Making cardiovascular health a European health priority will save millions of lives

4 months ago 18

Only four days into its Presidency Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Hungary will host a conference of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the idea is to start early by agreeing on an action plan over the next six months.

“We are poised to take a decisive step forward in the fight against cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Europe,” says Dr Péter Takás, Hungarian Minister for Health in the foreword to the Presidency’s ‘concept paper’ states, “The Hungarian Presidency is deeply committed to leveraging this period to galvanise support, foster cross-border collaborations, and champion comprehensive strategies that address root causes and disparities associated with CVDs.”

If you were in any doubt about how serious their commitment is, the forty-page paper that the presidency has written with the ESC, should put you in no doubt.

Euractiv spoke to Professor Franz Weidinger, the president of ESC, “the initiative to have the high-level meeting in Budapest, definitely came from the Hungarian side.”

CVD accounts for 37% of all deaths in Europe, amounting to around 1.7 million deaths annually, with serious geographic and gender disparities.

“37% is an average figure,” says Wiedinger, but this masks a more varied picture across the EU. “In low-risk regions it can be as low as 26%, it can rise to as much as 60% in high-risk regions. Hungary is a high-risk area. We can tackle this by aiming at an EU-wide cardiovascular health plan.”

There is also a significant gender divide, “if you look at the statistics, CVD makes up 40% of mortality in female and just 34% in males.” More work is needed to understand the gender gap, but it could be associated with a rise in women being exposed to the same risk factors as men, such as stress in everyday life, obesity and smoking.

Professor Franz Weidinger, ESC President with colleague.

Cardiovascular disease estimated to cost €282 billion

The ESC funded a study carried out by Oxford University, into the cost that this places on society and found that in 2021 alone, there was a cost of €282 billion to the EU. “Just imagine, this is 100 billion more than the entire EU budget,” says Weidinger. “Only 46% of this is direct costs, the other 54% are societal costs, including disability and social care.” By investing now, states and the EU could save lives and reduce the cost on the economy.

“No member state should be without a plan to tackle the biggest threat to the lives of its citizens, nor should we view such a plan as the sole responsibility of health ministries.”

Weidinger says that cardiovascular (CV) innovation is underfunded, “there is a very small portion of drugs that have been approved recently by the European Medicines Agency, 4% compared to 27% for cancer drugs.” He argues for more public funding for research, and to harmonise and unify CV registries across the EU, “additional funds are particularly needed in lower-income countries.”

The Hungarian Presidency also wants to spur the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, from telemedicine to personalized medicine approaches that can significantly improve health outcomes. Takás says, “This period of leadership is seen as an opportunity to foster an innovative and resilient European health ecosystem that is also responsive to the needs of citizens.”

Just as cancer treatments are becoming more personalised and precise, the ESC also wants to target CVD in a more efficient way. The European Health Data Space may help in sharing data, it can also help healthcare professionals gauge adherence of patients to medication. High-quality data and good-quality registries can help researchers carry out and lower the cost of randomised trials.

“I have spent my entire career treating patients with cardiovascular disease, but making a cardiovascular health plan a national and European health priority would save millions of lives. This responsibility is not just on doctors, but on all of us,” says Weidinger.

Other news

EPP – 5-point plan

In a draft document, the European Peoples Party (EPP) sets out its policy priorities for the EU’s next five-year cycle. Health proposals come under the fourth heading, ‘A Europe that preserves our European Way of Life’ and includes making Europe “the pharmacy of the world” which may seem ambitious given the current problem with widespread medicine shortages.

The group wants action plans for cardiovascular and mental health. They also see the European Health Union as a way for the EU to join its resources and best minds to create breakthrough innovations in medicine.

Smoke-free environment

The Commission is set to (finally) publish its revision of the recommendation on smoke-free environments 17 September during the Strasbourg plenary. Asked at the recent Health Council about the delay in presenting its recommendation, Health Commission Stella Kyriakides said that work was ongoing and that it had been “a particularly challenging task.”

EU actions to tackle shortages of obesity and diabetes drugs

The EMA and the Heads of Medicines Agencies have recently issued new recommendations to tackle shortages of GLP-1 receptor agonists. The guidance includes specific guidance to priorities the use of drugs like Ozempic for the treatment of obesity rather than for cosmetic weight loss.

France calls on EU solidarity after shortage of key cancer drug

France activated the voluntary European solidarity mechanism for the first time due to shortages of methotrexate-based drugs used to treat certain leukemias and lymphomas.

In a press release, the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) said the solidarity mechanism was intended to “alleviate the production difficulties of the three laboratories concerned – Accord, Teva and Viatris […] and ensure continuity of treatment for patients”.

Via the solidarity mechanism, created in October 2023, the EMA forwarded the request to all EU countries, and Slovenia answered the call and sent boxes of medicines to France. The supply constraints are expected to return to normal by mid-July.

Moderna receives BARDA funding to advance H5 and H7 avian flu vaccines

Moderna have been awarded $176 million through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle (RRPV) to accelerate the development of mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccines.

EFSA recruits leading scientists to panels for new 5-year term

180 leading experts have been selected to join Europe’s Food Safety Agency panels for the next 5 years. “Compared to 2017, we attracted 40% more candidates, including a higher share of women. Young scientists also confirmed their interest in working with us”, said Nik Kriz, Head of EFSA’s Risk Assessment Services Department.

Buoyant market in psychoactive substances

New analysis reveals a highly dynamic and resilient market for new psychoactive substances. The EU Drug Agency and Europol have released a new report on the state of the EU psychoactive substances market. It highlights the resilience of the market, new threats and the role digitalisation has played in facilitating the sale and distribution of such substances.

In 2022, there was a record number of seizures, with more than 30.7 tons seized. While China remains the top supplier, a large part has shifted to India.

10 new medicines approved by EMA

EMA’s human medicines committee has greenlighted 10 new medicines for approval, including the first emergency nasal spray treatment against allergic reactions – Eurneffy, 11 medicines were also granted extensions of their therapeutic indications. The committee refused marketing authorisations for two medicines, Masitinib AB Science, a medicine intended for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Syfovre, to treat age-related macular degeneration.

You can find the list here.

Commission wants to curb harmful chemicals in cosmetics but no progress on regulation

Internal disagreements have prevented the European Commission from delivering a long-announced revision of the Cosmetics Products Regulation, meaning for now, it will use technical powers and softer guidance to regulate the sector.

ENVI: Busiest EU Parliament committee to be split up, says leading EPP lawmaker

The European Parliament’s environment and health committee (ENVI), burdened with a heavy workload in the last five-year term, is on track to be split up so that it no longer handles health and food safety, according to Peter Liese MEP (EPP).

Europe’s drug monitoring agency updates mandate, rebrands as EUDA

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) officially became the European Drugs Agency (EUDA) on Tuesday (2 July), expanding its advisory support for policymakers.

Top EU court upholds Commission’s decision on anti-competitive behaviour in perindopril market

The EU’s Court of Justice (CJEU) has upheld a Commission decision from 2014 to fine companies involved in anti-competitive behaviour in the pharmaceutical sector.

News from the capitals

CROSS COUNTRY
Access to novel medicines continues to vary widely across EU member states. Though health remains mostly a national competence, a new Euractiv cross-country report shows patients in each country face unequal challenges when accessing new therapies. Read more.

///

STOCKHOLM
Sweden unveils new cross-sector partnership to attract more clinical trials
The Swedish government will explore a national stakeholder partnership to increase the number of clinical trials in Sweden. The move comes after a decade of slow decline in trial applications, which reached a record low in 2023. Read more.

///

SOFIA
Bulgaria facing critical shortage of general practitioners.
A critical shortage of general practitioners threatens the Bulgarian health system, according to a new report by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Read more.

///

BRATISLAVA
Leading Slovak politician denies Slovakia’s pandemic, as health ministry rejects revised WHO regulations
Slovak MP Peter Kotlár is accused of bringing “international disgrace” on Slovakia following his pandemic denial and Slovakia’s rejection of a deal to revise the International Health Regulations (IHR) at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. Read more.