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7 days in healthcare (October 9th-15th, 2023)

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Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, after years of research, scientists have published an atlas of the brain, the most unknown organ and whose knowledge will allow great advances in biomedicine. This week 21 articles have appeared about the brain and its cells. The work is done under the BRAIN Initiative Census Network project. The objectives of this effort were three: first, to understand the cellular components of the brain; second, to know which cells are affected in neurological and psychiatric diseases; and, third, what makes the brain of Homo sapiens different from that of other animals. The brain is the most complex object in the universe and contains around 3,000 types of cells. Until recently it was believed that the human body, including the brain, had only 300 types of cells. Artificial intelligence, new therapeutic vaccines, xenotransplantations and quantum computing, in the focus of monitoring progress in medical sciences.

Regarding Global Health, The Lancet asks in several articles the impact on health of a world with a shortage of work, since until now a job in good conditions was considered important for health. The malaria community welcomes the WHO approval of the new vaccine. Malaria kills half a million children a year, mainly under five years old. This decision is expected to improve access to doses of the vaccine, especially in Africa. 28 African countries are going to introduce this vaccine as part of their immunization program.

Regarding International Health Policy, in the United States pharmaceutical companies agree to negotiate the price of medicines with Medicare, despite the fact that some maintain lawsuits against the American government. In the European Union, the shortage of amoxicillin, a widely used antibiotic, persists. There is also in the EU an increase in deaths due to mental disorders.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), the government puts out to public consultation the draft Royal Decree for the evaluation of health technologies which, among other things, rethinks the economic evaluation of medicines, incorporating the participation of professionals and patients and attempting predictability and transparency in decision-making times.

In the field of Companies, at the international level, it is worth highlighting that the global cannabis market will reach 100 billion in 2030. At the national level, Sanitas is launching an educational experience, which is an example of the importance they give healthcare companies to the issue of training, aware that attracting and retaining talent will be the most important competitive advantage.

Biomedicine

Global Health

International health policy

National health policy

Companies

 

 

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