Posts

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

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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

GLOBAL HEALTH

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 (January 31-February 6, 2022)

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SUMMARY

As far as biomedicine is concerned, the report on the value of death by The Lancet stands out; also the development of the nasal vaccine against COVID; the new horizon of transplants, derived from the possibilities of genetic editing of animal organs; and, the revolution that the new cancer vaccines based on mRNA technology may entail.

In terms of global health, the AstraZeneca vaccine is the most widely used worldwide, due to its contribution to COVAX. More than 2,500 million doses have been placed globally.

In international health policy, the most striking is the study by Johns Hopkins University, which minimizes the effectiveness of confinement, which contrasts with previous studies; the 900,000 deaths from COVID in the United States and the 500,000 in India; the WTO continues to request the release of vaccine patents. In Europe, it is worth highlighting the new clinical trial system approved by the European Union and its new approach to cancer.

National health policy continues to be dominated by COVID. The numbers of cases are decreasing, which speaks of the decline of the “sixth wave”. However, deaths are still very high. The announcement that oncological biomarkers will be included in the portfolio of the National Health System is very important. Cancer mapping in Spain presents very striking results, with a high concentration of cancer incidence in certain geographical areas. Subject to study and act.

In company news, the leading role of venture capital companies is notable, with the large operations underway by Sandoz (a generic and biosimilar branch of Novartis) and IVI (a Spanish fertility company). The interest of private equity companies is concentrated around these companies. Also the acquisition of MIR Asturias by CVC and the Alfonso X University. The attempt by Correos to enter pharmaceutical distribution will bring a tail.

BIOMEDICINE

  • Report on the value of death: while in developed countries there is hypertreatment around death, in most countries death occurs without access to basic pain treatment (The Lancet, January 31, 22)
  • The nasal vaccine may be better for successive doses. There are a dozen such vaccines in development in phase 3 trials (NYT, February 2, 22)
  • The “stealth” variant (stealth) does not generate alarm, but it can slow down the decline in the number of cases (NYT, January 31, 22)
  • The sub-variant “ómicron” BA.2, more contagious than the original (FT, 31 January 22)
  • The new variant BA.2, already present in 57 countries, according to the WHO (FT, February 3, 22)
  • New variant of the HIV virus, discovered in the Netherlands (FT, February 3, 22)
  • Genetic editing of pig hearts: a new horizon for transplants (FT, February 2, 22)
  • Cancer vaccines: the new mRNA revolution (El País, Vozpópuli, February 4, 22)
  • Amidst the wide debate on abortion, a simple pill seems the most viable option (The Economist, 5 February 22)

GLOBAL HEALTH

  • AstraZeneca, the most distributed vaccine through COVAX, has already given 2,500 million doses worldwide (ConSalud, January 31, 22)
  • Humanitarian groups denounce that sanctions against Mali may have very adverse health consequences (The Lancet, February 5, 22)

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY

  • COVID

o A study by Johns Hopkins University (Applied Economics Studies magazine) questions the effectiveness of confinement in reducing mortality, which contrasts with the analysis published in Nature in June 2020, which estimates that three million deaths have been prevented in Europe by confinement, 450,000 in Spain (El Independiente, February 3, 22)

o The UK approves the Novavax vaccine (FT, 3 February 22)

o The American army begins to fire its members who refuse the vaccine (The Guardian, February 2, 22)

o The New Zealand border will be reopened in phases from the end of February, the Prime Minister announces (The Guardian, 2 February 22)

o The United States reaches 900,000 deaths from COVID (The Guardian, February 4, 22)

o India exceeds 500,000 deaths from COVID (The Guardian, February 4, 22)

o Europe facing a “long period of tranquility” in the pandemic, says the WHO, due to the lesser severity of the “ómicron” variant, the high percentages of immunization and the good weather (The Guardian, February 3, 22)

o The WTO (World Trade Organization) wants an agreement to release vaccine patents this month (El Español, February 1, 22)

o The German Vaccine Commission recommends the fourth dose for vulnerable and health groups (El País, February 3, 22)

o Beijing seals off several communities for two cases of COVID (The Guardian, January 31, 22)

o The COVID vaccine is already mandatory in Austria, with a great social fracture (Expansión, February 5, 22)

  • Other issues

o New clinical trial system in Europe, which Farmaindustria sees as an opportunity (diariofarma, February 1, 22)

o The EU will act against inequalities against cancer (ConSalud, February 3, 22)

NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY (SPAIN)

  • COVID

o The sixth wave is being left behind, the cases and hospitalizations are slowing down, although not the deaths that already exceed 6,000 since November (El País, February 5, 22)

o The mask outdoors will no longer be mandatory from next Thursday (El País, February 4, 22)

o Health has not yet closed the purchase of 344,000 doses of Paxlovid (El Español, February 3, 22)

o The AEM authorizes the HIPRA vaccine to go to phase 3 of clinical trials (The Objective, February 1, 22)

  • Political ads

o The new public health center, affected by the decentralization of public offices (diariofarma, February 1, 22)

o The approval of oncological biomarkers, announced as a pending objective of the expansion of the NHS portfolio (diariofarma, February 1, 22)

o The Minister of Health says that the Anti-Tobacco Law needs to be updated (ConSalud, February 4, 22)

  • Other issues

o 27% of pharmaceutical innovations approved in 2021, subject to special financing conditions (diariofarma, February 1, 22)

o Access to new cancer drugs takes more than 19 months in Spain, while in Germany it takes two months, according to doctors and patients (La Vanguardia, February 2, 22)

o Health plan to make rural pharmacies more viable (ConSalud, January 28, 2022)

o The private e-prescription is consolidated (diariofarma, February 2, 22)

o The cartography of cancer in Spain has been published, with very striking results, according to the “Atlas of Cancer Mortality in Portugal and Spain” (El Periódico de España, February 5, 22)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND OTHER AGENTS IN THE SECTOR

  • American pharmaceutical companies (J&J and three of the largest drug distributors in the United States) agree to pay 590 million dollars to Native Americans for the opioid crisis (El País, February 1, 22)
  • Pharmaceutical cold distribution, new Correos service (Redacción Médica, February 2, 22)
  • Pfizer-Biontech requests authorization from the FDA for the approval of the vaccine for children under 5 years of age (El País, February 1, 22)
  • Private equity companies consider offers of more than 25,000 million dollars for the generics unit of Novartis, Sandoz, Blackstone, Carlyle and EQT, among the most interested (FT, February 1, 22)
  • KKR, CVC, Permira, Bain, Carlyle and PAI outline their bids to take over the fertility company of Valencian origin IVI, the bids range from 1,500 million euros (CincoDías, January 31, 22)
  • Atrys enters the continuous market, as of February 7 (PlantaDoce, February 3, 22)
  • Sanitas gains ground and plans to open 7 rehabilitation centers in 2022 (PlantaDoce, February 1, 22)
  • Adeslas and Caixabank extend their agreement in the Bankia network for 650 million euros (CincoDías, January 27, 22)
  • MIR Asturias acquired by CVC and Alfonso X University (La Nueva España, February 3, 22)
  • Quirón acquires Clínicas Vida and strengthens its care network in Tenerife (PlantaDoce, January 28, 22)
  • Vitaldent expands throughout Andalusia and opens a new clinic in Benalmádena (PlantaDoce, February 3, 22)
  • Group 5 opens a residence for serious mental disorders in Madrid (PlantaDoce, February 3, 22)
  • Prim is reinforced with the purchase of Herbitas laboratories (Expansión, February 4, 22)
  • Pharmamar leads a consortium of companies for the development of advanced therapies (El Economista, February 3, 22)

7 days in healthcare (1-7 november, 2021)

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ABSTRACT

From an international point of view, to highlight something we knew: that WHO, in its current configuration, is not prepared for global health challenges. However, this finding is important in the article in the British Medical Journal by Anthony Costello. Europe, once again in the center of expansion of the pandemic. The decision of the North American Democrats to reduce the price of medicines, via the negotiation in Medicare, is very far-reaching. This decision, if applied, will have major consequences for the entire pharmaceutical industry globally.

At the national level, to highlight the article in The Lancet, which says that Spain could have achieved group immunity. For the rest, the incidence of COVID continues to grow in our country, although it does not reach, by far, those of other European countries. Waiting lists are a big concern throughout Spain. Controversy over the new Equity, Universalization and Cohesion Law. Podemos wants to take advantage of it to repeal Law 15/1997, which allows the outsourcing of health services.

As a business activity, to highlight the two new antivirals against covid-19, one from Merck and the other from Pfizer. Merck has released the patent so that it can be used widely in developing countries. Novartis dissociates itself from Roche, selling it its 33% stake in the latter company.

INTERNATIONAL

  • The WHO, in its current configuration, is not ready for its purpose, but is limited by lack of funds and political interference, and this has been demonstrated in this pandemic that has produced more than 18 million deaths, writes the economist Anthony Costello in the British Medical Journal (BMJ, 3 Nov 21)
  • Europe once again at the center of the covid pandemic, says WHO, (The Guardian, 4 Nov 21)
  • The WHO warns of the increase in deaths from covid in 56 countries, and insists that vaccine manufacturers have not done their job well (ConSalud, 5 Nov 21)
  • Democrats in the United States reach an agreement to reduce the price of drugs, allowing the government to negotiate the price of Medicare drugs. The United States pays three times more for many drugs than Europe, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. Initially, the measure will be launched with the 12 most expensive drugs (FT, 2 Nov 21)
  • The fourth wave continues to beat the record of infections in Greece, with almost 7,000 daily (El Confidencial, 6 Nov 21)
  • Excess mortality grows in Russia, since the beginning of the pandemic (FT, 2 Nov 21)
  • The management of the pandemic leaves a trail of investigated political leaders: Brazil, France, Italy, Austria, India, … (El Debate, 2 Nov 21)
  • India’s successes against covid are analyzed: more than half of Indians have received at least one dose of the vaccine. 6 million are vaccinated every day (The Economist, 29 Oct 21)

NATIONAL

 

  • The Lancet suggests that Spain could have achieved group immunity. They are based on the high infections and the high percentage of vaccination (La Razón, 3 Nov 21)
  • The incidence of covid rises more than two points, to 53.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (El País, 5 Nov 21)
  • Madrid for the first time exceeds half a million patients to see the specialist. Experts warn that the pandemic has generated in Spain a dammed demand that will emerge in the coming semesters (El País, 5 Nov 21)
  • Spain, one of the five countries in which Covid-19 caused the greatest loss in life expectancy, according to a study published by the British Medical Journal (ABC, 3 Nov 21)
  • The Health Ministry sells a million vaccines to Australia, New Zealand and Paraguay, before they expire (El Español, 2 Nov 21)
  • The WHO requests to increase oral public coverage in Spain (Health Act. The proposal receives the support of the General Council of Dentists (Health Act, 5 Nov 21)
  • Podemos will not support the Darias Equity Law. The Ministry wants to promote a Law of Equity, Universality and Cohesion and Podemos does not support it by not repealing Law 15/1997, which allows the outsourcing of health services (ConSalud, 5 Nov 21)
  • The Health Ministry seeks location for its strategic reserve of covid material (El Periódico de España, 5 Nov 21)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND MAIN ACTORS IN HEALTH

 

  • Merck drug effective to treat covid-19. The drug is an oral antiviral, called molnupiravir, and has already been approved by the British Agency. It has been launched by Merck and Ridbback Biotherapeutics, a Florida-based biotech. The drug is indicated for the unvaccinated and for those vaccinated who develop the disease. The treatment will be worth US $ 700 in developed countries. Merck will allow the development of generics in 105 countries (The Economist, 4 Nov 21)
  • Alphabet, Google’s parent company, launches an AI company, Isomorphic Labs, for the discovery of new drugs. It will work together with DeepMinds, Google’s AI company (FT, 4 Nov 21)
  • Pfizer increases the sales forecast of its covid vaccine in 2021 to 36,000 million US $ (FT, 2 Nov 21)
  • Biogroup, a bioanalysis group piloted by Stéphane Eimer and with a presence in Belgium, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom, enters the Iberian Peninsula with the purchase of Cerba Internacional and Analiza (both owned by Marcelo Weisz). ASISA will retain its 50% stake in Analiza (Les Echos, 4 Nov 21)
  • Novavax, a protein-based American covid-19 vaccine, receives its first approval in Indonesia. May promote immunization in developing countries. An application for authorization has also been sent to Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union (FT, 1 Nov 21)
  • Pfizer announces an antiviral pill (Paxlovid) that prevents 89% of hospitalizations and deaths from covid (El País, 5 Nov 21)
  • The Valencian government will propose to the Data Protection Agency a sanction to Ribera for withholding data from the Torrevieja hospital (eldiario.es, Nov 4 21)
  • Centene closes the year of the coronavirus with losses in its health adventure in Spain (Nov 6, 21)
  • “Son Espases”: the macro-investigation on the concession to OHL of this hospital in the Balearic Islands, which links the Balearic Islands with the illegal financing of the PP (eldiario.es, Nov 5, 21)
  • Novartis sells its 33% stake to Roche for more than US $ 20 billion. A relationship of more than twenty years between the two companies is ended (PlantaDoce, Nov 4, 21)
  • MD Anderson launches a clinical trials unit (PlantaDoce, 3 Nov 21)
  • Eugin expands through Canada and acquires the fertility centers of Trio Fertility (PlantaDoce, 2 Nov 21)
  • Affidea, a European provider of diagnostic imaging, outpatient services and cancer care, expands in Spain and Northern Ireland with two new acquisitions (PlantaDoce, Nov 3, 21)
  • The biotechnology company of Spanish origin Aura Biosciences, jumps to the Nasdaq (PlantaDoce, 3 Nov 21)
  • Rovi doubles its profit in the first nine months of 2021, to 99 million (PlantaDoce, 3 Nov 21)