Posts

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

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Summary

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

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

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

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

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

Biomedicine

Global Health

International health policy

National health policy

Companies

 

7 days in healthcare (January 23rd-29th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, it is worth highlighting, as the Nature article does, that among the 7 most promising technologies for 2023, at least three are directly related to biomedicine. It seems that not only neurons have a role in brain function, but also a relevant role of glial cells in certain disorders is beginning to be recognized.

As regards Global Health, the WHO requests 2.5 billion dollars to deal with health emergencies, particularly in Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria and Ethiopia.

As for International Health Policy, a consensus began to be created three years after the start of the pandemic that, although not totally overcome, it is no longer the emergency that it was. The problems in China with the covid continue. The crisis in the NHS is the biggest for many years. Basically, there are two positions: the one that seems to be held by the current conservative government that the system is unsustainable without co-payments and very profound changes; or the one represented by The Lancet, which says that the system is perfectly viable, if it is provided with more resources. What is clear is that the UK lags behind other European countries in many resources (hospital beds etc.). Two good news in terms of health policy are led by countries that are not usually at the forefront on these issues: the smoking ban in Mexico and the mental health law in Nigeria. Tensions between governments and pharmaceutical companies over the price of medicines are increasing and this time they are not only in Europe, but also in the United States (the largest pharmaceutical market).

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), the incidence of covid continues to drop, although mortality remains high (above 250 deaths per week). The medical conflict in public health continues, mainly in Primary Care. While there are communities that have reached agreements (Andalusia, Navarra, Aragon, Extremadura), in others (Madrid, Catalonia) there does not seem to be any sign of agreement, which makes us think and we will have to draw conclusions about different behaviors of the Administrations and of medical leaders. Conflict also between private health doctors and health insurers. It seems that the Equity Law is going ahead, after Darias’ agreement with Podemos. Interesting agreement in Madrid so that hospital specialists can also take leave. Aragon proposes that the issue of health be dealt with in the President’s Conference, which seems reasonable, given the seriousness of the problems, although the document of said community does not contain great innovative elements. After the more than debatable success of the operations in Alzira and Torrevieja, it seems that the Valencian government also wants to rescue Denia. At this point, a deeper and more articulate justification of political decisions should be demanded.

In the field of Companies, at the international level, it is necessary to highlight the great activity of private equity companies worldwide in the field of health, as revealed by the Bain report. In Spain, Ribera Salud leaves Extremadura. Important investments in our country from Bayer and Novartis are confirmed

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

National health policy

Companies

7 days in healthcare (December 26th, 2022-January 1st, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, it is worth noting the ambitious project of the United Kingdom “Our Future Health”, which aims to place this country at the forefront of genomic research, and which seeks to carry out genetic analyzes of 5 million adult British volunteers, then looking at the correlation with lifestyles and medical records. Undoubtedly, this project will allow us to advance a lot in the knowledge of a wide variety of diseases.

With regard to Global Health, great concern in the world, since the large number of cases in China increase the probability that new variants will appear. There is no doubt that the covid – which had appeared, artificially or naturally, in China – has entered a new phase in which the epicenter is once again China.

Regarding International Health Policy, countries are preparing to put control measures at airports and borders against travelers from China, although the ECDC sees this type of control as unfounded and the EU has not adopted a common policy. Joschka Fischer (former – German Foreign Minister) publishes an in-depth article, whose conclusion is that, in contrast to what had previously been said that authoritarian regimes that do not depend on public opinion can impose drastic and effective measures in crisis situations such as covid, experience has shown that liberal democracies are more effective than autocracies in dealing with these situations. Great controversy in the European Union over the claim of the pharmaceutical industry to agree to produce new antibiotics, under the condition of increasing the patent term of certain drugs.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), Spain has approved airport control measures to control travelers from China, which will be in force between December 31, 2022 and February 15, 2023. Primary Care doctors have opposed the hiring of doctors without MIR training, since this seems more like an opportunistic measure than addressing the underlying problems of Primary Care. The central government, so little fond of publishing and preparing expert analyzes on the covid management, instead presents a self-assessment on its management. According to this report “Cumpliendo” (“Fulfilling”) 64% of the health promises have already been fulfilled and 35% are in process. Bearing in mind that none of the structural healthcare problems have been addressed (personnel regime, management model, governance, accessibility and waiting lists, etc.) this self-assessment seems to us grated on complacency and even propaganda. Unless the promises -which are said to have been fulfilled- have nothing to do with the real problems of the sector. An interesting initiative from the private sector through the IDIS Foundation, which announces the start-up of a pilot on interoperability, should be highlighted. The fact that companies that compete with each other -both from the insurance and provisioning fields- agree on the interoperability of medical records is something that deserves to be highlighted.

In the field of Companies, the American Congress has taken an unusual decision: criticize the FDA for its inadequate collaboration with Biogen for the approval of the drug against Alzheimer’s. At the national level, Atrys continues its growth, both in Spain and abroad (United Kingdom, Middle East and Latin America).

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

National health policy

Companies

 

 

 

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

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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

Global health

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)