Posts

7 days in healthcare (April 24th-30th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, to mark the 70 years since the discovery of the structure of the DNA molecule, which was to revolutionize the field of biology and medicine, allowing in 2003 the development of the human genome and in 2023 the approval of the first drug based on gene therapy. Nature warns that the gene therapy revolution may be threatened if cost is not discussed, proposing regulatory changes and new intellectual property laws.

With regard to Global Health, a Fund was created (similar to that for HIV, tuberculosis or malaria) to fight against hepatitis, that great plague that worldwide causes more than a million deaths a year. Great repercussion of the conflict in Sudan on the health situation in that unfortunate country.

As for International Health Policy, any other international news pales in comparison to the importance of the new proposals from the European Commission regarding the new pharmaceutical regulation. They propose changes to fundamental rules that had worked without modification for more than twenty years. It is difficult to pronounce, given the great weight of the interests at stake: those of patients, those of pharmaceutical research in Europe, those of the pharmaceutical industry, those of the Member States that want to see their pharmaceutical bills reduced. The texts of the new Directive and new Regulation are still proposals, but they will give people talk.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), the new Minister of Health pronounces himself saying that the waiting lists “are not the responsibility of the Government”, a statement that could be considered unacceptable, since someone might think that the Ministry has more responsibilities apart those of compiling and disseminating the lists. The IDIS Foundation publishes its annual report, now in its 13th edition, on “Private healthcare: providing value”, which has become essential in the sector, due to the transparency it gives to the situation of the private sector. The data from the WAIT report are not favorable for Spain, in terms of the average time elapsed since the approval of medicines by the European Agency and their availability in Spain. Our country is among those that accumulate the most delays in this process.

In the field of Companies, at the international level, spectacular news is the purchase by Kaiser Permanente (a giant on the American West Coast) of Geisinger (a smaller operator on the East Coast) to found a customer service system. non-profit community health. In Spain it seems that the INCOSOL model wants to be replicated outside of Spain.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

National health policy

  • Pharmaceutical policy
    • The WAIT 2022 report, which has just appeared, establishes the delays in different European countries, including Spain, for the incorporation of medicines. Spaniards have to wait an average of 629 days from the approval by the European Agency until they are available in Spain. Spain in the range of countries with the longest wait. The least expected countries are Germany and Denmark (https://www.abpi.org.uk/media/news/2023/april/efpia-wait-indicator-survey-2022-launches/)

Companies

7 days in healthcare (December 5th-11th, 2022)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, an emotional farewell in the New York Times of the “young” (81 years old), Anthony Fauci, who had such a presence in our homes throughout the years of the pandemic. Without a doubt, his scientific contributions are notable, but it is not a minor merit that he has contradicted President Trump on several occasions in the honest exercise of his office, something unusual in our environment. A new type of biomarkers seems to open the doors to the possible diagnosis of different types of cancer at an early stage with a simple blood test.

With regard to Global Health, to highlight the serious problems of diabetes, which continues to grow; and suicide, which is increasing markedly among young Americans, although, as the WHO says, it is in Africa where there are the highest suicide rates in the world.

Regarding International Health Policy, China continues to distance itself from the covid-zero policy, although we will see the increasing consequences of covid mortality. Labor problems continue in the NHS, with several strikes announced. Macron promises free condoms for minors and young people up to 25 years of age. Several initiatives in the field of health of the European Union, which makes health more and more a European Union policy, without prejudice to the fact that the management of national health services is the responsibility of the Member States.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), in terms of covid, the incidence continues to decrease, what has not completely decreased is mortality (314 deaths in the last week). The strikes continue in the Primary Care of Madrid, without it seeming that the negotiations are progressing. The results of the Third Wave (2022) of the Health Barometer appear, which well deserves a careful analysis. Spain is the European Union country that performs the most instrumental deliveries, according to the “European Perinatal Health Report” (2015-2019).

In the field of Companies, at the international level, an important initiative by Pfizer to increase production in Europe, something necessary as seen during the pandemic and the difficulties for Europe to fully depend on production in Asia. Spin off of GE Healthcare from General Electric. Regarding national news, it should be noted that Blackrock increases its stake in Grifols.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

National health policy

Companies

7 days in healthcare (November 21st-27th, 2022)

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Summary

Most notably from the Biomedicine standpoint, the FDA is approving a drug that could delay the onset of type 1 diabetes, the devastating disease that often occurs in adolescents. Also the preclinical study that seems to foreshadow a universal flu vaccine. Likewise, the minirobot designed by Apple capable of taking medicines to the brain, that organ until now practically inaccessible to drugs.

With regard to Global Health, the COP27 summit is considered in an article in The Lancet a “collective failure”, given the lack of agreement on the lower use of fossil fuels. We must also note the race for the production of vaccines in several African countries.

Regarding International Health Policy, mortality from covid remains high and is very worrying in some countries, mainly Japan, Brazil, India, China, the Russian Federation, South Korea and Spain. The covid-zero policy is generating problems and discontent in a country where public demonstrations are as controlled as in China. The nurses’ strike in the United Kingdom is a historic event in that country, which will undoubtedly will have consequences.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), mortality from covid remains high in Spain (260 cases in the last week). At this time Spain has 0.6 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, a fairly high mortality, although lower than other European countries, such as France, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Croatia, Estonia and Luxembourg, according to WHO data. The waiting lists for June 30 are published by the Ministry of Health. A real national problem and a serious delegitimization of the public system, which some minimize. The strike of Primary Care doctors continues in Madrid, while the conflict threatens to spread to other autonomous communities. The rise in the electricity bill threatens the profitability of private hospitals, according to ASPE.

In the field of Companies, at the international level, Amazon is making a new foray into healthcare, this time with the “Amazon Clinic” platform, a telemedicine service that will be extended to 32 American states and offers virtual care for 20 clinical conditions. At the national level, news at HM Hospitales, with the new hospital in Rivas; in Recoletas, which extends to Salamanca; and, in Sanitas, which intends to create its own clinical analysis laboratory.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International Health Policy

National health policy

Companies

  • International News
    • Amazon makes a new attempt at healthcare. The offers of the big technological platforms are diversified: Apple tries to monitor through the iPhone; Microsoft, offers computer services to companies; Alphabet (Google), relies on wearables. Amazon launches the most ambitious offer, with “Amazon Clinic”, an online service that will operate in 32 American states and that offers virtual care for 20 clinical conditions, from acne to allergies (https://www.economist.com/ business/2022/11/20/amazon-makes-a-new-push-into-health-care)
    • The big pharma aims for 50,000 million dollars in medicines against obesity, a disease that affects 650 million people in the world, as demand grows. Lilly will submit a drug for authorization (https://www.ft.com/content/f28e8ca1-87a7-4c14-8b05-0ead0e831c0f)

 

 

7 days in healthcare (September 12th-18th, 2022)

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Summary

From the point of view of biomedicine, immunotherapy (in colon cancer) and CAR-T therapies (in lupus) continue to expand their therapeutic possibilities. Advances against infections for resistant bacteria. Will there ever come a time when cancer can be diagnosed by a simple blood test? This possibility does not seem very remote, according to papers presented at the meeting of the European Society of Medical Oncology.

Regarding Global Health, an important work directed by Jeffrey Sachs and published by The Lancet on the delays and errors of both governments and the WHO in dealing with the covid pandemic, which could have produced 17.7 million of  deaths, many of them preventable.

Regarding international health policy, the WHO says that the end of the covid pandemic may be in sight, although at the same time a new variant (BJ.1) of covid is evident in Europe. Important debate in Europe (Scotland and France) on euthanasia and assisted death. The French Ethics Committee opens the door to this possibility. The financing of the American FDA was questioned, due to its great economic dependence on the pharmaceutical industry. Biden launches a speech commemorating Kennedy’s in 1962 when he decided to go to the Moon, but this time oriented towards the fight against cancer.

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), the PDeCAT presents an amendment to the entire equity law, which it accuses of interfering in regional powers and of confusing agreement with privatization. Surprising statements from the Ministry of Health in a parliamentary response, saying that its functions in relation to the waiting lists are only to inform and monitor, as if it did not have the possibility of signing agreements with the communities to address this problem or of launching other actions. Concern, there are even demonstrations in the street, of the relatives of the elderly admitted to residences. The Community of Madrid announces that it will reduce the waiting lists by half. Although we would like it not to be the case this time, this announcement is preceded by other similar ones from different governments, which always came to nothing in terms of effectiveness. The search for solutions by the Ministry of Finance to the MUFACE model, highly impacted by inflation, seems to recognize its underfinancing.

In the field of companies, from the international point of view, important success for Sanofi, with its new vaccine against bronchiolitis. In Spain, important corporate movements in Korian, HM Hospitales, Miranza and Ribera.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International health policy

National health policy

Companies

 

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

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SUMMARY

From the point of view of biomedicine, the progress in the treatment of breast cancer should be highlighted, according to the article published by the NEJM, with a brake of around 80% of this advanced cancer and makes it disappear in 16%. .

As far as Global Health is concerned, there are undiagnosed cases of tuberculosis (the missing tuberculosis), a disease that continues to have 10 million new cases a year and causes 1.5 million deaths. The Lancet report on what needs to be done to meet target 3.4 of (on non-communicable diseases) of the Sustainable Development Goals. Inequality in covid vaccination and its possible ways to solve it are the subject of an analysis by the NEJM. Concern for the health of the 3.5 million refugees from Ukraine. The low mortality of covid in Africa, a continent that was thought could be devastated by this disease, remains a mystery.

As for international health policy, the debate continues on the covid-zero policy in China, which has achieved great results so far (both in terms of mortality and economics), but it is not known if it will be able to continue with the variant “omicron”. The WHO judges the lifting of COVID measures in Europe too premature, considering that cases are growing, among other countries, in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece, France, Italy and Germany.

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), we are witnessing a relaxation of the measures against covid, despite its upward trend in recent days. Arrival of Paxlovid, Pfizer’s treatment for severe cases of covid. The important report published by the Catalan Society of Health Management, with an exceptional team led by Jordi Varela, on the forms of contracting health services from the point of view of value, is very noteworthy. The deans of Medicine react to the Ministry’s announcement of the increase in the “numerus clausus” in medicine by 10%.

In the field of companies, it is worth highlighting the evolution of the purchase of the fertility company IVI, the largest operation carried out by private equity companies in healthcare in Spain and with a company valuation of around 2,500 million euros.

BIOMEDICINE

GLOBAL HEALTH

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY

NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY (SPAIN)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND OTHER AGENTS IN THE SECTOR