Summary

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

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

Biomedicine

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

Global Health

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

International Health Policy

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

National Health Policy (Spain)

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

Companies

• International
  • The new Apple Watch includes notifications for possible hypertension. This feature will also be incorporated into previous models. The development of useful wearables is part of the future. In his presentation, Tim Cook (Apple’s president) said that this feature will allow the diagnosis of more than 1 million people with high blood pressure in the first year in the United States alone. Hypertension is a silent disease that leads to serious complications that can be prevented with diagnosis and treatment.
  • How Novartis forged ahead with an incredible breakthrough in cancer, pioneering “radioligand” therapy, a new form of targeted therapy.

• National
  • The oncology multinational Genesis Care is putting its subsidiary in Spain up for sale. The Australian giant has decided to divest from the Spanish market, no longer considering it strategic within its core business, following the recent global restructuring.

 

Biomedicine

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

Global Health

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

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The US Supreme Court authorizes the National Institute of Human Rights (NIH) to cut $2 billion in research funding. This will allow the Trump administration to continue cutting scientific research (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02721-5)
  • Evangelical Christians, traditional Trump partners, are lobbying Congress to restore USAID health aid (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/02/trump-evangelicals-foreign-humanitarian-aid-congress-00537322)
  • Article in the NEJM: The Corporatization of Health Institutions: Healthcare, Investors, and the Priority of Profit (https://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJMp2505258)
  • Kennedy is wrong: We should praise experts, not destroy them (https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1863)
  • Trump wants to crack down on pharmaceutical company advertising. The administration is considering measures to require companies to include more information about medications (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/09/trump-announces-crackdown-on-pharmaceutical-advertising-00553814)
  • Americans face the largest increase in health insurance costs in 16 years due to rising premiums. (https://www.com/content/9af0c46d-4665-49ae-b153-15ce7d65ca55)
  • Florida backtracks on its vaccine policy and maintains most mandatory injections. Just days after announcing the vaccination mandate for children, the state government has limited the scope of the measure, although Governor De Santis assures that he is working to eliminate them altogether in the future (https://elpais.com/us/2025-09-10/florida-recula-en-su-politica-de-vacunas-y-mantiene-la-mayoria-de-las-inyecciones-obligatorias.html)

• China
  • China will produce generic Ozempic and Wegovy starting in 2026, after the patents expire (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250902/patentes-ozempic-wegovy-caducan-china-empresas-pais-preparan-lanzar-genericos/1003743907006_0.html)

• United Kingdom
  • The United States urges the United Kingdom to offer better agreement with pharmaceutical companies. The announcement follows the suspension of investment projects in the United Kingdom by AstraZeneca and Merck (https://www.ft.com/content/a4dc3ba5-fc5b-4d51-8d5e-690ae7930391)
  • Government talks resume with pharmaceutical companies on drug prices for the NHS (https://www.ft.com/content/53543a40-a2ee-49a5-b395-9572a02120a8)
  • The Department of Health is exploring private investors to finance new centers in England, planned in the “10-Year Health Plan for England.” The move may boost investment, but it could reignite debate over the controversial PFI model (https://www.ft.com/content/91d0fb5d-1783-407f-8c00-c54e92412403)
  • Can the UK’s new, but old, provider ranking tables revitalize the NHS? The move bears a strong resemblance to the Blair-era star ratings. Health Minister at the time (2000): Alan Milburn, Non-executive advisor to the current Health Minister: Alan Milburn (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/sep/09/the-nhs-league-tables-resemble-blairs-star-ratings-of-2000-can-they-revive-the-health-service)
  • The waiting list is growing, but less than expected. Waiting lists rose from 4.5 million at the time of COVID-19 has reached 7.5 million. However, the National Audit Office’s forecasts were that we would now be around 12 million. There are several reasons that could explain this situation (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/blogs/missing-millions-nhs-waiting-list)

• France
  • The increase in medical deductibles, a volatile measure on hold. Projects seeking to increase patient contributions for medications and medical consultations have been rejected by the advisory board of the CNAM (Caisse nationale d’assurance-maladie). (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/09/04/le-doublement-des-franchises-medicales-une-mesure-inflammable-en-suspens_6638952_3224.html#:~:text=de%20la%20santé-,Le%20doublement%20des%20franchises%20médicales%2C%20une%20mesure%20inflammable%20en%20suspens,dont%20l’avis%20est%20consultative.)

• European Union
  • The political course in Europe begins with the critical medicines law as a priority (https://www.consalud.es/politica/arranca-el-curso-politico-en-europa-con-la-ley-de-medicamentos-criticos-como-prioridad.html)
  • These are the viruses that the EU classifies as main health threats (https://gacetamedica.com/investigacion/virus-union-europea-califica-principales-amenazas-sanitarias/)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration Initiatives
  • The draft Tobacco Law bans smoking on terraces, prohibits minors from smoking, and limits vaping. The law will have to be debated in Congress, where the Ministry wants to reinstate plain packaging, which was dropped from the initial text (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-09-09/el-proyecto-de-ley-del-tabaco-veta-el-humo-en-las-terrazas-prohibe-fumar-a-los-menores-y-limita-el-vapeo.html)
  • The Ministry of Health opens the Preliminary Draft Law on Patient Organizations for public consultation, open until September 23, 2025 (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/sanidad-consulta-publica-ley-organizaciones-pacientes/)
  • The issues that will mark the new political course in healthcare. The configuration of the foundations of the already approved State Public Health Agency, and the pending approvals of the Drug Law and the Anti-Tobacco Law (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/temas-nuevo-curso-politico-sanidad/)
  • Spain and the United Kingdom agree to include healthcare innovation in their bilateral agreement (https://diariofarma.com/2025/09/04/espana-y-reino-unido-incluyen-potenciar-la-innovacion-sanitaria-en-su-acuerdo-bilateral)
  • The Ministry of Health promotes a new pact to renew the high-tech features of the NHS. The first agreement focuses on neonatal equipment (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/ministerio-sanidad/sanidad-impulsa-un-nuevo-pacto-para-renovar-la-alta-tecnologia-del-sns-8895)
  • More than 25,000 NHS physicians will have access to training courses offered by scientific societies, through FACME. The initiative is funded by Next Generation funds and consists of 20 free online courses (https://www.sanidad.gob.es/gabinete/notasPrensa.do?id=6741)

• Autonomous community initiatives
  • Castilla y León launches a new MIR loyalty program with attractive spots and improvements (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/castilla-y-leon/castilla-y-leon-abre-una-segunda-convocatoria-de-fidelizacion-mir.html)
  • All the health measures Ayuso announced during the debate on the State of the Region. The Plan to Combat Public Health Threats, the Center for the Production of Advanced Therapies, and the new neonatal screening for critical congenital heart disease are among the projects that the Ministry headed by Matute will promote (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/medidas-sanitarias-ayuso-debate-estado-region/).
  • The Autonomous Communities are calling for regulations on the purchase of medicines and greater participation (https://diariofarma.com/2025/09/09/las-ccaa-piden-una-normativa-de-compra-de-medicamentos-y-mayor-participacion).
  • The SERGAS (National Service of Gas Natural Fenosa) is incorporating 33 new researchers with statutory staff positions. (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/galicia/caamano-destaca-la-incorporacion-de-los-primeros-33-investigadores-con-plaza-de-personal-estatutario.html#:~:text=El%20consejero%20de%20Sanidad%20de,sitúa%20Galicia%20a%20la%20vanguardia.)
  • The HUCA (Central University Hospital of Asturias) opens an office for the Center for Biomedical Engineering (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/asturias/el-huca-inaugura-una-oficina-del-centro-de-ingenieria-biomedica-para-impulsar-la-innovacion-sanitaria.html)

• Reactions to the Tobacco Bill
  • Restaurant owners react against it: “It’s against restaurant owners, not against tobacco” (https://www.elmundo.es/economia/2025/09/09/68c0453621efa0304b8b45b6.html)
  • The government’s inconsistency regarding vaping, equating it with tobacco, but its sale is free. There is no control over the sale of these products to minors (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-09-10/incoherencia-gobierno-vapeo-equipara-tabaco-vendera-bazares/)

• Framework Statute
  • Unions do not rule out a general strike if the Ministry moves forward with its Framework Statute project (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/sindicatos-descartan-huelga-general-sanidad-sigue-adelante-estatuto-marco_2025091068c1bb81bf88027389797750.html)

• Black August of heat-related deaths
  • 2,170 deaths, the highest number on record (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2025/09/10/68c183ff21efa0a3528b459a.html)

• Pharmacy Faculties
  • 6 new Pharmacy Faculties, which are planned to be added to the current 28 (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/farmaceutico-joven/grado/seis-facultades-farmacia-mas-vista-cifra-preocupa-medicina.html#:~:text=de%20centros%20académicos-,Seis%20Facultades%20de%20Farmacia%20más%20a%20la%20vista%2C%20pero%20la,con%20tu%20email%20y%20contraseña.)

• Pharmaceutical Innovation
  • 7 new measures proposed by Farmaindustria to attract Pharmaceutical innovation in Spain (https://elglobalfarma.com/industria/7-medidas-industria-innovacion-biofarmaceutica-espana/)

• Life expectancy
  • Spain is no longer the European country with the highest life expectancy: Italy and Sweden are ahead. Spain stagnates at 84, while in those countries it reaches 84.1 (https://www.vozpopuli.com/economia/macroeconomia/espana-ya-no-es-el-pais-con-mas-esperanza-de-vida-de-la-ue-italia-y-suecia-le-adelantan.html#:~:text=España%20ha%20dejado%20de%20ser,así%20los%20niveles%20de%20España.)

• Fungi in hospitals
  • The ECDC warns of “Candida auris” infections in Spain. Fungal infections in Spain are the highest in Europe in the last decade: from 2013 to 2023, 4,012 cases have been recorded in the EU, of which 1,807 are in Spain. (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/enfermedades-infecciosas/ecdc-advierte-elevada-tasa-infecciones-candida-auris-espana.html)

Companies

• International
  • The new Apple Watch includes notifications for possible hypertension. This feature will also be incorporated into previous models (https://www.applesfera.com/apple-watch/que-apple-watch-detecten-hipertension-importante-mejor-que-solo-paso-ambicioso-plan-salud-apple)
  • How Novartis advanced an incredible discovery against cancer, pioneering “radioligand” therapy, a new form of targeted therapy (https://www.ft.com/content/a955b66c-89ac-4d2f-83dc-2b93baa4d56a)
  • The American regulator approves a version of the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, from Eisai and Biogen (https://www.ft.com/content/4147b61e-6cc9-40c2-adb0-18ff97d1c878)
  • The CapVest fund acquires the European generics giant Stada (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250901/fondo-capvest-compra-gigante-medicamentos-genericos-europeo-stada/1003743906823_0.html)
  • Abbvie to pay $1.2 billion for Gilgamesh’s psychedelic development (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/abbvie-pagara-1200-millones-dolares-psicodelico-desarrollo-gilgamesh.html)
  • Permira seeks $4 billion to acquire contract drugmaker Cambrex (https://www.ft.com/content/9395570c-da42-4b89-84fb-7a28a76b247c)
  • NovoNordisk to lay off 9,000 employees with the goal of save more than €1 billion a year (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-09-10/novo-nordisk-despedira-a-9000-empleados-el-11-de-la-plantilla-ante-el-aumento-de-la-competencia-en-los-tratamientos-de-obesidad.html#:~:text=La%20compañía%20danesa%2C%20fabricante%20de,que%20ronda%20los%2078.400%20trabajadores.)

• National
  • The multinational oncology company Genesis Care puts its subsidiary in Spain up for sale. The Australian giant has decided to divest from the Spanish market, no longer considering it strategic within its core business, following the recent global restructuring (https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2025-09-02/multinacional-oncologia-genesiscare-kpmg-venta-filial-espana_4200352/).
  • Ribera has expanded its influence in Central Europe with the acquisition of Multi Med in Poland. This is a medical company dedicated to diagnostic imaging and outpatient rehabilitation care (https://www.consalud.es/salud35/internacional/ribera-entra-en-polonia-con-multi-med-y-consolida-su-presencia-en-centro-europa.html)
  • Vithas reaccredits four of its hospitals with the world’s most demanding quality seal (https://www.consalud.es/industria/sanidad-privada/vithas-reacredita-cuatro-de-sus-hospitales-con-el-sello-de-calidad-mas-exigente-del-mundo.html)
  • FAES strengthens its licensing business with acquisitions (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/09/12/68c35ccd468aeb8f188b458d.html)

 

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

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

Biomedicine

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

Global Health

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

International Health Policy

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

National Health Policy (Spain)

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

Companies

• International
  • Pills, the new target for pharmaceutical companies to increase obesity. Lilly and Novonordisk take the lead in the race for weight-loss pills.

• National
  • Bayer relaunches Spanish-made aspirin as a pain reliever in the USA. American patients now have access to prescription-free aspirin for pain relief, manufactured exclusively in Spain.

Biomedicine

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

Global Health

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

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The CDC appears to be finished. Leadership changes are undermining staff morale and undermining the agency’s national and international leadership role. Its role is to establish immunization criteria for Americans (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/08/cdc-resignations-tipping-point/684038/)
  • The Trump Administration will consolidate health inequities. The White House AI Plan purges information from government websites, removes data from marginalized communities, and removes data that contradicts political ideology (https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/08/ai-health-inequities/684047/)

• United Kingdom
  • Health Secretary Wes Streeting criticizes pharmaceutical companies for their shortsightedness in not negotiating the price offer (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/aug/25/wes-streeting-criticises-shortsighted-drug-firms-for-rejecting-pricing-offer)

• France
  • Calls for mobilization for a return under pressure. Although Prime Minister Bayrou has not reiterated the figure of 5.5 billion in healthcare savings, concern in the sector at all levels is high (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2025/08/26/sante-des-appels-a-la-mobilisation-pour-une-rentree-sous-tension_6635470_3224.html)

• European Union
  • The commercialization of Gilead’s preventive treatment for AIDS, approved by the European Union. The method of administration of this drug could transform the fight against AIDS, but its cost raises serious questions regarding accessibility (https://www.lemonde.fr/sante/article/2025/08/27/vih-la-commercialisation-du-traitement-preventif-prometteur-de-gilead-validee-par-l-union-europeenne_6635889_1651302.html)
  • Is Europe committed to cancer screening? These are the differences between countries. While more than 80% of women in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland have access to breast screening, in Greece, Poland, and Romania, participation remains well below the European average (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/europa-comprometida-con-los-cribados-de-cancer-estas-son-las-diferencias-entre-paises.html)

National Health Policy

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

• Professionals
  • Spain will have a deficit of 100,000 healthcare workers in 2035, due to the retirement of baby boomers. In the next decade, 1,081,834 retirements will be recorded, but only 974,523 jobs will be created (https://theobjective.com/economia/2025-08-27/espana-deficit-sanitarios-jubilacion-baby-boomers/)

Companies

• International
  • Lilly’s obesity pill achieves its goals in a trial. Results show an average weight loss of 10.5% (https://www.ft.com/content/78e99a27-9b63-4c42-80c4-3459c737db9b)
  • Pills, the new target for “pharmaceuticals” to increase obesity. Lilly and Novonordisk take the lead in the race for weight-loss pills (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/industria/2025/08/25/68ab8210468aeb5c2c8b4594.html)

• National
  • Bayer relaunches aspirin manufactured in Spain as a pain reliever in the USA. American patients now have access to non-prescription aspirin for pain relief, manufactured exclusively in Spain (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13514705/08/25/bayer-relanza-la-aspirina-fabricada-en-espana-como-analgesico-en-eeuu.html)
  • Grifols, a shielded industrial giant. The group manufactures everything it sells in the country in the USA and rules out any impact from tariffs (https://www.expansion.com/directivos/2025/08/26/68ad5ca5468aeb8a7c8b4584.html)

 

Summary

The most impactful health news of the week were:

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

Biomedicine

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

Global Health

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

International Health Policy

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

National Health Policy (Spain)

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

Companies

• International
  • MSD and Pfizer will lead sales in the pharmaceutical sector in 2025, according to the consulting firm BioKnow. The order would be: MSD, Pfizer, J&J, Abbie, AstraZeneca, Roche, BMS, Lilly, and Sanofi.

• National
  • Viamed Hospital in Tarragona opens its doors, with advanced technology and 96 individual rooms.

Biomedicine

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

Global Health

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

International Health Policy

• USA
  • This is Trump’s plan for the American pharmaceutical industry. The strategy includes taxing imports, putting pressure on prices, and regulatory incentives to repatriate drug production and reduce foreign dependence (https://www.consalud.es/industria/este-es-el-plan-de-trump-para-blindar-la-industria-farmaceutica-de-eeuu.html)
  • The suicide of science in the United States. The world’s most powerful scientific agencies are being dismantled by an ignorant and fanatical government, says an editorial in El País, confirming a sad reality (https://elpais.com/opinion/2025-08-11/el-suicidio-de-la-ciencia-en-ee-uu.html)
  • Kennedy’s next target: the federal vaccine court (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/11/health/kennedy-vaccine-court.html)
  • Proponents of new Medicaid cuts propose another new law, even more restrictive than Trump’s “beautiful law” (https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/13/house-medicaid-cuts-brian-blase-00508181?utm_medium=email&utm_source=substack)

• China
  • China no longer copies medicines, it produces 39% of new drugs, overtaking Europe. In 2024, for the first time, China surpassed Europe as a developer of new active ingredients: 25 in China, compared to 17 in Europe. And although the USA continues to lead this ranking, it does so by a narrow margin (28 molecules in 2024) (https://theobjecticom/economia/2025-08-17/china-copia-medicinas-39-nuevos-farmacos-europa/#:~:text=El%20Liberal%20%2D%20Economía-,China%20ya%20no%20copia%20medicinas%3A%20produce%20el%2039%25%20de%20los,farmacos%20y%20adelanta%20a%20Europa&text=De%20aquel%20Made%20in%20China,y%20ahora%20también%20en%20biofarmacéutica.)

• United Kingdom
  • Big Pharma is moving away from the UK’s attraction. Although it has top-tier players like AstraZeneca and GSK, it appears to be losing favor in this industry, primarily due to the prices approved for NHS drugs. AstraZeneca’s announcement of a major investment in the USA, while withdrawing from another announced in the United Kingdom, is in line with this (https://www.ft.com/content/2566360d-f451-4f72-89b6-2290a7bf140d)
  • Vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer plummet in the United Kingdom (https://www.economist.com/britain/2025/08/13/vaccinations-to-prevent-cervical-cancer-have-plummeted-in-britain)

• Uruguay
  • Liberal Uruguay and the right to die. The law has already been approved by the lower house and is expected to be approved by the Senate as well. It would be the first Latin American country with a law that can be enforced with guarantees. (https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2025/08/14/liberal-uruguay-and-the-right-to-die)

• European Union
  • Europe seeks to attract biotechnology investment with its future law, expected to be approved in 2027. The goal is to attract investment by competing with the US and China (https://www.elecoes/salud-bienestar/empresas/noticias/13506400/08/25/europa-busca-seducir-a-la-inversion-biotecnologica-con-su-futura-ley.html)

National Health Policy

• Central Administration Initiatives
  • Prison healthcare in crisis: 72% of medical positions in Spanish prisons are unfilled (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250814/sanidad-penitenciaria-crisis-plazas-medicos-carceles-espanolas-sin-cubierta/1003743886697_0.html#:~:text=En%20concreto%2C%20el%2072%2C5,puestos%20ofertados%20se%20quedan%20vacíos.)

• Autonomous Community Initiatives
  • Surgical collapse in Catalonia: deaths on waiting lists have soared by 80% in ten years (https://theobjective.com/sanidad/2025-08-11/colapso-quirurgico-cataluna-muertes-lista-espera-se-disparan/)
  • Six months to see a urologist and five for trauma: waiting lists are increasing in Catalonia (https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2025-08-15/seis-meses-para-ver-al-urologo-y-cinco-para-el-trauma-las-listas-de-espera-suben-en-cataluna.html)
  • Catalonia launches the CSIRs, a new Primary Care model with greater autonomy, new professional profiles, and digital support. They will begin with 27 pilot centers (https://www.consalud.es/politica/cataluna-hace-balance-del-primer-ano-de-pane-al-frente-de-salut-con-el-deficit-de-medicos-como-telon-de-fondo.html)
  • The Department of Health of Catalonia creates the General Directorate of Research and Innovation (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/cataluna/pane-impulsa-la-reforma-del-sistema-y-hospitales-en-el-primer-ano-de-govern-5647)
  • New productivity indicators in the Valencian Community. The goal is to define objectives and their impact on variable productivity. (In favor, CESM; against, SATSE, CCOO, and UGT) (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/comunidad-valenciana-nuevo-modelo-productividad-indicadores-innegociables.html)

• Measles
  • Measles increase in Spain by 43% in the first six months of 2025 (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20250814/sarampion-crece-espana-primeros-meses-van-producir-brotes/1003743885608_0.html)

Companies

• International
  • Lilly increases the price of obesity medications by 170% in the United Kingdom. The goal is to match the price with other European countries and responds to Trump’s pressure to equalize drug prices across all markets (https://www.ft.com/content/b71a1c59-2735-4ec8-b895-59c562edeeac)
  • MSD and Pfizer will lead sales in the pharmaceutical sector by 2025, according to the consulting firm BioKnow. The order would be: MSD, Pfizer, J&J, Abbie, AstraZeneca, Roche, BMS, Lilly, and Sanofi (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud-bienestar/noticias/13499575/08/25/msd-y-pfizer-encabezaran-las-ventas-del-sector-farmaceutico-en-2025.html)

• National
  • Viamed Hospital in Tarragona opens its doors, with advanced technology and 96 individual rooms (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/hospital-viamed-tarragona-abre-puertas.html)
  • Quirón, Ribera, and Vithas, leaders in the private hospital world. They increased their turnover by 6% last year, with 57% of it coming from insurance companies (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2025/08/14/689cf766e5fdeab5718b4583.html)
  • Skin Test (an aesthetic medicine and cosmetics laboratory) is targeting significant growth thanks to the British fund Charterhouse (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2025/08/15/689f7693e5fdea943d8b45b2.html).

 

Summary

The week’s most impactful health news stories were:

• Biomedicine: Smart antibiotics: Can AI end antimicrobial resistance?
• Global health: Liver cancer will double by 2050, according to The Lancet.
• International health policy: Trump asks pharmaceutical companies to lower prices by the end of September. The Biden administration’s gradualist and well-designed policy is replaced by threats.
• National health policy: The Minister of Health says that “not bringing the Framework Statute to the Council of Ministers in the fall would be condemning it to being shelved,” which, given the circumstances, might not be the worst thing. The negotiation of the Statute lacks a high-level strategic design.
• Business: NovoNordisk lost its lead in the race for weight-loss drugs.

Biomedicine

• Smart antibiotics: Can AI end antimicrobial resistance? This is one of the greatest challenges of modern medicine. Infections increase every year and become increasingly difficult to treat. If we fail to act effectively, it could be the leading cause of death worldwide by 2050. Alternatives to antibiotics, drug repurposing, and AI simulations that save time and resources are among the possible solutions.
• A study of more than one million people reveals the genetic basis of stuttering. 48 genes related to this condition have been identified. The research may lead to therapeutic advances for this problem.
• Genetic viruses such as influenza promote cancer metastasis. Research led by Spanish researcher Mercedes Rincón at the University of Colorado

Global Health

• Liver cancer will double by 2050, according to The Lancet.
• Sudan: an ignored health catastrophe. The children and women of Sudan are paying the highest price for a war the world is ignoring.

International Health Policy

• Trump asks pharmaceutical companies to lower prices by the end of September. Last Thursday, AstraZeneca, Merck, Regeneron, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and GSK received letters from the president urging them to lower their prices. Surprisingly, neither Roche nor Takeda, based in Switzerland and Japan, respectively, were on the list, although Genentech, a Roche subsidiary, was. This, logically, has activated the pharmaceutical lobby. The Trump administration has replaced the Biden administration’s gradualist and guarantee-based policies with threats and vagueness, if not bullying. Furthermore, the whole problem has a very old origin: the refusal to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, something that doesn’t happen in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe.
• Van der Leyden gets the United States to give in and impose a “flat” 15% tariff on pharmaceutical products. The technical details of the agreement will be revealed in the coming days.

National Health Policy (Spain)

• The Minister of Health says that “not bringing the Framework Statute to the Council of Ministers in the fall would be condemning them to a shelf.” Involving the medical profession in the management of the system and the patient experience is one of the major challenges that the Statute negotiations, lacking a general strategic design and filled with minor quirks, were failing to address. Surely, under these circumstances, it is best to leave the Statute negotiations for another occasion.
• Crisis proves MIR. The PP accuses the Ministry of dismantling a system that had been in place for decades.

Companies

• International
  • How NovoNordisk lost its leadership in the race for weight-loss drugs. One explanation is that a competitor, Lilly, appeared with a better product: pills instead of injectables.

• National
  • Esteve strengthens its presence in the United States with the acquisition of Regis Technologies, a company dedicated to contract manufacturing of pharmaceutical products.

Biomedicine

• New implants offer hope for improving rheumatoid arthritis. The FDA approved this new device last Wednesday, offering opportunities to 1.5 million Americans, until now treated with medication (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/health/arthritis-implant-vagus-setpoint.html)
• Smart antibiotics: can AI end antimicrobial resistance? This is one of the greatest challenges of modern medicine. Infections increase every year and become increasingly difficult to treat. If we fail to act effectively, it could be the leading cause of death worldwide by 2050. Alternatives to antibiotics, drug repurposing, and AI simulations that save time and resources are among the possible solutions (https://theconversation.com/smart-antibiotics-can-kill-ai-with-antimicrobial-resistance-260112)
• A study of more than one million people reveals the genetic basis of stuttering. Forty-eight genes related to this condition have been identified. The research may lead to therapeutic advances for this problem (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/estudio-gran-escala-revela-arquitectura-genetica-tartamudez-20250728142129-nt.html). Access the original article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02267-2
• A single injection at birth can protect children from HIV for years, provided the treatment is administered close to birth (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/sola-inyeccion-nacer-puede-proteger-ninos-vih-20250730121328-nt.html). Access the original article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02439-4
• Genetic viruses like influenza promote cancer metastasis. Research led by Spanish researcher Mercedes Rincón at the University of Colorado (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2025-07-30/virus-respiratorios-como-la-gripe-promueven-la-metastasis-del-cancer.html). Original article in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09332-0
• Artificial intelligence to create new medicines (https://www.expansion.com/directivos/2025/07/31/688a4cc3e5fdea2a748b459b.html)

Global Health

• Liver cancer will double by 2050, according to The Lancet (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medicina-interna/casos-cancer-higado-duplicaran-2050-segun-lancet.html)
• A continental call to action to end cholera by 2030 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01426-6/fulltext)
• Future trajectories for One Health. A new report establishes seven criteria for implementing One Health (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01453-9/abstract?rss=yes)
• Sudan: An ignored health catastrophe. Sudan’s children and women are paying the highest price for a war the world is ignoring (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01563-6/fulltext)
• The science of famine (https://www.ft.com/content/fb0a5096-d24d-4dce-9e98-8ec1406b64ba)
• Raising taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks in Africa: a triple lifeline in times of development aid cuts (https://elpais.com/planeta-futuro/2025-07-30/subir-los-impuestos-al-tabaco-el-alcohol-y-las-bebidas-azucaradas-en-africa-un-triple-salvavidas-en-tiempos-de-recortes-a-la-ayuda-al-desarrollo.html). Access to the document The Future of Health Financing in Africa: The Role of Health Taxes: https://www.vitalstrategies.org/resources/the-future-of-health-financing-in-africa-the-role-of-health-taxes/

International Health Policy

• USA
  • The CDC says childhood vaccination rates have fallen again (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/health/child-vaccinations-decline-cdc.html)
  • Trump announces a Health Record system for consumers. The Administration is working with several technology providers to make clinical information more shareable, regardless of the provider (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/30/us/politics/trump-health-records-system.html)
  • Trump asks pharmaceutical companies to lower prices by the end of September. Last Thursday, AstraZeneca, Merck, Regeneron, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and GSK received letters from the president asking them to lower their prices. Surprisingly, neither Roche nor Takeda, based in Switzerland and Japan, respectively, were on the list, although Genentech, a Roche subsidiary, was. This has, logically, activated the pharmaceutical lobby (https://www.com/content/5e935b63-5a58-4feb-859b-e50cbfddc194)

• United Kingdom
  • Three million NHS England patients on waiting lists for further care after GP referral (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/aug/01/three-million-on-nhs-england-waiting-lists-have-had-no-care-since-gp-referral)

• European Union
  • Van der Leyden gets the United States to give in and impose a “flat” 15% tariff on pharmaceutical products. The technical details of the agreement will be revealed in the coming days (https://elglobalfarma.com/politica/von-del-leyen-estados-unidos-arancel-productos-farmaceuticos/).
  • Europe is preparing for the next health crisis with an arsenal of measures incorporated into its new E4Health 2025 program. €88 million is allocated to nine specific actions (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/europa-crisis-sanitaria-medidas-e4health-2025/).

National Health Policy

• Central Government Initiatives
  • The Ministry of Health sets a busy regulatory calendar for after the summer. The Drug Law, the State Public Health Agency, tobacco, alcohol use in minors, and health technologies are the focus of some of the Ministry’s main regulatory milestones (https://diariofarma.com/2025/07/27/sanidad-fija-un-intenso-calendario-normativo-para-despues-del-verano)
  • The Royal Decree for the other diseases included in the ALS Law is moving forward. The draft Royal Decree implementing the ALS Law is open to public hearing (https://www.consalud.es/politica/sanidad-publica-el-proyecto-de-real-decreto-para-ampliar-la-cobertura-de-la-ley-ela-a-otras-enfermedades.html)

• Autonomous Community Initiatives
  • The Xunta (Xunta) is committed to the decentralization of medical teaching in A Coruña and Vigo. It seems the plan is to decentralize for the 4th and 5th grades, which already exists in the 6th grade (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/galicia/xunta-descentralizacion-grado-medicina-vigo-a-coruna.html)
  • Illa expands the large Catalan pharmaceutical industry to China. China is a potential pharmaceutical export market from the perspective of Catalonia, where the majority of the national industry in this sector is concentrated, and from Spain. According to the market study on this area conducted by ICEX Spain Export and Investment in 2024, Spain was the sixth largest exporter of pharmaceuticals to China in the world. (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/industria/illa-expande-la-industria-pharma-catalana-a-asia-para-sortear-a-trump-8723)
  • Castilla y León approves the 2025-2032 Health Plan, with 40 objectives and 169 measures (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/castilla-y-leon/castilla-y-leon-aprueba-nuevo-plan-de-salud-objetivos-medidas.html)

• MIR Test
  • Crisis MIR test. The PP accuses the Ministry of dismantling a system that had been in place for decades (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2025-07-31/el-recorte-en-la-retribucion-de-los-expertos-que-disenan-los-examenes-mir-desata-una-crisis-con-sanidad.html)

• Framework Statute
  • Medical movements and discontent with the Statute continue (https://gacetamedica.com/profesion/estatuto-marco-reuniones-protestas-ultimatum-ultimos-movimientos/)
  • The Minister of Health says that “not bringing the Framework Statute to the Council of Ministers in the fall would condemn them to putting them in a drawer” (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/monica-garcia-llevar-estatuto-marco-consejo-ministros-otono-seria-condenarlo-meterlo-cajon.html)

• Hospital facilities
  • New wave of public hospitals. Gran Montecelo Hospital in Pontevedra; Sierra Norte Hospital for Care and Functional Recovery in Madrid; Aranda de Duero Hospital in Burgos; Campanar Acute Care Hospital, which will replace Arnau de Vilanova in Valencia; the new General Hospital of Castellón; Campus Clínic on Diagonal in Barcelona; the future Maternal and Child Hospital in Huelva; the second phase of the University Hospital of Cáceres; the expansion of the University Hospital of Móstoles; Expansion of the Cabueñes University Hospital in Gijón (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/estos-son-los-nuevos-hospitales-publicos-que-llegaran-a-la-sanidad-espanola.html)

• NHS Situation
  • The NHS in Figures (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/el-sns-en-cifras-esta-es-la-radiografia-del-sistema-sanitario-espanol-en-2025.html)

• Pharmaceutical Purchases in Hospitals
  • Report from the Court of Auditors. The report indicates differences of up to 97% in the price paid for the same medication in the four hospitals analyzed (Valdecilla, Complejo Badajoz, Arrixaca, and San Pedro, La Rioja) (https://diariofarma.com/2025/07/29/el-tc-senala-deficiencias-en-la-gestion-del-gasto-farmaceutico-hospitalario-en-cuatro-cc-aa)

• State Public Health Agency
  • Debate on the location. Zaragoza, Granada, Oviedo, and León are candidates. Other cities, such as Valencia, Lugo, A Coruña, Salamanca, and even Barcelona, could join the process (https://www.consalud.es/politica/cuenta-atras-para-elegir-la-sede-de-la-aesap-estos-son-los-plazos-y-posibles-candidatas.html)

Companies

• International
  • European pharmaceutical companies suffer on the stock market after Trump’s challenge (https://cincodias.elpais.com/mercados-financieros/2025-08-01/castigo-en-bolsa-a-las-farmaceuticas-europeas-tras-el-pulso-lanzado-por-trump.html)
  • How NovoNordisk lost its lead in the race for weight-loss drugs (https://www.ft.com/content/410f474a-41e7-4f12-bee9-098478bb7136)
  • UnitedHealth grew to a leviathan, then came the setback (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/health/unitedhealth-backlash.html)
  • Moderna lost €1.573 billion in the first half of 2025 (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20250801/moderna-perdio-millones-euros-primer-semestre/1003743871761_0.html#:~:text=Moderna%20ha%20presentado%20este%20viernes,ejercicio%2C%20although%20sí%20los%20mejora.)

• National
  • Esteve strengthens its position in the United States with the acquisition of Regis Technologies, a company dedicated to the contract manufacturing of pharmaceutical products (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2025/07/31/688b4a53468aeb08148b4587.html)
  • Grifols soars 9% on the stock market after returning to its dividend and improving its forecasts for 2025 (https://cincodias.elpais.com/companias/2025-07-30/grifols-se-dispara-en-bolsa-tras-volver-al-dividendo-y-mejorar-previsiones-para-2025.html)