Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

• Biomedicine: Dementia is being defeated.
• Global health: African countries under pressure sign the Trump America First Deal health agreement.
• International health policy: The NHS’s AI policy: means £10 billion in investment.
• National health policy: Notable increase in sick leave in Spain, largely attributable to delays in the healthcare system.
• Business: Investment funds are on a buying spree in Spain, targeting private healthcare.

Biomedicine

• How dementia is being defeated. The Economist article says that the incidence among the elderly is falling rapidly. According to their analysis published in JAMA, while 40 years ago 3 out of 10 people aged 85-89 had dementia, now it’s only one.
• Obesity is inherited: how genes determine our relationship with food. More than 3,000 genetic variants determine a predisposition to weight gain. A genetic predisposition that has been reinforced in recent years by environmental factors.
• Liquid saliva biopsy brings early detection of head and neck cancer closer.

Global Health

• African countries under pressure sign the Trump America First Deal health agreement; a few reject it. The multilateral approach is being replaced by bilateral agreements with countries, of which some 30 have already signed, driven by the need for aid.
• Ending HIV: a real possibility. In a new United Nations declaration, countries commit to ending HIV by 2030.
• The out-of-control Ebola epidemic is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo at a record rate.
• Cancer is expected to increase globally, according to the WHO report.

International Health Policy

• The NHS’s AI policy: what the £10 billion investment means and what the concerns are. The initiative includes a triage tool to direct the patient to the appropriate service, a “write” tool to transcribe the conversation with the patient, and the NHS Hospital online initiative.
• The UK launches a national dementia registry to boost the search for treatments.
• While RFK, Jr. wants the population to have access to more preventative care, some experts say it’s a bad idea. RFK Jr. counts test manufacturers among his allies.
• Germany puts the death toll from the June heatwave at more than 5,000. The high number of fatalities highlights the country’s lack of preparedness for extreme temperatures.
• Record-breaking temperatures in Europe: Is the continent experiencing a new climate? Nature asks experts if super-hot summers will be the new norm in London, Paris, and Berlin.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• The Ministry of Health approves the new euthanasia manual to expedite urgent cases, despite opposition from the Community of Madrid.
• All the sister autonomous communities oppose the Ministry of Health over the Framework Statute.
• Several autonomous communities reject the elimination of 24-hour on-call shifts for doctors, deeming it unfeasible. The Minister of Health has reiterated that eliminating 24-hour on-call shifts has been one of her ministerial team’s main objectives since the beginning of the legislature.
• The IDIS Foundation launches the data space on Private Healthcare in Spain after completing its development, a sector-wide initiative that marks a milestone in the management, governance, and use of healthcare information in Spain.

Companies

• International
  • Moderna signs a contract with Brussels for the supply of up to 24 million doses of its RSV vaccine.
  • Blackstone and TPG seek more than $4 billion to acquire Hologic.

• National
  • Investment funds are on a buying spree in Spain, targeting private healthcare. According to market sources, there will be at least one major transaction, a significant acquisition, between the end of 2026 and mid-2027.

Biomedicine

• How to prevent dementia? What science really says. The number of dementia cases is projected to fall from 57 million in 2019 to 153 million in 2050. Studies analyzed by Nature examine the effects of diet, exercise, and social activity (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02098-z)
• How dementia is being defeated. The Economist article states that the incidence among the elderly is falling rapidly. According to their analysis published in JAMA, while 40 years ago 3 out of 10 people aged 85-89 had dementia, now it is only one (https://www.economist.com/briefing/2026/07/09/how-dementia-is-being-defeated)
• From cloning to gene editing: the lasting impact of Dolly the sheep. Dolly the sheep sparked current discussions on reproductive technology (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02096-1)
• Ending HIV: a real possibility. In a new United Nations declaration, countries commit to ending HIV by 2030 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01375-9/fulltext)
• A misguided bet by the WHO on complementary and alternative medicine. The use of traditional medicine must meet efficacy and safety standards (https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-100062)
• What’s really going on with mental health? (https://www.ft.com/content/063b7eed-3f13-43d4-8f12-ff6439b825e8?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
• The genes that can avert a fatal diagnosis (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/07/genetic-outliers/687821/)
• Preconception genetic screening: The American Academy of Medicine recommends opening access to couples with no family history (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2026/07/10/depistage-genetique-preconceptionnel-l-academie-de-medecine-recommande-d-ouvrir-l-acces-aux-couples-sans-antecedents-familiaux_6722448_1651302.html)
• Obesity is inherited: how genes determine the relationship with food. More than 3,000 variants determine the predisposition to weight gain. A genetic prophecy that has been reinforced in recent years by environmental factors (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2026-07-08/la-obesidad-se-hereda-como-los-genes-determinan-la-relacion-con-la-comida.html)
• Liquid saliva biopsy brings early detection of head and neck cancer closer (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/otorrinolaringologia/biopsia-liquida-saliva-acerca-deteccion-precoz-cancer-cabeza-cuello.html)

Global Health

• Ending HIV: a real possibility. In a new United Nations declaration, countries commit to ending HIV by 2030 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01375-9/fulltext)
• The American response to Ebola and the future of global health leadership. The reduction in US aid (USAID) related to the virulence of the infection (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01291-2/fulltext)
• Children in all policies, an important report from The Lancet (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00856-1/fulltext)
• African countries under pressure sign the Trump America First health agreement; a few reject it. The multilateral approach is being replaced by bilateral agreements with countries, of which some 30 have already signed, driven by the need for aid (https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100192)
• Congolese residents hopeful as first Ebola treatment trials begin (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/05/residents-in-congo-cling-to-hope-as-ebola-treatment-trial-begins-00987135)
• The ever-out-of-control Ebola epidemic is spreading in the DRC at a record pace (https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2026/07/10/l-epidemie-d-ebola-toujours-hors-de-controle-se-propage-en-rdc-a-une-vitesse-record_6722502_3212.html)
• The Ebola epidemic: deaths reach 600, according to the WHO (https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2026/07/09/epidemie-d-ebola-en-rdc-le-bilan-atteint-600-morts-selon-l-oms_6722070_3212.html)
• Cancer is expected to increase globally, according to the WHO report (https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/08/health-who-global-persistent-inequities-progress-cancer-prevention-diagnosis-treatment-care). Access the WHO’s 2026 cancer report: (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240123977)
• The WHO estimates that 20% of the population will develop cancer and 92% will be affected by the disease. (https://www.expansion.com/directivos/estilo-vida/salud/2026/07/08/6a4e44c7e5fdea6f3a8b4577.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • Elderly Care in the USA: The Staffing Crisis (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2604122)
  • While RFK Jr. wants more access to preventative care, some experts say it’s a bad idea. RFK Jr. counts test manufacturers among his allies (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/05/rfk-preventive-kidney-alzheimers-colon-cancer-00986644)
  • Efforts to Help Smokers Quit Under Trump. The CDC’s Office for Tobacco Control has been shut down for over a year (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/us/trump-anti-smoking-cuts.html)

• United Kingdom
  • British pharmacies report high demand for weight-loss pills (https://www.ft.com/content/5bb61b31-e168-41a4-b7f1-278122d001ee?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • UK launches national dementia registry to boost the search for treatments (https://www.ft.com/content/e45a07e4-8c63-4505-99b9-8dc24a811444?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Within the NHS, in trials of psychedelic drugs (https://www.ft.com/content/0a2da1de-1333-4d7c-a755-c8ebb3fbbc56?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • The NHS AI policy: what the £10 billion investment means and what the concerns are. The initiative includes a triage tool to send the patient to the right service, “Write” to transcribe the conversation with the patient, and the NHS Hospital online initiative (https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100255)
  • The healthcare costs of the UK-US drug price agreement. According to the authors of this article, this agreement will divert money from healthcare and result in thousands of excess deaths (https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-340588)
  • Consultants (heads of hospital departments) vote for an “industrial action” (strike) in England (https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100209)

• France
  • Assisted dying: The Senate definitively abandons its attempt to amend the National Assembly’s text; the result will be announced on July 15 (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/07/08/aide-a-mourir-le-senat-renonce-definitivement-a-modifier-le-texte-de-l-assemblee-nationale_6721690_3224.html)
  • Mortality Perinatal mortality: always worrying figures and causes to explore (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/07/08/mortalite-perinatale-malgre-des-chiffres-toujours-inquietants-les-causes-restent-encore-a-explorer_6721555_3224.html)

• Germany
  • Germany puts the death toll from the June heatwave at more than 5,000. The high number of fatalities highlights the country’s lack of preparedness for extreme temperatures (https://elpais.com/clima-y-medio-ambiente/2026-07-09/alemania-cifra-en-mas-de-5000-las-muertes-por-la-ola-de-calor-de-junio.html)

• Europe
  • Record-breaking temperatures in Europe: Is the continent experiencing a new climate? Nature asks experts if super-hot summers will be the new normal in London, Paris and Berlin (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02046-x)

National Health Policy

• Central Government
  • The Ministry of Health approves the new euthanasia manual to expedite urgent cases, despite opposition from the Community of Madrid. This is one of 16 agreements reached at Friday’s Interterritorial Council meeting, although the Framework Statute dominated much of the discussion, to the point that the Minister announced a new plenary session of the Interterritorial Council next week (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/07/10/6a510af9e9cf4ac35c8b4589.html)

• Regional Governments
  • Madrid strengthens its Virtual Health Card with the ability to view medical tests. The Virtual Health Card already has more than 3.9 million registered users who access its 76 services and nearly 228 features (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/c-madrid/madrid-refuerza-su-tarjeta-sanitaria-virtual-con-la-visualizacion-de-pruebas-medicas.html)

• Framework Statute
  • All the sister autonomous communities against the Ministry of Health over the Framework Statute (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ministerio-sanidad/todas-las-ccaa-hermanadas-frente-al-ministerio-por-el-estatuto-marco-monica-garcia-esta-sola.html)
  • Feijóo demands the dismissal of Mónica García over the doctors’ conflict and accuses Sánchez of “washing his hands” (https://www.consalud.es/politica/feijoo-exige-el-cese-de-monica-garcia-por-el-conflicto-con-los-medicos.html)

• On-call shifts for doctors
  • Several autonomous communities have rejected the proposal to eliminate 24-hour on-call shifts for doctors, deeming it unfeasible. The Minister of Health has reiterated that eliminating 24-hour on-call shifts has been one of her ministerial team’s main objectives since the beginning of the legislature (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/ministerio-sanidad/el-rechazo-de-varias-ccaa-a-suprimir-las-guardias-de-24h-es-irrealizable-8180)

• Sick leave
  • 14 charts to explain the increase in sick leave in Spain. Employers and unions agree that the backlog in the public healthcare system is one of the main reasons for the rise in temporary disability claims, which Feijóo has described as “a cancer” (https://elpais.com/economia/2026-07-08/14-graficos-para-explicar-el-aumento-de-las-bajas-laborales-en-espana.html)
  • Escrivá (Bank of Spain) calls for greater intervention by mutual insurance companies to reduce absenteeism (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/economia/empleo/20260708/escriva-banco-espana-reclama-intervencion-mutuas-reducir-absentismo-laboral/1003744314440_0.html)
  • SEMFYC calls for an end to the “monopoly” of primary care in sick leave claims. Semfyc proposes allowing three days of self-justified sick leave and that any doctor can issue the sick leave certificate to reduce the bureaucratic burden. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/semfyc-pide-acabar-monopolio-atencion-primaria-bajas-laborales.html)

• Data Space on Private Healthcare in Spain
  • The IDIS Foundation launches the data space on Private Healthcare in Spain after completing its development, a sector-wide initiative that marks a milestone in the management, governance, and use of healthcare information in Spain (https://www.consalud.es/industria/sanidad-privada/la-fundacion-idis-lanza-el-espacio-de-datos-sobre-la-sanidad-privada-en-espana.html)

• Profarma Plan
  • The government consolidates Profarma as a cornerstone of its strategy to strengthen the pharmaceutical industry (https://www.consalud.es/industria/sanidad-destaca-los-beneficios-del-plan-profarma-en-i-d-desarrollo-industrial-y-acceso-a-medicamentos.html)

• Public funding for obesity drugs
  • The move in France to fund obesity drugs reopens the debate in Spain. France has become the first country in the European Union to fund these medications (https://www.consalud.es/politica/el-movimiento-de-francia-de-financiar-los-farmacos-contra-la-obesidad-reabre-el-debate-en-espana.html)

Companies

• International
  • Blackstone and TPG seek more than $4 billion to buy Hologic (https://www.ft.com/content/1096b05f-13c1-466c-90c1-54dc2d0728aa?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Bayer sells its contraception business to Apollo for $3 billion (https://www.ft.com/content/2ac9c03f-f810-4514-a11e-5802e86c0d12?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Vertex buys Crinetics for its endocrinology portfolio in a deal valued at €8.75 billion (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260707/vertex-compra-crinetics-portfolio-endocrinologia-operacion-valorada-millones-euros/1003744312581_0.html)
  • Moderna closes a contract with Brussels for the supply of up to 24 million doses of its RSV vaccine (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260710/moderna-cierra-contrato-bruselas-suministro-millones-dosis-vacuna-vrs/1003744316765_0.html)
  • Europe asks for the withdrawal of an Amgen drug from the market due to “incorrect and misleading” data, and the US is considering doing so (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260706/europa-pide-retirar-mercado-medicamento-amgen-datos-incorrectos-enganosos-eeuu-baraja-hacerlo/1003744309876_0.html)

• National
  • Investment funds are on a buying spree in Spain, targeting private healthcare. According to market sources, there will be at least one major transaction, a significant acquisition, between the end of 2026 and mid-2027 (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260706/fondos-inversion-compras-espana-objetivo-sanidad-privada/1003744309828_0.html)

 

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week included:

• Biomedicine: AI Large Language Models (LLMs) are capable of outperforming most real-world clinical reasoning experiences.
• Global Health: The Ebola epidemic is not an inevitability, but the first consequence of a deliberately created void.
• International Health Policy: The anti-obesity drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro will be reimbursed by Social Security in France starting Monday.
• National Health Policy: For the first time, the People’s Party (PP) is leaning towards adapting the labor framework to the specific needs of doctors.
• Business: The pharmaceutical industry faces losses of nearly €438 billion due to patent expirations.

Biomedicine

• The value of LLMs in clinical reasoning. 65 years ago, cases involving complex clinical reasoning were the gold standard for evaluating physicians’ abilities. A study published in Science shows that AI, using Large Language Models (LLMs), is capable of outperforming most real-world clinical reasoning.
• AI matches or surpasses doctors in diagnosis. Two AI tools improve upon doctors’ diagnostic accuracy and treatment suggestions. One is MIRA, developed by researchers in Germany, and the other is AMIE, based on Google Gemini.
• A new drug targets one of the changes in cancer. It is for treating pancreatic cancer, is called “daraxonrasib,” and was developed by a Californian company called Revolution Medicines.

Global Health

• USAID: The Ebola epidemic is not an inevitability, but the first bill for a deliberately created void. In 2024, USAID had donated $1.2 billion to the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2025, that number dropped to $67 million. The US withdrawal benefits China, according to historian Mauro Campus, in an opinion piece for Le Monde.
• Migration: a reality, not an emergency. The review published in The Lancet states that migration and forced displacement continue to grow, and in 2024 more than 300 million people were international migrants. If they were a nation, they would be the fourth most populous. Human mobility is not an aberration but a fact of modern existence. It should not be treated as an extraordinary problem.
• The Ebola epidemic: one month after it began, the death toll has surpassed 200 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a mortality rate of 23%. There is neither a vaccine nor a specific treatment for this type of virus.

International health policy

• The anti-obesity medications Wegovy and Mounjaro will be reimbursed by Social Security in France starting Monday. Social Security will cover 65% of the cost for patients with massive obesity without comorbidities or severe obesity with comorbidities.
• France intends to make antibiotic resistance a strategic health security priority during its G7 presidency, considering it a global health and economic threat of the greatest magnitude.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• For the first time, the People’s Party (PP) is leaning towards specific labor regulations for doctors. Feijóo will make healthcare a “national priority” in the face of the new week of doctors’ strike. PP spokesperson and Deputy Secretary for Culture and Sport, Borja Sámper, stated this Monday, coinciding with the start of another week of doctors’ strike over the Framework Statute, that Alberto Núñez Feijóo will make healthcare a “national priority.” The PP leader conveyed his party’s support for some of the demands of the medical community and defended the need to adapt the labor framework to the specific needs of these professionals.
• The pharmaceutical reform bill is open for public consultation. The draft royal decree introduces dynamic pricing to strengthen competition in medicines that have already lost exclusivity and to encourage a gradual decrease in prices linked to the entry of generics and biosimilars.
• Medical unions will call an indefinite strike after the summer due to the “total lack of proposals” from the Ministry of Health. The Strike Committee warns of an escalation of the conflict to “maintain the demands of the group” if no progress is made in the coming weeks.

Companies

• International
  • The pharmaceutical industry faces losses of almost €438 billion due to the expiration of patents. To mitigate the blow, companies are focusing their efforts on acquiring pharmaceutical companies.

• National
  • The CEOE (Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Organizations) is launching a full-scale attack against absenteeism: it is demanding that Social Security cover sick leave and replacements from the first day. Around twenty business leaders are proposing measures such as limiting bonuses and reinstating dismissal for absenteeism.

Biomedicine

• AI matches or surpasses doctors in diagnosis. Two AI tools are improving on doctors in diagnostic accuracy and treatment suggestions. One is MIRA, developed by researchers in Germany, and the other is AMIE, based on Google Gemini (https://www.ft.com/content/734a45ee-86c4-47e1-8323-569bc14dcdd7?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
• The value of LLM models in clinical reasoning. Sixty-five years ago, cases with complex clinical reasoning were the gold standard for evaluating doctors’ abilities. A study published in Science shows that AI, with Large Language Models (LLMs), is able to outperform most real-world clinical reasoning exercises (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/06/ai-healthcare-uber-moment/687567/). Access the original Science study: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz4433
• Ancient DNA studies are rewriting the history of the plague. The study published in Nature shows that this disease did not necessarily originate in large human settlements (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/06/17/ancient-dna-is-rewriting-the-history-of-plague)
• A new drug targets one of the key changes in cancer. It is used to treat pancreatic cancer, is called “daraxonrasib,” and was developed by a Californian company called Revolution Medicines (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/06/12/a-new-drug-targets-one-of-cancers-master-switches)
• Orphan drugs generate six times more years of healthy life than conventional drugs. Patients, laboratories, and academics are calling for consideration of the long-term social impact of drugs targeting rare diseases (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260619/medicamentos-huerfanos-generan-veces-anos-vida-calidad-convencionales/1003744291085_0.html)
• With the same genes, a young person from Generation Z gains twice as much weight as a baby boomer. A study in the United Kingdom shows that the environment increases the predisposition to weight gain and widens the inequality gap in new generations (https://www.abc.es/salud/genes-joven-generacion-engorda-doble-baby-boomer-20260618200007-nt.html)
• A new vaccine shows promise against herpes, chlamydia, and other sexually transmitted diseases. US scientists have designed nanoparticles that act as a molecular “beacon” to recruit elite defenses in the reproductive tract, a promising advance in the face of record-breaking infections in Spain and Europe (https://www.abc.es/salud/nueva-vacuna-abre-via-frenar-epidemia-herpes-20260619200002-nt.html)

Global Health

• UNAIDS: HIV control dealt a severe blow by funding cuts. 2025 was disastrous for HIV control programs. UNAIDS is calling on governments and donors to renew their commitment to prevent a resurgence of the epidemic (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01238-9/fulltext)
• Migration: a reality, not an emergency. The review published in The Lancet states that migration and forced displacement continue to grow, and in 2024 more than 300 million people were international migrants. If they were a nation, they would be the fourth most populous. Human mobility is not an aberration but a fact of modern existence. It should not be treated as an extraordinary problem (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01240-7/fulltext)
• The Ebola outbreak caused by Bundibugyo: challenges and priorities for epidemic preparedness and response. This article in The Lancet analyzes immediate and long-term priorities (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01141-4/abstract)
• USAID: The Ebola epidemic is not an inevitability, but the first bill of a deliberately created void. In 2024, USAID had donated $1.2 billion to the DRC. In 2025, that figure dropped to $67 million. The US withdrawal benefits China, according to historian Mauro Campus, in an opinion piece for Le Monde (https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2026/06/19/usaid-l-epidemie-d-ebola-n-est-pas-une-fatalite-mais-la-premiere-facture-d-un-vide-deliberement-creuse_6704910_3232.html).

• The Ebola epidemic: one month after it began, the death toll in the DRC has surpassed 200, with a mortality rate of 23%. There is neither a vaccine nor a specific treatment for this type of virus (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2026/06/18/un-mois-apres-le-debut-de-l-epidemie-d-ebola-en-republique-democratique-du-congo-le-bilan-depasse-200-morts_6704568_1651302.html)
• The myth of leishmaniasis as a purely veterinary disease: the largest human outbreak in Europe began in Spain in 2009. Many people associate this disease with dogs, but the parasite Leishmania infantum is endemic in our country, is transmitted by the bite of a small insect, and more and more animals are being discovered that can host it (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/06/14/6a29e71ee9cf4a99328b456d.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The Trump Administration intends to delay HIV aid to South Africa, citing “insufficient measures taken following the administration’s request” (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/18/pepfar-south-africa-white-afrikaners-hiv-aids-00968479)

• United Kingdom
  • UK officials are considering changing certain benefits Financial assistance for illness, including support at work or mental health support (https://www.ft.com/content/19b6eb96-a558-41f7-853c-39d336c90023?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

• France
  • The anti-obesity medications Wegovy and Mounjaro will be reimbursed by Social Security starting Monday. Social Security will cover 65% of the cost for patients with massive obesity without comorbidities or severe obesity with comorbidities (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2026/06/14/les-medicaments-antiobesite-wegovy-et-mounjaro-seront-rembourses-en-france-a-partir-de-lundi_6702600_1651302.html)
  • The Constitutional Council closes the door to a referendum on end-of-life issues (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/06/17/fin-de-vie-pourquoi-le-conseil-constitutionnel-ferme-la-porte-a-un-referendum_6704276_3224.html)
• G7
  • France intends to make antimicrobial resistance a priority during its G7 presidency strategic health security, considering it represents a global health and economic threat of the greatest scope (https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2026/06/14/la-presidence-du-g7-constitue-une-occasion-unique-pour-la-france-de-faire-de-l-antibioresistance-une-priorite-strategique-de-securite-sanitaire_6702747_1650684.html)
• EU
  • The European Parliament requests a moratorium on the obligations of the Water Directive. The European Parliament supports the suspension of extended producer responsibility for pharmaceuticals until its impact on the production and supply of medicines is assessed (https://diariofarma.com/2026/06/18/el-parlamento-europeo-solicita-una-moratoria-en-las-obligaciones-de-la-directiva-de-aguas)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration
  • The Ministry of Health establishes a common vaccination strategy for migrants and refugees in Spain. The Ministry of Health is unifying criteria for immunizing newly arrived migrants with initial doses in the early weeks, prioritizing MMR, polio, tetanus, and diphtheria vaccines, with accelerated schedules and coordination between regional governments and reception centers (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2026-06-16/vacunacion-migrantes-refugiados-espana-1tps_4373489/)
  • The government will include autism in the list of illnesses that qualify for childcare benefits (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260620/gobierno-incluira-autismo-listado-enfermedades-dan-acceso-prestacion-cuidado-menores/1003744293210_0.html)
  • The pharmaceutical reform bill is open for public consultation. The draft royal decree introduces dynamic pricing to strengthen competition in medicines that have lost their exclusivity and to promote a gradual decrease in prices linked to the entry of generics and biosimilars (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ministerio-sanidad/sanidad-abre-a-audiencia-publica-la-norma-que-regulara-la-financiacion-y-precios-de-los-medicamentos.html)

• Regional governments
  • Three public hospitals in Madrid, national centers for obtaining stem cells for bone marrow transplants. La Paz, 12 de Octubre, and Gregorio Marañón hospitals have been designated for their experience, technical capacity, and high specialization in areas such as advanced therapies (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/c-madrid/eligen-tres-hospitales-publicos-madrilenos-como-centros-nacionales-para-obtener-celulas-madre-destinadas-a-trasplante-de-medula.html)
  • The Torrejón Hospital is asking the Community of Madrid not to accept new resident physicians as a cost-saving measure. It appears that in other regions, the salaries of resident physicians (MIRES) are covered by the regional governments (https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2026-06-16/el-hospital-de-torrejon-pide-a-la-comunidad-de-madrid-no-recibir-nuevos-medicos-residentes-como-medida-de-ahorro.html)

• Medical conflict over the Statute
  • Medical unions will call an indefinite strike after the summer due to the “total absence of proposals” from the healthcare system. The Strike Committee is threatening to escalate the conflict to “maintain the demands of the group” if no progress is made in the coming weeks (https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/medicos-amenazan-huelga-indefinida-verano-ausencia-total-propuestas-sanidad_1_13302847.html)
• Euthanasia
  • Deaths by euthanasia increased by 32% last year. 565 people received euthanasia in Spain in 2025 (https://elpais.com/expres/2026-06-18/las-muertes-por-eutanasia-crecieron-un-32-el-ano-pasado.html)

• Feijóo’s statements on healthcare
  • Feijóo promises to respect the law on abortion time limits and “improve” the law regarding access to euthanasia. The leader of the People’s Party (PP) aspires to legislation regarding euthanasia that has “consensus” with “scientific societies,” “medical organizations,” “healthcare professionals,” and political groups, unlike the current law. It should be remembered that the euthanasia law was processed as a proposed law, not a bill, without any mandatory report (https://www.consalud.es/politica/feijoo-promete-respetar-la-ley-de-plazos-para-el-aborto-y-perfeccionar-la-relativa-al-acceso-a-la-eutanasia.html).
  • Feijóo will make healthcare a “national priority” in the face of the new week of doctors’ strike. The PP spokesperson and Deputy Secretary of Culture and Sport, Borja Sámper, stated this Monday, coinciding with the start of a new week of doctors’ strike over the Framework Statute, that Alberto Núñez Feijóo will make healthcare a “national priority.” The Popular Party leader has conveyed his party’s support for some of the demands of the medical community and has defended the need to adapt the labor framework to the unique characteristics of these professionals (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/feijoo-convertira-sanidad-prioridad-nacional-ante-huelga-medica-estatuto-marco/)

Companies

• International
  • Abbie closes a deal for nearly $11 billion to acquire biotech firm Apogee Therapeutics, developer of anti-inflammatory therapies (https://www.ft.com/content/cb5e94aa-1687-47fe-b55a-82e273e8b1bd?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Pharmaceutical patent applications decline for the second consecutive year, falling 6.5% in 2025. The explanation lies in the stabilization following Covid, higher R&D costs, and the advance of countries like China and India. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260615/solicitudes-patentes-farmaceuticas-retroceden-segundo-ano-consecutivo-cayeron/1003744278143_0.html)
  • The pharmaceutical industry faces losses of almost 438 billion euros due to patent expirations. To mitigate the blow, companies are focusing their efforts on acquiring pharmaceutical companies. (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260619/industria-farmaceutica-enfrenta-perdidas-millones-euros-fin-patentes/1003744290775_0.html)
  • Novo Nordisk hopes to get Wegovy’s pill approved in China to overtake its competitor Lilly. The Danish pharmaceutical company is already ahead of its American counterpart in the US and UK markets. Both are betting on the success of oral treatment compared to injections (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2026-06-17/novo-nordisk-espera-aprobar-la-pastilla-de-wegovy-en-china-para-adelantar-a-su-competidora-eli-lilly.html)
  • According to Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK, the return on investment in the pharmaceutical sector will increase from 5% to 30% due to AI (https://www.eleconomista.es/mercados-cotizaciones/noticias/13978875/06/26/cathie-wood-ark-la-burbuja-tecnologica-creo-mucho-miedo-en-la-industria-de-la-inversion-y-eso-hoy-es-algo-bueno.html)

• National News
  • Grifols defends the IPO of its Biopharm business in the USA It will allow value to surface and debt to be reduced (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2026-06-18/grifols-defiende-que-la-salida-a-bolsa-del-negocio-de-biopharma-en-ee-uu-permitira-aflorar-valor-y-reducir-deuda.html)
  • Rovi specializes in the manufacture of injectable medications for obesity (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260618/rovi-especializa-fabricacion-inyectables-obesidad-clientes-ademas-roche/1003744289803_0.html)
  • The Valencian Regional Government is preparing multi-million euro claims against Sanitas and Ribera for the concessions. The Valencian Ministry of Health has informed healthcare concessionaires of an adjustment of between 50 and 60 million euros to compensate for ‘inflated’ settlements from the years of Covid (https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/comunidad-valenciana/2026-06-17/generalitat-sanitas-ribera-reclamacion-millonaria_4373881/)

 

 

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week included:

• Biomedicine: Leo XIV’s first encyclical attacks technological messianism.
• Global health: Ebola can be stopped, but only if political leaders prioritize public health.
• International health policy: Chinese advances in drug development put the country ahead of the USA.
• National health policy: The government approves the Royal Decree on Health Technology Assessment, which is now published in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
• Business: Lilly acquires three companies to develop new vaccines.

Biomedicine

• Leo XIV’s first encyclical attacks technological messianism, criticizing, according to an article in The Economist, two concepts very much in vogue in Silicon Valley: transhumanism and posthumanism, both linked by the attempt to “improve the species.” The encyclical argues that humanity—with all its strengths and limitations—should never be surpassed.
• First transplant of a pig liver and kidney into a patient. Genetically modified pig organs are being used in trials in the USA and China.
• New test detects heart risk earlier than cholesterol. Measuring the count of plaque-forming particles could refine the prevention of heart attacks and strokes, according to a recent study published in JAMA.

Global Health

• Ebola can be stopped, but only if political leaders prioritize public health. According to a Nature editorial, this deadly disease was identified 50 years ago in the Congo. It is unacceptable that it is still causing deaths.
• The Congo’s response to Ebola is late and chaotic. It is hard to imagine a more difficult place to control an epidemic.
• Kenyan courts suspend US plans to transfer American patients from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Kenya for Ebola quarantine.
• A measles outbreak has killed more than 500 children in Bangladesh since March. It is the worst resurgence in decades of this preventable disease.

International Health Policy

• Chinese advances in drug development put the country ahead of the USA. Clinical trials in China attract attention at an international oncology meeting in Chicago. Emerging Chinese biotechnology is causing alarm in the USA, as its dominance in this field may disappear.
• The US administration advocates sending Americans exposed to Ebola to Kenya, instead of returning to the USA.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• The government approves the Royal Decree on Health Technology Assessment, which is now published in the Official State Gazette (BOE). The text of the Royal Decree on Health Technology Assessment, approved by the Council of Ministers, recognizes a full consultation process for developers and elevates the bulk of the instructions and guidelines that will govern the process to a ministerial order. In return, the Ministries of Finance, Economy, and Industry gain their own seats on the governing bodies.
• The CNMC (National Markets and Competition Commission) has released a document on pharmacies stating that following its recommendations would save €1.8 billion annually and create 45,000 jobs. The plan is based on: promoting the use of generic drugs to levels similar to those in other European countries would save more than €1.8 billion per year; and making it easier to open pharmacies, following models like that of Navarre, would allow for the creation of 20,000 new pharmacies and 45,000 jobs within a decade. The General Council of Pharmaceutical Colleges has reacted strongly.
• Doctors across much of Spain will stop working overtime in surgery in protest against their working conditions. Physicians in Galicia, Navarre, the Basque Country, Madrid, Catalonia, La Rioja, and the Valencian Community are protesting against the excessive workload placed on their regions and the Ministry of Health.
• Resident doctors (MIRs) will call a strike in September if there are no real changes to their working conditions. The MIR Association denounces that the Spanish healthcare system continues to function thanks to the extraordinary efforts of thousands of resident physicians.

Companies

• International
  • Lilly acquires three companies to develop new vaccines for $3.3 billion

• National
  • Sha, the dream that triumphed without a business plan.

Biomedicine

• Leo XIV’s first encyclical attacks technological messianism, criticizing, according to an article in The Economist, two concepts very much in vogue in Silicon Valley: transhumanism and posthumanism, both linked by the attempt to “improve the species.” The encyclical argues that humanity—with all its strengths and limitations—should never be surpassed (https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/05/28/leos-first-encyclical-attacks-technological-messianism). Access the encyclical: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/es/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html
• First transplant of a pig liver and kidney into a patient. Genetically modified pig organs are being used in trials in the USA and China (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01708-0)
• A new era in neurology. Neurological diseases are the leading cause of disability globally. It is a specialty that has changed radically in the last 20 years, thanks to genomics, molecular imaging, and biomarkers (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01036-6/fulltext)
• From hope to uncertainty: regulating new drugs for Alzheimer’s (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)01035-4/fulltext)
• Alzheimer’s blood tests: closer to detection, before symptoms appear. New research shows the potential of analyzing Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers in middle-aged people without dementia (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/neurologia/test-alzheimer-sangre-mas-cerca-deteccion-aparezcan-sintomas.html)
• Scientists find a potential cure for chronic hepatitis B. Most patients recover from the infection, but those who don’t are at high risk. The new medication may cure 1 in 5 of these patients (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/28/health/hepatitis-b-chronic-bepirovirsen.html)
• Air pollution slows lung growth in childhood (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/29/air-pollution-slows-lung-growth-childhood-uk-study). Access the original document: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935126006080
• The new test allows for the detection of heart disease risk earlier than cholesterol. Measuring the count of plaque-forming particles could refine the prevention of heart attacks and strokes, according to a recent study published in ‘JAMA’.
• (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2026-05-24/analisis-de-sangre-podria-predecir-riesgo-cardiaco_4345930/). Access the original document: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2026.2986
• New recommendations from American oncologists for earlier detection of colon cancer. The American Cancer Society has updated its guidelines with two new highly sensitive stool tests and evidence on blood tests (https://www.abc.es/salud/nuevas-recomendaciones-oncologos-americanos-detectar-cancer-colon-20260527011339-nt.html)

Global Health

• Ebola can be stopped, but only if political leaders prioritize public health. According to a Nature editorial, this deadly disease was identified 50 years ago in the Congo. It is unacceptable that it is still causing deaths (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01630-5)
• Ebola: Three Red Cross workers die as more than 1,000 cases and 200 deaths are reported (https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-743673)
• Congo’s response to Ebola is late and chaotic. It’s hard to imagine a more difficult place to control an epidemic (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/05/28/congos-response-to-ebola-is-late-and-chaotic)
• Kenyan courts suspend US plans to transfer American patients to that country for quarantine (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/world/africa/us-kenya-quarantine-unit-ebola.html)
• A measles outbreak has killed more than 500 children in Bangladesh since March. It is the worst resurgence of this preventable disease in decades (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/05/23/6a11cd14e9cf4ac3658b45ad.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The US administration advocates sending Americans exposed to Ebola to Kenya instead of returning to the US (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/28/ebola-kenya-congo-uganda-epidemic-00941790)

• China
  • Chinese advances in drug development put the country ahead of the US. Clinical trials in China attract attention at an international oncology meeting in Chicago. Emerging Chinese biotechnology is causing alarm in the USA, as its dominance in this field may disappear (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/30/business/china-lung-cancer-drugs-asco.html)

• France
  • The obesity treatments Wegovy and Mounjaro have been reimbursed by Social Security in France since mid-June (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/05/28/les-traitements-contre-l-obesite-wegovy-et-mounjaro-rembourses-des-la-mi-juin-en-france-dans-un-cadre-controle_6694430_3224.html)

• European Union
  • According to Eurostat, cardiovascular diseases account for one-third of deaths in the EU (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/eurostat-alerta-las-enfermedades-cardiovasculares-concentran-un-tercio-de-las-muertes-en-la-ue.html)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration
  • The government has approved the Royal Decree on Health Technology Assessment, which is now published in the Official State Gazette (BOE). The text of the Royal Decree on Health Technology Assessment, approved by the Council of Ministers, recognizes a full consultation process for developers and elevates the bulk of the instructions and guidelines that will govern the process to a ministerial order. In return, the Ministries of Finance, Economy, and Industry gain their own seats on the governing bodies (https://diariofarma.com/2026/05/29/claves-del-rd-de-ets-garantias-reforzadas-para-desarrolladores-y-mas-peso-de-hacienda). Access the text of the Official State Gazette (BOE): https://elglobalfarma.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/BOE-A-2026-11587.pdf
  • Congress approves the new pharmaceutical co-payment model (https://elglobalfarma.com/farmacia/copago-farmaceutico-congreso-convalida-nuevo-modelo/)
  • The Ministry of Health is preparing the specialty of infectious diseases, together with scientific societies and FACME. Currently, Spain is the only EU country, along with Cyprus, that does not have this specialty (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260527/sanidad-prepara-especialidad-enfermedades-infecciosas-junto-sociedades-cientificas-facme/1003744262691_0.html)
  • The government approves a budget of €172.4 million for the Strategic Framework for Primary Care (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/05/26/6a1578f0e4d4d83d268b458e.html)

• Regional governments
  • Madrid announces the Vive Sanitario plan, affordable rentals for doctors. The plan, as explained by the president of the Community of Madrid, is aimed at professionals under 35 years of age with the idea of ​​attracting and retaining medical talent (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/madrid-diaz-ayuso-anuncia-plan-vive-sanitario-alquileres-precio-asequible-medicos.html)
  • Asturias approves the Mental Health bill, focused on rights and prevention (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/asturias-aprueba-proyecto-ley-salud-mental-centrado-derechos-prevencion.html)

• CNMC and pharmacies
  • The CNMC publishes a document on pharmacies and says that if its recommendations were followed, 1.8 billion euros per year would be saved and 45,000 jobs would be created. The plan is based on: Boosting the use of generic medicines to levels similar to those of other European countries would allow savings of more than 1.8 billion euros per year; and, making the opening of pharmacies more flexible, following models such as that of Navarra, would allow the creation of 20,000 new pharmacies and 45,000 jobs in a decade (https://www.cnmc.es/index.php/prensa/impacto-estudios-medicamentos-20260525). Access to the original CNMC document: (https://www.cnmc.es/sites/default/files/6595060.pdf), access to the press release: (https://www.cnmc.es/sites/default/files/6593897.pdf), access to the infographic (https://www.cnmc.es/sites/default/files/6593897.pdf)
  • Response from the General Council of Pharmaceutical Associations: The General Council of Pharmaceutical Associations strongly rejects the previous reports and the new attempt by the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) to promote a liberalization of the pharmacy sector that is out of touch with the health and social reality of Spain. https://elglobalfarma.com/farmacia/cgcof-alerta-cnmc-liberalizacion-riesgo-acceso-equitativo-medicamentos/

• Medical conflict over the Medical Statute
  • Mónica García seeks approval for the Medical Statute at the next Council of Ministers meeting, with doctors up in arms (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/05/27/6a1711d9e9cf4a47088b4589.html)
  • Doctors across much of Spain will stop working overtime in surgery in protest against their working conditions. Doctors in Galicia, Navarre, the Basque Country, Madrid, Catalonia, La Rioja, and the Valencian Community are protesting against the excessive workload imposed on their regions and the Ministry of Health (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2026-05-29/medicos-de-media-espana-dejaran-de-hacer-horas-extra-de-cirugia-en-protesta-por-sus-condiciones-laborales.html)

• Resident Doctors (MIRs)
  • Resident doctors will call a strike in September if there are no real changes to their working conditions. The MIR Association denounces that the Spanish healthcare system continues to function thanks to the excessive effort of thousands of resident doctors (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260526/mir-convocaran-huelga-indefinida-septiembre-no-cambios-reales-condiciones-laborales/1003744259943_0.html)

• Doctors without a specialty
  • FACME denounces the hiring of doctors without a specialty. The president of the Federation of Spanish Scientific Medical Associations expresses medical concern over the validation of degrees held by 30,000 foreigners (https://www.abc.es/sociedad/cristina-avendano-facme-utilizacion-perversa-excepcion-contratar-20260531013142-nt.html)

• Aging and pensions
  • Aging and pensions will push public spending beyond 50% of GDP (https://www.elconfidencial.com/economia/2026-05-30/envejecimiento-pensiones-elevaran-gasto-publico-mitad-pib_4364387/)

Companies

• International
  • The US regulator delays its decision on AstraZeneca’s new breast cancer drug (https://www.ft.com/content/eee16583-a048-4060-8d47-d764e6b6d4de?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Lilly acquires three companies to develop new vaccines for $3.3 billion (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260527/lilly-adquiere-companias-desarrollar-nuevas-vacunas-enfermedades-infecciosas-millones/1003744260790_0.html)
  • Ozempic and AI, the recipe with which healthcare hopes to recover on the stock market in 2026. (https://cincodias.elpais.com/mercados-financieros/2026-05-31/ozempic-e-ia-la-receta-con-la-que-la-salud-quiere-remontar-en-bolsa-en-2026.html)

• National News
  • Sha, the dream that triumphed without a business plan. A pilgrimage site for celebrities and executives seeking well-being, it arose from an illness in the Bataller family and has been the driving force behind diversification into the hospitality and luxury real estate sectors (https://www.expansion.com/valencia/2026/05/29/6a1884f0e5fdea620c8b456e.html)

 

 

 

 

Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

• Biomedicine: From genetic scalpel to cell shredder: this new CRISPR “annihilates” cancer.
• Global health: A WHO worth fighting for: the need for targeted reform.
• International health policy: Wes Streeting, the British Health Minister, has resigned after a brilliant tenure, in the battle to replace Starmer.
• National health policy: Green light given to limit public/private collaboration in healthcare to “exceptional cases”.
• Business: Bid for the UK’s largest private operator: Spire.

Biomedicine

• From genetic scalpel to cell shredder: this new CRISPR “annihilates” cancer. The Cas12a2 protein is a programmable system capable of identifying infected or cancerous cells and destroying them completely without damaging healthy tissue. This finding, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, is based on the use of a recently discovered protein called Cas12a2.
• Princess of Asturias Award for the developers of DNA sequencing technology: British chemists David Klenerman and Shankar Balasubramanian, and French biophysicist Pascal Mayer. These methods have boosted clinical diagnosis and research in biology, biomedicine, forensics, and ecology, according to the jury’s statement.
• A fiber optic laboratory for diagnosing cancers in vivo. These multifunctional sensors will allow for minimally invasive, real-time cell analysis.
• A drug nearing approval, daraxonrasib, is the first to substantially extend the lives of patients with pancreatic cancer. It works by acting on a cellular protein that activates not only pancreatic cancer, but also lung and colon cancer. These are the most frequent causes of cancer deaths.

Global Health

• A WHO worth fighting for: the need for targeted reform. According to an article in The Lancet, the WHO needs reform to address its lack of agility, insufficient transparency in key processes and decision-making, and the absence of a clear narrative about the benefits the Agency offers the world. These reforms are urgent, or the WHO risks decline and irrelevance.
• A group of experts warns the WHO about the climate crisis as a major public health emergency. The climate crisis should be declared a global emergency by the WHO, or millions of people will die unnecessarily.
• A new Ebola outbreak in Congo leaves more than 65 dead: the WHO mobilizes its experts. The main public health agency on the African continent confirmed on Friday a new Ebola outbreak in the remote Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded so far.

International Health Policy

• Wes Streeting, the British Health Secretary, has resigned in the battle to replace Starmer, following his electoral defeat. The King’s Fund analyzes his tenure, portraying him as a major reformer. Under the guidance of Alan Milburn, former Health Secretary during Blair’s administration, he launched the “10-Year Health Plan for England,” with the aim of “buying time,” as the NHS’s problems have no short-term solution.
• NHS hospitals met their waiting list targets during Wes Streeting’s tenure.
• The White House cuts $1.3 billion from Medicaid funding in California due to a dispute over the management of nursing homes.
• The Supreme Court allows the sale of abortion pills by mail indefinitely, overturning a previous federal judge’s decision.
• The head of the US FDA resigns following pressure from Trump to allow flavored e-cigarettes.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Green light given to the bill limiting public-private partnerships in healthcare to “exceptional cases.” The law, which faces significant challenges, seeks to place every possible obstacle in the way of public-private collaboration.
• The Ministry of Health is reforming the pharmaceutical co-payment system with six income brackets and new monthly limits. The system introduces maximum spending limits for low- and middle-income patients with chronic illnesses.
• Professional associations are expected to evaluate the healthcare qualifications of foreigners, according to a Decree currently in the public comment phase at the Ministry of Universities, Science and Innovation.
• The new Hospital Clínic and the Girona Health Region’s Campus Salud are strategic national projects (Catalonia). The Catalan Government will declare the construction of both projects to be of general interest next Tuesday, giving them absolute priority.
• The People’s Party (PP) has registered a non-legislative motion (PNL) urging the government to activate three key measures within six months to address public health emergencies: approve the Preparedness and Response Plan, activate the Public Health Agency, and boost the strategic reserve following the hantavirus crisis.

Companies

• International
  • Offer for Spire, the largest private hospital operator in the United Kingdom. Spire’s shares rise to $1 billion following the takeover bid.

• National
  • Fenin promotes a major Ibero-American healthcare technology corridor to Europe in Madrid.

Biomedicine

• Princess of Asturias Award for the developers of DNA sequencing technology. British chemists David Klenerman and Shankar Balasubramanian and French biophysicist Pascal Mayer. These methods have boosted clinical diagnosis and research in biology, biomedicine, forensic medicine, and ecology, according to the jury’s statement (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/investigacion/premio-princesa-asturias-desarrolladores-tecnologia-secuenciacion-adn.html).
• Following the psychedelic renaissance, the US president has signed an executive order stimulating research into psychedelics for mental illness (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00969-4/fulltext). Access the executive order here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/04/accelerating-medical-treatments-for-serious-mental-illness/
• A fiber optic laboratory for diagnosing cancers in vivo. These multi-function sensors will allow for minimally invasive, real-time cell analysis (https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2026/05/15/un-laboratoire-sur-fibre-optique-pour-diagnostiquer-les-cancers-in-vivo_6689432_1650684.html)
• Research into the origins of cancer will be key to improved prevention. Research into the origins of cancer will change how we prevent and screen for the 20 million new cancers diagnosed worldwide each year. Forty percent of cases are preventable, with the causes being tobacco, infectious diseases, and alcohol (https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2026/05/14/la-recherche-sur-la-genese-des-cancers-sera-la-cle-d-une-meilleure-prevention_6689086_3232.html)
• How an impossible idea led to a breakthrough in pancreatic cancer. A drug about to be approved, daraxonrasib, is the first to substantially extend the lives of patients with pancreatic cancer. It works by acting on a cellular protein that activates not only pancreatic cancer, but also lung and colon cancer. These are the most frequent causes of cancer deaths (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/health/pancreatic-cancer-daraxonrasib-kras.html)
• A single infusion can suppress HIV for years. A study of a few patients, to be presented this week, shows the promise of a type of therapy that has already cured some hematological cancers (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/health/hiv-infusion-immunotherapy.html)
• A profound limitation in modern medicine. The kind of magic bullet many doctors seek is ill-equipped to address most of their patients’ problems. Many patients who exhibit pain, fatigue, and brain fog do not fit the patterns of modern medicine (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/05/medicine-magic-bullet/687145/)
• From genetic scalpel to cell shredder: This new CRISPR “annihilates” cancer. The Cas12a2 protein is a programmable system capable of identifying infected or tumor cells and destroying them completely without harming healthy tissue. This finding, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, is based on the use of a recently discovered protein called Cas 12a2. (https://www.abc.es/salud/bisturi-genetico-trituradora-celulas-nuevo-crispr-aniquila-20260506170000-nt.html)

Global Health

• Hantavirus: Surprise, complacency, and danger. According to The Lancet, this episode prompts reflection on whether the lessons of COVID-19 have been adequately assimilated by political leaders and even public health authorities. (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00963-3/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email)
• A WHO worth fighting for: The need for targeted reform. According to an article in The Lancet, the WHO needs reform to address its lack of agility, insufficient transparency in key processes and decision-making, and the absence of a clear narrative about the benefits the Agency offers the world. These reforms are urgent, or the WHO risks decline and irrelevance (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00805-6/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email)
• Why measles is returning to Latin America. Vaccine coverage failures are causing the deadly virus to return (https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/05/14/why-measles-is-returning-to-the-americas)
• A group of experts warns the WHO about the climate crisis as a major public health emergency. The climate crisis should be declared a global emergency by the WHO, or millions of people will die needlessly (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/16/who-should-declare-climate-crisis-global-public-health-emergency-experts-say). Access the original document: https://www.who.int/europe/groups/pan-european-commission-on-climate-and-health
• A new Ebola outbreak in Congo leaves more than 65 dead: the WHO mobilizes its experts. The main public health agency on the African continent confirmed on Friday a new Ebola outbreak in the remote Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded so far. (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/05/15/6a074b67e85ece7f4d8b457c.html)
• The WHO declares a public health emergency due to the new Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda. The office of the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a declaration of a “public health emergency of international concern” on Saturday due to the new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which is affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/05/17/6a0958d8e85eceeb408b4577.html)
• Initial genetic analysis of the hantavirus from the cruise ship confirms that it is the Andes variant and rules out mutations. The hantavirus from the MV Honius has been sequenced from samples taken from one of the infected individuals. The results confirm that it is the Andean strain, the most virulent and contagious, but rule out that the virus has mutated. (https://elpais.com/ciencia/2026-05-11/un-primer-analisis-genetico-del-hantavirus-del-crucero-confirma-que-es-de-la-variante-andes-y-descarta-mutaciones.html)
• The WHO downplays the possibility of a larger hantavirus outbreak (https://elpais.com/expres/2026-05-13/se-suceden-las-dudas-sobre-el-hantavirus-con-el-recuerdo-de-la-covid-de-fondo.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The Trump Administration cuts the CDC’s global program to stop HIV. The Administration will send the money directly to countries, which can then pay the CDC fees for the assistance (https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-administration-cuts-cdc-s-key-role-global-program-stop-hiv)
  • With Trump as a friend, the tobacco industry secures a lucrative initiative. After meeting with a group of tobacco executives at one of his golf clubs, they complained about FDA regulations, and after a phone call, the FDA director resigned and flavored vapes were authorized (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/us/politics/trump-vapes-cigarettes-big-tobacco.html)
  • The White House cuts $1.3 billion for Medicaid in California due to a dispute over nursing home management (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/13/white-house-cuts-billions-california-medicaid-00919351)
  • The Supreme Court allows the sale of abortion pills by mail indefinitely, which had been blocked by a federal judge (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/us/politics/supreme-court-abortion-pill.html)
  • RFK, Jr. pushes for a broad study on vaccines, despite his silence (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/health/kennedy-vaccine-safety.html)
  • US FDA chief resigns after Trump pressures to allow flavored e-cigarettes (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2026-05-12/el-jefe-de-la-agencia-del-medicamento-de-estados-unidos-dimite-tras-las-presiones-de-trump-para-autorizar-los-cigarrillos-electronicos-con-sabores.html)

• United Kingdom
  • Wes Streeting, the British Health Secretary, has resigned in the battle to replace Starmer after his electoral defeat. The King’s Fund analyzes Wes Streeting’s tenure, portraying him as a great reformer. Under the guidance of Alan Milburn, former Health Minister under Blair, he launched the “10-Year Health Plan for England,” with the aim of “buying time,” as the NHS’s problems have no short-term solution (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/blogs/wes-streeting-has-gone)
  • NHS hospitals meet waiting list targets during Wes Streeting’s term (https://www.ft.com/content/61d8217a-1e30-4a96-9fbe-e8536827a3f9?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

• France
  • Why the Senate has rejected the new assisted dying bill for the tenth time (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/05/13/pourquoi-le-senat-a-rejete-a-nouveau-le-texte-sur-l-aide-a-mourir_6688635_3224.html)
  • Asthma, a trivialized disease, still kills, despite the therapeutic arsenal. Between 700 and 1,000 people die each year in France from this respiratory condition. Preventable deaths with available treatments (https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2026/05/11/l-asthme-cette-maladie-banalisee-qui-tue-encore-malgre-l-arsenal-therapeutique_6688143_1650684.html)

• European Union
  • The European Union is stockpiling key medicines to avoid a repeat of what happened during the pandemic. Member states want to pass the Critical Medicines Act, which incentivizes domestic production (https://www.ft.com/content/7c07683d-6b41-4213-859e-6e1d8e96ff32?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration
  • Green light for the bill limiting private healthcare management to “exceptional cases.” The law, which faces significant challenges, seeks to place every obstacle in the way of public-private partnerships (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2026-05-12/luz-verde-a-la-ley-que-limita-la-gestion-privada-de-la-sanidad_4353875/)
  • The Ministry of Health reforms the pharmaceutical co-payment system with six income brackets and new monthly limits. The system introduces maximum spending limits for low- and middle-income working patients with chronic illnesses (https://diariofarma.com/2026/05/12/sanidad-reforma-el-copago-farmaceutico-con-seis-tramos-de-renta-y-nuevos-topes-mensuales)
  • Professional associations are expected to evaluate the healthcare qualifications of foreigners, according to a Decree currently in the public comment phase from the Ministry of Universities, Science and Innovation (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260516/gobierno-planea-colegios-profesionales-evaluen-titulos-sanitarios-extranjeros-homologacion/1003744246472_0.html)
  • The Ministry of Health has opened the reference pricing order for 2026 to public consultation. For the first time, it includes a specific annex with medications. Exempt from the Reference Pricing System (RPS) by decision of the Interministerial Commission on Drug Prices (CIPM) (https://elglobalfarma.com/politica/sanidad-audiencia-publica-orden-precios-referencia-2026-claves/)

• Regional Administrations
  • Madrid launches the bidding process for the new Neurorehabilitation Center at Isabel Zendal Hospital (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/c-madrid/madrid-inicia-la-licitacion-para-construir-el-nuevo-centro-de-neurorrehabilitacion-del-hospital-isabel-zendal.html)
  • This is how the Asturian healthcare system is preparing to manufacture its own immunotherapy drugs (https://www.elcomercio.es/asturias/prepara-sanidad-asturiana-fabricar-propios-tratamientos-inmunoterapia-20260516182605-nt.html)
  • The new Clínic Hospital and the Girona Health Region’s Campus Salud, strategic projects for the country (Catalonia). The Catalan government will declare the construction of both hospitals to be of general interest next Tuesday, giving them absolute priority (https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2026-05-17/el-nuevo-hospital-clinic-y-el-campus-salud-de-la-region-sanitaria-girona-proyectos-estrategicos-de-pais.html)

• Healthcare spending
  • According to AIREF (Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility), healthcare spending will grow by 4.5% this decade to address chronic conditions (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/sanidad-hoy/el-gasto-sanitario-crecera-un-4-5-esta-decada-para-enfrentar-la-cronicidad-8666)

• PP initiatives

• Framework Statute and the Medical Strike
  • This marks the fourth week of the medical strike. More than 2 million canceled appointments and “far apart” positions mark the start of the May doctors’ strike, following the announcement of Mónica García’s candidacy and the failure of the mediator, which have destroyed any possibility of negotiation (https://gacetamedica.com/profesion/estatuto-marco-cuarta-semana-huelga-medica/)

• Intense surge in silicosis
  • Silicosis continues to spread rapidly in Spain with more than 600 new cases in 2025. This progressive and incurable occupational disease is skyrocketing, with a high incidence among workers in the quartz agglomerate industry, generating intense debate about this material (https://www.eldiario.es/economia/silicosis-sigue-plena-explosion-espana-600-nuevos-casos-2025-trunca-27-anos_1_13204965.html)

• Sick leave
  • The Absenteeism spirals out of control and drives up costs for companies in 2026. The bill for the productive sector is approaching 2.5 billion euros in the first quarter, 7% more year-on-year, while the average duration of processes jumps by 22.5% and approaches 49 days (https://www.expansion.com/economia/2026/05/15/6a061c4c468aeb7b018b457a.html)

Companies

• International
  • Spire shares rise to $1 billion in takeover bid. Bid for the UK’s largest private hospital operator (https://www.ft.com/content/97c78168-bb92-4039-ba5f-38f03b2a7bde?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Lilly will launch a weight-loss pill at a lower price than Mounjaro and is already testing it on 7 other diseases (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260513/lilly-lanzara-pildora-sobrepeso-menor-precio-mounjaro-prueba-enfermedades-diferentes/1003744242884_0.html)
  • Donte Group exceeded €437 million in revenue in 2025: 11% more than the previous year. Most of the revenue corresponds to Vitaldent (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260512/donte-group-supero-millones-euros-facturacion-ano-anterior/1003744242090_0.html)

• National
  • Natural viruses to kill superbugs. The Valencian company Evolving Therapeutics is developing phage-based solutions to combat these pathogens that killed 24,000 Spaniards in 2023 (https://elpais.com/economia/negocios/2026-05-14/virus-naturales-para-matar-superbacterias.html)
  • Fenin is promoting a major Ibero-American healthcare technology corridor to Europe in Madrid (https://www.consalud.es/tecnologia-sanitaria/fenin-organiza-la-i-cumbre-iberoamericana-de-la-industria-de-tecnologia-sanitaria.html)

 

Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were: 

• Biomedicine: Genome pioneer Craig Venter dies.
• Global health: AIDS returns to Zambia with force after a year of cuts in US HIV aid.
• International health policy: Germany will spend less money on healthcare and more on defense.
• National health policy: Feijóo points to Sánchez as responsible for the largest doctors’ strike in Spain’s history.
• Business: Healthcare is driving the American economy.

Biomedicine

• Genome pioneer Craig Venter, who redefined the boundaries of biology—sequencing DNA at unprecedented speed, engineering synthetic life, and mapping ocean microbes—has died.
• Long-lived immune cells show promise against cancer after a clinical trial. Blood cell cancers go into remission after being treated with T cells that behave like embryonic cells.
• Spain treats epidermolysis bullosa (butterfly skin) with gene therapy for the first time. Two patients in Andalusia have been treated with an innovative drug that is still awaiting funding from the National Health System.
• The first map of smell has been created. This fundamental sense remains largely unknown, but scientists from Harvard University have now presented this ‘olfactory atlas’ showing how the more than 1,000 receptors that allow us to smell are organized in the nose.

Global Health

• AIDS is returning to Zambia with a vengeance after a year of cuts in US HIV aid. A robust and accredited system that saved thousands of lives has begun to collapse. Trump’s disasters in the health sector with the closure of USAID are immeasurable.

International Health Policy

• Germany will spend less money on healthcare and more on defense. The Merz government is trying to allocate €133 billion to defense while simultaneously making cuts to the public healthcare system. The plan is to reduce healthcare spending by €20 billion and lower the price of medicines. A far-reaching measure. This will have an impact across Europe and, of course, in Spain.
• Obamacare enrollment is falling sharply after the price hikes. Millions of Americans are dropping their insurance coverage following the congressional agreement that raised prices.
• China is surpassing the United States in research and is on the verge of taking its technological leadership. China already surpasses the US in R&D, scientific publications, and patents, while Trump is cutting off funding for science and restricting the entry of foreign talent, jeopardizing its global leadership.
• Bukele (El Salvador) is entrusting the monitoring of chronic diseases to Gemini, Google’s AI.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Feijóo points to Sánchez as responsible for the largest doctors’ strike in Spain’s history. The PP leader has launched an offensive in Congress amidst the ongoing medical conflict against the Framework Statute, which is experiencing its third national strike this week to demand the withdrawal of the legislation and the implementation of specific labor improvements for the medical profession. Feijóo’s proposal seems reasonable, given the seriousness of the conflict and the Ministry’s apparent inability to find a solution, although Sánchez doesn’t appear to have been very receptive to the request, at least publicly.
• The European University is bringing six more health-related degrees to Gijón, including Medicine. The Asturian government gave the green light this Monday to the arrival of the European University in Asturias through a center affiliated with the European University of Madrid. With this, Asturias is no longer one of the autonomous communities without a private university.
• Asturias creates an oncology network to guarantee equity in treatments. The Principality has launched the Astur-CCC network, a new model of cancer care involving all three health areas. This was one of the requests in the document promoted by the RIDEA (Royal Institute of Asturian Studies), entitled “For a Cutting-Edge Asturian Health System” (2025).
• Spain is the only EU country that does not require a clinical examination or supervision for foreign doctors. A report by the Spanish Medical Association (OMC) denounces the degree validation system as “purely administrative.”

Companies

• International
  • Healthcare is driving the American economy. In the last year, 43% of new jobs were in the health sector.
  • AstraZeneca restarts investment in Cambridge (UK) after reaching an agreement with the British government on drug prices. This resumes the £300 million investment, which had been paused last year.

• National News
  • The fertility industry is experiencing another year of growth, accumulating a turnover of €685 million in 2025, 5% more than the previous year.
  • Sanitas (its new CEO, Jaureguízar) is not committed to public-private partnerships in healthcare. It had previously embraced this approach, in the Manises concession (Valencian Community), and also in the administrative mutualism model (MUGEJU).

Biomedicine

• Genome pioneer Craig Venter, who redefined the boundaries of biology—sequencing DNA at unprecedented speed, engineering synthetic life, and mapping ocean microbes—has died (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01226-z).
• Long-lived immune cells show promise against cancer after a clinical trial. Blood cell cancers go into remission after being treated with T cells that behave like embryonic cells (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01398-8)
• A treatment for pre-eclampsia may be on the horizon. Blood filtration has performed well in early trials (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/04/27/a-treatment-for-pre-eclampsia-may-be-on-the-horizon)
• AI is not the end of the doctor. Although some say medical schools will soon be obsolete, it appears that empathy is the doctor’s last refuge against the advances of AI (https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2026.4356)
• Recommendations for discontinuing psychotropic medications. A consensus statement from the American Society of Psychopharmacology (https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.0043)
• A Spanish drug has managed to correct one of the key factors in ALS and is now in human trials. The drug has begun clinical trials after successfully restoring the function of TDP-43, a protein altered in most cases of the disease, in preclinical models (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2026-04-28/farmaco-espanol-corregir-claves-ela_4345787/)
• Treating a meniscus tear with surgery is more harmful than beneficial in the long run. A study has revealed that, ten years later, those who underwent surgery suffered more problems than those who did not (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260502/tratar-rotura-menisco-cirugia-perjudicial-beneficioso-largo-plazo-mayor-riesgo-artrosis/1003744229981_0.html)
• Europe approves the first drug indicated to reduce the progression of multiple sclerosis. Tolebrutinib has reduced by 30% the progression of the disease that occurs unrelated to relapses (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260428/europa-aprueba-primer-medicamento-indicado-reducir-progresion-esclerosis-multiple/1003744224322_0.html)
• Spain treats epidermolysis bullosa (EB) with gene therapy for the first time. Two patients have been treated in Andalusia with an innovative drug that is still awaiting funding from the National Health System (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2026-04-27/espana-trata-por-primera-vez-la-piel-de-mariposa-con-terapia-genica_4345696/)
• A superclot has been designed that stops severe bleeding in five seconds. Researchers in Canada develop a technique to create biological patches 13 times stronger than natural ones using the patient’s own cells (https://www.abc.es/salud/disenan-supercoagulo-detiene-hemorragias-graves-cinco-segundos-20260429180000-nt.html)
• The first map of smell has been created. This fundamental sense remains largely unknown, but scientists from Harvard University have now presented this ‘olfactory atlas’ showing how the more than 1,000 receptors that allow us to smell are organized in the nose (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/04/28/69f0b08721efa057788b457f.html)

Global Health

• AIDS returns to Zambia with force after a year of cuts in US HIV aid. A robust and accredited system that saved thousands of lives has begun to collapse (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/25/health/pepfar-hiv-aids-zambia.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • CDC statements undermine faith in vaccines. It all stems from a November 2025 statement that did not rule out an association between vaccines and autism (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aef5320)
  • Obamacare enrollment drops sharply after price increases. Millions of Americans are dropping their insurance after Congress passed a deal that raised prices (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/business/obamacare-enrollment-decline.html)
  • A federal court has suspended the possibility of sending the abortion pill by mail after a lawsuit from the Republican state of Louisiana (https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/05/02/aux-etats-unis-une-cour-d-appel-federale-suspend-l-envoi-postal-de-la-pilule-abortive_6684757_3210.html)

• China
  • China surpasses the United States in research and is about to take its technological lead. China has already surpassed the US in R&D, scientific publications, and patents, while Trump cuts off funding for science and restricts the entry of foreign talent, jeopardizing its global leadership (https://www.elconfidencial.com/tecnologia/novaceno/2026-05-01/china-eeuu-i-d-ciencia-tecnologia-orden-mundial_4348009/)

• United Kingdom
  • Doctors are concerned after it was revealed that a private consulting firm has been awarded £700,000 to design the new Neighborhood Centres, included in England’s 10-year health plan. The contract aims to support the construction of 250 Neighborhood Centres by 2030, as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj.s837)
  • England’s 10-year health plan: aligning hope with economic reality. The novelty lies not in the measures announced in the plan, but in the severity of the economic restrictions under which it will have to be implemented (https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2025-088964)
  • Healthy life expectancy trends in the UK: a time of great change. The vast majority of local areas saw a decline in this expectancy over the last decade (https://www.health.org.uk/reports-and-analysis/analysis/healthy-life-expectancy-trends-in-the-uk-a-watershed-moment)

• Germany
  • Germany will spend less money on healthcare and more on defense. The Merz government is trying to allocate €1.33 billion to defense, while simultaneously cutting public healthcare spending (https://en.ara.cat/international/cuts-to-the-welfare-state-to-invest-more-in-defense-merz-presents-the-2027-budgets_1_5722623.html)
  • Germany is considering significantly reducing the price and reimbursement of medications. Under a new law to stabilize the finances of the public health system, lower drug prices are included (https://www.globalpolicywatch.com/2026/04/germany-plans-significant-cuts-in-drug-pricing-and-reimbursement-how-would-the-gkv-beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz-impact-pharmaceutical-companies/)
  • The German government is considering massive cuts in healthcare, pensions, and social benefits. Health cuts will amount to €20 billion next year (https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/04/29/tgij-a29.html)

• El Salvador
  • Bukele entrusts the monitoring of chronic diseases to Gemini, Google’s AI (https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/04/28/au-salvador-nayib-bukele-confie-le-suivi-des-malades-chroniques-a-gemini-l-ia-de-google_6683867_3210.html)

• European Union
  • The EU is considering action against Meta for insufficient protection of children on social media. An application will make it easier for patients to get tested at certain laboratories or be seen by a specialist (https://www.ft.com/content/65e9c42b-d0ee-4511-96e7-2784a7d4e240?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration
  • Government plan against superbugs: There will be no large boxes of antibiotics to prevent stockpiling. The misuse of antibiotics is largely one of the main causes of the growing resistance to superbugs, microscopic organisms immune to most available drugs that cause the death of some 24,000 people a year in Spain alone (https://elpais.com/expres/2026-04-29/el-plan-del-gobierno-contra-las-superbacterias-no-habra-cajas-grandes-de-antibioticos-para-evitar-el-acopio-y-su-mal-uso.html)
  • The government begins reform of the Occupational Risk Prevention Law. The Council of Ministers has approved the draft bill amending the Occupational Risk Prevention Law, the Regulation of Prevention Services, and the consolidated text of the Workers’ Statute. The Government is thus beginning the process of expanding the recognition and protection of occupational risks, including for the first time mental health and psychosocial risks (https://medicinaresponsable.com/politica-sanitaria/gobierno-reforma-prevencion-riesgos-laborales)
  • Congress approves enshrining abortion in the Constitution. The Government’s proposal to enshrine abortion in the Constitution passed its first hurdle in the Congress of Deputies this Thursday, although with criticism from its coalition partners (https://medicinaresponsable.com/politica-sanitaria/congreso-aprueba-tramitar-blindaje-aborto-constitucion-superar-vetos-pp-vox)

• Regional governments
  • The European University is bringing six more health-related degrees to Gijón, including Medicine. The Asturian government gave the green light this Monday to the arrival of the European University in Asturias through a center affiliated with the European University of Madrid (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/estudiantes/la-universidad-europea-lleva-a-gijon-medicina-y-6-grados-sanitarios-mas-8127)
  • Asturias creates an oncology network to guarantee equity in treatments. The Principality has launched the Astur-CCC network, a new model of cancer care involving all three health areas (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/asturias/asturias-crea-una-red-oncologica-para-garantizar-la-equidad-en-tratamientos-2609)

• Doctors’ Strike and Framework Statute
  • Strike participation continues to decline, and doctors are calling for Pedro Sánchez to intervene and take responsibility for the negotiations, which show no signs of being resolved (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2026-04-27/el-seguimiento-de-la-huelga-de-medicos-continua-cayendo-y-los-sindicatos-piden-la-intervencion-de-pedro-sanchez.html)
  • Feijóo points to Sánchez as responsible for the largest doctors’ strike in Spain. The leader of the People’s Party (PP) has launched an offensive in Congress amidst the ongoing medical conflict against the Framework Statute, which is experiencing its third national strike this week to demand the withdrawal of the legislation and the implementation of specific labor improvements for the medical profession (https://www.consalud.es/politica/feijoo-apunta-a-sanchez-como-responsable-de-la-mayor-huelga-de-medicos-que-ha-habido-en-espana.html).

• Study on doctors’ salaries
  • The doctor’s salary doesn’t exist: a study on the complex system. At least seven factors (base salary, job position, career path, location, on-call shifts, productivity, and individual factors) determine the final salary (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/medicina/el-sueldo-medico-no-existe-una-foto-al-complejo-entramado-salarial-espanol-6879). Access the original article: https://www.redaccionmedica.com/contenido/images/HPP2025_15_AGLB_Estu_260429_123114.pdf

• Sick Leave
  • Hours lost due to sick leave are increasing by 10% per year, double the rate of hours worked. Temporary disability now accounts for 6% of total working hours, averaging two hours per week per employee (https://www.vozpopuli.com/economia/empleo/las-horas-perdidas-por-baja-laboral-crecen-un-10-en-un-ano-el-doble-que-las-trabajadas.html)

• Foreign Doctors
  • Spain is the only EU country that does not require a clinical examination or supervision for foreign doctors. A report by the Spanish Medical Association (OMC) denounces the system for validating medical degrees as “purely administrative” (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260430/espana-unico-pais-ue-no-exige-examen-clinico-supervision-medicos-extranjeros/1003744229003_0.html)
  • The OMC requires an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for non-EU doctors with recognized qualifications. The Spanish Medical Association (OMC) proposes a clinical exam to validate non-EU doctors’ qualifications after a record 30,000 degrees were validated in 2025, and warns of a bottleneck in the MIR (Medical Residency Exam). (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/omc-pide-ecoe-extracomunitarios-homologados.html)

• Specialist Recertification
  • FACME requests a specialist recertification system from the LOPS (Organic Law of the Spanish Medical Professions). FACME demands that the LOPS recognize the medical act, the role of the responsible physician, and their leadership of the multidisciplinary team (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/facme-le-pide-lops-sistema-recertificacion-especialistas.html)

Companies

• International
  • Healthcare is driving the American economy. In the last year, 43% of new jobs were in the health sector (https://www.ft.com/content/6b1bcbab-21d4-49a3-9940-d7550f042e5d?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Lilly’s profits double as sales of obesity medication rise (https://www.ft.com/content/527fb779-bc12-436d-a6cc-1ba4dfc9a5f5?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Purdue, the US pharmaceutical company, faces criminal charges in the opioid crisis (https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/04/29/crise-des-opioides-le-laboratoire-americain-purdue-pharma-condamne-au-penal_6684068_3210.html)
  • AstraZeneca restarts investment in Cambridge (UK) after agreement with the British government on drug prices. This restarts the £300 million investment, which had been paused last year (https://www.ft.com/content/dd3b8baa-e7fd-40fa-a015-567164f23e30?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • This is an interesting strategic shift by CVS Pharmacy, one of the world’s largest pharmacy chains, which is focusing on healthcare services, based on the fact that around 80% of patients prefer in-person pharmaceutical care, and 84% consider pharmacies to be trusted healthcare spaces. The new format eliminates mass-market activity and assumes a more healthcare-focused role (https://matrixbcg.com/blogs/growth-strategy/cvshealth)

• National News
  • The fertility business continues its growth for another year, accumulating a turnover of 685 million euros in 2025, 5% more than the previous year (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260502/negocio-fertilidad-encadena-ano-crecimiento-empresas-dominantes/1003744229340_0.html)
  • Sanitas Valdebebas obtains accreditation as a university center. In 2026, Sanitas will offer 24 MIR (Medical Residency) positions in its accredited university hospitals (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/privada/sanitas-valdebebas-obtiene-la-acreditacion-como-centro-de-formacion-mir-4129)
  • Sanitas (its new CEO, Jaureguízar) is not committed to public/private partnerships in healthcare (https://elpais.com/economia/2026-05-02/jauerguizar-sanitas-la-colaboracion-publico-privada-en-sanidad-es-complejisima-y-por-eso-hemos-renunciado.html)
  • Esteve is reinforcing its highly specialized strategy with five drugs. The company achieved revenues of €828 million in 2025, representing double-digit growth, and expects to reach €950 million this year (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/empresas/esteve-refuerza-5-farmacos-estrategia-alta-especializacion.html)
  • FAES Farma boosts its sales by 31% due to acquisitions. The strong quarterly results are attributed to the launch of its ophthalmology division, made possible by the acquisition of Edol and Sifi last year (https://www.expansion.com/pais-vasco/2026/04/30/69f36532468aeb92638b4574.html)