7 days in healthcare (March 14-20, 2022)
SUMMARY
From the point of view of biomedicine, to highlight the new treatment for malaria in children; the new variant “Delatacron”, similar to the “ómicron”; and, the possibilities of artificial intelligence to accelerate the appearance of new medicines. We would like to underline the studies promoted by Valentín Fuster on ultrasound of the neck and groin arteries and their possibilities of detecting the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke to be promising, although it is a topic that has been talked about for a long time without much results.
Regarding Global Health, an interesting editorial in the British Medical Journal, entitled climate change, pandemic and war: an uncontrolled multi-crisis, since it seems that in this decade of the 21st century all the problems have accumulated; the verification that the low level of vaccinations in Africa is not so much due to the low level of vaccines, but rather due to the difficulties of reaching the population; interesting report on Nigeria and the problems of its health system.
In terms of international health policy, the problems of Asia’s “covid zero” strategy are noteworthy, which gave so much political return to the Chinese regime, presenting its low mortality successes and comparing them with the high mortality rates of other countries in the world ( United States, Brazil, United Kingdom, India, etc.). It seems that the “ómicron” variant, due to its contagiousness, is not easily approachable with the “covid zero” strategy, since that would lead to massive confinements in China. Resurgence of covid cases in Europe and Asia, which coincides with a relaxation of control measures.
If we talk about national health policy (Spain), it should be noted that the incidence of covid is growing, while the measures are relaxed, although there is concern in the Ministry of Health about a possible new wave of covid at the gates of Easter. Very important COFARES report on the pharmacy sector, proposing many innovative measures, which contrasts with the usual narcissism and laudatory speeches about the “Mediterranean model of pharmacy”, so liked by some professional representatives. Primary Care is trying to get back to normal, although with a thousand fewer doctors than before the pandemic. The birth rate in Spain is at historic lows, which is a serious problem. The Council of Dentists, in reporting that 34 million Spaniards have cavities, presents us with the reality of poor dental care in our country. A revolution in the use of biosimilars is coming, given the large number of biological medicines that will lose their patent in the coming years.
In the field of companies, it should be noted that Pfizer and BioNTech have requested authorization in the United States for a second “booster” for older Americans. Grifols bets on a vaccine against Alzheimer’s. HIPRA, the veterinary pharmacy company until now, hopes to start marketing its vaccine against covid in June.
BIOMEDICINE
- New treatment for malaria in children receives approval (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/14/health/malaria-children-tafenoquine.html)
- The new variant “Deltacron” is rare and similar to “ómicron”, experts say (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/11/science/deltacron-coronavirus-variant.html)
- Diabetes support moves into the workplace (https://www.ft.com/content/e906e07e-4e4f-44df-956e-2c631a2d8b83)
- An ultrasound of the arteries detects cardiovascular risk in healthy people. The advance led by Valentín Fuster opens the way to the prevention of stroke and myocardial infarction (https://www.lavanguardia.com/ciencia/20220316/8127551/ecografia-arterias-detecta-riesgo-cardiovascular-personas-sanas .html)
- Possibilities that Artificial Intelligence accelerates the appearance of new drugs (https://www.ft.com/content/3e57ad6c-493d-4874-a663-0cb200d3cdb5)
GLOBAL HEALTH
- British Medical Journal editorial: Climate change, pandemic and war: an uncontrolled multi-crisis of existential proportions (https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o689)
- Africa has many doses of covid vaccine, but is behind in vaccinations (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/03/19/africa-has-plenty-of-covid-doses -but-it-lags-in-jabs)
- Important report in The Lancet on the state of health in Nigeria, the country that is emerging as a great power in Africa (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02722-7 /fulltext)
- Nigeria’s health system requires fundamental changes, experts warn (https://www.ft.com/content/179598fd-7697-451c-81fc-b2daf03d9a70)
- Aid strives to contain the multiple health crises in Ukraine (https://www.ft.com/content/beb91ae9-8637-48ad-a07b-c833569017ac)
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY
- COVID
o The “ómicron” variant is changing China’s “zero covid” strategy, at the moment more than 40 million Chinese are suffering some type of confinement, which is tolerated by the remaining 1.4 billion who lead normal lives. The legitimacy of the party is given by the low mortality. We’ll see if that can be sustained with the “omicron” (https://www.economist.com/china/2022/03/19/omicron-is-changing-chinas-covid-strategy)
o China reports the first deaths from covid in more than a year (https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/03/18/world/covid-19-mandates-cases-vaccine)
o Shanghai, possible confinement, after the discovery of 150 new cases of covid (https://www.ft.com/content/659a5337-681b-4ef2-a9ac-db9aaaa78cef)
o Concern that new lockdowns in China may disrupt supply chains (https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/will-chinas-covid-lockdowns-add-to-strains-on-supply- chains/21808193)
o Resurgence of covid cases in Europe and Asia, infections have risen 8% worldwide, but they are skyrocketing in Vietnam and Germany (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220317/z4bkdrxn2vddtcbvhi5equn45e.html)
- Other issues
o According to an American study (Health Affairs), hospitals differ in their services depending on whether they are for-profit, non-profit or government-owned, with the former tending to offer more profitable services and discontinue the others (https://www.healthaffairs. org/doi/epdf/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01115)
NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY (SPAIN)
- COVID
o Latest report: the incidence of covid rise and 287 deaths, in Friday’s report (since Tuesday) (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/especial-coronavirus/covid-19-espana-registra-64597 -cases-287-deaths-ia-upload-44580-points_111800_102.html)
o The new plan against covid will put an end to the isolation of positives (https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20220319/8136758/nuevo-plan-covid-pondra-aislamientos-positivos.html)
o The Ministry of Health fears the arrival of a new wave of covid at the gates of Holy Week (https://www.elespanol.com/espana/20220314/sanidad-llegada-septima-covid-puertas-semana-santa/656934435_0 .html)
o Paxlovid, the anticovid treatment promised by Sánchez, has not yet reached patients (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/03/17/623244e021efa054348b458d.html)
- Other themes
o Spain was left out of the top 10 in public health spending in 2020, according to a report made public by Eurostat and spent an average of 600 euros less per inhabitant than the EU average (https://www.consalud.es/politica/espana- top-10-ue-public-expenditure-health-2020_111467_102.html). To access the Eurostat report: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/GOV_10A_EXP__custom_2243551/bookmark/table?lang=en&bookmarkId=8df11907-86e8-4f5b-a62e-a7d09828e303)
o Important COFARES report: pharmacist skills in the 21st century, proposing digitization, home delivery, legal changes and the sustainability of the pharmacy model (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/profesionales-analizan- evolution-pharmacy-role-pharmacist_111660_102.html)
o The Ministry of Health and the regions coordinate health care for refugees from Ukraine (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/03/18/sanidad-y-las-cc-aa-garantizan-la-atencion- health-for-refugees-from-ukraine)
o The Ministry of Health puts the average time to approve a drug at “9 months” (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ministerio-sanidad/sanidad-asegura-la-media-espana-aprobar-medicamento-9- months_111648_102.html)
o The flu enters Spain with force (https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20220317/8130742/gripe-fuerza-espana.html)
o Primary Care is trying to get back to normal, with a thousand fewer doctors than before the pandemic (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-03-20/la-atencion-primaria-intenta-volver-a-la- normality-with-a-thousand-less-doctors-than-before-the-pandemic.html)
o The birth rate in Spain, at lows not known in several centuries, according to a study by the San Pablo CEU University (https://www.eldebate.com/sociedad/20220315/pandemia-apenas-pasa-factura-natalidad-espana. html)
o A total of 34 million people in Spain have cavities, according to the General Council of Dentists (https://www.actasanitaria.com/politica-y-sociedad/total-34-millones-personas-en-espana-tienen- caries_2001822_102.html)
o The Ombudsman receives 2,300 health complaints in 2021, according to the report presented (https://www.defensordelpueblo.es/informe-anual/informe-anual-2021/)
o La Paz, on October 12 and Gregorio Marañón among the 100 best hospitals in the world, according to the classification prepared by Newsweek magazine (https://www.elmundo.es/madrid/2022/03/14/622e4da7e4d4d894118b45c8.html )
o Incorporating 6,000 doctors in primary care would cost 358 million euros, according to the Collegiate Medical Organization (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/03/14/622df5e7fc6c83c80d8b4583.html)
o Mariano Esteban’s covid vaccine will not continue the clinical phase in Spain (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/enfermedades-infecciosas/empresas/la-vacuna-de-la-covid-de-mariano-esteban -csic-will-not-continue-the-clinical-phase-in-spain.html)
o Spain needs a plan for the second revolution in biosimilars, since one hundred biological drug patents expire between 2024 and 2029 (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/03/16/companias/1647452966_841014.html)
COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND OTHER AGENTS IN THE SECTOR
- International News
o Moderna supplies 70 million additional doses of its vaccine to Japan (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/moderna-suministra-70-millones-de-dosis-addicionales-de-su-vacuna-anti-covid- 19-a-japan.html)
o Pfizer and BioNTech request authorization for a second “booster” for older Americans (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/15/us/politics/pfizer-second-booster-shot-older-americans.html )
o AstraZeneca, prepared not to continue with the efforts to obtain authorization in the USA for the covid vaccine (https://www.ft.com/content/e1edb2b2-0e12-4c83-9257-eeeb2ba29267)
- National News
o Grifols bets on the Alzheimer’s vaccine and ends phase II of clinical trials (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/grifols-apuesta-por-la-vacuna-contra-el-alzheimer-finaliza-la- phase-ii-trials-of-abvac40.html)
o The Danish A.P. Moller Holding completes the purchase of Unilabs (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/la-danesa-ap-moller-holding-completa-la-compra-de-unilabs.html)
o The founders of Rovi sell 5% after the success of the Moderna vaccine (https://www.europapress.es/economia/noticia-fundadores-laboratorios-rovi-venden-capital-empresa-1808-millones-20220315082314.html )
o Hipra hopes to market its covid vaccine in June (https://www.businessinsider.es/vacuna-hipra-covid-comercializar-junio-primera-espanola-1029741)
