7 days in healthcare (June 20th-26th, 2022)

Summary

From the point of view of biomedicine, to highlight the article in The Lancet that shows that the covid vaccine has saved 20 million lives in the first year of its use.

As far as Global Health is concerned, it is confirmed that covid 19 may be wreaking havoc in North Korea.

Regarding international health policy, it should be noted that the WHO has decided not to declare monkeypox an international health emergency. Strong rise in the incidence of COVID throughout Europe. Controversial annulment in the United States of the Roe v Wade ruling that declared abortion a constitutional right. Now abortion will have to be regulated by the States. Serious public health problems are expected, as in the pre-Roe v Wade era, although mitigated by the widespread use of the abortion pill, which can even be purchased online. For the first time in the history of the United States, an agreement is reached to limit, albeit in a very limited way, the use of weapons, with President Biden having signed a law in this regard. Instead, the Constitutional Court declared illegal any limitation on the display of weapons in public, as some States had legislated. More Americans are dying from drug overdoses than ever before. The European Medicines Agency approves the Valneva covid vaccine, the sixth covid vaccine approved in Europe (after Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, J&J and Novavax).

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), we are witnessing a growth in the incidence of covid, some speak of a seventh wave. Published in the Official Bulletin of the Congress of Deputies the project of equity law. Important statement from the Consorci Sanitari de Catalunya saying that more than the management model, we must focus on quality and results. The National Market and Competition Commission (CNMC) publishes a report on wholesale pharmaceutical distribution, which is considered a boost to the use of generics and biosimilars.

In the field of companies, it should be noted that Alphabet (Google’s parent company) is making a strong investment to become a powerhouse in health. Its fields of action will be: wearables, clinical records, artificial intelligence applied to health and extension of human longevity. The medical marijuana business is making its way.

Biomedicine

• A study by The Lancet shows that the covid vaccine has saved 20 million lives in the first year of its use (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(22)00320-6 /fulltext)
• The origin of acute childhood hepatitis is still a mystery, after 894 cases, dozens of transplants and 18 deaths (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-06-24/el-origen-de-la-hepatitis -acute-childhood-is-still-a-mystery-after-894-cases-dozens-of-transplants-and-18-deaths.html)
• Alzheimer’s: a new technique allows early detection with 98% reliability (https://www.lne.es/salud/guia/2022/06/20/nueva-tecnica-permite-deteccion-precoz-67469367.html )

Global health

• Although the information is scarce, it seems, according to The Lancet, that covid is wreaking havoc in North Korea. (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01133-3/fulltext)

International health policy

• Monkeypox
  • The WHO resolves that, at the moment, monkeypox is not an international health emergency (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-06-25/la-oms-resuelve-que-de-momento-la- monkeypox-is-not-an-international-health-emergency.html)
  • The WHO confirms 2,103 cases of monkeypox in 42 countries (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/oms-confirma-2103-casos-viruela-mono-en-42-paises_116681_102.html)

• COVID-19
  • Strong rise in covid in France and throughout Europe (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2022/06/22/covid-19-les-contaminations-repartent-en-forte-hausse-en -europe_6131447_3244.html)
  • Doubts about the information on the results of the covid vaccination in Russia (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/06/22/are-the-russian-covid-vaccine-results-accurate)
  • The focus on zero-covid leaves China more vulnerable to the flu (https://www.ft.com/content/3f309286-7b96-4728-8bc5-75ec7e2b704a)

• Controversial ruling in the USA: annulment Roe v Wade
  • Serious public health implications in the United States due to the annulment of the Roe v Wade ruling, which considered abortion a constitutional right (https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1255)
  • Abortion pills will change the landscape post Roe v Wade (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/23/opinion/abortion-pills-online-roe-v-wade.html)

• Arms control in the USA
  • Following approval by the US Senate and Congress, Biden signs the law that limits, albeit very moderately, the use of weapons in the US (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/25/us/politics/ gun-control-bill-biden.html)
  • Contrary to the above, the Supreme Court of the United States declares illegal any rule that prevents the display of weapons in public (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/23/us/supreme-court-ny -open-carry-gun-law.html)

• Other themes
  • The FDA orders the withdrawal of Juul brand electronic cigarettes in the USA (https://www.nyticom/2022/06/23/health/fda-juul-ecigarettes-ban.html)
  • The FDA wants to reduce the level of nicotine in cigarettes (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/21/health/fda-nicotine-cigarettes.html)
  • More Americans are dying from overdoses than ever before: 12 die every hour (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/24/opinion/addiction-overdose-mental-health.html)
  • Almost 19,000 primary care doctors (GPs) will leave in the UK unless action is taken, warns the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) (https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1535 )
  • The European Medicines Agency authorizes the placing on the market of the Franco-Austrian biotech Valneva vaccine, which would be the sixth approved in Europe (after Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, J&J and Novavax) (https://www. .lemonde.fr/planete/article/2022/06/23/covid-19-l-agence-europeenne-des-medicaments-autorise-la-mise-sur-le-marche-du-vaccin-de-valneva_6131771_3244.html)

National health policy

• Monkeypox
  • The Ministry of Health confirms 736 positive cases, 216 more than last Tuesday (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/infecciosas/viruela-mono-sanidad-confirma-736-casos-positivos-216-mas-martes_117004_102 .html)

• COVID
  • The covid is triggered and places Spain before the seventh wave (https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20220622/8357308/covid-dispara-coloca-espana-septima-ola.html)
  • Spain reports 68,186 new cases, 195 deaths and the AI ​​rises to 755 points, with 6.67% occupancy on the ward and 4.38% in the ICU (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/especial-coronavirus/ covid-19-spain-notifies-68186-new-cases-195-deaths-ia-uploads-755-points_117003_102.html)

• Regulatory announcements
  • Published in the Official Gazette of the Congress of Deputies the draft equity law (https://www.congreso.es/public_oficiales/L14/CONG/BOCG/A/BOCG-14-A-110-1.PDF) , in the fifth final provision, it is said that the Government within a period of twelve months will publish the appropriate measures for the reversion to the direct management of the health services
  • Faced with the equity law, the Consorci Sanitari de Catalunya (CSC) requests that the SNS focus on quality and results, not on the form of management (https://diariofarma.com/2022/06/20/ante -the-equity-law-the-csc-requests-that-the-sns-focus-on-quality-and-results-not-on-the-form-of-management)
  • The Madrid Region will take the health equity law to the Constitutional Court (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/ derecho/madrid-recurra-ante-el-constitucional-la-ley-de-equidad-sanitaria-7300)

• Other themes
  • The National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) presents an analysis of the wholesale distribution of medicines in Spain. Recommendations: greater brand-generic and biological/biosimilar competition; improvements in the IPT (therapeutic positioning report); more flexible reference prices; and, biological-biosimilar interchangeability (https://www.cnmc.es/prensa/estudio-medicamentos-distribucion-mayorista-cnmc-20220622)
  • FACME presents its recertification model (https://www.consalud.es/profesionales/facme-publica-su-propuesta-comun-programa-recertificacion-unico_116823_102.html)
  • The Ministry of Health approved the public health strategy without the support of 7 autonomous communities (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medicina-preventiva/politica/sanidad-aprobo-la-estrategia-de-salud- publish-without-the-approval-of-seven-ccaa.html)
  • Camilo José Cela University and HM hospitals create a new Faculty of Health Sciences (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medico-joven/grado/la-universidad-camilo-jose-cela-y-hm -hospitals-create-a-new-faculty-of-health-sciences.html)
  • Radiography of the first year of euthanasia: 174 services and 4,000 objectors (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/geriatria/radiografia-del-primer-ano-de-eutanasia-174-prestaciones-y-mas-de -4000-objectors.html?check_logged_in=1)
  • The Board of Trustees of the IDIS Foundation agrees to the permanence of its Board of Directors until June 2025 (https://www.fundacionidis.com/sala-prensa/notas-de-prensa)
  • The Madrid Region changes the 37 outpatient emergencies for 17 continuous care points (https://www.vozpopuli.com/espana/madrid-cierre-urgencias-atencion-primaria.html)

Companies

• International News
  • Alphabet (Google’s parent company) is spending billions of dollars to become a key force in health. After some previous attempts, at this time Google’s activity in health will be structured in four areas: wearables; clinical records; Artificial intelligence; and, extension of human longevity (https://www.economist.com/business/2022/06/20/alphabet-is-spending-billions-to-become-a-force-in-health-care)
  • Moderna will open an mRNA vaccine research and production center in the UK (https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1556)
  • The medical marijuana business is making its way. In 2026 it will reach 25,500 million dollars globally. In Spain it will soon be available in pharmacies (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20220626/business-marihuana-medicinal-camino-mercado-alcanzara-millones/682681798_0.html)
  • Pfizer buys shares in the French vaccine producer, Valneva (https://www.ft.com/content/38fa8314-2227-4166-a552-6ae6ae4e2a7e)

• National News
  • FAES FARMA opens to a corporate operation and has 60 million available for the purchase of companies (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/06/22/companies/1655914091_931937.html)
  • Payments from pharmaceutical companies in training to doctors grow by 50% after the paralysis due to the pandemic (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/06/24/companias/1656069688_056700.html)
  • HLA (Asisa) invests 24 million in a new center in Seville (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/hla-completa-su-poker-en-sevilla-e-invierte-24-millones-de-euros-en- a-new-center.html)