Posts

7 days in healthcare (March 7th-12th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, the geneticist Francisco J Ayala, one of the great Spaniards of science, with important contributions in the field of the human genome and other diseases, dies. Some obscure episodes, not fully clarified, pointed to him as a target of the “me too” initiatives. It is increasingly clear that gene therapies will soon explode and will be useful in multiple hematological, cardiac, ocular, muscular and even neurodegenerative processes. An ethical reflection is essential, which ensures, on the one hand, that these treatments are accessible, and, on the other, the limits of these treatments. It seems that we are closer to having specific treatments against fatty liver, a serious disease responsible for tens of thousands of deaths.

As regards Global Health, young people, including adolescents, with gender dysphoria are growing all over the world. There is no accepted professional consensus on how to approach these situations. It seems increasingly clear that inequality in the face of covid vaccines responsible for thousands of deaths from this disease. Although there is no absolute consensus, it seems increasingly clear that smartphones and social networks are responsible for serious mental health problems among young people. 24/7 access to these technologies minimizes face-to-face contact between young people.

Regarding International Health Policy, the WHO maintains the covid as a “health emergency of international concern”. In the United States, the budget presented by Biden – which will not be approved – proposes a significant increase in funds for Medicare. Problems continue for the Walgreens pharmacy chain for not selling abortion pills in 21 states. The USA plans to eliminate hepatitis C, almost a decade after highly effective therapies for this disease appeared. Concern in the United Kingdom about the interruption of the improvement in life expectancy for a decade, before the covid, contrary to what is happening in France or Denmark, for example. Australia is preparing to tackle a health reform, after the preparation of an independent report, a model that could well be inspiring for Spain. Newsweek magazine publishes its well-known ranking of the best hospitals in the world. The Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, and the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, considered the best hospitals in the world. Among the first hundred there are 6 Spaniards, all of them public, except one private: the Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CUN).

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), in terms of covid, the accumulated incidence continues to rise slightly, with a fairly high mortality (139 patients in one week). In Castilla y León, the health areas will have access to a team on rare diseases. Serious concerns among psychiatrists about the large increase in cases of gender dysphoria. The actors in the cyber attack on the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona request a ransom of 4.5 million dollars, which the Administration refuses to deliver. Some Catalan doctors are organized to attend only in Catalan, something against repeated court rulings and the Generalitat’s own protocols.

At the Corporate level, at the international level, investors are rubbing their hands at the prospects of big business in anti-obesity drugs. Morgan Stanley has quantified what this can mean in billions of dollars worldwide. Pfizer places its vaccine against covid as the drug with the highest income in the world. At the national level, Quirón reaches an agreement with the City Council for the construction of its hospital in Gijón and Hospitén announces the construction of a new hospital in Madrid with a large investment of 160 million euros. Thus, the boom in new private hospitals continues, for which there is a real race in which several actors participate (Quirón, Viamed, Vithas, Hospitén, Imed, and others). Hipra will return aid to the covid vaccine in ten years.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

  • Best hospitals in the world
    • Newsweek magazine publishes its traditional ranking of the best hospitals in the world. The first three are: the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, and the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Among the first 100 are 6 Spanish hospitals: La Paz, (53); Barcelona Clinic (62); October 12 (72); Vall d’Hebrón (83), Gregorio Marañón (90) and the CUN (97) (https://www.newsweek.com/rankings/worlds-best-hospitals-2023)

National health policy

Companies

7 days in healthcare (February 6th-12th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, vaccines against cancer; precision surgery in lung cancer; the use of bacteriophage viruses against antibiotic resistant bacteria; stem cells for a wide variety of diseases; and micromotor robots, great promise in the development of new advances in medicine.

With regard to Global Health, it should be noted that 839 million people around the world cannot eat with dignity, for various reasons; the magazine Nature calls for a treaty against new pandemics, since it estimates that the covid represented “a catastrophic failure of the international community in achieving solidarity and equity”. The malaria pandemic is still active in more than 30 countries .

Regarding International Health Policy, in the United States the practices of certain pharmaceutical companies to prevent the entry of generics and biosimilars are denounced. International effort in the search for antibiotics to combat bacterial resistance.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), the incidence of the covid has a small rebound, hopefully in a context of falling incidence, although high mortality persists. The Spanish Public Health Agency, whose bill has just been approved, possibly the most important consequence of the covid crisis. The conflict of public health continues, focused on Primary Care. The Constitutional Court recognizes the constitutionality of the abortion law of deadlines. AESEG and BIOSIM request modification of the reference prices and urgent measures along these lines, since many medicines are at the limit of economic viability.

In the field of Companies, at the international level, it should be noted that Sanofi and Merck MSD significantly increase their profits in 2022. At the national level, Quirónsalud announces the start-up of a new hospital in Valencia. For its part, Consentino, a company that had plans to go public, may see its intentions cut short for health reasons, given the high incidence of silicosis among its workforce.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

  • USA

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 (September 19th-25th, 2022)

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Summary

From the point of view of biomedicine, to review the articles in The Economist on advances in knowledge of the brain, which will have a great impact on the appearance of new drugs and pain therapy.

With regard to Global Health, the WHO report of September 21, which places cancers, cardiovascular conditions and diabetes as responsible for three quarters of global mortality.

In terms of international health policy, an important initiative in France to offer three preventive consultations free of charge by the public system: at 25, 45 and 65 years of age. The EU launches a plan for the elimination of tuberculosis in Europe.

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), great debate around the Equity Law. What should have been just a law to correct the access deficiencies of the Montón Law, is being flamboyantly called “Equity” (as if accessibility guaranteed equity, not having a single provision to improve equity), and It is used to introduce the aspirations of Unidas Podemos to annul Law 15/97, approved almost unanimously at the time. The IDIS Foundation has warned of the damage to assistance and, specifically, the waiting lists, if some precepts of the Law are approved. It seems that the Catalan consortiums are going to respect each other, which is important, but it is also important to preserve and reinforce public/private concerts throughout the national territory.

At the corporate level, from an international point of view, the shares of the large vaccine manufacturers (especially Moderna, BioNTech and Novavax) plummeted, as a result of President Biden’s announcement that “the pandemic has been feared”. In Spain, it should be noted that Moderna will install its first quality laboratory outside the United States in Madrid.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International health policy

National health policy

Companies

 

 

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 (January 24-30, 2022)

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Summary

From the point of view of biomedicine, the concern regarding resistance to antibiotics continues, after the extensive report published by The Lancet. This pandemic produces more deaths than AIDS and malaria. New variant of “ómicron” appeared in Denmark.

With regard to global health, the tenth anniversary of the declaration on “Neglected tropical diseases” should be highlighted, which provides an opportunity to reflect on a change in which progress has been made, but much remains to be done. COVAX does not have the capacity to receive more donations in the absence of basic financing for the purchase of syringes and other materials, essential to administer the vaccine.

As for international news, the WHO will publish a plan for the transition of the pandemic to the “control phase” in February. IHI initiative, of the European Union, to create a public/private platform for drug research.

In national news from Spain, the sixth wave seems to be starting to subside in terms of new cases, but still with high mortality. Interesting report promoted by Vitaldent on the public financing of dental care. Biosim highlights the savings potential of biosimilars in 2022. The issue of professional recertification advances, with a leading role for FACME.

In company news, the approval by the EMA of Paxlovid, Pfizer’s antiviral pill against COVID, is important. Also the large expected growth in turnover by COVID vaccine manufacturers in 2022 (29%, compared to 2021). Boom of online psychology platforms

Biomedicine

  • It is time to confront the pandemic of antibiotic resistance, since this resistance causes more deaths than AIDS and malaria. AMR Action Fund, a public/private initiative to develop new antibiotics, is underway (FT, January 28, 22)
  • The new BA.2 omicron, which appeared in Denmark, the stealthy variant of the “‘omicron”, warns the WHO that it may not be detectable with PCR (La Razón, January 25, 22)
  • New research identifies the 4 factors that can favor prolonged covid (NYT, January 25, 22)

Global health

  • 10th anniversary of the London declaration on “Neglected tropical diseases”, much progress has been made. Trachoma, schistosomiasis and visceral leishmaniasis are the most frequent of this type of disease (The Lancet, January 29, 22)
  • Developed countries throw away 61.5 million vaccines for having expired in 2021 (El Español, January 28, 22)
  • World Day against Leprosy, the covid pandemic has silenced it, a disease almost eradicated in Europe but still present in the world (ConSalud, January 30, 22)
  • Lack of funding to buy syringes and other accessories means COVAX cannot accept new doses of vaccines (FT, 25 Jan 22)
  • The United States donated 400 million doses of covid vaccine to 112 countries, according to the White House (The Guardian, January 26, 22)
  • Project Syndicate magazine publishes an analysis (How Much Has the Pandemic Cost?) of the economic impact of the pandemic, based on years of life lost and the value of life in different countries. If the official figure of 5.6 million dead at the end of 2021 is taken, this means 38 trillion (American) dollars or 40% of global GDP; If the estimate of deaths from The Economist (17 million) is taken, we would reach 114 trillion or 120% of global GDP (Project Syndicate, January 27, 22)

International News

  • The WHO will publish in February a plan for the transition of the pandemic to the “control phase” (La Razón, January 24, 22)
  • Notable increase in telemedicine in Medicare (USA) during the pandemic (JAMA, January 25, 22)
  • The British Medical Association recommends the use of FPP3 mask to health professionals who have to deal with patients with viral respiratory disease (BMJ, 21 January 22)
  • The new normal in New Zealand goes from covid 0 to covid acceptance (The Guardian, 26 January 22)
  • An Israeli panel recommends the fourth dose to all adults (FT 25 Jan 22)
  • In Canada, demonstrations against compulsory vaccination (The Guardian, January 30, 22)
  • The European Union launches IHI, a public/private initiative for drug research, as a continuation of the Innovative Medicines Initiative, which was launched in 2008 (Acta Sanitaria, January 26, 22)

National News

  • COVID

o The epidemic curve in Spain consolidates its decline, but experts call for caution (El País, January 29, 22)

o The sixth wave already registers 5,674 deaths from covid and could exceed the sixth before February (El Español, January 27, 22)

o Health and the communities extend the limited capacity at sporting events (El País, January 26, 22)

o The anti-vaccines are responsible for increasing deaths by 32% in the sixth wave, according to Fedea (El Español, January 24, 22)

o Those vaccinated have a hundred times less chance of dying if they become infected (El Mundo, January 28, 22)

o Catalonia abolishes the covid passport (La Razón, January 26, 22)

  • Other issues

o Financing dental health (one of the promises of the PSOE-Unidos Podemos government program) will cost the State 5,423 million euros, according to a study promoted by Vitaldent and presented to the Ministry of Health (El Economista, January 25, 22)

o A third of doctors will retire in the next five years (The Objective, January 28, 22)

o Telemedicine is good for reducing CO2 into the atmosphere, it would reduce 277,120 tons of CO2 in Spain in Primary Care alone, according to the report prepared by “GEN Europe Energy Solutions” (ConSalud, January 28, 22)

o More than 13,000 applicants opt for the 8,200 MIR places in the exam on January 29 (Acta Sanitaria, January 28, 22)

o Biosim puts the savings on biosimilars at 1,048 million euros in 2022 (diariofarma, January 26, 22)

o FACME claims its role in the recertification and creates a specific council, chaired by Cecilio Santander (Diario Médico, January 28, 22)

o ISFAS statement on difficulties in negotiating insurance companies-hospital groups for the coverage of this group (Sanifax, January 24, 22)

Companies, employers and other agents of the sector

  • The EMA approves Paxlovid, Pfizer’s antiviral pill against covid (El Economista, January 27, 22)
  • The large vaccine manufacturers will invoice 75,000 million euros for the covid vaccine this year 2022, this is a 29% jump over the estimate for 2021, according to the consulting firm Airfinity (CincoDías, January 25, 22)
  • Pfizer will produce 120 million doses of its drug against covid in Europe (El Español, January 29, 22)
  • Cinfa leads the market in pharmacies and Novartis in hospitals (CincoDías, January 24, 22)
  • The French group Orpea with problems in its listing due to accusations of mistreatment (FT, January 27, 22)
  • BioNTech begins clinical trial for “ómicron” vaccine (FT, January 25, 22)
  • The business of mental health: boom in online psychology platforms (El Periódico de España, 30 January 22)
  • Mifarma (the leading company in Europe for the online sale of pharmacy and parapharmacy products) reinforces its position in Spain with a new image and online platform (La Razón, January 25, 22)
  • United Imaging Healthcare lands in Spain hand in hand with APR Salud (PlantaDoce, January 25, 22)
  • Sanitas is interested in the purchase of the IMQ (Redacción Médica, January 26, 22)
  • Healthcare Activos continues its expansion and will buy a residence in Ferrol (PlantaDoce, January 21, 22)
  • Corachán becomes stronger in Barcelona with a new center in Sarriá (PlantaDoce, 27 January 22)