Posts

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

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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

GLOBAL HEALTH

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY

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

 

7 days in healthcare (8-14 November, 2021)

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ABSTRACT

 

From an international point of view, the appearance of two new drugs for COVID (Merck and Pfizer) is considered a milestone in the evolution of the pandemic. Both drugs are small molecule, easy to produce, and for oral use. The other great milestone of the pandemic was, at the time, the appearance of vaccines. Especially worrying are the high numbers of COVID in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom, Ireland, but also Germany and the Netherlands, without forgetting the special situation due to its seriousness in Romania and Bulgaria.

From the national point of view, the announced draft bill on Equity, Universality and Cohesion of the SNS is of great interest. Although the text of the preliminary draft is not known at the time of writing this note, from what was announced it could be said that the positive aspect is universality (provided that universality is not identified with equity) and the negative are the possible repeal of Law 15 / 97, on enabling new forms of management in the National Health System, the imposition of direct management compared to other more flexible forms of management and bad messages regarding co-payments. It seems that he wants to transfer the idea that “privatization” and “copayments” are the problems of the sector, which is absurd.

Regarding companies, the disappearance of large industrial business conglomerates, such as J&J and GE, is striking. It should be noted that in both operations one of the bets is health. This contrasts, instead, with the creation of tech giants (Google, Amazon, Apple, etc.).

 

INTERNATIONAL

 

  • The Economist forecast: COVID will most likely disappear by 2022. Success: vaccines and new drugs. Failure: immunity at terrible cost, 16.5 million deaths worldwide (The Economist, 8 Nov 21)
  • The Economist welcomes the extension of “assisted death” as a new and important right, started in 1995 in Australia and already legal in a dozen countries, most recently Portugal. It is not yet legal in the UK, but Parliament is discussing a law on the subject. In the Netherlands, 4% of deaths are assisted (The Economist, 13 Nov 21)
  • The new anti-COVID drugs represent a significant change in the pandemic (the first notable change was that of vaccines). The new drugs are malnupiravir (Merck) and paxlovid (Pfizer). Both are “small molecule” drugs, easy to produce and for oral use (The Economist, 12 Nov 21)
  • 100 Years of Insulin (Toronto, 1922), a therapeutic success, but a failure in its worldwide spread. The producing companies are Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Sanofi. Now there is biosimilar (The Lancet, Nov 13, 21)
  • The 100,000 genomes project in the United Kingdom (Genomics England) has made it possible to catalog, and in some cases treat, many rare diseases (New England Journal of Medicine, 11 Nov 21)
  • The rise of the COVID epidemic in Germany (almost 500 cases in the last 14 days per 100,000 inhabitants), at the peak and rising, is considered an pandemic of the unvaccinated. Among the factors, the interim Merkel government is valued (NYT, 11 Nov 21). Merkel will meet with the “Länder” next week to take measures against the growth of the covid (El Mundo, 11 Nov 21)
  • The Netherlands imposes new restrictions, as COVID cases are very high (The Guardian, 12 Nov 21)
  • The governments of 42 countries (including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany) ask to cut emissions from the healthcare sector. The sector’s emissions represent 5% of the total. If it were considered a country, the health sector would be the 5th emitter of CO2 pollution (NYT, 8 Nov 21)
  • The Economist analyzes the non-zero cost of China’s zero-COVID policy (The Economist, 13 Nov 21)
  • COVID vaccination will be mandatory for NHS staff starting next spring (FT, 9 Nov 21)
  • Waiting lists on the NHS soared. They grow by 100,000 people in a month. More than 5.8 million were waiting in September, with 12,500 awaiting treatment for more than two years (FT, Nov 11 21)

NATIONAL

 

  • The government approves the “preliminary draft of the Law by which various norms are modified to consolidate the equity, universality and cohesion of the National Health System” (reference of the Council of Ministers 8 Nov 21)
  • The Secretary of State for Health publishes a prior consultation on the draft bill of measures for equity, universality and cohesion of the National Health System, establishing the November 19 deadline for submitting opinions.
  • The Minister of Health, in public statements, mentions the laws that are going to be repealed or modified. Among those that will be repealed, “explicitly and expressly”, she mentions Law 15/97, on enabling new forms of management in the National Health System (El Periódico de España, 8 Nov 21)
  • The BOE publishes the agreement between the Government, certain autonomous communities and the Amando Ortega Foundation, for the implementation of 10 proton therapy equipment in the public system. A monitoring commission is created on the subject (BOE, no. 267, 8 Nov 21)
  • The health PERTE is presented on November 15. It is integrated into the five PERTES that the government has devised: cutting-edge healthcare, electric vehicle, new language economy, aerospace and smart and sustainable food chain. It appears that the health PERTE will have three components: 1. Innovative techniques and technologies for the diagnosis and prevention of diseases; 2. Development of advanced therapies; and, 3. Platform for the design and industrial production of medicines and vaccines (ConSalud, 11 Nov 21)
  • The autonomies claim to maintain the covid funds for 2022 (El País, 9 Nov 21)
  • The University of Washington predicts a sixth wave of covid in Spain (Vozpópuli, 8 Nov 21)
  • The cumulative incidence of covid grows in Spain to 71.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days. It is not comparable to the figures of other European countries, but it continues to rise slowly (ConSalud, 12 Nov 21)
  • The waiting list grows. The latest data published is from December 31, 2020 and the waiting time had passed, in relation to the previous record, from 121 to 148 days for interventions. Pending publication of the data corresponding to June 2021 (ConSalud, 8 Nov 21)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND MAIN ACTORS IN HEALTH

 

  • J&J (Johnson & Johnson) will be divided into two companies: one dedicated to consumer products and the other to drugs and medical devices (NYT, 12 Nov 21)
  • GE (General Electric) will be divided into three companies: health, energy and aviation (FT, 9 Nov 21)
  • The Spanish pharmaceutical industry proposes a plan of 1.7 billion to produce essential drugs (CincoDías, 10 Nov 21)
  • Moderna rejects the claims of the American government to appear as a co-inventor of vaccine technology (FT, 11 Nov 21)
  • BioNTech shoots its profit up to 7,126 million euros in the first nine months of the year. (Floor Twelve, Nov 9, 21)
  • The Zendal hospital in the post-pandemic: 400 personnel for 38 patients (Diario.es, Nov 7 21)
  • Fresenius is interested, along with other investors, in InsudPharma, specialized in biosimilars and valued at 1,000 million euros (El Periódico de España, Nov 9, 21)
  • Advent gives gas to Vitaldent, with the purchase of Smysecret (dental aesthetic treatments) (PlantaDoce, 12 Nov 21)
  • Acciona will build a hospital in Chile (PlantaDoce, 11 Nov 21)
  • KKR enters fertility with the purchase of GeneraLife from Invesindustrial (Expansión, 10 Nov 21)
  • HIPRA will imminently begin the new phase of clinical trials for its vaccine (El Economista, Nov 8, 21)
  • Grifols liquidates the blood bag business and closes production in Brazil and Murcia (Cinco Días, Nov 12, 21)