine committee, the reduction of funding for developing new vaccines, the elimination of international vaccine aid, and the continued negative messaging about vaccines are turning him into a public danger to the US and the world (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/06/25/rfks-loopy-approach-to-vaccines-endangers-americans)
  • Kennedy withdraws aid to the international vaccine agency Gavi, which he accuses of ignoring science, cutting more than $1 billion in aid from the Biden administration (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/health/kennedy-vaccines-gavi.html)

• United Kingdom
  • 5 tests on the 10-year plan for the NHS: 1. Does it drive change with priorities and resources? 2. Are people at the center of the design? 3. What is prioritized and what isn’t? 4. Is it truly a long-term plan? 5. Does it inspire confidence? (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/blogs/tests-nhs-10-year-health-plan)
  • Call to clean up toxic air as GP visits for asthma rise by 45% (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/29/england-air-pollution-gp-visits-for-asthma-attacks-rise-45-per-cent)
  • Wes Streeting announces investigation into failings in NHS maternity services (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/23/wes-streeting-announces-investigation-into-nhs-maternity-services)
  • Private healthcare is “essential,” says a third of the working population (https://www.ft.com/content/d607bd2b-5367-422b-b768-41f1f987ce0f)

• France
  • Medical deserts: The government defines 151 red zones for the “mandatory solidarity” mission of doctors (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/06/27/deserts-medicaux-le-gouvernement-definit-151-zones-rouges-pour-la-mission-de-solidarite-obligatoire-des-medecins_6616081_3224.html)

• European Union
  • Europe moves toward healthcare autonomy, with the famous essential medicines law (https://www.consalud.es/politica/europa-avanza-hacia-la-autonomia-sanitaria-con-la-ambiciosa-ley-de-medicamentos-esenciales.html)
  • Brussels outlines the new life sciences strategy and reactivates the Biotechnology Law (https://diariofarma.com/2025/06/26/bruselas-perfila-la-nueva-estrategia-de-ciencias-de-la-vida-y-reactiva-la-ley-de-biotecnologia)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration Initiatives
  • The Ministry of Health announces the creation of a law on patient organizations to “guarantee their independence.” A law on these organizations is announced with the idea of ​​guaranteeing their independence (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250624/sanidad-anuncia-creacion-ley-organizaciones-pacientes-garantizar-independencia/1003743818491_0.html)
  • The Advanced Therapies Plan will be introduced interterritorially next week (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ministerio-sanidad/el-nuevo-plan-de-terapias-avanzadas-al-interterritorial-de-la-proximas-semana.html)
  • In the Congressional Health Committee, the minister pledges to study the introduction of co-official languages ​​in the MIR exam, at the request of the PNV (Basque Nationalist Party) and Junts (Junts). The OMC’s young doctors’ representative says the MIR has other reform priorities (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/domingo-sanchez-mir-hay-prioridades-introducir-lenguas-cooficiales-examen.html)

• Autonomous community initiatives
  • Green light for the new Asturian healthcare map (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/asturias/luz-verde-al-nuevo-mapa-de-la-sanidad-asturiana-salimos-ganando-todos–2758)
  • The Basque Health Pact reaches a “high level of consensus” with the role of the private sector among the points to be negotiated. 22 of its 24 strategic lines appear to have been agreed upon (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/pais-vasco/la-colaboracion-publico-privada-tensa-la-ultima-reunion-del-pacto-vasco-de-salud.html)
  • Castilla y León presents its Community Health Strategy to improve population well-being (https://comunicacion.jcyl.es/web/jcyl/Comunicacion/es/Plantilla100Detalle/1284663638052/_/1285531881767/Comunicacion)
  • La Rioja activates an innovative plan to boost clinical research in Primary Care (https://actualidad.larioja.org/noticia?n=not-la-rioja-activa-un-plan-innovador-para-potenciar-la-investigacion-clinica-en-atencion-primaria
  • Mazón announces the creation of an advanced healthcare campus in Paterna (https://www.europapress.es/comunitat-valenciana/noticia-mazon-anuncia-construccion-campus-sanitario-avanzado-paterna-dara-servicio-40000-personas-20250627132050.html#google_vignette)
  • López Miras announces the first oncology plan in the region of Murcia (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/murcia/lopez-miras-saca-pecho-por-la-sanidad-murciana-y-anuncia-el-primer-plan-oncologico-de-la-region.html)

• Causes of mortality in Spain
  • Tumors are They remain the leading cause of death in Spain, which recorded a decrease in suicides in 2024 (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-06-23/los-tumores-se-mantienen-como-la-primera-causa-de-muerte-en-espana-que-registro-en-2024-un-descenso-de-suicidios.html). Access the INE press release: https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/pEDCM2024.htm#:~:text=En%20el%20año%202024%20se,4%20por%20cada%20100.000%20mujeres.

• ALS
  • Every day, 3 new cases of ALS are diagnosed in Spain, and 3 deaths occur. (https://www.sen.es/saladeprensa/pdf/Link479.pdf)

• Nursing Shortage
  • Not only is there a shortage of nurses, they are also poorly distributed. The nurse ratio is 6.36, compared to the EU average of 9.19. There is a high level of emigration to other countries (https://www.diariomedico.com/enfermeria/profesion/faltan-enfermeras-tambien-estan-mal-repartidas.html). Access the original document from the General Nursing Council: https://acenetworksalud-my.sharepoint.com/personal/prensa_consejogeneralenfermeria_org/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?ga=1&id=%2Fpersonal%2Fprensa%5Fconsejogeneralenfermeria%5Forg%2FDocuments%2F25%2D06%2D26InformeRatios%2FEstudio%20Ratios%202024%2Epdf&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fprensa%5Fconsejogeneralenfermeria%5Forg%2FDocuments%2F25%2D06%2D26InformeRatios

• The problem of Spanish healthcare in the summer
  • Operating rooms and beds are closed due to a lack of professionals (https://www.eldebate.com/sociedad/20250629/grave-problema-sanidad-espanola-cierran-quirofanos-camas-falta-profesionales-verano_307751.html)

Companies

• International
  • Trump’s drug plans risk raising prices in Europe. Trump’s efforts to reduce prices in the US will possibly lead to higher prices in Europe (https://www.ft.com/content/366dde70-782b-4afd-9248-93e0a765cfa2)
  • NovoNordisk fights for maximum potential for the obesity drug CagriSema (https://www.ft.com/content/d7a6feab-575c-41ad-8314-3fbaf02f1f57)
  • Big Pharma faces losses $300 billion from patent expirations. This is the cumulative amount for the next five years, according to Evaluate forecasts (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250625/grandes-farmaceuticas-enfrentan-perdidas-millones-dolares-caducidad-patentes/1003743818441_0.html)
  • Novo Nordisk overtakes Lilly and will lead the obesity drug market (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13427983/06/25/novo-nordisk-se-impone-a-lilly-y-liderara-el-mercado-de-farmacos-contra-la-obesidad.html)

• National
  • Ribera Health Group continues its expansion in Europe and agrees to acquire the Polish company Multi Med (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250619/grupo-sanitario-ribera-continua-expansion-europa-acuerda-compra-polaca-multi-med/1003743810896_0.html)
  • Faes Farma seeks to accelerate its growth by acquiring companies that will contribute €170 million in sales by 2030 (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250626/faes-farma-busca-acelerar-crecimiento-compra-companias-aporten-millones-ventas/1003743820226_0.html#:~:text=La%20española%20Faes%20Farma%20quiere,Ebitda%2C%20hasta%20los%20240%20millones.)
  • Stada will sell nine more drugs in Spain this year and is planning new purchases (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13438032/06/25/stada-vendera-nueve-farmacos-mas-en-espana-este-ano-y-planea-nuevas-compras.html)