The Health Week – Page 18

7 days in healthcare (May 2nd-8th, 2022)

09/05/2022/in The Health Week /by ignacioriesgo

Summary

From the point of view of biomedicine, two important editorials in The Economist should be highlighted on wearables (devices to wear, mainly smart watches) and medicalized apps, which could represent a new form of relationship between citizens and the health system and greater involvement of the population in maintaining their own health.

As far as Global Health is concerned, two books stand out, the one by Bill Gates on the pandemic, in which he says, in short, that outbreaks are not avoidable, but pandemics are, and the one by Devi Sridhar on the pandemic in general, commented by The Lancet.

As for international health policy, much of the debate in the international press is centered around the controversy over abortion in the United States, which is dividing American society. Much of the international media speaks out against the reversal of the Roe v Wade ruling, which established abortion as a constitutionally based right in the United States (The Economist, New York Times, Financial Times, Le Monde), although some they do it for (Wall Street Journal). Especially harsh is the article in the New England Journal Medicine, which says that the reversal of this sentence would mean a return to 1973, where women with resources could access an abortion by changing state or country, while the poor had to assume a pregnancy not desired or undergo interventions without guarantee, with high mortality and complications.

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), we must highlight the important editorial in El País on cancer drugs, which try to be introduced despite their high price and poor results in terms of survival. It is also necessary to highlight the “Update of the Stability Program 2022-2025“, where the government puts black on white that it will not fulfill its programmatic promise of reaching 7% of GDP in health in 2023.

In the field of companies, from the international point of view, it is worth noting the dismissal of the head of Biogen, after the controversial introduction of a drug against Alzheimer’s, whose approval by the FDA had already produced a cataclysm in this organism, with deep internal divisions. In the national environment, the important Pfizer document on gene therapies should be highlighted, as well as Quirónsalud’s proposal for a new hospital in Gijón, which could renew the private hospital scene in that region.

Biomedicine

The CDC is investigating 109 cases of hepatitis in children, including five deaths (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/06/health/cdc-hepatitis-children.html)
Wearables connect healthcare with daily life. In the United States, smart watches are growing at a rate similar to that of smartphones. These devices make people do more physical activity, which is very important. The market will be divided between devices geared towards patients with chronic diseases and those aimed at healthy people (https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2022/05/01/wearable-devices-are-connecting-health- care-to-daily-life)
Some health apps can not only help in diagnosis, but also in treatment (https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2022/05/01/some-health-apps-are-able-not -just-to-diagnose-diseases-but-also-to-treat-them)

Global health

The Ebola threat from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00819-4/fulltext)
The mortality of the covid exceeds the declarations of the countries, according to the WHO. It would reach 15 million deaths, somewhat less than the calculations of The Lancet, which exceeded 18 million deaths (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/05/health/covid-global-deaths.html)
Bill Gates explains “How to Prevent the Next Pandemic” in his new book, commented in The Economist. The main thesis is that outbreaks are inevitable, but pandemics can be avoided (https://www.economist.com/culture/bill-gates-explains-how-to-prevent-the-next-pandemic /21809103)
Bill Gates warns that we may not have seen the worst of covid-19 (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220502/5qlosntsgzbohmb5rqmv4fshqa.html)
Pandemic assessment book published, by Devi Sridhar, Professor of Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, commentary in The Lancet (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736( 22)00779-6/fulltext)

International health policy

COVID-19

o In China, the covid-zero policy accentuates the slowdown in the economy (https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2022/05/06/en-chine-la-politique-zero-covid-accentue -le-slow-down-de-l-economie_6125001_3234.html)

o Deaths from covid worldwide are at their lowest since the start of the pandemic (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20220507/muertes-covid-mundo-situan-minimos-inicio-pandemia/ 670433394_0.html)

The great debate on abortion in the United States

o The leak of an exploratory vote in the United States Supreme Court on the abolition of the Roe v Wade judgment (which declared abortion legal throughout the United States), unleashed a great controversy. If Roe v Wade is amended, abortion rights would become an issue for the states, not for the United States as a whole. There would be states in which abortion would be legal, while others would not (https://www.nytimes.com/article/abortion-laws-us.html)

o The most important international media editorialize and publish articles on the subject, such as The Economist (https://www.economist.com/united-states/how-the-end-of-roe-v-wade-will- affect-american-politics/21809130), The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/06/opinion/roe-v-wade-constitution.html), Financial Times (https:// www.ft.com/content/92042f8d-7954-4ffa-a0f5-b0fae12f7da3), Le Monde (https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2022/05/07/avortement-aux-etats-unis- un-retour-en-arriere-de-la-cour-supreme-serait-l-aboutissement-de-cinquante-ans-de-combat-de-la-droite-religieuse-contre-l-ivg_6125107_3210.html) and The Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-end-of-roe-will-be-good-for-america-supreme-court-draft-leak-decision-abortion-pro-life-choice-justices-alito-11651787057), by cite just a few

o The medical press also speaks out: important article in the New England Journal Medicine, totally against the possible annulment of Roe v Wade (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2119364)

o The position on abortion in the United States: religion, not gender, is the greatest predictor of position (https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/05/07/religion-not-gender -is-the-best-predictor-of-views-on-abortion)

o The debate on abortion in the United States is unsettling in Canada (https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2022/05/05/le-retour-du-debat-sur-l-avortement-aux-etats -unis-restless-le-canada_6124913_3210.html)

o The American corporate world (Corporate America) is silent on the subject (https://www.ft.com/content/b1f32dd2-e01b-4b7f-880d-946d8b0db1ca)

Other themes

o The WHO warns that covid has accelerated the obesity pandemic. Proposes taxes on less healthy food and subsidizing fruits and vegetables (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-05-03/la-oms-alerta-de-que-el-impacto-del-coronavirus-ha-acelerado -another-epidemic-of-obesity.html)

National health policy

COVID

o Contagios in the elderly continue to rise and the deaths are about 70 a day (https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20220507/8249221/contagios-mayores-siguen-alza-muertes-continuan-70-diarias.html )

o Seventh wave or new phase of the pandemic? (https://www.epe.es/es/sanidad/20220506/septima-ola-covid-13618507)

Regulatory announcements

o List of essential drugs imminently (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/industria/la-inminente-lista-de-farmacos-de-sanidad-abre-una-nueva-via-de-rebaja-2143 )

o A reform of the Framework Statute is controversially proposed (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/bisturi/union-y-rebelion-sindical-ante-la-reforma-del-estatuto-marco-9760)

Other themes

o Important editorial in El País on cancer drugs, their high price and their sometimes minor effects on survival (https://elpais.com/opinion/2022-05-07/el-precio-de-la-salud. html)

o The “Update of the Stability Program 2022-2025“, presented by the Government to Brussels, does not foresee that the government’s promise to reach 7% of GDP in 2023 in public health spending will be fulfilled (https://www. hacienda.gob.es/CDI/Programas%20de%20Estabilidad/Programa-de-Estabilidad-2022-2025.pdf)

o The doctors maintain the strike for May 10, rejecting the Community of Madrid-ICOMEM agreement (https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2022-05-07/la-encrucijada-final-de-los-medicos -de-madrid.html)

o Order of the Government of Catalonia on unit prices for compensation for hospital and specialized care (https://www.iberley.es/legislacion/orden-slt-88-2022-22-abril-determinan-ano-2022 -unit-prices-consideration-specialized-hospital-care-27084794)

Companies, employers and other agents of the sector

International News

o The head of Biogen dismissed due to the failure of the new drug against Alzheimer’s, after detecting that it has unproven benefits and serious health risks (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/business/biogen- aduhelm-michel-vounatsos.html)

National News

o Pfizer presents in Congress a Decalogue to promote gene therapy (https://www.pfizer.es/sites/default/files/2022-04/TERAPIA%20GENICA%20SNS%20interact%20v1.pdf)

o Quirón intends to build a new hospital in Gijón, with an investment of 40 million and 300 jobs (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/quironsalud-inviertera-40-millones-de-euros-en-nuevo-hospital -en-gijon.html)

o Teladoc Health is reinforced in Barcelona and will open a new digital hub in the city (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/teladoc-health-se-refuerza-en-barcelona-y-abrira-un-hub-digital -in-the-city.html)

o Vitaldent continues to grow and opens clinics in Pola de Siero, Lugo and Getafe (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/11748887/05/22/Vitaldent-abre-tres-nuevas-clinicas-en-Espana. html)

o Besins Healthcare, a company based in Mónica and specialized in novel therapies in gynecology, fertility and endocrinology, lands in Spain and invests 25 million in a plant in Muel (Zaragoza) (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/besins -healthcare-lands-in-spain-and-invests-25-million-in-a-plant-in-muel.html)

7 days in healthcare (April 25-May 1, 2022)

02/05/2022/in The Health Week /by ignacioriesgo

Summary

From the point of view of biomedicine, to highlight the evolution of acute hepatitis in children; Lilly’s announcement of a drug to tackle obesity that could compete with bariatric surgery; and the analysis of the New England Journal of Medicine on the “boosters” for covid.

As far as Global Health is concerned, we again quote Bill Gates, who is publishing a new book on pandemic prevention. Great concern about the resurgence of measles, yellow fever and polio in Africa, due to the low levels of vaccination against these diseases, given that resources have been largely diverted to covid.

As for international health policy, the problems of the “zero-covid” policy in China continue, which threatens the global economy, due to the closure of the largest port in the world: Shanghai. It seems increasingly clear that for political reasons this “zero-covid” approach will not change until the approval of a third term for its leader Xi. Also noteworthy is the very serious discrediting of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, which until now had been the object of almost religious veneration.

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), the incidence of covid continues to increase, particularly in some regions (Galicia, Navarra, Asturias and Castilla y León). The Health Advertising Law was not approved by Parliament, which is not necessarily bad news, since it was largely part of the confrontation between the College of Dentists and the dental care networks. The announced strike of doctors in Madrid, regardless of its results, has its origin in a very serious problem: the very high rate of temporary employment (more than 50% of doctors in the public system in Madrid). Very interesting statements by José Ramón Repullo, proposing national accreditation and hiring at the local level.

In the field of companies, from the international point of view, certain possible disruptive changes for the pharmaceutical industry should be highlighted: 3D printing, which would allow the “manufacturing” of medicines in a clinical environment; and the movements of Amazon for the sale of prescription drugs.

Biomedicine

The number of children with severe hepatitis in the UK reaches 145 (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/29/number-of-uk-children-suffering-from-hepatitis-rises- to-145), of which 10 required transplants (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/25/ten-uk-children-require-transplant-amid-surge-in-hepatitis-cases) and between discussions of the relationship between hepatitis and covid (https://www.ft.com/content/acbe4762-4e91-48dc-8880-b758aff43183)
Lilly announces a new drug against obesity, which would compete with bariatric surgery (https://www.ft.com/content/2115ff2e-9437-4964-b2a5-166c7de53875)
Editorial of the New England Journal Medicine on the “boosters”: in December 2020, Pfizer presented its vaccine, 95% effective in preventing severe disease in all age groups; in September 2021, Israeli researchers show that protection is better with a third dose in people 60 years of age or older; in a very recent study presented in April 2022, a group of Israeli researchers shows that protection against severe disease improves with a fourth dose (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2203329)

Global Health

Bill Gates warns that is necessary a new global supervision entity to prevent future pandemics (https://www.ft.com/content/c8896c10-35da-46aa-957f-cf2b4e18cfce)
Bill Gates publishes his new book (appears May 3) on pandemic prevention (https://www.gatesnotes.com/How-to-Prevent-the-Next-Pandemic?TGN_Sign_me_up=1&WT.mc_id=2022031200000_TGNICA_BG- PDM-PT-SnoLaGL-HTPTN2VYI&WT.tsrc=BGPDM-PT)
The health system of Sri Lanka, with serious problems of delays and supply of medicines (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00774-7/fulltext)
Measles, yellow fever and polio are reappearing in Africa due to low vaccination of these diseases, due to a shift of resources towards covid (https://elpais.com/planeta-futuro/2022-04-29/el- measles-yellow-fever-and-polio-outbreak-in-africa-due-to-low-vaccination.html)
The WHO does not rule out the regional and international spread of Ebola, starting from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/04/29/626b1cfce4d4d800388b45ea.html)

International health policy

COVID-19

o Serious problems continue in China with the “zero-covid” policy. The general impression is that the rhetoric of war does not help to defeat covid (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/04/30/chinas-martial-rhetoric-will-not-help-it-defeat- covid), while the global economic implications of the closure of Shanghai persist, the largest port in the world (https://www.epe.es/es/internacional/20220429/estrategia-covid-cero-china-dessolucion-inflacion-13586353)

o The “zero-covid” policy in China, a great personal bet of the leader Xi and difficult to be modified before his re-election for a third term (https://www.ft.com/content/33b7fcb2-bc88- 4a76-9b81-d561deaabc5c)

o Covid cases on the rise in virtually all of the United States (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/29/world/coronavirus-cases-us.html)

Other issues

o The FDA, about to ban menthol cigarettes. They are the most used among the black population (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/28/health/menthol-ban-fda.html)

o Very serious loss of prestige of the National Health Service, which is ending an almost religious adoration of this body in the United Kingdom. A survey says that global satisfaction dropped to 36%, something never known. Poor staff planning among major problems (https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/04/28/the-nhs-is-in-seriously-poor-shape)

National health policy (Spain)

COVID

o The cumulative incidence among people over 60 years of age continues to rise, reaching (April 29) 676.43 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days, an increase of almost 70 points compared to the previous measurement. Occupation rate due to covid: 5.12% in the ward and 3.66% in the ICU (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/especial-coronavirus/covid-19-espana-notifica-62695-casos-229- deceased-ia-exceeds-676-points_113987_102.html)

o The Ministry of Health reports almost 2,000 deaths in April, the first full month of “flu” from covid (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20220430/sanidad-notifica-muertes-primer-completo- flu-covid/668683313_0.html)

o Increase in the incidence of covid grows by 35% after Easter and there are already four regions with the unbridled incidence (Galicia, Navarra, Asturias and Castilla y León) (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20220428 /revenues-covid-semana-santa-ccaa-incident-runaway/668183406_0.html)

o The Ministry of Health will authorize the fourth dose for those over 80 years of age and those who live in residences, a total of about 3 million people (https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20220425/8219507/sanidad-autorizara- fourth-dose-vaccine-covid-older-80.html)

Regulatory announcements

o The Health Advertising Law presented by the PP fails, which is regretted by the professional associations, in particular that of dentists. Apparently, the Government is preparing a Royal Decree on the subject (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/04/28/el-congreso-desestima-la-ley-de-publicidad-sanitaria-del-pp)

Other issues

o Madrid hospital doctors go on strike over temporary contracts (https://www.epe.es/es/sanidad/20220429/medicos-hospitales-madrid-huelga-contratos-temporales-13587639)

o Interesting statements by José Ramón Repullo regarding the temporality of doctors and health professionals and their non-solution through the OPEs. He proposes national accreditation and contracting by centers, as exists in other countries (https://elpais.com/espana/madrid/2022-04-30/la-temporalidad-de-los-medicos-es-el-resultado -of-a-bad-system-worse-governed.html)

o Cases of severe hepatitis in children in Spain rise to 22 (https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20220429/8233030/hepatitis-aguda-ascienden-22-casos-espana.html)

o 700,000 Spaniards on the surgical waiting list, the worst figure in the history of public healthcare (https://www.elespanol.com/espana/20220501/espanoles-lista-espera-quirurgica-historia-sanidad-publica/668683270_0. html)

o Núñez Feijóo calls for the creation of the emergency specialty, with the argument of preventing primary care professionals from leaving (https://www.consalud.es/autonomias/galicia/feijoo-pide-creacion-urgencias_113617_102.html)

o Facme presents the Spanish recertification model (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/04/22/facme-presenta-el-programa-espanol-de-recertificacion)

o Five communities (Extremadura, Aragón, Baleares, Comunidad Valenciana and Navarra) ask AIReF to evaluate their healthcare and pharmaceutical spending (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/04/26/cinco-ccaa-piden-a- the-airef-assess-your-health-care-and-pharmaceutical-expenditure)

o Very interesting article by José Luis Puerta: “Data saves lives”, on the need to overcome the situation in which the custodians of the data are not capable of exploiting them, nor do they allow third parties to do so (https://www.diariomedico .com/opinion/data-saves-lives.html)

Companies

International News

o Possible disruptive changes for the pharmaceutical industry (http://gestionclinicavarela.blogspot.com/2022/04/aires-de-disrupcion-en-la-industria.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email): volumetric 3D printing that would allow drugs to be “manufactured” in a clinical setting (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214860422000781) and Amazon Prime’s offer to facilitate basic drugs for $1 a month (https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/amazon-pharmacy-offers-half-yearly-prescriptions-starting-6-2021-06-08/)

o Roche sales soar in the United States due to the demand for covid tests (https://www.ft.com/content/ed5f4f64-4fa6-4663-bc75-8860bb1ad997)

o Investors pressure Nestlé and Kraft Heinz to target health (https://www.ft.com/content/545651c2-c408-4cad-b724-698ed896ee89)

o Philips records losses of 151 million euros in the first quarter of 2022 (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/philips-registra-unas-perdidas-de-151-millones-de-euros-en-el -first-quarter-of-2022.html)

o Abbie strengthens its neurosciences portfolio and acquires Syndesis Therapeutics (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/abbvie-strengthens-its-neurosciences-portfolio-and-acquires-syndesi-therapeutics.html)

National News

o Lácer attracts the interest of venture capital funds (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/distribucion/2022/04/29/626afa0de5fdeaa9578b45a2.html)

o Grifols closes the purchase operation of its German rival Biotest (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/04/25/companias/1650876940_315447.html)

o Faes Farma profit grows 24% thanks to licenses and the Latin American market (https://www.eleconomista.es/pais_vasco/noticias/11743403/04/22/El-beneficio-de-Faes-Farma-crece -a-24-thanks-to-the-licenses-and-the-latin-american-market.html)

o Senniors disembark in Abu Dhabi with the support of the country’s sovereign wealth fund (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/senniors-desembarca-en-abu-dabi-con-el-apoyo-del-fondo-soberano-del -country.html)

o Quirónsalud launches a new rehabilitation center in Ronda de Triana (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/quironsalud-pone-en-marcha-un-nuevo-centro-de-rehabilitacion-en-ronda-de -triana.html)

o Hospitales Parque (CASER) accelerates in 2021 and raises its income by 46%, up to 58 million euros (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/hospitales-parque-acelera-en-2021-y-eleva-un -46-your-income-up-to-58-million-euros.html)

o Asisa strengthens Otoaudio and opens its first center in Seville (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/asisa-refuerza-otoaudio-y-abre-su-primer-centro-en-sevilla.html)

o Asisa Dental opens its first own clinic in the Canary Islands in Las Palmas (https://www.consalud.es/ecsalud/nacional/asisa-dental-abre-palmas-clinica-canarias_113952_102.html)

7 days in healthcare (April 18-24, 2022)

25/04/2022/in The Health Week /by ignacioriesgo

Summary

From the point of view of biomedicine, to highlight the new devices that read the brain (brain-reading-devices) and allow movement, touch and speech to be recovered. Also the great future of liquid biopsy in the early diagnosis of cancer.

As far as Global Health is concerned, there is no choice but to quote Bill Gates’ new TED video discussing how to avoid a new pandemic, which follows his previously celebrated video from 2015, five years before COVID-19. . Also the devastating effects of covid on the evolution of tuberculosis. It is highly worrying that in Africa there is a large backlog of vaccines, after multiple donations, which speaks of serious logistical problems. More than 100 confirmed cases in a dozen countries of the new acute childhood hepatitis of unknown origin.

Regarding international health policy, it should be noted that, according to the WHO, the incidence and mortality of COVID is falling globally. The United States will host the second global conference on COVID on May 12, 2022. Serious problems continue to arise in China, particularly in Shanghai, where respect for the most minimal freedoms collides with certain public health measures that are intended to be imposed. The new outbreak of covid in Beijing highlights the difficulty of following the “zero-covid” policy without many deaths, due to the low percentage of vaccination among the elderly in China and the less efficacy of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine, compared to that of Pfizer-Biontech.

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), although the incidence of COVID continues to grow, the mandatory use of the mask indoors has been abolished, which for some is premature. From the regulatory point of view, the Health Advertising Law and the Pharmacy Law of the Community of Madrid are announced, both with controversial components. The CNI warns of the large number of cyberattacks in health so far in 2022. The “Vanguard Health” Alliance is created to coordinate the health PERTE. Great media impact of the publication “Private healthcare, adding value” by the IDIS Foundation.

In the field of companies, from the international point of view, it is worth noting the movements of KKR to buy the largest hospital company in Australia (Ramsay). In our country, the position of the AESEG on the need to establish differential prices between generics and brands is important. Also the five-year agreement between the Junta de Andalucía and the Pascual Hospital Group.

Biomedicine

Nature: devices that read the brain (brain-reading devices), which allow movement, touch and speech to be recovered. They are electrodes that transform brain activity into impulses. Until now the advances had been made by a company Blackrock Neurotech, from Utah (USA). Elon Musk has been interested in this technology (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01047-w)
Nature: The Human Pangeomic Project, aims to build a more sophisticated model of a reference genome, telomere by telomere. It will improve knowledge of diseases associated with genetic problems and precision medicine (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04601-8)
Liquid biopsy will play a determining role in the early diagnosis of cancer (https://www.abc.es/salud/enfermedades/abci-biopsia-liquida-tendra-papel-determinante-diagnostico-precoz-cancer-202204211500_noticia.html )

Global health

New TED video by Bill Gates on the pandemic, the last one from 2015 warned about a possible pandemic, in this he comments on how to avoid a new one. Makes a very interesting simile about fire prevention (https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/Talking-about-the-last-pandemic-at-TED?WT.mc_id=20220421110000_HTPTNP-TED_BG-EM-A_&WT.tsrc =BGEM)
COVID had devastating effects on tuberculosis. In 2020, 1.5 million deaths from this disease, representing the largest annual increase since 2005. For the first time in a decade, tuberculosis mortality increased (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/ NEJMp2118145)
Africa: COVID vaccine backlog, the many donations cannot be distributed due to lack of proper logistics, while only 16% of Africans are vaccinated (https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2022/04 /21/l-afrique-face-a-un-embouteillage-de-vaccins-contre-le-covid-19_6123148_3212.html)
Mortality from COVID can triple the official figures (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2791213)
Malaria in 2022, article in The Lancet. The incidence and mortality of malaria has not changed since 2015: there is a figure of 627,000 annual deaths and 242 million people with the disease. The WHO goal of achieving a 40% reduction in incidence by 2020 was not achieved. There is currently a vaccine (RTS,S) approved last year (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00729-2/fulltext)
The WHO already confirms 169 cases of new acute childhood hepatitis in 11 countries (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/04/24/62647b48e4d4d8cf4c8b4582.html)

News international health policy

COVID-19

o According to the WHO, both the number of cases and mortality fell in the last week, following a decline from the end of March (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/21/new-covid- cases-globally-down-by-nearly-a-quarter-last-week)

o The United States will host the second global summit on COVID. It will be online on May 12, 2022 (https://www.consalud.es/politica/eeuu-cumbre-mundial-pandemia-covid-19_113280_102.html)

o Shanghai wants to open factories with employees living in them (https://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20220418/8203602/shanghai-covid-china-pandemia-empresas-impacto.html)

o New COVID outbreak in Beijing. The Chinese authorities do not want the situation in Shanghai to be reproduced (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-04-24/pekin-toma-medidas-de-contencion-tras-detectar-un-subito-aumento-de -cases-of-covid.html)

Other themes

o The questioning of the authorization of abortion in the USA (Roe v Wade ruling), can cause serious health problems. It can increase the mortality of women in relation to pregnancy by 21% and 33% in black women (https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o1019). Many media worldwide denounce the toxicity of these restrictive laws (https://www.ft.com/content/a2b0d282-9baa-40ed-9a2c-64bbeaa5e375)

o New incentives are needed to fight antibiotic resistance, a pioneering subscription system in the UK can help improve the situation (https://www.ft.com/content/954d5e13-884e-4090-afca- 378993510558)

o Europe will not approve Biogen’s aducanumab for Alzheimer’s for now, approved in the USA by the FDA, amid great controversy (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/industria/empresas/europa-no-aprobara-por-ahora- aducanumab-for-alzheimer.html)

News national health policy (Spain)

COVID

o The incidence of COVID continues to rise: 555.47 cases on Friday, April 22, in people over 60 years of age per 100,000 in the last 14 days, compared to 505.86 on Tuesday, April 19 (https://www.elconfidencial .com/espana/2022-04-22/espana-suma-49-143-cases-and-187-deaths-and-the-incidence-in-over-60s-up-50-points_3412937/)

o After 700 days, the Council of Ministers approves the no obligation to wear a mask indoors, with some exceptions (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/04/19/625e955c21efa04b4d8b45d0.html)

o The majority of Spaniards believe that it is soon to remove the mask indoors (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-04-20/la-mayoria-de-los-espanoles-cree-que-es-pronto -to-remove-the-masks-indoors-and-continue-wearing-it.html)

o The XE variant of covid is already beginning to circulate in Spain (https://www.abc.es/sociedad/abci-variante-coronavirus-empuerta-circular-espana-202204202033_noticia.html)

o Great controversy over the distribution of antivirals (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220421/yda2ugjo3rcszl56bzcp75rvvm.html)

Regulatory announcements

o The health advertising law, presented by the PP, to be examined in Congress. It is promoted by the Council of Dentists and also by the OMC (Doctors Order) (https://www.consalud.es/politica/parlamentos/ley-publicidad-sanitaria-pp-examen-congreso-semana_113468_102.html)

o Madrid approves the Pharmacy Law, among the novelties, it develops home distribution (closing the door to the delivery of medicines from entities outside pharmacies) and makes schedules more flexible (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/politica/ madrid-approves-the-new-pharmacy-law-in-its-government-council.html). The Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy opposes this bill, for not contemplating hospital pharmacy in the regulations (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/04/22/la-sefh-rechaza-la-loaf- Madrid)

Other themes

o Public healthcare spending skyrockets in 2020 due to the pandemic (https://www.plantadoce.com/entorno/el-sns-pisa-el-acelerador-tras-la-pandemia-y-dispara-el-gasto-sanitario -up-to-83811-million-euros.html)

o CNI alert: large number of cyberattacks in healthcare in 2022 (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20220422/alerta-cni-sanidad-publica-espanola-ciberataques-peligrosidad/666683412_0.html)

o The Fundación Instituto Roche addresses the involvement of the microbiome in maintaining health (https://www.actasanitaria.com/tecnologia/fundacion-instituto-roche-aborda-implicacion-microbioma_2002274_102.html). To access the full document: https://www.institutoroche.es/recursos/publicaciones/202/Hablando_sobre_microbioma

o The Ministry of Health reports eight cases of severe childhood hepatitis of unknown origin (https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/sanidad-notifica-ocho-casos-hepatitis-aguda-infantil-origen-desconocido_1_8935838.html)

o The investigations for the purchase of masks already exceed ten (https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20220423/investigaciones-contratos-mascarillas-covid-superan-decena-13553701)

o The “Salud de Vanguardia” Alliance is born to coordinate the health PERTE (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/04/20/nace-la-alianza-salud-de-vanguardia-para-coordinar-el-perte -sanitary)

o Great impact of the document “Private healthcare, adding value” from the IDIS Foundation: https://www.fundacionidis.com/uploads/informes/informe_sanidad_privada_aportando_valor_2022.pdf.

Companies

International News

o The private equity firm KKR launches an offer for the largest Australian private hospital group, Ramsay (https://www.ft.com/content/ee5553e3-5d5c-4fbb-af4b-72dd9be0ef0a)

o GBL (Group Bruxelles Lambert) acquires the diagnostic imaging company Affidea, which at the time had acquired some assets in Spain (Q Diagnóstica) (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/gbl-adquiere-la-compania -of-medical-diagnostic-services-affidea.html)

o GSK, Sanofi and J&J accelerate spin offs in the pharmaceutical business (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2022/04/19/625de599e5fdea36148b4677.html)

National News

o Generics: AESEG rejects the current plan for generics and biosimilars (made public, but not yet implemented due to the pandemic) if there is no price differential with brands (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/industria/el -generic-reformulates-the-national-plan-with-the-price-difference-as-axis-1032)

o The Junta de Andalucía signs a five-year agreement with the Pascual hospitals for an amount of 771 million euros (https://sevilla.abc.es/andalucia/sevi-junta-andalucia-firma-contrato-clinicas-pascual-cinco -hospitals-until-2027-771-millions-202203291523_noticia.html)

o DKV skyrockets its profits, largely due to the extraordinary results of the sale of its stake in the Denia hospital, acquired by Ribera (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/04/20/companias/1650456633_959356 .html)

o Sacyr will build a pediatric center in Canada for more than 60 million euros (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/sacyr-construira-un-centro-pediatrico-en-canada-por-mas-de-60- million-euros.html)

o Atrys Health sprints on the Stock Market and targets revenues of 200 million in 2022 (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/atrys-health-sprints-on-the-continuo-y-apunta-a-incomes- of-220-million-euros-in-2022.html)

7 days in healthcare (April 11-17, 2022)

18/04/2022/in The Health Week /by ignacioriesgo

SUMMARY

From the point of view of biomedicine, it is important to highlight the fact that greater access to antibiotics (reduced in many countries) is a basic element to overcome the pandemic of resistance to these drugs. Cases of acute hepatitis in children, detected in the United Kingdom and also in Spain, have been the subject of an alert by the WHO and the ECDC. Some of them require liver transplantation.

With regard to Global Health, the financing of the WHO is one of the great issues of global health, since this organization has always had a financing well below its challenges.

As for international health policy, President Biden’s Memorandum on “long covid” should be noted. Also the important article published in The Lancet that analyzes the circumstances surrounding the incidence of covid and its mortality in 177 countries, with some interesting conclusions. The “zero-covid” policy in China and, specifically, the confinement of Shanghai, continues to occupy the international front pages and is a policy that is beginning to be highly questioned, despite its successes so far in both the number of cases and in mortality, as in economic impact, if we believe the official figures from China. Great expectations regarding the new agency created by the Biden Administration: the ARPS-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health)

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), 50,000 doses of covid have finally been distributed, albeit with great delay compared to the initial promises, although without having agreed on criteria regarding their use. Interesting proposal to the Ministry of Health of the Medical Collegiate Organization (OMC) on medical recertification, which includes a supervisory agency OMC-FACME, similar to a British one.

In the field of companies, from the international point of view, to highlight the declines in sales of covid vaccines. Regarding national news, the announcement of the forthcoming arrival of the HIPRA vaccine should be highlighted.

BIOMEDICINE

Increased access to antibiotics is essential to avoid antibiotic resistance, causing 1.3 million deaths per year, more than any other infection, if we exclude COVID and tuberculosis. Nearly 40% of new antibiotics launched between 1999 and 2014 are sold in fewer than 10 countries. (https://www.ft.com/content/4a1c4f4f-f062-4bdf-b2e8-d9c1030ea1a0)
The United Kingdom investigates 74 cases of severe acute hepatitis in children (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/04/15/62582963fc6c838d048b45d1.html), apparently caused by an adenovirus (https ://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220415/l2kf6jjjtvga3f5ygulqxtbq2m.html)
New variants of COVID: XE and deltacron (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/04/12/625470a5e4d4d8c30d8b45a2.html)

GLOBAL HEALTH

The financing of the WHO, whose resources were always below its challenges, since its foundation in 1948 (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00533-5) is reconsidered. /fulltext)
Sri Lankan doctors in search of basic medicines, while the economic crisis sinks the nation (https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o968)
Profound health impact of Russian invasion of Ukraine. The risk of infectious outbreaks, particularly covid, cholera, polio, tuberculosis and diarrheal diseases is high, due to the presence of the population in crowded spaces (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736( 22)00615-8/fulltext)

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY

COVID

o President Biden’s memorandum on addressing the “long COVID” (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/04/05/memorandum-on-addressing-the-long-term- effects-of-covid-19/). Article on the subject in JAMA magazine: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2791210

o Preparedness for the pandemic and covid, an analysis of 177 countries. The relationship between various circumstances and the incidence of covid, as well as mortality, are analyzed (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00172-6/fulltext). Comments on this article, the WHO and health systems remain unprepared to deal with a pandemic like covid, which caused 494 million cases and more than 6 million deaths, as of April 5, 2022: https://www. thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00425-1/fulltext

o Shanghai lockdown shows signs of desperation among the population and lack of food (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/17/shanghai-lockdown-desperation-rises-food-runs-low-china )

o The mystery of China with “ómicron”: 280,000 infections and zero deaths (https://www.abc.es/sociedad/abci-misterio-china-omicron-280000-contagios-y-cero-muertes-202204150122_noticia.html)

o The WHO confirms a decrease in new covid cases worldwide, for the third consecutive week (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/04/13/la-oms-confirma-la-disminucion-de-nuevos -covid-cases-around-the-world)

o Covid infections start to fall in the UK (https://www.ft.com/content/0c2fc3ce-be3f-41b1-8b1f-e1b729882720)

o Valneva, the Franco-Austrian vaccine against covid, is the sixth approved in the United Kingdom (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/14/valneva-approved-to-be-uks-sixth -covid-vaccine)

o The FDA authorizes the first breath-based covid test that produces results in less than three minutes (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/15/us/the-fda-authorizes-the- first-covid-19-breath-test.html)

Other themes

o Expectations about the new health agency created by Biden, called ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health). Editorial in Science magazine (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abq4814)

o The number of people on the NHS waiting list at record high (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/14/number-of-people-on-nhs-waiting-lists-in-england -at-record-high)

o The number of primary care physicians (GPs) in the UK, down every year since 2015. Organizations representing doctors say the heavy workload, high expectations of patients, difficulties recruiting non-medical staff and the fear of errors due to overload, at the base of this situation (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/11/gp-numbers-in-england-down-every-year-since-2015 -pledge-to-raise-them)

o A lawsuit by Cuban doctors has been accepted by the US justice system, accusing the PAHO (WHO organization for Latin America) of collaborating in the “forced labor” of Cuban doctors sent to Brazil (https://www. .bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o962)

NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY (SPAIN)

COVID

o Spain, the rich country where life expectancy fell the most due to the pandemic, after the United States (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20220414/espana-pais-rico-cayo-esperanza-pandemia-unidos /664683895_0.html)

o The covid increased health spending in 2020 by 10.9%, a record figure (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/04/06/la-covid-incremento-el-gasto-sanitario-en-2020 -a-109-a-figure-record)

o The Ministry of Health has already distributed 50,000 doses of Paxlovid in Spain (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ministerio-sanidad/sanidad-distribuido-espana-50000-dosis-farmaco-covid-19-paxlovid_113219_102.html)

Other themes

o Three cases of childhood hepatitis of unknown origin detected in Spain, following an international alert from the WHO and the ECDC, originating in the United Kingdom (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-04-13/detectado- in-spain-the-first-case-of-an-infantile-hepatitis-of-unknown-origin.html)

o Spain, at the tail of the large European markets in access to cancer and orphan drugs (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medicina-preventiva/politica/espana-la-cola-de-los-grandes-mercados -europeans-in-access-oncology-drugs-and-orphans.html)

o The Government wants to reduce tobacco consumption, without prohibiting smoking (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-04-10/espana-quiere-desatascar-la-caida-de-fumadores-sin-recurr-a-la- prohibition.html)

o The Collegiate Medical Organization (OMC) makes a proposal to the Ministry of Health on medical recertification according to the English model with three measures. It proposes that the OMC-FACME could be the supervisory agency, similar to the “Professionals Standards Authority for Health and Social Care”, of the United Kingdom (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/medicina/- English-model-of -medical-recertification-with-3-measures-of-competence-6828)

o The Spanish transplant model triumphs in Latin America, where organ donation grew by 100% between 2005 and 2019 (https://www.consalud.es/politica/donacion-organos-iberoamerica-programa-espanol_112999_102.html)

o Harassment of women who go to abortion clinics is declared a crime, through a modification of the Penal Code (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/acoso-mujeres-acudan-clinicas-abortar-delito-jueves_113177_102. html)

o Family Medicine, Anesthesiology, Psychiatry and Radiodiagnosis, among the specialties that will have to increase their MIR offer to alleviate the deficit, according to a recent report (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/espana-pagara-en -five-years-the-lack-of-planning-in-medical-templates.html)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND OTHER AGENTS IN THE SECTOR

International News

o Walgreens, the American pharmacy chain, flooded the market with opiates and is accused of creating addicts (https://www.consalud.es/ecsalud/internacional/walgreens-farmaceutica-opiaceos-mercado-crear-adictos_113123_102.html)

o GSK, about to buy Sierra Oncology for 1,500 million pounds to boost its oncology offer (https://www.ft.com/content/d26ea24f-1ea9-4b09-842d-4708090bfe42)

o The vaccine business drops, with a 21% drop in sales (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20220412/business-vacunas-anticovid-cae-prevision-ventas-demanda/ 664183929_0.html)

National News

o Farmaindustria pays 452 million to the State for excess public spending on medicines in 2018 and 2019 (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20220411/farmaindustria-abona-millones-exceso-gasto-publico- medications/663433943_0.html)

o The HIPRA vaccine will arrive between May and June, according to Minister Morant (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20220411/vacuna-espanola-hipra-covid-llegara-ministra-morant/664183699_0.html)

o Boehringer Ingelheim reinforces its commitment to Spain with an investment in R&D of 42 million in 2021, 23% more than in the previous period (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/boehringer-ingelheim-refuerza-su -bet-on-spain-with-an-investment-of-42-million-in-2021.html)

o Lácer launches its sale process for more than 500 million euros (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/04/08/companias/1649439648_227115.html)

o Insparya, the hair business that Cristiano Ronaldo is in, will take its clinics to Milan, Paris and Dubai and will continue to open in Spain (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/04/08/companias/1649440871_986204. html)

7 days in healthcare (April 4-10, 2022)

11/04/2022/in The Health Week /by ignacioriesgo

SUMMARY

From the point of view of biomedicine, it is worth highlighting the fact, highlighted by the journal Nature, that the WHO took more than two years to recognize the airborne transmission of covid. A new generation of vaccines that prevent cancer can make tumors disappear before they appear, according to an article in Science. The natural experiment from South Korea and Hong Kong shows that the “omicron” variant can be fatal in unvaccinated people.

As far as Global Health is concerned, the situation in Ukraine gives us difficult lessons in global health, explains the editor of The Lancet. It should be noted that the black American population already exceeds the white population in mortality from opioids. Until now, deaths from this cause occurred mainly in “non-colleged educated” whites.

Regarding international health policy, the European health agencies (EMA and ECDC) say that it is too early for the second “booster” of the covid vaccine. Ten years of “Choosing Wisely” the revolution in medical practice that tries to minimize worthless or low value health interventions.

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), the appearance of the 2022 Health Barometer (First wave) is important. It should be noted that waiting lists are the main concern of the population; the delay in a high percentage of cases to see a primary care physician; and that the positive perception of the public system decreases, while that of the private system increases. Report on health professionals, which says that within five years there will be a shortage of 9,000 doctors.

In the field of companies, from the international point of view, Moderna’s agreement with the non-profit entity IAVI to apply mRNA technology to various diseases should be highlighted. SpainCares confirms that Spain is not in an advantageous position with regard to health tourism.

BIOMEDICINE

The WHO took two years to recognize that COVID is transmitted through the air, after repeatedly denying it, Nature article (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00925-7)
New generation of cancer-preventing vaccines can wipe tumors before they form, article in Science (https://www.science.org/content/article/new-generation-cancer-preventing-vaccines-wipe -tumors-form)
“Better, broader and safer: Using Health Data for Research and Analysis”, a major British Government report on the use of data to improve medical practice (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ better-broader-safer-using-health-data-for-research-and-analysis)
Outbreaks in Asia show that the “ómicron” variant is deadly in unvaccinated people, as shown by natural experiments in Hong Kong and South Korea (https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/04/ 09/asias-outbreaks-show-that-omicron-is-deadly-in-unvaccinated-people)
Precision drugs, effective against breast cancer (https://vigourtimes.com/breast-cancer-precision-drugs-make-inroads-against-stubborn-tumours/)
Coming medical advances: 1. Fight antimicrobial resistance; 2. Precision oncology; 3. Nanotechnology; 4. Gene editing; 5. Microbiome; 6. Robotic surgery; 7. Stop aging; 8. New horizons transplants; and 9. Neuroscience revolution (https://elpais.com/eps/2022-04-06/es-medicina-no-ciencia-fiction.html)

GLOBAL HEALTH

Ukraine: Hard Lessons for Global Health (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00653-5/fulltext)
Black Americans have surpassed whites (traditionally more affected) in opioid mortality (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/04/09/black-americans-have-overtaken-white -victims-in-opioid-death-rates)
Doctors Without Borders denounces that Russia bombed a hospital in Mikolaiv on Monday (https://www.telecinco.es/informativos/internacional/medicos-sin-fronteras-bombardeos-hospitales-mykolaiv_18_3309870266.html)

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY

COVID

o The United States donates more than 100 million doses of covid vaccine for children (https://www.ft.com/content/3e5f9359-67a5-4f24-971e-51761119899b)

o Shanghai residents beg for food and medicine as authorities lock down the city (https://www.ft.com/content/3e439a10-860b-4ae6-9070-ad8546da8850)

o Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor, fails in Parliament with his plan to make the vaccine mandatory (https://www.ft.com/content/7d0610bf-3cf9-4edd-a392-e9d97dc9fade)

o COVID deaths rise in the UK, with infections at record highs (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/05/covid-related-deaths-rise-england-infections-record-high )

o The European health agencies (EMA and ECDC) say that it is too early for the second covid vaccine “booster” (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/06/world/europe/covid-second- booster-europe.html)

Other themes

o Ten years of “Choosing Wisely”, which revolutionized medical practice based on recommendations of “do not do”, to reduce low-value health care (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/ NEJMp2200422)

o Life expectancy in the US continues to decline in 2021, despite covid vaccines (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/04/07/life-expectancy-covid/)

o Oklahoma passes one of the toughest anti-abortion laws in the US, following a Republican strategy (https://www.ft.com/content/cee6a170-fa23-47cb-b554-d457d68f225b)

o Important report by the Nuffield Trust on the recovery of health systems after covid, analyzing the situation in several countries (https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/research/health-system-recovery-from-covid-19- international-lessons-for-the-nhs)

o Great impact in the United Kingdom of the Ockenden Report, on maternity care, with the detection of serious problems, published by the British Government (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/final-report-of- the-ockenden-review/ockenden-review-summary-of-findings-conclusions-and-essential-actions)

NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY (SPAIN)

COVID

o Decrease in the incidence of covid: up to 420.17 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over 60 years of age, according to the new measurement method (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/directo/coronavirus-ultimas-noticias/20220410)

o The mask will no longer be mandatory indoors on April 20 (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/04/06/624d770121efa0ed708b45bb.html)

o COVID only worries 30% of Spaniards, according to the COSMO Spain study, coordinated by the Carlos III Health Institute (https://www.actasanitaria.com/salud-mental/covid-19-solo-pretrabajo-30 -spanish-two-years-pandemic_2002232_102.html)

Other themes

o The 2022 Health Barometer (First wave) appears (https://datos.cis.es/pdf/Es3357mar_A.pdf). Some data of interest: the waiting lists, the worst valued by the Spanish (https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20220407/8184215/listas-espera-peor-valorado-espanoles-barometro-sanitario-2022.html ); 55% of patients take more than 7 days to get an appointment with their family doctor (https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20220408/8185940/55-pacientes-tarda-mas-7-dias-conseguir- family-doctor-appointment.html); lowers the positive perception of the public system and increases that of the private (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/04/07/cis-baja-la-percepcion-positiva-del-sistema-publico-y-aumenta-la-de-la-privada)

o Within five years there will be a shortage of almost 9,000 doctors (https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20220404/8174200/cinco-anos-faltaran-9000-medicos.html), according to the report “Supply-need for medical specialists 2021- 2035”, prepared by Patricia Barber and Beatriz González López-Valcárcel (https://cgcom.es/sites/default/files//u395/2022informeofertanecesidadespecialistasmedicos2021_2035.pdf)

o “Case of masks” a loot of 2,000 million for the purchase of material during the state of alarm (https://elpais.com/espana/2022-04-10/caso-mascarillas-un-botin-de-2000-millones -in-the-law-of-the-jungle.html)

o WAIT Report: Spain falls in time for access to new medicines (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/04/06/espana-ha-autorizado-el-53-de-los-farmacos-aprobados -in-europe-between-2017-y-2020), to see the WAIT report: https://www.efpia.eu/media/602652/efpia-patient-wait-indicator-final-250521.pdf

o Published the “Report on the initial budgets of the Public Administrations” (AIREF, April 7, 2022) (https://www.airef.es/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/PRESUPUESTOS-INICIALES/Informe-Ptos -initials-2021-.pdf)

o Spain leads the world consumption of benzodiazepines (https://www.elperiodico.com/es/sociedad/20220402/espana-lidera-consumo-mundial-benzodiazepinas-13438583)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND OTHER AGENTS IN THE SECTOR

International News

o Moderna reaches an agreement with IAVI (non-profit association) to apply mRNA to various diseases (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/moderna-llega-a-un-acuerdo-con-iavi-para-aplicar -mRNA-for-various-diseases.html)

o Pfizer buys the British biotech company ReViral for 481 million euros (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/industria/2022/04/08/624fd580468aebc31f8b46bb.html)

National News

o David Medina (Spaincares): “In the tourism-health binomial, we are not in the top ranking” (https://www.plantadoce.com/adn/david-medina-spaincares-en-el-binomio-turismo-salud -we-are-not-at-the-top-of-the-ranking.html)

o Savana closes a round of 23 million euros, hand in hand with Conexo Ventures (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/savana-cierra-una-ronda-de-23-millones-de-euros-de- the-hand-of-connected-ventures.html)

o Sanitas shoots up sales of health insurance by 47%, with 377,000 new policies (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/04/07/companias/1649322015_528839.html)

o PharmaMar and CNIO allocate 1.2 million euros to testing breast cancer drugs (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/pharma-mar-y-el-cnio-destinan-12-millones-de- euros-to-test-drugs-against-breast-cancer.html)

o Miranza underpins its expansion, reaching 80.6 million euros (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/miranza-apuntala-su-expansion-tras-incrementar-sus-ventas-un-35-hasta-806 -millions-of-euros.html)

o Farmasierra celebrates its 25th anniversary, reinforcing R&D (https://www.diariomedico.com/farmacia/industria/empresas/farmasierra-celebra-su-25-aniversario-advancing-towards-a-model-industria-40. html)

o Pfizer will export gene therapies from Spain to America (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/11706685/04/22/Pfizer-exportara-a-America-terapias-genicas-desde-Espana.html)

7 days in healthcare (March 21-27, 2022)

28/03/2022/in The Health Week /by ignacioriesgo

SUMMARY

From the point of view of biomedicine, the progress in the treatment of breast cancer should be highlighted, according to the article published by the NEJM, with a brake of around 80% of this advanced cancer and makes it disappear in 16%. .

As far as Global Health is concerned, there are undiagnosed cases of tuberculosis (the missing tuberculosis), a disease that continues to have 10 million new cases a year and causes 1.5 million deaths. The Lancet report on what needs to be done to meet target 3.4 of (on non-communicable diseases) of the Sustainable Development Goals. Inequality in covid vaccination and its possible ways to solve it are the subject of an analysis by the NEJM. Concern for the health of the 3.5 million refugees from Ukraine. The low mortality of covid in Africa, a continent that was thought could be devastated by this disease, remains a mystery.

As for international health policy, the debate continues on the covid-zero policy in China, which has achieved great results so far (both in terms of mortality and economics), but it is not known if it will be able to continue with the variant “omicron”. The WHO judges the lifting of COVID measures in Europe too premature, considering that cases are growing, among other countries, in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, France, Italy and Germany.

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), we are witnessing a relaxation of the measures against covid, despite its upward trend in recent days. Arrival of Paxlovid, Pfizer’s treatment for severe cases of covid. The important report published by the Catalan Society of Health Management, with an exceptional team led by Jordi Varela, on the forms of contracting health services from the point of view of value, is very noteworthy. The deans of Medicine react to the Ministry’s announcement of the increase in the “numerus clausus” in medicine by 10%.

In the field of companies, it is worth highlighting the evolution of the purchase of the fertility company IVI, the largest operation carried out by private equity companies in healthcare in Spain and with a company valuation of around 2,500 million euros.

BIOMEDICINE

Brain implant would allow totally paralyzed patients to communicate (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/22/science/brain-computer-als-communication.html)
Covid-19 patients infected with the flu are twice as likely to die (https://www.ft.com/content/6a326d31-e44c-46df-ba34-a03c573ab1c4)
The flu-covid bivalent vaccine will be ready in autumn 2023 (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220326/wy2qpniieja7tdtnrs4llwrgka.html)
The New England Journal Medicine endorses a paradigm shift in the treatment of breast cancer, an immunoconjugate drug slows advanced breast cancer in 80% of patients and makes it disappear in 16% (https://www. Diariomedico.com/medicina/oncologia/new-england-endorses-a-paradigm-change-in-the-treatment-of-breast-cancer.html). To consult the original article: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2115022)

GLOBAL HEALTH

There are concerns about undiagnosed cases of tuberculosis, the disease with 10 million new cases a year and 1.5 million deaths. The problem with undetected cases (the missing tuberculosis). Priority needs to be given to the development of a high-sensitivity, low-cost diagnostic test in sputum (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00535-9/fulltext)
The Lancet publishes a report on the fulfillment of objective 3.4 of the SDGs for the reduction of non-communicable diseases. US$18 billion would be needed annually in the 2023-2030 period. (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02347-3/fulltext)
NEJM publishes article on how to address vaccination inequality (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2202547)
Growing concern for the health of refugees from Ukraine, 3.5 million people who have fled to Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140- 6736(22)00568-2/fulltext)
It is about solving a covid mystery: low mortality in Africa (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/health/covid-africa-deaths.html)

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY

COVID
- The extraordinary number of workforce under the covid-zero policy in China. There are 110,000 neighborhood committees working on the issue, a legacy from the Mao era (https://www.economist.com/china/2022/03/26/the-extraordinary-manpower-behind-chinas-zero-covid-strategy )
- China must learn to live with covid. Although the results are extraordinary, mortality is 5% of the American and the economy grew 10.5% in the last two years, while the American did so at 2.4%, it is doubtful that with the “ómicron” variant this policy can be maintained (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/03/26/china-must-eventually-learn-to-live-with-the-coronavirus)
- The Biden Administration plans to offer “second boosters” to those over 50 (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/25/us/politics/biden-second-booster-shot-older-americans.html )
- Fauci predicts a growth in covid cases in the US due to the BA.2 subvariant (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/20/health/fauci-us-cases-ba2.html)
- The growing wave of the BA.2 subvariant in Europe, an alarm of what may happen in the USA (https://www.ft.com/content/f55aa996-6ad1-46b2-b5e8-9ab9aa41fa86)
- The WHO judges that the lifting of restrictions in Europe is too brutal. The covid is rising in March in 18 of the 53 WHO-Europe countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, France, Italy and Germany (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2022/03/ 22/covid-19-l-who-juge-la-levee-des-mesures-de-restriction-trop-brutale_6118638_3244.html)

Other issues
- Denmark seeks a total ban on the sale of tobacco to those born after 2010 (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/03/23/6239f537fdddff1dac8b456e.html)
- How to finance the future of WHO, the budget is estimated to be very low in relation to the tasks ahead (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00533 -5/full text)
- Shigellosis, the rising infection in sexual environments that worries Europe, warns the ECDC (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-03-25/shigelosis-la-infeccion-al-alza-en-entornos-sexuales -what-concerns-europe.html)

NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY (SPAIN)

COVID
- Spain turns the page on covid: goodbye to tests and isolation (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-03-27/espana-pasa-pagina-a-la-pandemia.html)
- Paxlovid arrives in Spain, three months later (https://www.consalud.es/politica/ministerio-sanidad/llega-paxlovid-espana-3-meses-sobre-ingresos-pensando-gripalizacion_112094_102.html)

Other issues
- The Catalan Society of Health Management publishes an important report on the contracting of health services based on value (https://scgs.cat/es/por-un-marco-de-evaluacion-y -procurement-of-services-based-on-the-value-of-health/)
- The government defines how the decentralization of the new centers will take place, including the National Center for Public Health (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/ministerio-sanidad/una-comision-consultiva-descentralizara-centros-del -ministry-of-health-1064)
- Andalusia initiates the procedure to definitively annul pharmaceutical auctions (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/03/24/andalucia-inicia-la-modificacion-de-su-ley-de-farmacia-para-eliminar- definitely-the-auctions)
- The deans of medicine ask to discuss the numerus clausus with Universities, in view of the announcement by the Ministry to increase the positions of doctors by 10% (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medico-joven/grado/los-decanos- of-medicine-ask-to-treat-in-a-group-with-universities-and-health-the-numerus-clausus.html)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND OTHER AGENTS IN THE SECTOR

International News
- Moderna wants its covid vaccine to be emergency approved for children under 6 years of age (https://www.ft.com/content/16c06e4e-f74a-439c-a406-293cf20e65a9)
- The private healthcare company NMC, from the United Arab Emirates, stops working (https://www.ft.com/content/02d492ea-5b96-4f17-9276-61bf1049a72c)
- Sanofi sentenced for the damage caused to fetuses by its drug Dekapine (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220322/hyryellerveeradgbg543qk5xe.html)
- Pfizer’s antiviral, also effective against variants (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220321/vp5lzww45rcshckh4euv2njh2a.html)
- Michael Neidorf leaves the presidency of CENTENE, the entity that owns Ribera in Spain (https://valenciaplaza.com/michael-neidorff-deja-presidencia-centene-maximos-historicos)

National News
- The Madrid private healthcare employers association is integrated into ASPE (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/privada/la-patronal-de-la-sanidad-privada-madrilena-se-incorpora-a-aspe-9437 )
- Roche Spain is committed to R&D and increases its investment by 3.2% (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/03/21/roche-aumenta-su-inversion-en-idi-en-espana -up-to-1435-million)
- Vitaldent expands in the community of Madrid and opens a new clinic in Tres Cantos (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/vitaldent-se-expande-en-la-comunidad-de-madrid-y-abre- a-new-clinic-in-three-corners.html)
- Vivantadental disposes of 33 aesthetic clinics (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/vivantadental-suelta-lastre-y-se-desprende-de-33-clinicas-de-estetica.html)
- Cinven and KKR dispute the purchase of IVI for more than 2,500 million euros (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2022/03/25/623d04e8468aeb816d8b45fb.html)
- Palex Medical closes its first purchase outside of Spain with the Italian Gada (https://www.palexmedical.com/es/news_item.cfm?id=not_gada#.YkCoSS0rxBI)
- Clínica Baviera plans to enter Portugal, the United Kingdom and France (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/03/21/companias/1647893002_541823.html)

7 days in healthcare (March 14-20, 2022)

21/03/2022/in The Health Week /by ignacioriesgo

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)

7 days in healthcare (March 7-13, 2022)

14/03/2022/in The Health Week /by ignacioriesgo

SUMMARY

From the point of view of Biomedicine, the Lancet report on risk factors in COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), one of the great burdens of all health systems, should be highlighted. Also the finding that COVID can cause brain damage, although its scope is yet to be determined.

As for Global Health, it is worth noting the WHO complaint that 16 health facilities have been attacked in the war in Ukraine, as well as the organization’s statement that women should have access to safe abortions, to avoid mortality as well as hospitalizations due to complications.

When it comes to international health policy, the advice for the next pandemic contained in a major editorial in the Financial Times is important. There would be three priorities: 1. Reduce the risk of the appearance of a new pathogen (controlling the markets where animals are sold, for example); 2. Prevent it from spreading throughout the world; and 3. Develop an effective weaponry with vaccines and treatments as soon as possible. The incidence of COVID is increasing in England and France, just as the outbreak in China is the largest since the initial one in Wuhan. A report by The Lancet analyzes the mortality from COVID by country and even (as in the case of Spain) by region in the different countries. Spain is among the nations with the highest mortality from COVID per number of inhabitants. In the United Kingdom, a conservative think tank, with the support of the British Secretary of Health, proposes that primary care physicians become primarily salaried, thus breaking one of the fundamental elements of the political pact that gave rise to the NHS (on the one hand, hospitals are nationalized, but, on the other, the consideration of primary care physicians as independent mini-entrepreneurs is respected).

In national health policy, it is found that the drop in the incidence of COVID stagnates in Spain. Private healthcare, through the IDIS Foundation, considers the interoperability of the clinical history of private healthcare patients, regardless of insurer or provider.

Of the activity of the companies, an analysis of the Financial Times comments on how the economy of the pharmaceutical companies works against the development of antibiotics. Europe has lost the race against the United States in the development of new drugs. Important publication of the Roche Institute of a manual on personalized medicine aimed at health professionals.

BIOMEDICINE

A new biography of the father of “neuronal theory” appears: Cajal (https://www.economist.com/culture/a-new-biography-of-the-father-of-the-neuron/21808081)
The Lancet publishes a report on the risk factors for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease): being male, smoking, and occupational exposure to dust or smoke, among the highest risk factors (https://www. thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(21)00511-7/fulltext)
A nose, designed with artificial intelligence, capable of detecting early stages of Parkinson’s (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/an-artificial-nose-may-be-able-to-detect-parkinsons -disease-early/21808079)
The first man transplanted with a pig’s heart dies within two months (https://www.ft.com/content/c9f3dc31-6589-48be-8ea0-10d585eef379)
Scientists identify genetic factors behind severe forms of covid (https://www.ft.com/content/d7c35c45-10c5-46a5-afa7-cc938e292081)
A new study shows that covid can cause brain damage (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/health/covid-brain-changes.html)
A stool test can predict pancreatic cancer (https://elpais.com/ciencia/2022-03-09/un-test-de-heces-para-analyze-las-bacterias-intestinales-que-predicen- pancreatic-cancer.html)
A test, developed by the Garvan Institute in Sydney, detects more than 50 genetic diseases (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220308/4ymyhme2l5bttj7qkzuw7qhkky.html)

GLOBAL HEALTH

The WHO denounces that 16 health facilities have been attacked in Ukraine (https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o610)
Health priorities in light of the humanitarian disaster in Ukraine: absolute priority, stop the war (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00472-X/fulltext)
Children’s health at risk in Ukraine (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00475-5/fulltext)
All women should have access to safe abortion services, says the WHO, as unsafe care leads to more than 39,000 maternal deaths a year and millions of hospitalizations for complications (https://www.bmj.com/content/376 /bmj.o591)
Afghans driven to sell kidneys on the black market, faced with extreme poverty (https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o587)
Antimicrobial resistance in Africa, a pandemic that is already here (https://www.ft.com/content/95f150df-5c)

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY

COVID

o Lessons for the next pandemic, after two years of covid, an important Financial Times editorial. Three priorities: 1. Reduce the risk of emergence of a new pathogen; 2. Prevent it from spreading throughout the world; and 3. Develop an effective weaponry with vaccines and treatments as soon as possible (https://www.ft.com/content/c9640c9c-5a65-49fa-a8b2-c22cc1ffe508)

o The COVID pandemic has lasted two years. Next steps may be divisive (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/12/us/covid-pandemic-vaccines-mandates.html)

o The covid does not decrease, but increases, in France (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2022/03/11/covid-19-olivier-veran-alerte-au-sujet-d-un -rebond-de-l-epidemie_6117120_3244.html)

o Covid cases and hospitalizations on the rise in England (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/11/covid-cases-england-omicron-levels-ons-data)

o China, fighting the largest outbreak since Wuhan (https://www.ft.com/content/1e7dab0d-3247-4cb7-8370-e1697d70d693)

o Chinese scientists, in search of an alternative to the “zero COVID” policy, which the Chinese government boasts so much about (https://www.economist.com/china/2022/03/10/chinas-scientists-are-looking-for-a-way-out-of-the-zero-covid-policy)

o Where did the 5 “Trillion” (American) dollars of Covid stimulus go(https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/03/11/us/how-covid-stimulus-money-was-spent.html)

o Mortality from COVID, three times higher than official figures (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/10/global-covid-19-death-toll-may-be-three-times-higher-than-official-figures), according to a major report by The Lancet (http://www.thelancet-press.com/embargo/COVIDexcessmortality.pdf)

o Austria suspends the first universal vaccination obligation (https://www.ft.com/content/65650cbe-10b0-4350-8eb5-691624be8c2d)

Other topics

o The pandemic has accelerated the demand for private healthcare services in the UK (https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o566)

o The NHS app should be the new ‘gateway’ to the NHS, says UK health secretary (https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o621)

o British primary care physicians should be primarily salaried (https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o594), says a report by a conservative think tank (https://policyexchange.org.uk/publication/at-your-service/)

NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY (SPAIN)

COVID

o The drop in infections stagnates in Spain, with the incidence still at high risk, with 430.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, far from 50 (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-03-12/la-caida-de-contagios-de-covid-se-estanca-en-espana-con-la-incidencia-aun-en-riesgo-alto.html)

o Sánchez announces that the mandatory indoor mask will soon be abolished (https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20220306/sanchez-anuncia-pronto-se-supulsara-mascarilla-obligatoria-interiores/2303441.shtml)

o Spain destroys more than a million vaccines against covid, most of them from Janssen and AstraZeneca (https://www.elespanol.com/espana/politica/20220306/espana-destruye-vacunas-covid-19-mayoria-janssen-astrazeneca/654184713_0.html)

Political announcements

o Congress backs the proposal of the political party Ciudadanos for a law on ALS (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220308/pvwdajf2yrgljceanzw4qgsr6a.html)

Other themes

o The Valencian health system carries out almost 600 sex change interventions in five years (https://www.eldiario.es/comunitat-valenciana/sanidad-valenciana-realiza-600-intervenciones-quirurgicas-cambio-sexo-cinco-anos_1_8822169.html)

o 9,932 candidates will be able to choose a MIR position (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/medico-joven/mir/9932-candidatos-podran-elegir-plaza-mir.html)

o The IDIS calls for more accessibility in Oncology (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/privada/el-idis-pide-un-modelo-de-organizacion-en-oncologia-accesible-y-equitativo-7382)

o Change in the General Directorate of Farmaindustria (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/03/09/companias/1646826907_604545.html)

o The Royal National Academy of Medicine joins the European Academies of Medicine with a declaration on Ukraine (https://www.ranm.es/noticias/4799-declaracion-de-la-ranme-sobre-la-situacion-en-ucrania.html)

o Private healthcare invests 1.3 million euros to give private healthcare patients access to digital medical records in 2023 (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20220310/sanidad-privada-invierte-millones-pacientes-historia-clinica/656184536_0.html)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND OTHER AGENTS IN THE SECTOR

International News

o The Sacklers will pay $6 billion for Purdue’s opiate lawsuits (https://www.consalud.es/ecsalud/internacional/sacklers-pagaran-6000-millones-demandas-opiaceos-purdue_111017_102.html)

o Kirin goes beyond beer and goes into healthcare (https://www.ft.com/content/1d99a0be-6e76-4327-8516-da549a5f767e)

o How Pharmaceutical Economics Holds Back Antibiotic Development (https://www.ft.com/content/29292a3c-321d-4187-9ff0-59d70eb796f4)

o Europe loses the battle against the USA and only develops 22% of new medicines (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/03/07/companias/1646677340_160102.html)

o Sanofi acknowledges that they were late for the covid vaccine (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/03/13/6229d430fc6c832c328b4584.html)

National News

o Korian: 60 new beds and more purchases to bill one hundred million euros in Spain (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/korian-60-nuevas-camas-y-mas-compras-para-facturar-cien-millones-de-euros-en-espana.html)

o Europe asks HIPRA to expand its clinical trial of the covid vaccine (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/03/07/companias/1646677340_160102.html)

o The Roche Institute publishes a personalized medicine manual for healthcare professionals (https://www.institutoroche.es/recursos/publicaciones/201/Propuesta_de_competencias_en_Medicina_Personalizada_de_Precision_de_los_profesionales_sanitarios)

7 days in healthcare (February 28-Mars 6, 2022)

07/03/2022/in The Health Week /by ignacioriesgo

SUMMARY

From the point of view of biomedicine, the approach (apparently possible) of obtaining a vaccine for the next pandemic in 100 days stands out, compared to 10 years of previous situations and the year of COVID 19. Concern, according to an editorial in The Lancet, for depression, which is estimated to affect one billion people in the world. The WHO warns about the high figures of obesity: 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents and 39 million children. Great hopes in the combination of gene therapy and xenotransplantation, with great impact on the future of transplants.

Regarding global health, the great concern is the health consequences of the war in Ukraine and the WHO calls for the creation of a safe corridor to carry medical supplies. Pharmaceutical companies plan to manufacture 2.9 billion COVID vaccines in Africa.

Regarding international health policy, it should be noted that, according to experts, billions of dollars are needed to prevent the next pandemic.

As far as national health policy is concerned, it should be noted that the incidence of COVID is falling, although more slowly than a few weeks ago, and the mortality rate remains high (more than 150 deaths per day). The (official) deaths from COVID already exceed 100,000 in Spain. The Ministry plans to give the COVID data twice a week, instead of the current daily frequency (except weekends). Great collaboration in medical supplies and supply of beds by Spain in the face of the tragedy in Ukraine.

If we talk about companies, we would highlight the information from FENIN that Catalonia manufactures more than 35% of the health technology produced in Spain. Also the important investment in Barcelona by Novartis in an antibiotic center.

BIOMEDICINE

Make pandemic vaccines available within 100 days. The NEJM article compares the traditional way of manufacturing vaccines (10 years), what happened in COVID-19 (1 year) and what arises in the event of a new pandemic (100 days)(https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2202669)
An editorial in The Lancet focuses on the problem of depression. It is estimated that one billion people in the world, 5% of adults, suffer from depression, without receiving enough resources and global attention (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)01149-1/fulltext)
An arthritis drug could save COVID patients (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/03/arthritis-drug-could-help-save-covid-patients-study)
Data sharing, key to addressing rare diseases in Europe (https://www.ft.com/content/02f890f0-ab6b-424e-80a9-953015cdc51a)
More evidence that COVID started in a market, not in the lab (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/more-evidence-that-covid-19-started-in-a- market-not-a-laboratory/21807945)
Possible case of deer-to-human COVID transmission in Canada (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/28/deer-human-covid-transmission-possible-canada)
Discovered a bacterium of one centimeter, observable with the naked eye (https://elpais.com/ciencia/2022-03-01/descubierta-una-bacteria-de-un-centimetro-observable-a-simple-vista.html )
The WHO is concerned about global obesity figures: 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents and 39 million children (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/obesidad-afecta-1000-millones-personas-mundo_111003_102. html)
Gene therapy and xenotransplantation: a great step for humanity towards the future of transplants (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/trasplantes/la-edicion-genetica-da-alas-al-xenotrasplante.html?check_logged_in =1)

GLOBAL HEALTH

War in Ukraine: WHO says safe corridor needed to carry medical supplies (https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o570)
Ukrainian cities on the verge of a medical crisis, warns the Minister of Health (https://www.ft.com/content/ede45d5d-3067-4c70-8443-f61b443759fe)
Serious health problems of Afghan women under the Taliban (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00283-5/fulltext)
Pharmaceutical companies plan to manufacture up to 2.9 billion vaccines for COVID in Africa (https://www.elespanol.com/invertia/observatorios/sanidad/20220305/farmaceuticas-previsto-fabricar-millones-vacunas-covid-africa/654434883_0 .html)

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY

Oral health, concern in the United States due to low coverage (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2118478)
The Biden Administration is preparing a plan against new variants, which avoids lockdowns (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/02/us/politics/biden-covid-strategy.html)
Billions of dollars are needed to prevent the next pandemic, experts warn (https://www.ft.com/content/dc0d8407-446d-4fb5-86a5-a628bed4d786)
Hong Kong hospitals overtaken by COVID cases (https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/27/world/covid-19-tests-cases-vaccine)
The National Health Service, at risk of a slower recovery after COVID than other health systems (https://www.ft.com/content/667a235a-3e8e-45ee-93b7-e5e27317c281)
COVID cases in Scotland are on the rise, while they are falling in England and Northern Ireland (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/mar/04/scotland-covid-cases-rise-while-england-and-n-ireland-show-falls)

NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY (SPAIN)

COVID

o The incidence of COVID drops to 463 per 100,000 inhabitants, but the decreases are smaller than in previous weeks and the figure of more than 150 deaths per day continues (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/especial-coronavirus/covid-19-espana-registra-22400-casos-174-muertes-ia-desciende-463-puntos_111057_102.html)

o 100,000 (official) deaths from COVID in Spain (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/sanidad-hoy/espana-supera-los-100-000-muertos-por-covid-desde-el-inicio-de-la-pandemia-7926)

o The Ministry of Health will give COVID data twice a week instead of daily (https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2022-03-02/sanidad-pasara-dar-datos-covid-dos-veces-por-semana-en-lugar-de-a-diario_3384902/)

Political announcements

o The bill project amending the National Security Law is published (https://www.congreso.es/public_oficiales/L14/CONG/BOCG/A/BOCG-14-A-91-1.PDF)

o The bill project amending the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation is published (https://www.congreso.es/public_oficiales/L14/CONG/BOCG/A/BOCG-14-A-92-1.PDF)

Other issues

o Catalonia wants to extend pharmacological abortion up to 14 weeks (https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2022-03-02/cataluna-quiere-ampliar-el-aborto-farmacologico-hasta-las-14-semanas.html)

o Spain will send more than 20 tons of medicines and medical supplies to Ukraine (https://www.elindependiente.com/espana/2022/02/26/espana-enviara-20-tonadas-de-medicinas-y-material-sanitario -to-ukraine/)

o The autonomous communities offer 3,000 beds to care for the victims of Ukraine (https://www.elespanol.com/espana/politica/20220227/ccaa-ofrecen-hospitalarias-acoger-victimas-invasion-ukrania/653434701_0.html)

o Spain joins the health PERTE at European level (https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/serviciosdeprensa/notasprensa/industria/Paginas/2022/030322-ipceisalud.aspx)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND OTHER AGENTS IN THE SECTOR

Asisa sets growth as the strategic priority for the coming years (https://www.asisa.es/noticias-salud/2022-03-01-Resultados-Grupo-ASISA)
Atrys Health climbs to position 378 of the thousand fastest growing companies in Europe, the first Spanish within the health sector (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/atrys-health-escala-hasta-el- position-378-of-the-thousand-fastest-growing-companies-in-europe.html)
ASPE defines its strategic lines for the 2022-2026 period (https://aspesanidadprivada.es/aspe-define-sus-lineas-de-trabajo-estrategicas-para-el-periodo-2022-2026/)
Catalonia manufactures 35% of the healthcare technology in Spain (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/03/01/cataluna-fabrica-el-35-de-la-tecnologia-sanitaria-en-espana)
Faes pharma breaks its profit record and earns 83.2 million euros in 2021 (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/faes-farma-bate-su-record-de-beneficios-y-gana-832-millones-de-euros-en-2021-un-146-mas.html)
Prim more than doubles its profit to 17.4 million euros (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/prim-mas-que-duplica-su-beneficio-en-2021-hasta-174-millones-de -euros.html)
Teladoc closes 2021 with revenues of 2,032 million dollars (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/teladoc-health-cierra-2021-con-unos-ingresos-de-2032-millones-de-dolares.html )
Novartis invests 63 million in an antibiotic center in Barcelona (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/03/03/companias/1646329803_508315.html)

7 days in healthcare (February 21-27, 2022)

28/02/2022/in The Health Week /by ignacioriesgo

SUMMARY

From the point of view of biomedicine, Bill Gates predicts another pandemic, although he estimates that he will catch us better prepared. Also to highlight the questioning of the traditional form of clinical trials. The latter is important, since Spain has become a power in clinical trials and it is important to analyze whether it is the right bet.

In terms of global health, it should be noted that COVAX has distributed exactly half of the COVID vaccines that it had as its objective. A great inequity in the distribution of vaccines in the world and, now, also of medicines against COVID.

As for international health policy, great controversy in the United Kingdom due to the lifting of all restrictions against COVID.

In national health policy (Spain), the incidence of COVID is low, although we continue with high mortality and without antivirals. The Ministry of Health takes the expansion of the service portfolio to a public hearing. Medical uneasiness before the reform of the Abortion Law, a BIOSIM proposal to promote the use of biosimilars and controversy over the financing of orphan drugs.

With regard to companies, it should be noted that the manufacture of Ventolín and Nolotil pollutes more than the automotive industry, which indicates how far the pharmaceutical industry has to go in implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Also that Quirónsalud has exceeded the turnover of 4,000 million and Fresenius is open to incorporating new shareholders both in Quirónsalud and Eugin.

BIOMEDICINE

Bill Gates predicts a new pandemic with another pathogen and says that humanity could manage it better and offer vaccines sooner (https://www.consalud.es/ecsalud/internacional/bill-gates-predice-pandemia-patogeno-covid_110537_102.html)
Abortions with pills, authorized up to 10 weeks, now account for more than half of abortions in the United States, a more accessible and less invasive method (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/health/abortion-pills-us.html)
A total renewal of clinical trials, invented in 1941 by Archie Cochrane, is proposed. Too expensive, some cover up to 100 countries and according to Nature only 5% are reliable and 95% are useless (https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/02/26/clinical-trials-are-ailing)
New research points to the Wuhan market, versus a laboratory, as the origin of the pandemic (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/02/26/science/covid-virus-wuhan-origins.html )

GLOBAL HEALTH

COVAX distributed 1,000 million vaccines by January 2022, half of its goal (https://elpais.com/planeta-futuro/2022-02-25/covax-distribuyo-mil-millones-de-vacunas-hasta-enero-de-2022-la-mitad-de-su-objetivo.html)
Given the inequality in access to vaccines, they propose that it be seen as a global good. The first successful peer-reviewed trial was published in December 2020. Today 62% of the population have received at least one dose, which is quite a feat. But while in rich countries the vaccine reached 90%, only 11% of the population in poor countries have received a dose (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2202547)
After the differences in vaccines, there are also differences in access to effective treatments for COVID. Pfizer has allowed the manufacture of a generic of Paxlovid in 95 countries, but excludes 47% of the world’s population, such as Argentina, Brazil, Iraq, Lebanon, Malaysia and Thailand (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00372-5/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email)
The WHO creates a hub to facilitate the manufacture of medicines in poor countries (https://www.ft.com/content/9f215fd0-f28d-4a77-83a5-616ed31631e4)
WHO establishes a global biofabrication center in the Republic of Korea (https://www.plantadoce.com/entorno/la-oms-establece-un-centro-global-de-biofabricacion-en-la-republica-de-corea.html)
The WHO designates six countries (Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia) to manufacture the mRNA vaccine in Africa (https://www.plantadoce.com/entorno/la-oms-designa-a-seis-paises-la-produccion-de-vacunas-de-arnm-en-africa.html)
The EU strategy for vaccination in Africa: factories and research centers, but without releasing patents (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-02-22/la-estrategia-de-la-ue-para-la-vacunacion-en-africa-fabricas-y-centros-de-investigacion-pero-sin-liberar-patentes.html)

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY

Scientists and doctors say it is too soon to lift all restrictions in the UK (https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o469)
How “hospitalization at home” has been useful for the NHS to fight covid (https://www.ft.com/content/76a8dab5-ea99-4eeb-ab2f-d03c2d7b7424)
The focus on covid has delayed advances in other diseases for years, according to experts (https://www.ft.com/content/5fdba002-0268-4004-aa4c-bd314ea82a99)
Hong Kong’s attempt to live without covid causes chaos (https://www.economist.com/china/2022/02/25/hong-kongs-refusal-to-live-with-covid-19-is-causing-chaos)
Quit rates of up to 400 a week among stressed NHS staff (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/feb/26/stressed-nhs-staff-quit-at-record-rate-of-400-a-week-fuelling-fears-over-care-quality)
The decriminalization of abortion in Colombia up to the 24th week opens a debate on the deadlines (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-02-26/la-despenalizacion-del-aborto-hasta-la-semana-24-en-colombia-abre-un-debate-sobre-los-plazos.html)

NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY (SPAIN)

COVID

o The incidence of COVID continues to drop to 613 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-02-24/ultima-hora-del-coronavirus-hoy-en-espana-y-el-mundo-en-directo.html)

o 245 deaths in the sixth wave and still without antivirals (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220225/3eq7hmpczjfe3ct7ruk3tz56wi.html)

o The subvariant of the stealthy “ómicron” accelerates its expansion in Spain (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220224/3zfep56h6bf7jktf4fqvbnj3yq.html)

Political announcements

o The Ministry of Health takes out the draft order for the expansion of the service portfolio for a public hearing. Opinions in this regard can be sent via email informacion.publica@mscbs.es until March 10 (https://www.consalud.es/politica/sanidad-saca-audiencia-publica-orden-ministerial-actualiza-cartera-comun-sns_110420_102.html)

o AIReF announces a study on MUFACE spending in its plan for 2022 (https://www.airef.es/es/noticias/la-airef-publica-su-plan-de-actuaciones-2022-con-una-apuesta-clara-por-la-sostenibilidad-y-la-evaluacion/)

Other issues

o The medical groups, against the reform of the abortion law, propose the obligatory nature of performing it in public hospitals (https://www.larazon.es/sociedad/20220225/onwymfclwbbyfiamuan5il533e.html)

o Biosim presents 14 proposals to stimulate the use of biosimilars (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/02/24/biosim-plantea-14-propuestas-para-fomentar-el-uso-de-los-biosimilares )

o Great controversy over the financing of orphan drugs, while the Ministry publishes a report with improvements in financing since 2016 (https://www.diariofarma.com/2022/02/23/sanidad-publica-un-analisis-sobre-la-financiacion-acceso-y-gasto-de-los-medicamentos-huerfanos-desde-2016) others insist that more than 50% of these medicines are not publicly funded (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/secciones/industria/el-50-de-los-medicamentos-huerfanos-estan-sin-financiar-en-espana-7267)

o The strategic health reserve today has 466 million masks and 955 respirators (https://www.elindependiente.com/espana/2022/02/27/la-reserva-estrategica-de-sanidad-cuenta-hoy-con-466-millones-de-mascarillas-y-955-respiradores/)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND OTHER AGENTS IN THE SECTOR

The manufacture of Ventolín and Nolotil pollutes more than the automotive industry (https://www.epe.es/es/sanidad/20220223/fabricacion-ventolin-nolotil-contamina-industria-movil-13279923)
Quirónsalud grows 16% and reaches a turnover of 4,000 million in 2021 (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/el-dueno-de-quironsalud-crece-un-16-en-espana-y-supera-los-4000-millones-en-2021.html)
Fresenius plans to find partners for Quirónsalud and Eugin (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2022/02/23/62154a58e5fdeaa50a8b4642.html).
IMED hospitals is reinforced in Murcia, with the purchase of Gesalud Mediterráneo (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/imed-hospitales-se-refuerza-en-murcia-con-la-compra-de-gesalud-mediterraneo.html)
Twenty organizations ask the Government for global access to the HIPRA vaccine (https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/ong-piden-gobierno-licencia-vacuna-hipra-no-sea-exclusiva_1_8769137.html)
Sandoz launches a new oncology generic in 19 EU countries (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/sandoz-lanza-un-nuevo-generico-oncologico-a-19-paises-de-europa.html)
Merck closes the purchase of the American company Exelead for 780 million dollars (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/merck-cierra-la-compra-de-la-estadounidense-exelead-por-780-millones-de-dolares.html)
Ed Lilly invests 700 million in the creation of the Genetic Medicine Institute, located between Boston and New York (https://www.hechoencalifornia1010.com/eli-lilly-invierte-700-millones-de-dolares-en-la-creacion-de-su-instituto-de-medicina-genetica/)
The Spanish-Irish company Abi Health lands in China and Japan to extend its telehealth service (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/abi-health-aterriza-en-china-y-japon-para-extender-su-servicio-de-telesalud.html)
Acciona, awarded the construction and operation contract in Chile for 207 million euros (https://www.europapress.es/economia/noticia-acciona-adjudica-construccion-operacion-hospital-chile-207-millones-euros-20220222124313.html)