Summary

From the point of view of Biomedicine, it should be noted that 2022 has been an extraordinarily productive year from the point of view of the appearance of effective drugs, among others against obesity or different forms of cancer. mRNA vaccines open the way to new therapeutic approaches

With regard to Global Health, the British Medical Journal summarizes the human and health damage caused by the floods in Pakistan.

Regarding International Health Policy, discussions continue about the origin of the covid. President Biden is accused of complacency in saying as early as September that “the pandemic is over”, while the mortality continues. Everything seems to indicate that the end of the covid-zero policy in China is producing a large number of cases (millions in just one day), which is putting maximum pressure on the health system and, probably, since there are no reliable figures, with a high mortality. UK nurses and ambulance strike.

If we talk about National Health Policy (Spain), the incidence of covid has risen slightly in the last week, with a high death toll (241). The strike of Primary Care doctors in Madrid is paralyzed until January 11, to analyze the administration proposals. The Government undertakes to launch the working group for the elaboration of the Strategic Plan on the pharmaceutical industry, after the promises of investments in the next three years made by the heads of the most important pharmaceutical companies in a meeting in La Moncloa . Government and Community of Madrid launch the Neurotechnology Center.

In the field of Companies, internationally, it seems that private equity companies are oriented in the USA towards hospital emergencies. In Spain, Warren Buffet acquired the largest medical error insurance.

Biomedicine

• Robots, radiologists and results. The use of AI in radiological diagnosis is increasingly promising, to the point that some advocate the need to stop training radiologists (https://www.bmj.com/content/379/bmj.o2853)
• The triumph of the science of medicines. From obesity to cancer treatment, 2022 has been a year of great progress that deserves to be celebrated (https://www.ft.com/content/2bd8211b-5d73-4c9d-8e28-cb0e22263421)
• A harmful variant of breast cancer (triple negative) unleashes the urgent search for a cure, beginning to glimpse solutions (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2022-12-20/una-variante-danina -of-breast-cancer-unleashes-urgent-search-for-a-cure.html)
• They relate the length of telomeres to Alzheimer’s (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/neurologia/relacionan-la-longitud-de-los-telomeros-con-el-alzheimer.html)
• mRNA vaccines open the way to new therapeutic approaches (https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/salud/2022/12/20/63a08f3f21efa00c728b45b6.html)
• The protein behind the extremely high lethality of the tumor is found in glioblastoma, according to an article published in Nature (https://www.elespanol.com/ciencia/salud/20221222/golpe-glioblastoma-hallan-proteina-rebelde-altisima- lethality/727677585_0.html). Original article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05551-x
• They identify four genes that increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/psiquiatria/identifican-cuatro-genes-que-elevan-el-riesgo-de-pensamientos-y-comportamientos- suicides.html)

Global Health

• Following the consequences of the terrible floods in Pakistan. More than 33 million people have been affected (https://www.bmj.com/content/379/bmj.o2898)

International Health Policy

• COVID-19
  • Discussions on the origin of covid-19 continue (https://www.lemonde.fr/sciences/article/2022/12/19/origine-du-sars-cov-2-le-jeu-de-piste -continue_6155086_1650684.html)
  • Nobel nominee Dr. Peter Hotez accuses Biden of recklessness in saying in September that “the pandemic is over,” stating that mortality is still high (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec /23/covid-cases-death-rate-risk-peter-hotez)

• The crisis of the covid-zero policy in China
  • A wave of covid 19 reveals serious problems in the Chinese healthcare system (https://www.economist.com/china/2022/12/19/a-wave-of-covid-19-reveals-flaws-in-chinas -health-system)
  • From zero-covid policy to no plan (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/19/world/asia/china-zero-covid-xi-jinping.html)
  • China tries to minimize the number of deaths linked to the pandemic (https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2022/12/22/la-chine-cherche-a-minimiser-le-nombre-de- deces-lies-au-covid-19_6155362_3244.html)
  • China estimates that 250 million have been infected by covid in 20 days (https://www.ft.com/content/1fb6044a-3050-44d8-b715-80c18ca5c9ab)
  • There are estimates that say that in China 37 million people have been infected in a single day (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-23/china-estimates-covid-surge-is- infecting-37-million-people-a-day)

• United Kingdom
  • Nurses’ strike goes ahead in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/dec/20/nurse-strike-england-wales-northern-ireland-second-day )
  • Ambulance strike in England and Wales (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/19/ambulance-strike-in-england-and-wales-will-bring-huge-risk-of -harm)
  • Covid 19 grows in England for the fourth week (https://www.ft.com/content/e091594b-548b-48be-81d3-6c3c49341d94)

• France
  • The government launches on December 21 a program to protect hospitals from cyberattacks, with the objective that 100% of priority health establishments have carried out tests before May 2023 (https://www.lemonde. fr/sante/article/2022/12/21/hopitaux-le-gouvernement-lance-un-programme-de-preparation-aux-cyberattaques_6155313_1651302.html)

• Europe
  • Europe suffers the worst avian flu epidemic, according to the report made public by the ECDC (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/infecciones/europa-sufre-peor-epidemia-gripe-aviar-con-alcance-geografico -without-precedinghtml). Original report: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/avian-influenza-overview-september-december-2022
  • Hungary imposes a tax on the extra profits of pharmaceutical companies (https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/hungr%C3%ADa-tax_hungarian-government-imposes-a-tax-on-the-extra-profits-of -pharmaceuticals / 48159934)

National health policy

• COVID
  • The incidence of covid rises to 160.84 points, with 241 deaths in a week (https://www.consalud.es/pacientes/especial-coronavirus/covid-19-espana-datos_124364_102.html)
  • Almost 40,000 people died from covid in Spain in 2021, 35% less than in 2020 (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-12-19/casi-40000-personas-murieron-el-ano-pasado- by-covid-in-spain-35-less-than-in-2020.html)

• Tensions in the public healthcare system in Madrid
  • Primary Care doctors suspend the strike until January 11, to analyze the administration proposal (https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/madrid/20221222/8655731/medicos-suspenden-huelga-11-enero- analyze-proposal-health.html)

• Pharmaceutical policy
  • Strategic plan for the pharmaceutical industry. The world heads of large firms commit to Sánchez to invest more than 8,000 million euros in three years and to hire at least 4,500 young people a year. For its part, the Government promised to launch the working group for the preparation of the Strategic Plan (https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/12/21/companias/1671643822_987878.html)

• Private healthcare
  • Doctors from the Andalusian private sector will stop consultations (https://www.elespanol.com/espana/andalucia/20221221/medicos-privada-andalucia-plantan-salarios-haran-consultas/727677526_0.html)

• Other topics of interest
  • Medicine at the Faculty of Health Sciences of La Rioja, supported by the PP candidate (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/autonomias/rioja/primeros-pasos-para-implantar-medicina-en-la-universidad -de-la-rioja-9263)
  • Government and the Community of Madrid launches the National Center for Neurotechnology (https://diariofarma.com/2022/12/22/gobierno-y-comunidad-de-madrid-lanzan-centro-nacional-de-neurotecnologia)
  • Madrid approves its 2022-2024 mental health plan (https://diariofarma.com/2022/12/22/madrid-approves-su-plan-de-salud-mental-2022-2024)
  • Catalonia: 460 million to improve working conditions in the subsidized sector. Agreement between the Department of Health and the employers UCH, CSSC and ACES. Doctors of Catalonia does not sign the agreement and maintains the strike call for January 2023 (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/cataluna-460-millones-para-mejorar-condiciones-laborales-en-el-sector -arranged.html)
  • Asturias launches the MiAsturSalud portal (https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/asturias/20221221/8653910/principado-pone-marcha-portal-miastursalud-mejorar-comunicacion-ciudadania.html)

Companies

• International News
  • Health private equity in the USA is oriented towards hospital emergencies, which see 130 million cases in a typical year (https://www.ft.com/content/5673a288-f55b-4cfd-aa76-0ebb30b029a6)
  • Belgian biotech company Galapagos, seeking acquisitions (https://www.ft.com/content/06c089ca-8810-493d-ab40-c3fa02ff8779)

• National News
  • Warren Buffet takes over the largest medical error insurance in Spain (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/banca/2022/12/21/63a20518e5fdea83398b460b.html)
  • Eugin lands in Portugal with the opening of a new center in Coimbra (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/eugin-aterriza-en-portugal-con-la-apertura-de-un-nuovo-centro-en -coimbra.html)
  • Cuideo grows 69% and reaches 60 million euros (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/cuideo-crece-un-69-en-2022-y-alcanza-60-millones-de-euros. html)
  • The Mexican bank CIBanco blames KKR for the bankruptcy of Dentix and asks to seize it (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2022/12/24/63a5d635e5fdeada4f8b4646.html)
  • Atrys sells 25% of its “compliance” subsidiary to Arraigo for 20 million (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2022/12/22/63a48786468aebd3268b4614.html)