7 days in healthcare (December 26th, 2022-January 1st, 2023)

 

 

Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, it is worth noting the ambitious project of the United Kingdom “Our Future Health”, which aims to place this country at the forefront of genomic research, and which seeks to carry out genetic analyzes of 5 million adult British volunteers, then looking at the correlation with lifestyles and medical records. Undoubtedly, this project will allow us to advance a lot in the knowledge of a wide variety of diseases.

With regard to Global Health, great concern in the world, since the large number of cases in China increase the probability that new variants will appear. There is no doubt that the covid – which had appeared, artificially or naturally, in China – has entered a new phase in which the epicenter is once again China.

Regarding International Health Policy, countries are preparing to put control measures at airports and borders against travelers from China, although the ECDC sees this type of control as unfounded and the EU has not adopted a common policy. Joschka Fischer (former – German Foreign Minister) publishes an in-depth article, whose conclusion is that, in contrast to what had previously been said that authoritarian regimes that do not depend on public opinion can impose drastic and effective measures in crisis situations such as covid, experience has shown that liberal democracies are more effective than autocracies in dealing with these situations. Great controversy in the European Union over the claim of the pharmaceutical industry to agree to produce new antibiotics, under the condition of increasing the patent term of certain drugs.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), Spain has approved airport control measures to control travelers from China, which will be in force between December 31, 2022 and February 15, 2023. Primary Care doctors have opposed the hiring of doctors without MIR training, since this seems more like an opportunistic measure than addressing the underlying problems of Primary Care. The central government, so little fond of publishing and preparing expert analyzes on the covid management, instead presents a self-assessment on its management. According to this report “Cumpliendo” (“Fulfilling”) 64% of the health promises have already been fulfilled and 35% are in process. Bearing in mind that none of the structural healthcare problems have been addressed (personnel regime, management model, governance, accessibility and waiting lists, etc.) this self-assessment seems to us grated on complacency and even propaganda. Unless the promises -which are said to have been fulfilled- have nothing to do with the real problems of the sector. An interesting initiative from the private sector through the IDIS Foundation, which announces the start-up of a pilot on interoperability, should be highlighted. The fact that companies that compete with each other -both from the insurance and provisioning fields- agree on the interoperability of medical records is something that deserves to be highlighted.

In the field of Companies, the American Congress has taken an unusual decision: criticize the FDA for its inadequate collaboration with Biogen for the approval of the drug against Alzheimer’s. At the national level, Atrys continues its growth, both in Spain and abroad (United Kingdom, Middle East and Latin America).

Biomedicine

• A simple urinalysis can detect early-stage Alzheimer’s. Based on formic acid, it would allow simple, non-invasive and low-cost screening to be carried out on a large scale (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/neurologia/un-sencillo-analisis-de-orina-puede- detect-alzheimer-in-early-stage.html)
• The United Kingdom about to start an ambitious genomics project. The program called “Our Future Health” intends to carry out genetic tests on 5 million adult volunteers, which will be analyzed along with lifestyle and medical records (https://www.ft.com/content/f4a68aaf-86d8- 449f-ab2b-c24a5368b665)
• Race to develop a new generation of weight loss drugs. Lilly, Amgen, Pfizer and Regeneron follow Novo Nordisk in this vein (https://www.ft.com/content/8054d902-1be8-4580-b527-67af455aa4d3)

Global Health

• The cases of covid in China increase the probability of the appearance of new variants (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/enfermedades-infeciosas/fernando-gonzalez-genomica-hay-mas-probabilidad-de-que-surja- a-variant-of-worrying-but-we-don’t-know-if-in-a-10-or-in-a-100.html)
• In 2022, three public health emergencies of international importance have come together: poliomyelitis, SARS-CoV-2 and monkeypox (renamed mpox) (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/infecciones/emergencias-salud-publica- international-importance_123873_102.html)
• Sudan virus disease in Uganda (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2213975)

International Health Policy

• COVID19
  • The ECDC considers it unfounded to carry out controls on passengers coming from China (https://www.ferplei.com/noticias/2022/12/29/ecdc-considera-unfundado-realizar-controles-a-pasajeros-provenientes-de- china-due-to-high-immunity-in-the-eu/)
  • The Airports Council International (ACI-Europe), against imposing control measures for travelers from China “without scientific basis” (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20221231/4is6hk7ylfbxjjisc2jm6m6kva.html)
  • USA, Italy and Japan request covid tests from Chinese tourists (https://www.elespanol.com/mundo/20221228/italia-japon-covid-obligatorio-turistas-eeuu-filipinas/729427321_0.html)
  • France, United Kingdom, South Korea, Spain and Israel impose measures on travelers from Asia (https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2022/12/30/covid-19-la-coree- du-sud-l-espagne-et-israel-imposent-des-mesures-aux-voyageurs-en-provenance-de-chine_6156103_3210.html)
  • India imposes PCR tests on travelers from Asia (https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2022/12/27/face-a-l-epidemie-de-covid-19-en-chine-l -inde-impose-des-tests-pcr-a-la-plupart-des-voyageurs-venant-d-asie_6155786_3210.html)
  • The Swedish presidency of the EU demands a common attitude towards the controls of travelers coming from China, while Canada and Australia impose measures against travelers coming from that country (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/ 2023/01/01/covid-19-en-chine-la-presidence-suedoise-de-l-ue-defend-une-attitude-commune-le-canada-retablit-les-tests-pour-les-voyageurs_6156209_3244. html)

• The crisis of the covid-zero policy in China
  • Joschka Fischer (former German Foreign Minister) publishes in Project Syndicate an in-depth analysis of the situation in China. Conclusion: Contrary to what was sometimes thought, liberal democracies are better than autocracies to deal with these crisis situations (https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/xi-jinping-china-zero- covid-undercut-social-contract-by-joschka-fischer-2022-12)
  • Experts estimate some 9,000 deaths a day from covid in China (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/30/china-covid-experts-estimate-9000-deaths-a-day-as-us -says-it-may-sample-wastewater-from-planes)
  • The credibility of Xi Jinping is very hurt, given the increase in deaths from covid in China (https://www.ft.com/content/fb879510-c2bb-4a04-8e36-182078ae15ec)
  • China will reopen its borders on January 8 and will eliminate entry quarantines (https://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2022/12/26/63a9d322fc6c83f7138b458a.html)
  • WHO calls for transparency from China (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/31/who-urges-covid-data-transparency-as-china-prepares-to-open-borders)

• United Kingdom
  • Hospitals in England taking care of record number of cases (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/dec/29/hospitals-in-england-taking-care-of-record-number-of-patients )

• France
  • New wave of strike by liberal doctors with a background of tension in hospitals (https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2022/12/27/nouvelle-greve-des-medecins-liberaux-sur-fond -de-tension-dans-les-hopitaux_6155836_3224.html)

• Pharmaceutical policy
  • Incentives to the pharmaceutical industry to develop new antibiotics divide the EU. The proposal is to increase the patent period for some drugs if the companies develop an antibiotic. Most of the EU countries, experts and generic manufacturers, are against the measure. The government of The Netherlands, together with 13 other countries, has just presented a “non-paper” (document without official letterhead), contrary to the measure (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-12-27/los- incentives-to-the-pharmaceutical-industry-to-develop-new-antibiotics-divide-the-eu.html). For access to the “non-paper”: https://www.permanentrepresentations.nl/documents/publications/2022/12/01/novel-stimuli-for-the-development-and-keeping-on-the-market- of-antimicrobials

• European Union
  • The European Union avoids imposing filters on Chinese travelers and is committed to “active surveillance”, arguing that covid in China is not caused by a new variant (https://www.elespanol.com/mundo/20221229/ue- will-not-impose-restrictions-covid-china-no/729html)

National health policy

• COVID
  • The AI drops to 141 points, but still with 196 deaths in a week. There are currently 3,717 admitted for covid, of which 236 are in the ICU  (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/especial-coronavirus/covid-19-espana-nuevos-casos-coronavirus_124542_102.html)
  • The BOE publishes the regulations with controls for passengers from China, in force from December 31, 2022 to February 15, 2023 (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medicina-preventiva/politica/el- boe-collects-controls-travellers-from-china-before-the-serious-epidemiological-risk.html). Access to BOE regulations: https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2022/12/31/pdfs/BOE-A-2022-24432.pdf
  • The Ministry of Health asks to take the fourth dose due to the rise in infections in China (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/12093747/12/22/Sanidad-pide-ponerse-la-cuarta-dosis- before-the-rise-of-contagions-in-China.html)

• Health professions
  • The Forum of Primary Care Physicians, opposed to hiring doctors without MIR training (https://www.actasanitaria.com/politica-y-sociedad/foro-medicos-atencion-primaria-contrario-contratacion-medicos- without-specialty-via-mir_2004467_102.html)

• Primary Care
  • The Federation of Associations for the Defense of Public Healthcare publishes a report in which it compares the budgets for Primary Care for 2023 of the different autonomous communities. According to this report, Extremadura invests the most in Primary Care, Madrid the least. For some communities there is no information (https://www.actasanitaria.com/politica-y-sociedad/atencion-primaria/comparativa-presupuestos-comunidades-autonomas-destinados-atencion-primaria_2004482_102.html)

• Public healthcare
  • The central government publishes a report called “Complying” in which it highlights its support for Primary Care and says that it fulfills 64% of health promises, with the other 35% “in process” (https://www.consalud .es/politics/government-affirms-has-fulfilled-64-promises-related-to-health_124412_102.html). Access to the original report: https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/Documents/Dic2022/271222_CumpliendoDic22_Informe.pdf
  • The Vall d’Hebrón hospital is committed to hospitalization at home. It is estimated that you save between 20 and 30% with home treatment. The home hospitalization department is created (https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20221229/8661580/hospital-casa.html)

• Private healthcare
  • The IDIS Foundation works on the interoperability of clinical records, through a pilot (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/profesion/idis-arrancara-en-enero-un-piloto-sobre-interoperabilidad-de -the-clinical-history.html)

• Pharmaceutical policy
  • The pharmaceutical bill grows by 904 million in Spain in 2022 compared to 2021 (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/12094225/12/22/La-factura-farmaceutica-crece-en-904-millones- in-Spain-regarding-2021.html)

• Other topics of interest
  • The Camilo José Cela University, with the HM Faculty of Health Sciences, will teach the degree of medicine from the next academic year (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medico-joven/grado/la-universidad- Camilo-jose-cela-will-teach-the-medicine-degree-from-the-next-course.html)
  • Ranking of the best hospitals in Spain according to the 2022 Hospital Excellence Index published by the Coordenadas Institute. According to him, the Jiménez Díaz Foundation and the Hospital La Paz are the best hospitals in Spain (https://www.consalud.es/industria/mejores-hospitales-espana-ieh-2022_124415_102.html)

Companies

• International News
  • The American Congress accuses the FDA of inadequate collaboration with Biogen for the approval of the drug against Alzheimer’s (https://www.ft.com/content/5389750b-71b0-4fe6-9793-feb6f64712e1)
  • EFPIA participates in an initiative to accelerate research into rare diseases (https://elglobal.es/industria/la-efpia-participa-en-una-nueva-alianza-para-acelerar-la-investigacion-en-enfermedades -rare/)
  • Apple’s business facing a growing threat due to the wave of covid in China (https://www.ft.com/content/ae7ab334-e769-4035-bab1-b1f42031723e)

• National News
  • PharmaMar begins its clinical trial in humans to combat cancer (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/12/30/companias/1672391163_538074.html)
  • Healthcare Activos plans to invest 200 million and enter Germany in 2023 (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2022/12/27/63ab457e468aebb6618b45c4.html)
  • Atrys Health studies entering the United Kingdom and the Middle East (https://www.expansion.com/catalunya/2022/12/29/63ac9a6b468aebe4428b4644.html)
  • Atrys Health expands its market with acquisitions in Spain and Chile (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/12/27/companias/1672175884_387138.html)

 

 

 

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