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)

Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

• Biomedicine: Joan Massagué: “The goal is to cure cancer, although along the way we will make some deadly diseases chronic.”
• Global Health: Milei follows Trump and leaves the WHO.
• International Health Policy: “Patients should choose their healthcare, not the one dictated by the State or their doctor,” according to Alan Milburn, former UK Health Minister.
• National Health Policy: Nearly 5 million people on waiting lists for surgery or specialist appointments.
• Business: A pack of cigarettes: a luxury in Europe and a bargain in Spain.

Biomedicine

• Joan Massagué: “The goal is to cure cancer, although along the way we will make some deadly diseases chronic.” The director of the Sloan Kettering Institute in New York, a world leader in metastasis research, believes that a therapeutic vaccine against the disease will be available in a few years: “It’s not an act of faith, but a reality.” • AI chatbots make mistakes in more than 80% of initial cases. Top models, such as OpenAI and DeepSeek, make overly hasty judgments when patient information is incomplete.
• Bioinformatics describing cancer: how zeros and ones translate into future therapies. Beginning in the 1960s, bioinformatics has completely transformed cancer research and laboratories in recent years. Therefore, in a bioinformatics workspace, there are no pipettes or test tubes; instead, there are computers running complex computational processes.
• New CRISPR approach silences the extra chromosome in Down syndrome. A US scientific team has developed a more efficient system for correcting the trisomy responsible for Down syndrome in cell lines.

Global Health

• Milei follows Trump and leaves the WHO. Following Trump’s abrupt withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), abandoning it as a full member and net contributor, Javier Milei has also formalized his departure, believing that the globalist institution intends to diminish national sovereignty in health-related decisions. The Argentine president announced his intention a year ago, and now his Foreign Minister, Pablo Quirno, has made the withdrawal official, citing “profound disagreements” with the handling of the pandemic and in defense of national sovereignty.
• Editorial from The Lancet: Abortion: the possibilities of progress. The prohibition of abortion does not eliminate it; it simply drives it toward clandestine and dangerous practices, endangering mental and physical health.

International health policy

• “The patient must choose their healthcare, not the one dictated by the State or their doctor”, declared Alan Milburn, former UK Health Minister, in Madrid to the magazine Redacción Médica. Many healthcare systems, starting with the British one, were created based on the logic of public monopoly. All of these are evolving to put patient choice at the center.
• Trump appoints Dr. Erica Swartz, a vaccine advocate, as the new CDC director. She is seen as a traditional, highly qualified choice and a rebuke of RJK, Jr.
• A new National Cancer Plan for England has just been released.
• Slow progress towards privatization in the NHS 10-Year Health Plan. This BMJ article accuses the plan of privatization due to the proposal to use private centers to address waiting lists and the return to PFIs (Private Finance Initiatives) for the infrastructure plan.
• Parents and schools need to better equip young people for work, according to former UK Health Secretary Alan Milburn. More than one million young people aged 16 to 24 are unemployed, and 60% of them are not even looking for work.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Nearly 5 million people are on waiting lists for surgery or specialist appointments. Since 2024, nearly 7,000 patients have been added to the waiting lists for surgery, and 114,915 are waiting for a specialist appointment.
• The government has validated 65,000 degrees, 30,000 of them for doctors.
• Discontent within the Andalusian healthcare system is taking to the streets. Thousands of Andalusians are demonstrating in the eight provincial capitals, with the May 17th protests seen as a turning point to halt the deterioration of the healthcare system.
• Negotiations on the Framework Statute with doctors will continue, despite the strikes called off after last Friday’s meeting.
• The healthcare impact of the regularization of immigrants approved by the Government is unmanageable with current resources, according to the president of SEMERGEN.

Companies

• International
  • The pharmaceutical sector will sign 144 mergers and acquisitions deals in 2025, with a peak in activity in the fourth quarter. An infographic from Evaluate Pharma shows that the total value of transactions rose from €35.2 billion in the first quarter to €87.6 billion in the fourth.

• National News
  • A pack of cigarettes: a luxury in Europe and a bargain in Spain. €23 in the UK, €19 in Ireland, and €13.50 in France. In Spain, €6.15. The cheapest countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Croatia.
  • The rise in private healthcare costs will lead to further increases in health insurance premiums. AON data points in that direction.

Biomedicine

• Tumor cells use a genetic trick to become resistant to drugs. Normal cells can only replicate 50 times before dying. Tumor cells escape this rule. But once the mechanism is understood, there are ways to neutralize it (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/04/16/tumour-cells-use-a-genetic-trick-to-become-drug-resistant)
• An analysis of an Alzheimer’s drug raises doubts about its effectiveness, stating that the clinical benefit is negligible (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/15/health/alzheimers-drugs-benefit-anti-amyloid.html). Access the Cochrane article: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD016297/full
• A new treatment that alters the immune system allows three transplant patients to avoid treatment with anti-rejection drugs. It appears that the treatment doesn’t always work (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/health/liver-transplants-antirejection-drugs.html)
• DNA repair for aging. Everyone’s DNA continues to mutate. The question is whether correcting those errors could lead to longevity (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/04/beyond-inheritance-excerpt-roxanne-khamsi/686831/)
• From Berlin to Oslo: Ten people worldwide have now managed to overcome HIV. The success of the so-called “Oslo patient,” who received a transplant from his own brother, consolidates a paradigm shift: curing the virus is no longer a miracle but a scientific roadmap (https://www.abc.es/salud/paciente-oslo-trasplante-logro-erradicar-resto-vih-20260413173904-nt.html)
• The risk of consulting Dr. ChatGPT: half of its medical answers are erroneous or dangerous. A study warns that large language models offer imprecise, difficult-to-read information with fabricated references about health (https://www.abc.es/salud/riesgo-consultar-doctor-chatgpt-mitad-respuestas-medicas-20260414041946-nt.html)
• AI chatbots make mistakes in more than 80% of initial cases. Top models, such as OpenAI and DeepSeek, make judgments too quickly when patient information is incomplete (https://www.ft.com/content/b10002fc-5fff-4e4d-bf64-0502b2d09bb1?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
• Joan Massagué: “The goal is to cure cancer, although along the way we will make some deadly cancers chronic.” The director of the Sloan Kettering Institute in New York, a world leader in metastasis, believes that in a few years there will be a therapeutic vaccine against the disease: “It is not an act of faith but a reality” (https://www.abc.es/salud/joan-massague-objetivo-curar-cancer-convertirlo-enfermedad-20260415041813-nt.html)
• Bioinformatics that describes cancer: how zeros and ones are translated into future therapies. Beginning in the 1960s, bioinformatics has completely transformed cancer research and laboratories in recent years. Therefore, in a bioinformatics workspace, there are no pipettes or test tubes; instead, there are computers running complex computational processes (https://www.elconfidencial.com/tecnologia/ciencia/2026-04-16/bioinformatica-cancer-matematicas-ia-terapias-cnio_4335900/).
• New CRISPR approach silences the extra chromosome in Down syndrome. A US scientific team has developed a more efficient system for correcting the trisomy responsible for Down syndrome in cell lines (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/genetica/nuevo-enfoque-crispr-corregir-trisomia-sindrome-down.html).

Global Health

• Law against homosexuality in Senegal. The repressive policy pursued by the government puts decades of progress in public health at risk (https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2026/04/17/loi-contre-l-homosexualite-au-senegal-les-justifications-historique-et-sanitaire-de-la-loi-sont-infondees_6680815_3232.html)
• Editorial in The Lancet: Abortion: the possibilities of progress. Banning abortion does not eliminate it; it simply drives it toward clandestine and dangerous practices, endangering mental and physical health (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00753-1/fulltext)
• Milei follows Trump and leaves the WHO. Following Trump’s abrupt withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), abandoning it as a full member and net contributor, Javier Milei has also formalized his departure, believing that the global institution seeks to diminish national sovereignty in health-related decisions. The Argentine president announced his intention a year ago, and now his Foreign Minister, Pablo Quirno, has made the withdrawal official, citing “profound disagreements” with the handling of the pandemic and in defense of national sovereignty. (https://www.larazon.es/salud/milei-sigue-trump-sale-oms_2026041969e41fbdb7e0a27eb99d1e5d.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The new normal for RJK, Jr. After Trump’s overreach, such as the appointment of a new pro-vaccine CDC director, we see a more repressed version of RJK, Jr. (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/04/cdc-director-schwartz-rfk/686837/)
  • Trump hopes to reduce restrictions on psychedelic drugs. The president’s executive order seeks to increase research on the effects of psychedelics (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/health/trump-psychedelics-ibogaine.html)
  • Trump nominates Dr. Erica Schwartz, a vaccine advocate, as the new director of the CDC; she is seen as a traditional, highly qualified choice (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/health/erica-schwartz-cdc-director-trump.html)

• China
  • China in a price war over obesity drugs. The loss of the patent allows China to produce GLP-1 drugs on a large scale (https://www.ft.com/content/a10159af-c6b5-48e4-8a68-16676684cb22?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

• United Kingdom
  • “The patient should choose their healthcare, not the one dictated by the State or their doctor,” declared former UK Health Minister Alan Milburn in Madrid to the magazine Redacción Médica. Many healthcare systems, starting with the British one, were created with the logic of a public monopoly. All of these are evolving to put patient choice at the center (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/sanidad-hoy/-el-paciente-debe-elegir-su-sanidad-no-la-que-digan-el-estado-o-su-medico–5354)
  • A new National Cancer Plan for England has just been released (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/699ec931532c9ad91ebbcc64/national-cancer-plan-for-england-delivering-world-class-cancer-care.pdf)
  • Slow movement towards privatization in the NHS 10-year Health Plan. This article accuses the NHS of privatization, citing the proposal to use private centers to address waiting lists and the return to Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) for the infrastructure plan (https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj.s656).
  • The NHS 10 Year Health Plan lacks a focus on rural areas, despite 10 million people living there. The Plan is accused of neglecting this group (https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj.s647).
  • Air pollution causes many people in the UK to develop chronic diseases earlier. Research says pollution makes long-term illnesses appear earlier (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/17/air-pollution-making-people-in-uk-get-long-term-illnesses-earlier-study-finds) Access the original article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-025-01806-3
  • People in the poorest areas of the UK live less than 50 years in good health. A 20-year gap compared to those living in wealthier areas (https://www.ft.com/content/85de9ce1-37f1-4983-af72-30bf05363a49?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Parents and schools need to better equip young people for work, according to former UK Health Minister Alan Milburn. More than one million young people aged 16 to 24 are unemployed, and 60% of them are not even looking for work (https://www.ft.com/content/b4ab3ec6-35cf-4e7f-a3ae-ca7dc67ad06a?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

• France
  • “Giant technology companies, the holders of the most health data,” according to an opinion piece in Le Monde by Professor Théodore Christakis. Every week, more than 230 million people ask ChatGPT questions about health and well-being. Five tech giants (OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, Amazon, and Perplexity) have launched AI products dedicated to healthcare (https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2026/04/15/les-geants-de-la-tech-constituent-les-plus-vastes-agregations-privees-de-donnees-de-sante-jamais-envisagees_6680263_3232.html)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration
  • The government validates 65,000 degrees, 30,000 of them medical degrees (https://elpais.com/educacion/2026-04-14/el-gobierno-valida-65000-titulos-universitarios-extranjeros-en-un-ano-30000-de-ellos-de-medicos.html)
  • The Ministry of Health creates the Patient Roundtable as an advisory body and evaluation. It will be composed of 22 members, half representing the Ministry and the other half representing patients (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/ministerio-sanidad/sanidad-crea-la-mesa-de-los-pacientes-como-organo-asesor-y-de-evaluacion-8179)
  • The Ministry of Health has committed to bringing forward breast cancer screenings to age 45. The measure comes after a campaign launched by María Varela, a metastatic cancer patient who has gathered more than 86,000 signatures to lower the age for mammograms (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/04/09/69d79025e85ecef92a8b459f.html)

• Regional governments
  • The Madrid government has expressed its rejection of the abortion conscientious objector registry. The regional government mentions up to nine times the court order requiring it to implement the measure following its conflict with the central government (https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2026-04-15/el-gobierno-de-ayuso-exhibe-su-rechazo-al-registro-de-objetores-al-aborto-en-cada-linea-de-su-tramitacion-obligada-por-la-justicia.html)
  • The discontent within the Andalusian healthcare system takes to the streets. Thousands of Andalusians demonstrate in the eight provincial capitals, with the May 17th elections as a turning point to halt the deterioration of the healthcare system (https://elpais.com/espana/elecciones-andalucia/2026-04-12/el-malestar-por-la-sanidad-andaluza-toma-las-calles-masivamente-en-la-primera-advertencia-a-moreno-ojala-esto-sea-un-bano-de-realidad-en-las-urnas.html)
  • Extremadura: this is the healthcare agreement for the legislature. The Extremadura government agreement includes increased funding, with an additional €500 million starting in 2026 and subsequent years, and incentives for underserved areas (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/extremadura-acuerdo-pp-vox-sanidad-legislatura.html)

• Framework Statute
  • Negotiations will continue without calling off the strikes after Friday’s meeting. Under the shadow of an ultimatum from PP councilors demanding Mónica García’s resignation, the negotiating table remains discreet, with the schedule of April 27th protests and the participation of the Autonomous Communities still uncertain (https://gacetamedica.com/profesion/estatuto-marco-negociacion-sin-desconvocar-paros-reunion-viernes/)

• Waiting Lists
  • Nearly 5 million people are on waiting lists for surgery or specialist appointments. Since 2024, nearly 7,000 patients have been added to the waiting lists for surgery, and 114,915 are waiting for a specialist appointment (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/04/16/69e09ef421efa0ed3f8b458d.html). Access the original Ministry document: https://www.sanidad.gob.es/estadEstudios/estadisticas/inforRecopilaciones/docs/LISTAS_PUBLICACION_Dic_2025.pdf. Access the Ministry’s summary: https://www.sanidad.gob.es/estadEstudios/estadisticas/inforRecopilaciones/docs/Informe_situacion_listas_de_espera_dic_2025_V1.pdf

• Effects of the Iran war on the healthcare system
  • The healthcare technology industry warns of a lack of access to certain raw materials. Fenin highlights a direct impact on intensive processes such as the manufacture of medical oxygen or cellulose products (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260414/industria-tecnologia-sanitaria-alerta-falta-acceso-determinadas-materias-primas-guerra-iran/1003744205990_0.html)
  • The armed conflict puts essential products for the operation of hospitals at risk. Helium, gloves, syringes, and other products are affected by the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/conflicto-belico-oriente-medio-pone-riesgo-productos-esenciales-funcionamiento-hospitales.html)

• Health impact of the regularization of immigrants approved by the Government
  • Unmanageable with current resources, according to the president of SEMERGEN (https://www.consalud.es/politica/implicacion-sanitaria-de-la-regularizacion-aprobada-por-el-gobierno-positivo-en-lo-asistencial-e-inabordable-con-los-actuales-recursos.html)

Companies

• International
  • The pharmaceutical sector is expected to complete 144 mergers and acquisitions in 2025, with activity peaking in the fourth quarter. An infographic from Evaluate Pharma shows that the total value of these deals rose from €35.2 billion in the first quarter to €87.6 billion in the fourth (https://elglobalfarma.com/industria/sector-farmaceutico-fusiones-adquisiciones-2025/).

• National
  • A pack of cigarettes: a luxury in Europe and a bargain in Spain. €23 in the UK, €19 in Ireland, and €13.50 in France. In Spain, €6.15. The cheapest countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Croatia (https://www.eleconomista.es/retail-consumo/noticias/13874212/04/26/un-paquete-de-cigarrillos-ya-es-un-articulo-de-lujo-en-europa-23-euros-en-el-reino-unido-19-en-irlanda-y-135-en-francia.html)
  • The rise in private healthcare costs will lead to further increases in health insurance premiums. AON data points in that direction (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260413/repunte-costes-afronta-sanidad-privada-provocara-nuevas-subidas-primas-seguro-salud/1003744201947_0.html)

Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

• Biomedicine: Scientists are working on “universal vaccines.”
• Global health: UN report: More than 4 million displaced by the Middle East conflict.
• International health policy: The Trump Administration announces new tariffs on medicines.
• National health policy: Xenoma Galicia: the challenge of genotyping one in seven citizens.
• Companies: Anthropic joins Google and Microsoft in the multi-billion dollar battle for AI in healthcare.

Biomedicine

• Scientists are working on “universal vaccines”. A simple injection can protect against a wide range of pathogens.
• Heritable human genome editing: a critical paradigm in evolution. Heritable human genome editing (HHGE) remains an ongoing project.
• E-cigarettes found to cause long-term mouth and lung cancer. The social perception that e-cigarettes are a harmless alternative to traditional tobacco is being dismantled by recent scientific evidence.

Global Health

• UN report as of March 26 on the consequences of the conflict in the Middle East, in terms of displaced persons, injuries, and deaths. Between Iran and Lebanon, more than 4 million displaced persons. A major humanitarian catastrophe.
• WHO Member States expand negotiations on the key annex to the Pandemic Agreement. The objective of the PABS annex is to ensure that the exchange of pathogens with pandemic potential occurs swiftly and on equal terms.
• The war with Iran puts the supply of essential medicines to Europe at risk. Countries like Sweden and the United Kingdom fear that the conflict will soon increase shortages.

International Health Policy

• The Trump Administration announces new tariffs on medicines. Trump announces tariffs on 100% of medicines, while warning companies that have not lowered prices or made investments in the USA.
• Postal code predicts cancer prognosis. The OECD, together with the European Commission, has just published a nearly 300-page report—Delivering High Value Cancer Care—that examines inequalities in cancer care in Europe.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Xenoma Galicia: the challenge of genotyping one in seven citizens to develop a Galician DNA map. Galicia accelerates the world’s largest genomic study per capita: how a €20 million plan seeks to create the most accurate genetic map on the planet and transform cancer prevention.
• The nine points governing the accreditation of Catalan healthcare centers. These will apply to the entire public healthcare system (SISCAT) and are: 1. Leadership; 2. Strategy; 3. People management; 4. Partnerships and resources; 5. Processes; 6. Results for citizens; 7. Results for staff; 8. Results for society; 9. Key results.

Companies

• International
  • Anthropic joins Google and Microsoft in the multi-billion dollar battle for AI in healthcare. The tech giant Anthropic announced the acquisition of the biotech startup Coefficient BIO for $400 million, in a further step towards the convergence of artificial intelligence and the healthcare sector.

• National
  • Five Catalan hospitals join forces to purchase Chinese surgical robots. The joint purchase of the robots has allowed the five centers to save 21% (€3.5 million) compared to the initial tender.

Biomedicine

• Scientists transform plastic waste into levodopa, a Parkinson’s drug (https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s616)
• Scientists are working on “universal vaccines.” A single injection could protect against a wide range of pathogens (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/04/01/scientists-are-working-on-everything-vaccines)
• Heritable human genome editing: a critical paradigm in evolution. Heritable human genome editing (HHGE) remains an ongoing project (https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(25)00705-3/fulltext)
• Spanish pharmaceutical company Ferrer is using a Phase III clinical trial to test a new drug to treat ALS. This is pridopidine, which has also shown positive results in Huntington’s disease (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260330/farmaceutica-espanola-ferrer-ultima-ensayo-clinico-fase-iii-probar-nuevo-farmaco-tratar-ela/1003744185980_0.html)
• E-cigarettes have been found to cause long-term mouth and lung cancer. The social perception that e-cigarettes are a harmless alternative to traditional tobacco is being dismantled by recent scientific evidence. A team of researchers from Australia has conducted a comprehensive review of studies carried out between 2017 and 2025, drawing conclusions that directly link the use of these devices to the development of cancer. (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/03/30/69ca9fbb21efa07c2a8b4592-video.html)

Global Health

• The global battle to reduce infant deaths is losing momentum. More than 60 countries are on track to meet the United Nations’ 2050 targets, although solutions exist (https://www.science.org/content/article/we-re-failing-newborns-global-push-reduce-infant-deaths-losing-steam)
• Childhood cancer: progress, but not enough (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00655-0/fulltext). Access the CONCORD-4 study, published by The Lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00189-3/fulltext
• UN report as of March 26 on the consequences of the conflict in the Middle East, in terms of displaced persons, injuries, and deaths. Between Iran and Lebanon, more than 4 million displaced persons. A major humanitarian catastrophe (https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/middle-east-situation-report/middle-east-conflict-global-situation-report-26-march-2026.pdf?sfvrsn=600e236_7&download=true)
• WHO Member States expand negotiations on the key annex to the Pandemic Agreement. The objective of Annex PABS is to ensure that the exchange of pathogens with pandemic potential occurs swiftly and on equal terms, and that the benefits generated from their use—such as vaccines, diagnostic tests, or treatments—are distributed fairly and equitably. (https://www.consalud.es/politica/los-estados-miembros-de-la-oms-amplian-las-negociaciones-del-anexo-clave-del-acuerdo-sobre-pandemias.html)
• The war with Iran puts the supply of essential medicines to Europe at risk. Countries like Sweden and the United Kingdom fear that the conflict will soon increase shortages, while Spain is confident that the strength of the generics sector will mitigate the tensions already affecting supply chains (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2026-04-05/la-guerra-en-iran-pone-en-riesgo-el-suministro-de-medicamentos-esenciales-a-europa.html)
• Harmonization and safety: the African Medicines Agency’s roadmap to transform the continent (https://www.consalud.es/industria/armonizacion-y-seguridad-la-hoja-de-ruta-de-la-agencia-africana-de-medicamentos-para-transformar-el-continente.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The Trump Administration announces new tariffs on medications. Trump announces tariffs on 100% of medications, while warning companies that have not lowered prices or made investments in the USA (https://www.ft.com/content/25ecf952-2fca-4ac0-9f72-69949c929a62?syn-25a6b1a6=1)
  • Trump announces changes to family planning: from contraception to conception. He wants to eliminate subsidies for current plans (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/03/trump-admin-moves-title-x-family-planning-program-away-from-contraception-towards-conception-00858913)
  • The FDA is expected to lift restrictions on peptides, in accordance with the wishes of RFK, Jr. The peptides, which are advertised as facilitators of longevity and health benefits, had been withdrawn from the market in 2023 (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/31/health/peptide-ban-fda-rfk-jr.html)
  • The US gives the green light to the first obesity pill that can be taken at any time of day and without restrictions (from Lilly, following Novo Nordisk’s) (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/04/01/69cd4f42e4d4d806098b45b5.html)

• United Kingdom
  • Abortion rates in England and Wales are at record highs since it was legalized in 1967 (https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s562)
  • The government is urging pharmaceutical companies to invest in the UK after the price agreement with the USA (https://www.ft.com/content/4bc868a1-bd4d-4d80-b8dd-064a4b87a4bb?syn-25a6b1a6=1)

• France
  • Liberal nurses sign an agreement with the National Health Insurance to update their fees (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2026/03/31/les-infirmieres-liberales-signent-un-accord-avec-l-assurance-maladie-pour-revaloriser-leurs-revenus_6675653_1651302.html)

• European Union
  • The EMA (European Medicines Agency) is addressing a new methodology to reduce the use of animals in preclinical research. The system seeks to reduce the number of rats in dose-ranging studies by using virtual control groups (https://diariofarma.com/2026/04/01/la-ema-abre-consulta-para-reducir-el-uso-de-animales-en-el-desarrollo-de-medicamentos)
  • “The postal code predicts cancer prognosis” (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2026-04-03/el-codigo-postal-del-cancer-por-que-tu-direccion-predice-tu-pronostico_4330748/). The OECD, together with the European Commission, has just published a nearly 300-page report—Delivering High Value Cancer Care—that exposes the inequalities in cancer care in Europe: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/delivering-high-value-cancer-care_060869fe-en.html

National Health Policy

• Central Administration
  • The government gives the green light to the Observatory of the Suicide Prevention Plan (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/03/31/69cb842e21efa09e4c8b45ad.html)
  • The specialty of Emergency Medicine, finally published in the Official State Gazette. The publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE) of the training program for the specialty of Emergency Medicine marks its definitive inclusion in the specialized healthcare training (FSE) positions (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medicina-urgencias/boe-consolida-especialidad-medicina-urgencias.html)

• Regional Administrations
  • Madrid takes the first step towards creating a registry of conscientious objectors to abortion, after months of resistance (https://elpais.com/expres/2026-04-03/madrid-da-el-primer-paso-para-crear-el-registro-de-objetores-al-aborto.html)
  • According to diario.es, the report that proves Ayuso gave money to private healthcare (https://www.eldiario.es/madrid/informe-muestra-ayuso-regalo-millones-sanidad-privada-71-653-032-no-encontrar-documentacion_1_13111704.html)
  • Xenoma Galicia: the challenge of genotyping one in seven citizens to develop a Galician DNA map. Galicia accelerates the world’s largest genomic study per capita: how a €20 million plan seeks to create the most accurate genetic map on the planet and transform cancer prevention (https://gacetamedica.com/investigacion/xenoma-galicia-reto-genotipar-ciudadanos-mapa-adn-gallego/)
  • The nine points that govern the accreditation of Catalan healthcare centers. They will apply to all publicly funded centers in Catalonia (SISCAT) and are: 1. Leadership; 2. Strategy; 3. People Management; 4. Partnerships and resources; 5. Processes; 6. Results for citizens; 7. Results for staff; 8. Results for society; 9. Key results. (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/cataluna/los-nueve-puntos-que-rigen-la-acreditacion-de-centros-sesultaanitarios-catalanes-7221). Decree published in the Official Gazette of the Government of Catalonia: https://dogc.gencat.cat/ca/document-del-dogc/?documentId=1040956
  • Navarre’s healthcare system launches a pilot program of incentives for healthcare professionals to reduce waiting lists. The system will link the extraordinary remuneration of professionals to healthcare activity targets and a reduction in waiting times for appointments (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/navarra/servicio-navarro-de-salud-osasunbidea-lanza-un-piloto-de-incentivos-para-reducir-listas-de-espera.html)
  • AIREF recommends that Navarre develop a healthcare infrastructure plan and a new remuneration model. The entity has prepared, at the request of Navarre, two reports on healthcare infrastructure and human resources policy (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/navarra/la-airef-recomienda-a-navarra-elaborar-un-plan-de-infraestructuras-sanitarias-y-revisar-el-modelo-retributivo.html)
  • Galicia and Cantabria take the lead with two pioneering digital health laws in 2026 (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/cantabria-y-galicia-toman-la-delantera-con-dos-leyes-pioneras-en-salud-digital-para-este-2026.html)

• Framework Statute
  • Timeline of the conflict over the Framework Statute: the key dates after Easter. From April 27 to 30: the third wave of national strikes (https://gacetamedica.com/profesion/estatuto-marco-calendario-conflicto-fechas-reuniones-huelga-semana-santa/)

• Colon cancer screening
  • Spain fails in colon cancer screening. Participation barely reaches 43%, far from the 65% recommended in Europe (https://www.larazon.es/salud/espana-suspende-cribado-cancer-colon_2026033069ca947283aca52e0e3e9cef.html)

Companies

• International
  • Are India and China prepared for the “chaotic” growth of generic obesity drugs? (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00649-5/fulltext)
  • Poland and Romania ordered to pay over €2 billion for unpaid vaccines to Pfizer (https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/04/01/la-pologne-et-la-roumanie-condamnees-a-verser-pres-de-2-milliards-d-euros-de-vaccins-anti-covid-impayes-a-pfizer_6675915_3210.html)
  • Lilly acquires narcolepsy drug developer for $6.3 billion (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/31/business/eli-lilly-narcolepsy-centessa.html)
  • Big Tech’s new conquest: Anthropic joins Google and Microsoft in the multi-billion dollar battle for AI in healthcare. The tech giant Anthropic announced the acquisition of the biotech startup Coefficient BIO for $400 million, in a further step towards the convergence of artificial intelligence and the healthcare sector. (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13855409/04/26/la-nueva-conquista-de-las-big-tech-anthropic-se-suma-a-google-y-microsoft-en-la-multimillonaria-batalla-por-la-ia-en-la-salud.html)
  • Gilead, Lilly, Merck-MSD, and Novartis shake up pharmaceutical acquisitions (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/industria/2026/04/03/69cef714e5fdea83388b45a0.html)

• National News
  • Five Catalan hospitals join forces to purchase Chinese surgical robots. The joint purchase of the robots has allowed the five centers to save 21% (3.5 million) compared to the initial tender (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/cinco-hospitales-catalanes-unen-comprar-robots-quirurgicos-chinos.html)
  • Prim raises its dividends by 18% and finalizes its new strategic plan (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2026-03-27/prim-eleva-sus-dividendos-un-18-y-ultima-su-nuevo-plan-estrategico.html)
  • Pablo Gallart, CEO of Ribera: “Despite all the noise surrounding Torrejón, we had our best year ever in 2025” (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260331/pablo-gallart-ceo-ribera-pesar-ruido-torrejon-mejor-ano/1003744187126_0.html)

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week included:

• Biomedicine: Immune cells with a bait are more effective at hunting cancer cells.
• Global Health: The US is considering withdrawing HIV aid to Zambia unless it facilitates access to certain minerals.
• International Health Policy: A judge suspends the Trump Administration’s vaccine recommendations.
• National Health Policy: The second week of the strike ends with hundreds of thousands of canceled appointments and no progress made between doctors and the Ministry of Health.
• Business: Privately run hospitals in Madrid achieve better results than publicly managed ones, according to a study.

Biomedicine

• Immune cells with a bait are more effective at hunting cancer cells. Research has developed stronger, longer-lasting, and more precise T lymphocytes against prostate tumors, paving the way for the development of more potent immunotherapies.
• Women who experience menopause before age 40 have a higher risk of myocardial infarction. A new study supports this finding.

Global Health

• The US is considering withdrawing HIV aid to Zambia unless it facilitates access to certain minerals. This is according to a draft memo from the State Department. As with everything, the United States applies the same transactional approach to health aid to developing countries as it does to other activities.
• Health and war in Sudan. The humanitarian crisis is growing amid international indifference.

International Health Policy

• A judge suspends the Trump Administration’s vaccine recommendations. A federal judge overturned Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s vaccine recommendations, ruling that they were not based on science.
• The COVID-19 pandemic brought the UK’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse. The service was ill-prepared and forced professionals to put their lives at risk. And what’s worse, both the King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust, two important British health think tanks, doubt that the NHS would be better prepared if another pandemic were to occur now. An excellent report by Baroness Hallett, far superior to the official report produced in Spain.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• The second week of the strike ends with hundreds of thousands of canceled appointments and no progress in negotiations between doctors and the Ministry of Health. Various political parties (PP, Vox, ERC, Junts) and autonomous communities (Castilla y León, the Canary Islands, and the Basque Country) are calling for negotiations with the Ministry, which appears to be an obligation of the Administration.
• 74% of citizens prefer public healthcare for complex cases, compared to 24% who choose private healthcare. The 061 and 112 emergency services are consolidated as the best-rated in the system, according to the 2025 Health Barometer, prepared by the CIS (Spanish Centre for Sociological Research) and the Ministry of Health.
•  Padilla (Secretary of State for Health) defends the confidentiality of drug prices. The Secretary of State for Health points out that “publishing the net price could create a barrier to access to innovative medicines in Spain.” A responsible position, undoubtedly.

Companies

• International
  • Ozempic about to become a generic in India, China, and Canada. Novo Nordisk is about to lose patent protection in those countries.

• National
  • Privately managed hospitals in Madrid achieve better results than publicly managed ones, according to a study. Research published in ‘Healthcare’ compares efficiency and quality of care indicators between privately managed centers and traditional SERMAS hospitals, always based on published official data. The privately managed hospitals compared are: Villalba, Rey Juan Carlos, and Infanta Elena, and they are compared with 13 directly managed hospitals.

Biomedicine

• Should you take GLP-1 for longevity? The evidence is exciting, but that’s not the same as proof (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/03/13/should-you-take-glp-1-drugs-for-longevity)
• Detecting oral cancer with a simple photo taken with a mobile phone: the device is still in the prototype phase (https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2026/03/20/depister-des-cancers-orl-grace-a-une-simple-photo-de-la-bouche-avec-un-smartphone_6672658_1650684.html)
• Women who go through menopause before age 40 have a higher risk of heart attack. A new study supports this finding (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/health/menopause-heart-disease-risk-jama.html). Article published in JAMA: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2846695?guestAccessKey=3dab6e72-0105-4f54-a20f-4f2edcb06e2f&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=031826
• Immune cells with a hook are better at hunting cancer. Research has developed stronger, longer-lasting, and more precise T lymphocytes to target prostate cancer, paving the way for more potent immunotherapies (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2026-03-19/unas-celulas-inmunitarias-reforzadas-con-un-anzuelo-logran-cazar-mejor-el-cancer.html). Access the original article in Science: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx3162
• Unexpected finding: Tumor cells are addicted to glutathione and use it to grow. Considered a cell damage repairer, it may promote tumor growth and survival. Blocking this antioxidant could be a viable treatment strategy (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/oncologia/inesperado-hallazgo-celulas-tumorales-son-adictas-glutation-crecer.html). Access the original article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10268-2
• An implantable device enables verbal communication in people with paralysis. A brain-computer interface ‘reads’ the brain instructions a person thinks while using a keyboard and converts them into real text (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/neurologia/dispositivo-implantable-permite-comunicacion-verbal-personas-paralisis.html)

Global Health

• Health and war in Sudan. The humanitarian crisis grows amid international indifference (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00415-0/fulltext)
• Are microplastics really dangerous to health? New research suggests that the level of microplastics in the environment and in the body may have been overestimated (https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s421)
• The US is considering withdrawing HIV aid to Zambia unless it facilitates access to certain minerals. This is according to a draft memo from the State Department (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/health/zambia-hiv-aid-minerals-trump.html)
• The WHO warns Argentina that it will be less safe after withdrawing from the organization. The measure was announced a year ago by the government of Javier Milei.
• (https://www.abc.es/sociedad/oms-advierte-argentina-segura-tras-salida-organizacion-20260319175006-nt.html)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • United States cuts ties with a major cancer agency. The US withdrawal from the UN may prohibit its scientists from having ties with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (https://www.science.org/content/article/united-states-cutting-ties-influential-global-cancer-agency)
  • Judge suspends Trump Administration vaccine recommendations. A federal judge overturns Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s vaccine recommendations, ruling they are not based on science (https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/03/16/vaccins-aux-etats-unis-un-juge-suspend-la-refonte-des-recommandations-lancee-par-l-administration-trump_6671476_3210.html)
  • Trump’s health policy that Democratic and Republican states are embracing. The policy is to allow tax breaks for companies, instead of helping citizens purchase Obamacare insurance (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/15/trump-health-policy-both-parties-bullish-on-00813177)

• United Kingdom
  • The Covid pandemic brought the UK’s health service to the brink of collapse. The service was ill-prepared and forced professionals to put their lives at risk (https://www.ft.com/content/8b15c3fd-fd23-4957-9152-3befc8b63078?syn-25a6b1a6=1). Access to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, Module 3: https://covid19.public-inquiry.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/16164422/M3-report-web-accessible-PDF-NO-COMMENTS.pdf
  • King’s Fund response to the Covid-19 Inquiry. According to this think tank, if the crisis were to repeat itself tomorrow, the NHS would be in a worse situation due to longer waiting lists and the problems caused by the closure of NHS England (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/press-releases/latest-covid-19-inquiry-report)
  • Nuffield Trust response to the Covid-19 Inquiry. The big question, this report says, is whether the NHS is now in a better or worse situation than before the pandemic (https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/nuffield-trust-response-to-the-covid-inquiry-report-on-healthcare-systems)

• European Union
  • Opportunities and doubts surrounding the Critical Medicines Act: The Critical Medicines Act is progressing in the EU with the aim of improving the resilience of the pharmaceutical supply chain, although doubts persist about its development in key areas such as public procurement, industrial incentives, and European coordination (https://diariofarma.com/2026/03/19/la-critical-medicines-act-abre-oportunidades-con-dudas-sobre-su-aplicacion-real)
  • The EMA is tightening its surveillance due to the risk of drug shortages caused by the Middle East conflict. The sector is seeking logistical alternatives in Saudi Arabia and Oman to prevent the geopolitical crisis from compromising European citizens’ access to their treatments (https://www.consalud.es/industria/la-ema-activa-la-vigilancia-estrecha-ante-el-riesgo-de-escasez-de-farmacos-por-el-conflicto-en-oriente-medio.html)

National Health Policy

• Central Government
  • The Ministry of Health will submit guidelines to the Interterritorial Council for reducing waiting lists. The expert working group is finalizing the operational documents that will guide the autonomous communities (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/parlamentarios/sanidad-elevara-al-interterritorial-las-guias-para-reducir-listas-de-espera-1443)
  • The reform of the LOPS (Law on the Regulation of Health Professions) is open for review. The draft bill will review professional functions and the system of continuing education in the National Health System (https://diariofarma.com/2026/03/17/sanidad-abre-a-consulta-la-reforma-de-la-lops-para-actualizar-el-papel-de-los-profesionales)

• Regional Governments
  • Catalan model for the care of rare diseases. Experts involved, including those from CatSalut, evaluate the XUEC (Catalan Rare Diseases Units) and highlight their strengths as well as the need for decisions for their efficient implementation (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/modelo-atencion-enfermedades-raras-catalan-perla-acabar-pulir.html)

• Negotiations on the Framework Statute
  • The second week of the strike ends with hundreds of thousands of canceled appointments and no progress between doctors and the Health Ministry (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2026-03-20/la-segunda-semana-de-huelga-termina-con-cientos-de-miles-de-citas-canceladas-y-sin-acercamiento-entre-los-medicos-y-sanidad.html)
  • The Basque Country, Castilla-La Mancha, and the Canary Islands demand independent mediation to stop the doctors’ strike, which has been rejected by the Ministry (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/03/20/69bd216021efa0822d8b45a3.html)
  • The PP, Vox, PNV, ERC, and Junts parties are now demanding that García negotiate an end to the doctors’ strike. For her part, the minister insists that she is willing to talk, but only with representatives of the Forum of the Medical Profession (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260321/pp-vox-pnv-erc-junts-exigen-garcia-negocie-final-huelga-medica/1003744177429_0.html)

• Health Barometer
  • 74% of citizens prefer public healthcare for complex cases, compared to 24% who choose private healthcare. The 061 and 112 emergency services have consolidated their position as the best-rated in the system, according to the 2025 Health Barometer, prepared by the CIS (Spanish Center for Sociological Research) and the Ministry of Health (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/03/20/69bd42c6e85ece66538b458f.html). Access the latest wave of the Health Barometer (https://www.sanidad.gob.es/estadEstudios/estadisticas/BarometroSanitario/home_BS.htm)

• MUFACE Crisis
  • The MUFACE crisis worsens with more than 24,000 civil servants moving to the public healthcare system. The number of civil servants has decreased from 1,011,834 to 987,677 between January 31, 2025, and January 31, 2026 (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260319/crisis-muface-agrava-funcionarios-van-sanidad-publica/1003744175237_0.html)

• Confidentiality of drug prices
  • Padilla defends the confidentiality of drug prices. The Secretary of State for Health points out that “publishing the net price could create a barrier to access to innovative medicines in Spain.” His position must be understood within the context of the Most Favored Nation Clause promoted by Donald Trump, President of the United States. “Trump has said that he will impose drug prices in his country similar to those of the G7 countries, plus Denmark and Switzerland, that are paying the least. Spain is not part of this group, but Spain’s prices are used as a benchmark by some of these countries, so it all has a cascading effect.” (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/industria/padilla-defiende-confidencialidad-precio-farmacos.html)

• Tuberculosis
  • Tuberculosis alert in Spain: cases rise by 8% and are moving further away from WHO targets. In Spain, the trend is worrying. Far from decreasing, the incidence has experienced a significant increase, driven mainly by social insecurity and vulnerability (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/alerta-por-tuberculosis-espana-registra-un-repunte-del-8-y-se-aleja-de-los-objetivos-de-la-oms.html)

Companies

• International
  • Ozempic about to become generic in India, China, and Canada. Novo Nordisk is about to lose patent protection in those countries (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/19/health/ozempic-wegovy-generic-india-china-canada.html)
  • Novartis will pay up to $2.65 billion to Synnovation for an experimental breast cancer drug. The therapy targets the PIK3CA mutation, present in 40% of breast tumors with the worst prognosis (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13833766/03/26/novartis-pagara-hasta-2605-millones-a-synnovation-por-un-farmaco-experimental-contra-el-cancer-de-mama.html)

• National
  • Hospitals in Madrid that operate under concession achieve better results than those under public management, according to a study. Research published in ‘Healthcare’ compares efficiency and quality of care indicators between indirectly managed centers and traditional SERMAS hospitals, always based on officially published data. The concessionary hospitals compared are: Villalba, Rey Juan Carlos, and Infanta Elena, and they are compared with 13 directly managed hospitals. (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2026-03-20/mejores-resultados-en-hospitales-madrilenos-de-gestion-concesional_4323580/). Access the study published in the journal Healthcare: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/14/6/731
  • The generic drug sector is teetering on the brink due to “reckless price reductions,” which jeopardize its viability. “Today, companies face a very dangerous situation: costs are rising and prices are falling,” says Elena Casaus, Secretary General of Aeseg (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20260317/sector-medicamentos-genericos-asoma-abismo-bajadas-temerarias-comprometen-viabilidad/1003744172153_0.html)
  • GSK’s first biosafety laboratory to combat pandemics. The British company has installed the only facility of its kind in a pharmaceutical company at its Spanish subsidiary. The infrastructure cost approximately 5.2 million euros (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/03/21/69bd63c5e9cf4acb2e8b4594.html)
  • Bayer’s plant in La Felguera, the first in industrial decarbonization. These facilities are set to become the first in the sector in Spain to decarbonize their activity (https://www.elcomercio.es/area-metropolitana-asturias/cuencas/planta-bayer-felguera-pionera-descarbonizacion-industrial-20260313090438-nt.html)

Summary

The most impactful health news stories of the week were:

• Biomedicine: The immunotherapy that revolutionized cancer treatment has a dark side.
• Global health: Gender equality and equity: essential for health and society.
• International health policy: Growing control of private equity (PE) firms in American healthcare.
• National health policy: Feijóo (PP) addresses a letter to doctors, following the conflict over the Framework Statute.
• Companies: Novo Nordisk’s illness as a company.

Biomedicine

• The immunotherapy that revolutionized cancer treatment has a dark side: 63 complications linked to high mortality. According to pharmacovigilance data from more than 290,000 patients in the USA and the WHO database.
• Blood tests for cancer are proliferating. Do they really work? Their manufacturers say they can detect dozens of types of cancer. But many scientists say they may fail to diagnose some cancers or provide an incorrect diagnosis. There are more than 40 cancer screening tests in development, and some are already on the market.
• The shingles vaccine: promising side effects against dementia. Immunization against the virus has been shown to delay Alzheimer’s.

Global Health

• Gender equality and equity: essential for health and society. The term gender equality has been downplayed by the Trump Administration. A global study shows that 608 million girls over the age of 15 have been exposed to intimate partner violence, and more than 1 billion boys have experienced sexual violence during childhood. It remains a key issue, according to The Lancet.
• Global warming has accelerated significantly. The latest data confirm the acceleration of warming.

International Health Policy

• The transformation of American medicine by private equity (PE) firms. These companies have gained increasing control over healthcare infrastructure. PE investors promise to eliminate inefficiencies in America’s fragmented healthcare markets, increase investment, and exploit economies of scale. However, growing evidence shows that PE companies have created access difficulties for rural populations, the elderly, low-income communities, marginalized groups, and ethnic minorities.
• Trends among primary care physicians in the USA: dissatisfaction, stress, and burnout. This is very prevalent in primary care, but the causes are poorly understood. In an international study, burnout among American primary care physicians was 42%, compared to only 18% in Switzerland and 12% in the Netherlands.
• Monitoring pollution should be part of governments’ work in the fight against cancer, according to the new European Code Against Cancer.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• Countdown to the Digital Health Law, which aims to regulate interoperable and accessible digital health records throughout the country and the European Union.
• Feijóo’s (PP) letter to doctors. It is extremely commendable that the PP President met with the Forum of the Medical Profession and with the strike committee regarding the Framework Statute. However, his advisors could surely have put more effort into the letter’s content, moving beyond the specific union demands and focusing their solution on a more defined and explicit healthcare policy, which is lacking in the letter.
• The IDIS Foundation presents objections to the Draft Law on Public Management and Integrity of the National Health System and denounces it as a frontal attack on “public/private collaboration in healthcare.”

Companies

• International
  • The decline of Novo Nordisk as a company offers painful lessons. It went from being the company with the largest market capitalization in Europe to suffering a collapse in its value, and in the field of obesity, it is now second only to Lilly.

•  National
  • Aspirin, Frenadol, Ventolin, and Almax, top-selling drugs “made in Spain.” Spain is home to 111 pharmaceutical plants for human use. Bayer, GSK, Pfizer, Novartis, Lilly, Almirall, Faes Farma, and Merck have strategic plants in the country that export worldwide.

Biomedicine

• Blood tests for cancer are proliferating. Do they really work? Their manufacturers say they can detect dozens of types of cancer. But many scientists say they may miss some cancers or give a false positive. There are more than 40 cancer screening tests in development and some already on the market (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00661-2)
• Stem cells offer a powerful treatment for frailty. Older people with frailty, which affects a quarter of those over 50, showed improved resilience after a single dose of stem cells (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00584-y)
• Users of weight-loss injections have a lower risk of alcohol and drug addiction. Researchers find that GLP-1 users are less likely to develop substance use disorders (https://www.ft.com/content/899f2d49-af16-4b68-a33a-9edf294678c8)
• The immunotherapy that revolutionized cancer treatment has a dark side: 63 complications linked to high mortality. This is according to pharmacovigilance data from more than 290,000 patients in the USA and the WHO database (https://www.elconfidencial.com/salud/2026-03-02/la-inmunoterapia-que-revoluciono-el-cancer_4312734/). Access the original article: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2427234123
• Gene therapy shows very promising results against Dravet syndrome: it reduces epileptic seizures by 91%. The treatment is still experimental (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/03/05/69a82917e4d4d8c0378b456e.html). Access the original article: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2506295
• Scientists decode the “brain’s pipes”: cerebrospinal fluid, key to understanding and fighting tumors. The results of a study led by the National Center for Genomic Analysis (CNAG) open new avenues for developing personalized therapies for patients with central nervous system tumors (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/03/06/69aaf8e3fc6c8357058b4570.html)
• Immunotherapy, which is curing cancer, is now targeting Alzheimer’s. A study in ‘Science’ transfers the promising anti-cancer technology to astrocytes, enabling them to act as a precision cleaning service in the brain (https://www.abc.es/salud/cancer-alzheimer-inmunoterapia-nueva-arma-20260305200540-nt.html)
• The shingles vaccine: promising side effects against dementia. Immunization against the virus has been shown to delay Alzheimer’s (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2026-03-02/la-vacuna-del-herpes-zoster-prometedores-efectos-secundarios-contra-la-demencia.html)

Global Health

• Gender equality and equity: essential for health and society. The term gender equality has been downplayed by the Trump Administration. A global study shows that 608 million girls over the age of 15 have been exposed to intimate partner violence and more than 1 billion boys have experienced sexual violence during childhood (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00456-3/fulltext)
• Bangladesh’s ambitious health plan. The new government has promised to prioritize health in its policies (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00458-7/fulltext)
• Botswana’s fight against HIV. With cuts in international aid, Botswana has been left without HIV control programs (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02585-1/fulltext)
• Global warming has accelerated significantly. The latest data confirm the acceleration of warming (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2025GL118804)

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The transformation of American medicine by private equity (PE) firms. These firms have gained increasing control over healthcare infrastructure. PE investors promise to eliminate inefficiencies in fragmented American healthcare markets, increase investment, and exploit economies of scale. However, growing evidence shows that PE firms have resulted in access difficulties for rural populations, the elderly, low-income communities, marginalized groups, and ethnic minorities (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2415615).
  • Trends among primary care physicians in the USA: dissatisfaction, stress, and burnout. This is very prevalent in primary care, but the causes are poorly understood. In an international study, burnout among US primary care physicians was 42%, compared to only 18% in Switzerland and 12% in the Netherlands (https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2025.00880)

• China
  • China hopes IVF can improve its birth rates. The number of IVF treatment cycles in China grew from 236,000 in 2013 to more than 1.1 million in 2019 (https://www.economist.com/china/2026/03/01/china-hopes-ivf-can-slow-its-baby-bust)

• United Kingdom
  • How GPs (primary care physicians) are using AI. In a survey of 2,108 British GPs, 598 (28%) say they use AI in their clinical practice (https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/research/how-are-gps-using-ai-insights-from-the-front-line)
  • Why does England have GPs without jobs, while people can’t get an appointment? The article analyzes how many doctors may not be able to find positions in Primary Care, while unmet demand increases (https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/why-does-england-have-unemployed-gps-when-patients-can-t-get-gp-appointments)

• France
  • France authorizes an injectable preventive treatment for HIV, a move welcomed by numerous experts and associations (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2026/02/26/vih-la-france-autorise-enfin-un-traitement-preventif-injectable_6668379_3224.html)

• European Union
  • Monitoring pollution should be part of governments’ work in the fight against cancer (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/06/tackle-air-pollution-cut-cancer-rates-scientists). Access the European Code Against Cancer: https://cancer-code-europe.iarc.who.int

National Health Policy

• Central Administration
  • Countdown to the Digital Health Law, which aims to regulate interoperable and accessible digital health records throughout the country and the European Union (EU) (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ministerio-sanidad/cuenta-atras-para-la-ley-de-salud-digital-sanidad-espera-su-aprobacion-definitiva-este-mismo-ano.html)
  • The Ministry of Health expects the Royal Decree on Health Technology Assessment to be approved before April, designed to lay the foundations for a new regulatory framework for the assessment of these technologies in Spain (https://elglobalfarma.com/politica/sanidad-rd-evaluacion-tecnologias-sanitarias-aprobacion-abril/)

• Regional Administrations
  • The Catalan budget proposal increases investment in health. The government’s forecasts propose allocating €13.84 billion to healthcare, with Primary Care accounting for 31% of the spending (https://diariofarma.com/2026/03/01/el-proyecto-de-presupuestos-catalanes-elevan-la-inversion-en-salud-en-2-428-millones)
  • The Balearic Islands health service is joining the EU-Patient Summary to improve emergency care in Europe. Healthcare professionals in other European countries will be able to access data such as allergies, active medications, and relevant pathologies (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/baleares/el-servicio-de-salud-de-baleares-se-integra-en-eu-patient-sumary-para-mejorar-la-atencion-de-urgencia-en-europa.html)
  • Madrid pharmacies strengthen their healthcare role (https://diariofarma.com/2026/02/27/la-farmacia-madrilena-impulsa-su-rol-sanitario-con-un-nuevo-modelo-modelo-de-gestion-de-servicios)
  • A virtual assistant in Asturias will now be available for scheduling medical appointments at health centers. The ordeal of constantly busy health center phones in Asturias is over. For now, however, this service is only available to residents of the Nalón Valley. They will be the privileged few who will no longer have to wait for someone to answer the phone to schedule an appointment with their doctor. “Noa” arrives, a virtual assistant that never communicates and will answer calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (https://www.lne.es/cuencas/2026/03/02/calvario-contactar-telefono-centros-salud-127451276.html)

• Negotiations on the Framework Statute
  • Feijóo’s letter to doctors (https://www.cesm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CARTA-PRESIDENTE-FEIJOO-A-LOS-MEDICOS-1.pdf)
  • The Ministry of Health and the Forum of the Medical Profession reach an agreement to try to avoid the strike. The Forum includes union representatives (CESM) and professional associations and scientific societies. Mónica García’s Ministry seeks to smooth things over with this rapprochement, but the Strike Committee has not called off the strikes (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/03/05/69a98bf7e9cf4a054d8b458f.html)
  • The medical unions CESM and Amyts temper optimism in the healthcare sector: “There is no agreement” (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/03/06/69aaedb0e85ece60688b45b3.html)

• Public Management Law
  • The IDIS Foundation presents objections to the Draft Law on Public Management and Integrity of the National Health System and denounces it as a frontal attack on “public/private collaboration in healthcare” (https://isanidad.com/363189/idis-lamenta-que-el-anteproyecto-de-ley-de-gestion-publica-supone-un-ataque-frontal-a-la-colaboracion-publica-privada/)

• MIR Exam
  • The government will reform the MIR exam after the exam with the most “errors”: a record number of annulled questions, resignations, suspicions of fraud, and delays in procedures (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/03/07/69ac4d4a21efa0ec6e8b456d.html)
  • 99.19% of applicants who took the Specialized Health Training exams passed. (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2026/02/27/69a1ff2de85ece005b8b4589.html)

Companies

• International
  • Bayer suffers multimillion-dollar losses due to lawsuits related to glyphosate (https://elpais.com/economia/2026-03-04/bayer-sufre-perdidas-millonarias-por-las-demandas-relacionadas-con-el-glifosato.html)
  • Permira freezes the sale of Neuraxpharm as it seeks a valuation exceeding €3.5 billion (https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2026-03-05/permira-enfria-venta-neuraxpharm-ofertas-inferiores_4314494/)
  • The Novo Nordisk crisis as a company offers painful lessons. It went from being the company with the largest market capitalization in Europe to suffering a collapse in its value, and in the field of obesity, it’s second only to Lilly (https://cincodias.elpais.com/opinion/2026-03-04/la-enfermedad-de-novo-nordisk-ofrece-dolorosas-lecciones.html)

• National
  • Miranza increases its revenue by 16% in 2025 and accelerates its expansion in Portugal. The ophthalmology group surpasses €128 million in revenue, increases its surgical activity, and invests in AI and R&D (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/nacional/miranza-eleva-un-16-su-facturacion-en-2025-y-acelera-su-expansion-a-portugal.html)
  • Novo Nordisk announces price reductions for “Ozempic” and “Wegovy” in Spain. The price will decrease by up to 17.6% for the highest dose of “Wegovy,” to €223.64. Ozempic and Rybelsus, with very restrictive NHS funding, also see price drops (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/novo-nordisk-anuncia-bajada-precios-ozempic-wegovy-espana.html)
  • Oximesa acquires Esteve Teijin Healthcare and strengthens its home respiratory therapy services, following approval by the CNMC (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/nacional/oximesa-adquiere-esteve-tejin-healthcare-y-refuerza-sus-servicios-de-terapias-respiratorias-domiciliarias-en-la-peninsula.html)
  • The General Council of Dentists demands answers regarding the reasons for the €40 million bailout of Vivanta. The General Council of Dentists demands transparency regarding the €40 million public bailout granted to Vivanta, while thousands of iDental patients remain without treatment solutions or reimbursement of their payments (https://www.consalud.es/dentalia/clinicas/el-consejo-de-dentistas-reclama-las-razones-del-rescate-a-vivanta-costo-40-millones-de-dinero-publico.html)
  • Aspirin, Frenadol, Ventolin, and Almax, best-selling drugs “made in Spain.” Spain is home to 111 pharmaceutical plants for human use. Bayer, GSK, Pfizer, Novartis, Lilly, Almirall, Faes Farma, and Merck have strategic plants in the country that export worldwide (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/industria/2026/03/06/69a49877468aeb955f8b457e.html)
  • The dental business accelerates its digitalization with the arrival of AI and 3D printers (https://cincodias.elpais.com/extras/2026-03-04/el-negocio-dental-acelera-su-digitalizacion-con-la-llegada-de-la-ia-y-las-impresoras-3d.html)
  • Grifols acquires Canadian Plasma Resources and takes a key step in its diversification. As part of its strategy to diversify plasma sources, Grifols is moving forward with its growth plans in Canada, one of the group’s strategic markets (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13811727/03/26/grifols-compra-canadian-plasma-resources-y-da-un-paso-clave-en-su-diversificacion.html)