7 days in healthcare (September 25th-October 1st, 2023)

 

Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, The Economist raises the issue of how research on aging makes the prospect of living to 120 years less unimaginable.

Regarding Global Health, The Lancet publishes a study prepared with information from 185 countries that shows how a more “feminist” approach could have saved hundreds of lives of women with cancer. Surprising news from COVAX, the body created to distribute covid vaccines to developing countries: billions of its budget unspent.

Regarding International Health Policy, the pharmaceutical industry warns against the possible harms of the application of the European Union’s pharmaceutical policy, in this case the reduction of medicines against rare diseases. The pharmaceutical policy has not yet been approved, so this sounds like putting the bandage before the wound.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), the news of the week was the failed investiture of Feijóo. In his speech he addressed health problems. Although logically in a discourse of this type the sectoral details must necessarily be brief and what is interesting is the general tone, the poverty of the health discourse is surprising. The proposals are reduced to a shock plan for Primary Care and new medical calls, in addition to a “commission of experts” to address the problems of the sector for which no initial proposal is launched. It does not seem that there is a mature reform program in the PP when it comes to health. The news of the approval of a catalog of biomarkers in the SNS, which will be published electronically, seems like good news.

In the field of Companies, at the international level, the EU’s talks with Moderna for the new supply of covid vaccines should be highlighted. At the national level, Sanitas is reinforced in Andalusia with a new center in Malaga; an Austrian company will create a wellness center in Marbella; and, Atrys Health continues its expansion in Mexico, through an agreement with BUPA.

Biomedicine

• The Economist Editorial: Living to 120 is becoming an imaginable prospect. Living to be 100 is not something that doesn’t happen, but it is still rare. If the latest efforts to prolong life reach their potential, living to 100 could be the norm and reaching 120 could be a reasonable aspiration (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/09/28/living-to-120-is-becoming-an-imaginable-prospect)
• Slowing human aging is the subject of intense research (https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2023/09/25/slowing-human-ageing-is-now-the-subject-of-serious-research)
• Genetically modified mosquitoes to eliminate diseases (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/29/health/mosquitoes-genetic-engineering.html#)
• Stem cell therapy can delay the onset of Multiple Sclerosis for more than 10 years (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/terapia-celulas-madre-may-retrasar-progresion-anos-20230926003600-nt.html#)

Global Health

• A “feminist” approach to cancer could have saved the lives of 800,000 women in one year, according to a study by The Lancet in 185 countries (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/sep/26/feminist-approach-cancer-save-lives-800000-women)
• The list of essential medicines is also for developed countries (https://www.bmj.com/content/382/bmj-2023-076783)
• Sharing trade secrets is key to pandemic agreement (https://www.ft.com/content/c76d6f5a-0d82-493c-8d8a-5cdf8cf4a1d4)
• The unspent billions of COVAX. The global effort to provide covid vaccines to developing countries, led by Gavi, the WHO and UNICEF, finds itself in a paradoxical situation: it has $3 billion unspent (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02184-0/fulltext#:~:text=Today%2C%20according%20to%20Gavi%2C%20%242&text=7%20billion%20in%20grant%20money,large%20part %20of%20this-%241&text=9%20billion—was%20money%20that,the%20light%20of)

International health policy

• USA
  • Online marijuana stores make them accessible for purchases by minors (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/health/cannabis-adolescents-dispensaries.html#:~:text=The%20research%20examined%20the%20age,stage%20of%20the%20purchasing%20process.”)

• United Kingdom and the National Health Service
  • The reason why British people die at higher rates than other ethnic groups (https://www.ft.com/content/f51ee83d-8a9b-4eba-8a04-5609c70a74fa)
  • The NHS has been forced to reschedule 1 million hospital appointments this year due to strikes (https://www.bmj.com/content/382/bmj.p2220#:~:text=NHS%20has%20rescheduled%20one%20million%20hospital%20appointments%20this%20year%20because%20of%20strike%20action,-BMJ%202023%3B%20382&text=The%20NHS%20England%20data%20show,by%20consultants%20and%20junior%)

• France
  • Campaign in France, for a policy of zero deaths in work accidents (https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2023/09/27/accidents-du-travail-pour-une-politique-zero-mort_6191247_3232.html#:~:text=En%20Europe%2C%20la%20France,Le%20constat%20est%20terrible.)

• European Union
  • It is said that the reform of EU pharmaceutical legislation could lead to the loss of 45 orphan drugs in 15 years (https://elglobal.es/industria/la-reforma-de-la-legislacion-farmaceutica-de-the-eu-could-lead-to-the-loss-of-45-orphan-drugs-in-15-years/#:~:text=Before%20this%20scenario%2C%20the%20employer,in%20a% 2012%20per%20cent.)

National health policy

• COVID
  • The vaccination campaign against covid and flu begins in Spain (https://www.vozpopuli.com/espana/vacunacion-gripe-covid-fecha.html#:~:text=La%20campaña%20de%20vacunación%20of,years%20and%20people%20at%20risk.)

• Investiture session with Feijóo
  • What was Feijóo’s health project? (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/parlamentarios/carpetazo-definitivo-al-modelo-sanitario-de-feijoo-tras-caer-su-investidura-2669)

• Pharmaceutical policy
  • Farmaindustria is not afraid that a change of government will leave the strategic plan in the drawer (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20230926/farmaindustria-no-teme-cambio-gobierno-deje-cajon-plan-strategic-sector/797170588_0.html)

• Clinical trials
  • Increase the number of trials in primary care so that Spain continues to lead in this issue in Europe, since only 6.3% of the clinical trials carried out in Spain have the participation of family doctors (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2023/09/28/650b1791e9cf4a60188b4572.html)

• Generic
  • The generic sector asks that the prices of the cheapest drugs be raised, as in Portugal (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20230928/sector-genericos-pide-espana-siga-pasos-portugal-raise-price-cheap-drugs/797670416_0.html)

• MUFACE
  • CSIF demands more financing from MUFACE (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20230920/csif-reclama-incremente-finacion-convierte-muface/795920564_0.html)

• Abortions
  • The number of voluntary abortions increases by 9% in 2022 (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ministerio-sanidad/aumentan-en-9-abortos-voluntarios-llegando-98316-durante-pasado-ano_135053_102.html)

• Biomarkers in the SNS
  • The SNS will make an electronic publication of the agreed catalog through a search engine (https://gacetamedica.com/politica/biomarcadores-en-sns-sanidad-hara-una-publicacion-electronica-del-catalogo-acordado-mediante-un-seeker/)

Companies

• International News
  • EU in talks with Moderna on new vaccine supply deal (https://www.ft.com/content/1c493474-dde1-4441-87c3-01e136c1bbd4)
  • Fear is growing in Denmark due to its economic dependence on Novo Nordisk (https://www.expansion.com/economia/financial-times/2023/09/28/65153dd7468aeb53748b4572.html)

• National
  • Sanitas grows in Andalusia with its first center in Malaga (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/sanitas-crece-en-andalucia-con-su-primer-centro-en-malaga.html#:~:text =Sanitas%20expands%20its%20footprint%20in,(URPA)%20of%20eight%20places.)
  • The Austrian Lanserhof will open its first wellness clinic in Spain in Marbella (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/la-austriaca-lanserhof-abrira-en-marbella-su-primera-clinica-wellness-en-espana. html#:~:text=After%20the%20recent%20signature%20of,Spain%20will%20open%20in%202026.)
  • Pfizer will export its latest development in gene therapy from Spain (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/12457371/09/23/pfizer-exportara-desde-espana-su-ultima-novedad-en-terapia- genetica.html#:~:text=The%20pharmaceutical%20has%20chosen%20its, usually%20have%20the%20death%20like)
  • Grifols will begin trials of its first antitumor through its subsidiary in the USA (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/12465948/09/23/grifols-comenzara-los-ensayos-clinicos-de-su-primer-antitumor-through-its-subsidiary-in-the-usa.html#:~:text=Salud-,Grifols%20will%20start%20the%20clinical%20trials%20of%20its%20first%20antitumor,of%)
  • Atrys Health continues its expansion in Mexico and will provide its services to BUPA policyholders (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/12464034/09/23/atrys-health-continua-su-expansion-en-mexico-and-will-provide-service-to-bupa-insureds.html)