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

• Bill Gates predicts a new pandemic with another pathogen and says that humanity could manage it better and offer vaccines sooner (https://www.consalud.es/ecsalud/internacional/bill-gates-predice-pandemia-patogeno-covid_110537_102.html)
• Abortions with pills, authorized up to 10 weeks, now account for more than half of abortions in the United States, a more accessible and less invasive method (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/health/abortion-pills-us.html)
• A total renewal of clinical trials, invented in 1941 by Archie Cochrane, is proposed. Too expensive, some cover up to 100 countries and according to Nature only 5% are reliable and 95% are useless (https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/02/26/clinical-trials-are-ailing)
• New research points to the Wuhan market, versus a laboratory, as the origin of the pandemic (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/02/26/science/covid-virus-wuhan-origins.html )

GLOBAL HEALTH

• COVAX distributed 1,000 million vaccines by January 2022, half of its goal (https://elpais.com/planeta-futuro/2022-02-25/covax-distribuyo-mil-millones-de-vacunas-hasta-enero-de-2022-la-mitad-de-su-objetivo.html)
• Given the inequality in access to vaccines, they propose that it be seen as a global good. The first successful peer-reviewed trial was published in December 2020. Today 62% of the population have received at least one dose, which is quite a feat. But while in rich countries the vaccine reached 90%, only 11% of the population in poor countries have received a dose (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2202547)
• After the differences in vaccines, there are also differences in access to effective treatments for COVID. Pfizer has allowed the manufacture of a generic of Paxlovid in 95 countries, but excludes 47% of the world’s population, such as Argentina, Brazil, Iraq, Lebanon, Malaysia and Thailand (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00372-5/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email)
• The WHO creates a hub to facilitate the manufacture of medicines in poor countries (https://www.ft.com/content/9f215fd0-f28d-4a77-83a5-616ed31631e4)
• WHO establishes a global biofabrication center in the Republic of Korea (https://www.plantadoce.com/entorno/la-oms-establece-un-centro-global-de-biofabricacion-en-la-republica-de-corea.html)
• The WHO designates six countries (Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia) to manufacture the mRNA vaccine in Africa (https://www.plantadoce.com/entorno/la-oms-designa-a-seis-paises-la-produccion-de-vacunas-de-arnm-en-africa.html)
• The EU strategy for vaccination in Africa: factories and research centers, but without releasing patents (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-02-22/la-estrategia-de-la-ue-para-la-vacunacion-en-africa-fabricas-y-centros-de-investigacion-pero-sin-liberar-patentes.html)

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH POLICY

• Scientists and doctors say it is too soon to lift all restrictions in the UK (https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o469)
• How “hospitalization at home” has been useful for the NHS to fight covid (https://www.ft.com/content/76a8dab5-ea99-4eeb-ab2f-d03c2d7b7424)
• The focus on covid has delayed advances in other diseases for years, according to experts (https://www.ft.com/content/5fdba002-0268-4004-aa4c-bd314ea82a99)
• Hong Kong’s attempt to live without covid causes chaos (https://www.economist.com/china/2022/02/25/hong-kongs-refusal-to-live-with-covid-19-is-causing-chaos)
• Quit rates of up to 400 a week among stressed NHS staff (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/feb/26/stressed-nhs-staff-quit-at-record-rate-of-400-a-week-fuelling-fears-over-care-quality)
• The decriminalization of abortion in Colombia up to the 24th week opens a debate on the deadlines (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-02-26/la-despenalizacion-del-aborto-hasta-la-semana-24-en-colombia-abre-un-debate-sobre-los-plazos.html)

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

• The manufacture of Ventolín and Nolotil pollutes more than the automotive industry (https://www.epe.es/es/sanidad/20220223/fabricacion-ventolin-nolotil-contamina-industria-movil-13279923)
• Quirónsalud grows 16% and reaches a turnover of 4,000 million in 2021 (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/el-dueno-de-quironsalud-crece-un-16-en-espana-y-supera-los-4000-millones-en-2021.html)
• Fresenius plans to find partners for Quirónsalud and Eugin (https://www.expansion.com/empresas/2022/02/23/62154a58e5fdeaa50a8b4642.html).
• IMED hospitals is reinforced in Murcia, with the purchase of Gesalud Mediterráneo (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/imed-hospitales-se-refuerza-en-murcia-con-la-compra-de-gesalud-mediterraneo.html)
• Twenty organizations ask the Government for global access to the HIPRA vaccine (https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/ong-piden-gobierno-licencia-vacuna-hipra-no-sea-exclusiva_1_8769137.html)
• Sandoz launches a new oncology generic in 19 EU countries (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/sandoz-lanza-un-nuevo-generico-oncologico-a-19-paises-de-europa.html)
• Merck closes the purchase of the American company Exelead for 780 million dollars (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/merck-cierra-la-compra-de-la-estadounidense-exelead-por-780-millones-de-dolares.html)
• Ed Lilly invests 700 million in the creation of the Genetic Medicine Institute, located between Boston and New York (https://www.hechoencalifornia1010.com/eli-lilly-invierte-700-millones-de-dolares-en-la-creacion-de-su-instituto-de-medicina-genetica/)
• The Spanish-Irish company Abi Health lands in China and Japan to extend its telehealth service (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/abi-health-aterriza-en-china-y-japon-para-extender-su-servicio-de-telesalud.html)
• Acciona, awarded the construction and operation contract in Chile for 207 million euros (https://www.europapress.es/economia/noticia-acciona-adjudica-construccion-operacion-hospital-chile-207-millones-euros-20220222124313.html)