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7 days in healthcare (January 17-23, 2022)

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SUMMARY

From an international point of view, the article published in The Lancet should be highlighted, in which mortality due to antimicrobial resistance, one of the most important causes of death in the world, is analyzed at a global level. Also the demand of the British Medical Journal that the scientific community have access to all the original data on the clinical trials of vaccines, since at this time these data are only accessible to employees of pharmaceutical companies. The Economist analyzes if the mandatory nature of the vaccine works, concluding that it does. It looks like all the COVID restrictions in England are going to end soon. The European Union gives more powers to the EMA, in case of having to manage future health crises.

As for the national news, the pandemic is still unchecked, in very high numbers and with high mortality; the debate on treating the covid as influenza continues, with opposing positions, those who are against it and those who defend it; the Ministry of Health wants to advance in the recertification, in dialogue with the FACME and the Organization of Medical Orders; The situation of health insurance in 2021 is presented, which did not stop growing, until the sector as a whole reached a turnover of close to 10,000 million euros; the Madrid College of Physicians signs a controversial agreement with UNIPROMEL, in theory to “defend doctors in free practice”, but, more possibly, with the intention of reinforcing the current weakened board of directors.

As far as companies are concerned, perhaps the most outstanding news is the sale by IBM of Watson Health, the artificial intelligence solution, designed to solve diagnostic and therapeutic problems, which had had so many problems in some centers such as MD Anderson from Houston. Although it was a good and ambitious idea, it was possibly ruined by short-termism, hyperselling and not taking enough into account the complexities of medicine and medical practice.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • The Lancet publishes an article on the mortality of antimicrobial resistance. 204 countries and territories are analyzed in 2019. 4.95 million deaths from antimicrobial resistance were found in 2019. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most important causes of death in the world (The Lancet, 20 January 22)
  • The British Medical Journal, after the Tamiflu experience, asks that the original data (raw data) from the clinical trials of vaccines be accessible to all researchers, not just those from the pharmaceutical industry, as is the case now (BMJ, January 19, 22)
  • The WHO gives the green light to the wider use of the third dose against COVID (FT, January 21, 22)
  • The fourth dose of the vaccine, infective in the extension of the “ómicron” variant, according to an Israeli study (FT, January 18, 22)
  • The Economist analyzes if the compulsory nature of the vaccine works. After analyzing the cases of Canada, France, Italy and Germany, he concludes that it works (The Economist, January 22, 22)
  • The covid passport strengthens the economy and vaccination (FT, January 18, 22)
  • Bill Gates warns against a pandemic potentially worse than COVID and calls on governments to spend billions of dollars to prevent it. He also says that this effort can contribute to improving the prevention and treatment of current extended diseases: HIV, tuberculosis, malaria (FT, January 19, 22)
  • All restrictions in England may end in March, according to the British Prime Minister’s plans (The Guardian, 17 January 22)
  • The EU approves the reform that gives more powers to the EMA in the management of future health crises (The Objective, 20 January 22)
  • Italy registers an increase in vaccination, after making it mandatory for those over 50 years of age (El País, January 17, 22)

NATIONAL NEWS

  • Situation of the pandemic

o COVID, still unchecked, breaks a new record of 3,418 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (El País, January 21, 22)

o The ICUs are at the limit of their structural capacity but far from the worst moments (El País, January 17, 22)

  • Debate about dealing with the covid as if were “flu”

o Two opposing positions:

 “Gripalizing the covid or how to believe we are winners”, article by Santiago Cervera, January 15, 22)

 Antonio Zapatero is committed to self-care and not to restrictions (El Español, January 17, 22)

  • Sick leave

o Processed 21,000 sick leaves and registrations in Madrid in the first days of the new system (El País, January 20, 22)

o The doctors accuse Escrivá of violating the law with the casualties, by giving in the same act for 7 days (La Razón, January 17, 22)

  • Recertification

o The Ministry of Health commits with FACME and the WTO to promote professional recertification (Acta Sanitaria, January 21, 22)

  • Situation schools

o The avalanche of school confinements puts families on the ropes (El País, January 21, 22)

  • Health insurance

o Health insurance grows by 4.93% in 2021 and totals 9,849 million euros (Acta Sanitaria, January 18, 22)

o According to forecasts by Javier Murillo, health insurance will grow in 2022 by around 5.5-6% (presentation at ICEA)

o MJ Montero (Finance Minister): great support for the MUFACE system (MUFACE Magazine, nº 252, winter 2021)

  • Other issues

o Organ transplants overcome the slump of 2020 and grow 8% in 2021 (El País, January 21, 22)

o Argimón presents the 2021-2025 health plan (Consalud, January 20, 22)

o Health, forced by Transparency to deliver to Farmaindustria the minutes of the Pharmacy Commission of the Interterritorial Council (diariofarma, January 16, 22)

o The MIR exam will bring together candidates from 4 continents and 88 countries (redacción Médica, January 20, 22)

o The Madrid College of Physicians signs an agreement with UNIPROMEL, “to defend free practice physicians” (Official Note ICOMEM, January 21, 22)

o Health awards 81 linear accelerators, in compliance with the INVEAT plan, three lots: Ab Salud, Varian and Elekta (ConSalud, January 18, 22)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND MAIN ACTORS IN HEALTH

  • IBM sells Watson Health to an investment firm. The sale was preceded by resounding failures of this artificial intelligence tool for medical diagnosis and treatment (WSJ, January 21, 22)
  • Moderna intends to launch a joint COVID-flu vaccine in two years (The Guardian, January 17, 22)
  • Djokovic has 80% of the shares in a Danish biotech firm (QuantBioRes) that intends to release a vaccine against COVID (The Guardian, January 19, 22)
  • Pfizer becomes the largest provider of the pandemic and it is estimated that it will double its income (eldiario.es, January 17, 22)
  • Pfizer, AstraZeneca and the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac will manufacture 70% of the COVID vaccines (CincoDías, January 20, 22)
  • Merck entrusts the manufacture of its pill against COVID to 27 manufacturers (PlantaDoce, January 20, 22)
  • More than 100 laboratories in Asia and Africa could manufacture vaccines for Pfizer and Moderna (El Independiente, January 19, 22)
  • The “telecos” take advantage of the pandemic to add clients in telemedicine (El Independiente, January 19, 22)
  • AstraZeneca, the most widely used COVID vaccine in the world that is no longer administered in Spain (El Español, January 21, 22)
  • St John of God (important hospital network in Spain, until now divided into three “provinces”) consolidates its management structure at the national level (Acta Sanitaria, January 20, 22)
  • Acciona, Sacyr and OHLA bid for a new hospital in Chile for 265 million euros (PlantaDoce, January 16, 22)
  • Dental Residency, objective by 2022 to double billing and provide coverage to 250,000 residents (PlantaDoce, January 20, 22)
  • The EMA asks HIPRA to show greater efficiency than Pfizer, if it wants to be part of the European Union’s portfolio (El Economista, January 18, 22)
  • HIPRA will carry out the last clinical trial of its vaccine at HM Hospitals (El Economista, January 17, 22).
  • Viamed is preparing an offer for one of the “Catholic” hospitals in Madrid: San Francisco and Beata María Ana (Sanifax, January 21, 22)
  • ASISA renews its Board of Directors with three members, one internal and two independent directors (Europa Press, January 20, 22)
  • Mercadona offered the Government to sell tests in its establishments at 2.90 euros. The Government preferred to keep pharmacies as the only test point of sale (Sanifax, January 20, 22)
  • Lilly publishes an overview of start ups in health in Spain (Lilly, January 22)

7 days in healthcare (13-19 December, 2021)

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Summary

From an international point of view, perhaps the most striking thing is the great growth worldwide of the “omicron” variant, already present in 89 countries. Although it is clear that it is much more transmissible than the Delta variant, it is not clear that the disease is milder. Some countries in Europe decree confinements. The effectiveness of COVID passports is demonstrated, in terms of increased vaccinations. Figures for healthcare spending in the United States are released in 2020, spending increased significantly, especially federal spending, related to COVID. It reaches 19.7% of GDP (which is said soon). It is also striking that for the first time in the history of the United States, public health spending exceeds private spending.

Regarding national news, great concern about the rapid expansion of the pandemic, which forces the President of the government to convene a Conference of Presidents, for two days before Christmas Eve, which prevents measures from being adopted for Christmas. The plenary session of the Interterritorial Council approves the “Primary and Community Care Plan 2022-2023”, a set of good intentions and the announcement of measures that, where appropriate, would have to be implemented by the autonomous communities. Once again you see how difficult “co-governance” without good governance.

In relation to the activity of companies and other agents in the sector, the activity of vaccine manufacturing companies continues. Two things are difficult to understand: the letter from the President of the Madrid Medical Association to the President of ASISA and the launch by DKV-Yoigo of a medical insurance for 20 euros. We believed, on the one hand, that health insurance companies were free to hire their medical staff; and, on the other hand, that it was difficult to continue lowering the price of health insurance in our country. It is true that in the United States and other countries online insurance, Oscar type, is emerging with cheaper policies than conventional insurance. But in Spain the policies are already very cheap and I do not think that it is about making policies for young and healthy people, who hardly consume health care.

International

  • The “omicron” variant advances at an incredible speed (The Economist, 18 Dec 21)
  • The ECDC warns that vaccination alone is not enough and calls for drastic measures (La Razón, Dec 15 21)
  • The “omicron” variant grows 70 times faster than the Delta in bronchial tissue (The Guardian, Dec 15 21)
  • The “omicron” variant is already present in 89 countries and is growing rapidly, according to the WHO (The Guardian, 18 Dec 21)
  • There is no evidence that the “omicron” variant is more benign than the delta (FT, Dec 17 21)
  • Seven people die in the United Kingdom from the “omicron” variant (El Independiente, 18 Dec 21)
  • The Netherlands decrees a new strict confinement until January 14 (El Periódico de España, Dec 18 21)
  • COVID passports have a positive effect on the number of vaccinated, according to an international study carried out in six countries (Denmark, Israel, Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland), (The Lancet, Dec 13 21)
  • The United States exceeds 800,000 deaths from COVID, the country with the highest mortality (The Guardian, Dec 15 21)
  • The scientific advances of 2021, according to the journal Science (the ease of identifying the structure of proteins, the most significant advance. In relation to medicine, several advances: treatments for COVID-19; psychedelic drugs versus some psychiatric disorders; artificial antibodies to infectious diseases; CRISP tools to modify genes within the body; Alzheimer’s medication, despite doubts about its efficacy) (Science, Dec 17, 219
  • The figures for healthcare spending in the USA in 2020 are published. The growth was 9.7% over the previous year, which had grown by 4.3%. The acceleration is due to the increase in federal spending, which grew 36%, especially in relation to COVID. The percentage of GDP dedicated to health reached 19.7%. The number of uninsured decreased. For the first time in US history, public health spending surpasses private spending (51% vs 49%) (Health Affairs, January, 22)
  • The repetition of epidemics due to different types of coronavirus (SARS, 2002 and 2003; MERS, since 2012 and COVID-19, since 2019) leads some to demand a kind of universal vaccine against coronaviruses. The article is signed, among others, by Fauci (New England Journal of Medicine, Dec 15, 2021)
  • Medicare Advantage for All, a potential pathway to universal coverage in the USA. Against Medicare for All, it would keep private insurers (JAMA, Dec 16 21)

Nationals

  • Spain is at a very high risk of contagion, after exceeding an incidence of 500 per 100,000 in the last fourteen days (El País, 17 Dec 21)
  • Sánchez calls the conference of presidents for next week, given the worsening of the pandemic (El País, 18 Dec 21)
  • Announcement on TV on Sunday, December 19, by Sánchez of the presidents’ conference for Wednesday, December 22, without advancing any measures. Logically, due to the date, there is no possibility of organizing measures for Christmas (El Mundo, 19 Dec 21)
  • Navarra and the Basque Country among the five regions with the most COVID in Europe (El Español, Dec 16 21)
  • Third dose for people over 40 and vaccinated with AstraZeneca (El Confidencial, Dec 16 21)
  • Spain is at the forefront of Europe in excess of mortality, according to the EuroMoMo (The Objective, 19 Dec 21)
  • On December 15, the plenary session of the Interterritorial Council approved the “Plan for Primary and Community Care 2022-2023”, continuation of the “Strategic Framework for Primary and Community Care”, approved in 2019 and never implemented. The plan is a set of promises, which to a large extent have to be implemented by the autonomous communities (such as the finalist budget, telemedicine and others). The plan is strongly criticized by SEMERGEN (Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians and by FADSP (Federation of Associations for the Defense of Public Health) (Infolibre, Dec 16 21)
  • Antigen test: pharmacies appear to be short of supplies (El País, 19 Dec 21)
  • The Government (Ministry of Social Affairs and Agenda 2030) proposes to limit the residences for the elderly to a maximum of 50 places, as well as some ratios of staff per resident. The text must be consensual, which seems difficult (Infolibre, Dec 17 21)

Companies, employers and other agents in the sector

 

  • María Vila, elected President of FENIN (El Español, Dec 14 21)
  • Ana Polanco, reelected President of ASEBIO (Planta Doce, 16 Dec 21)
  • Letter from the President of the College of Physicians of Madrid to ASISA, reproaching him for the dismissal of doctors for the MUFACE system (Sanifax, Dec 15 21)
  • Spain has already manufactured 380 million vaccines for COVID (CincoDías, Dec 17, 21)
  • Catalonia creates a venture capital fund to promote scientific entrepreneurship (PlantaDoce, Dec 16 21)
  • The European Medicines Agency approves Pfizer’s anti-COVID pill (El Debate, 16 Dec 21)
  • Pfizer’s (Paxlovid) anti-COVID pill works well against the “omicron” variant, the company confirms (NYT, Dec 14 21)
  • The WHO and the EMA could approve the American vaccine NOVAVAX next week (FT, Dec 16 21)
  • Oracle, about to buy CERNER for US $ 30,000 million (FT, Dec 17 21)
  • The CDC discourages the use of the J&J vaccine, due to some clot problems (NYT, Dec 16 21)
  • Sanofi intends to request approval of its vaccine again (FT, Dec 15 21)
  • The IMED healthcare group invoices 12% more and its profit almost doubles, reaching 6 million (Valencia Plaza, Dec 15, 21)
  • The CEU and ASISA sign an agreement for the training of students at the HLA Moncloa hospital (El Debate, 18 Dec 21)
  • Venture capital is pushing for the formation of MIRs. The CVC fund studies buying MIR Asturias (El Periódico de España, 19 Dec 21)
  • Vivanta requests a ransom of 40 million euros from SEPI (PlantaDoce, Dec 16 21)
  • Quirón proton therapy successfully treats its first 100 children (ConSalud, Dec 14 21)
  • Philips expands its portfolio with the purchase of Vesper Medical (PlantaDoce, Dec 15 21)
  • Modern: agreement to bring a mRNA vaccine factory to Australia (PlantaDoce, Dec 14 21)
  • Company health insurance will become more expensive by 7.2% in 2022 (PlantaDoce, Dec 14 21)
  • Grifols sells VCN Biosciences for 66 million euros (PlantaDoce, Dec 15 21)
  • CSL acquires Vitor Pharma for 11.7 billion dollars (PlantaDoce, Dec 16 21)
  • Asistensi and Clínica de Navarra, agreement to export health insurance to immigrants (PlantaDoce, Dec 16 21)
  • Ysios enters the Dutch Northsea leading a round of 77 million euros (El Economista, Dec 17 21)
  • Biontech investors are studying buying Sandoz (El Economista, Dec 14 21)
  • Atrys Health acquires Simm molecular (Expansión, Dec 17 21)
  • DKV and the telephone company Yoigo launch a family health insurance for less than twenty euros (El Economista, 9 Dec 21)
  • The Savana company, founded in 2014, with an ecosystem of 160 hospitals in Europe and America, intends to lead the “healthcare data lake” (El Economista, 18 Dec 21)
  • Rovi receives the European recommendation for its own research antipsychotic (CincoDías, 17 Dec 21)
  • Almirall wins the rights to a drug against autoimmune diseases (CincoDías, Dec 14 21)