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☆ Former CEO says Biogen 'shot themselves in the foot' by deciding to charge $56,000 for its controversial Alzheimer's drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Former Biogen CEO George Scangos said the biotech priced its Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm too high. After the FDA approved the controversial treatment in 2021, Biogen set a $56,000 list price. "They shot themselves in the foot with the pricing," Scangos, now CEO of Vir Biotechnology, said. SAN FRANCISCO — The former CEO of Biogen told Insider the Massachusetts biotech priced its controversial Alzheimer's drug, Aduhelm, "way too high." "I think Aduhelm works.

☆ Netflix's Harry and Megan doc is a hit in the US — mostly with women over 50
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Netflix's "Harry and Meghan" is a hit in the US, based on Nielsen numbers. During the week that the second half of the series dropped, half its viewers were 50 or over. Half of the viewers in that week-long period were 50 or over, and a whopping 73% of viewers were women, according to Nielsen. "The Crown," Netflix's dramatized Royals series, also leans older, but even moreso than "Harry and Meghan." When its fifth season debuted in November, Nielsen said that 60% of its viewers were over the age of 50.

☆ Democrats have a Gen Z problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Samuel Abrams | Jeremi Suri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

November's midterms heralded a new force in American politics: Gen Z voters. Given the narrow margins and the Democrats' ability to retain the Senate despite historical precedent, commentators and analysts declared that Gen Z helped Democrats thwart a Republican wave. Gen Z isn't sold on the whole 'party' thingAmericans are increasingly unhappy with the two-party system. Given these circumstances, Democrats shouldn't take the political loyalty of Gen Z voters for granted. Despite assumptions about their left leanings, members of Gen Z are not firmly behind the Democratic Party, President Joe Biden, or many other well-known Democrats.

☆ Apple's latest App Store revenue stat shows slowing growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

This year's disclosure suggests that Apple's App Store growth has plateaued. If all developers paid a 30% cut to Apple, Apple's App Store grossed over $85 billion in 2022, based on CNBC analysis. Apple's stat includes anyone who subscribes to a service through Apple's App store, not just its own first-party services like Apple TV+ and Music. Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring has been following slowing App Store growth. "While App Store growth remains near its lowest levels in history, and we acknowledge the global consumer remains challenged, we are encouraged to see growth trajectory continue to improve after bottoming in September," Woodring wrote.

☆ Japan Nov household spending unexpectedly falls 1.2% year/year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Japanese household spending fell 1.2% in November from a year earlier, government data showed on Tuesday, versus a median market forecast for a 0.5% gain. On a seasonally-adjusted month-on-month basis, household spending decreased 0.9% in November, compared with an estimated 0.5% decline. To view the data on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, click here: http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kakei/index.htmReporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Most-active corn futures’ worst recent January performance came in 2010 with a plunge of 14%, and most-active soybeans suffered the same fate that year, falling 13% during the month. That happened in January 2010, when decently bullish speculators heavily sold corn and soy futures in the weeks after the USDA report. Corn & soy futures in JanuaryUSDA INFLUENCEThe January trend in CBOT corn and soybean futures usually mimics price action on the month’s U.S. Department of Agriculture report day, so long as futures move by at least 1% on that day. But corn and soy futures have been uncharacteristically quiet on January report days in the last few years, making it harder to anticipate the trend going forward. January 2021 was the last time most-active corn futures spent more than one day below $5.

☆ Japan's jobless rate falls to 2.5% in Nov
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Japan's jobless rate fell to 2.5% in November, while the availability of jobs stayed at its highest level since March 2020, government data showed on Tuesday. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate matched economists' median forecast in a Reuters poll and was down from 2.6% in October. The jobs-to-applicants ratio stood at 1.35, labour ministry data showed, unchanged from October. For a table on the jobless data, go to the internal affairs ministry's website: http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/roudou/index.htm(Note: The jobs-to-applicants ratio and new job offers can be seen in Japanese on the labour ministry's website)Reporting by Kentaro Sugiyama, writing by Kaori Kaneko Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Box-office hits like 'Top Gun' and 'Avatar' could make waves at the next Oscars as the show fights for viewership
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"Top Gun: Maverick," "Avatar: The Way of Water," and more box-office hits are in Oscar contention. Now, with the Oscars fighting for viewership, box-office hits like "Top Gun: Maverick" — this year's biggest movie so far — and "Avatar: The Way of Water" — which is chasing that title — may be in contention for the top prize at the 2023 ceremony. The declining viewership has, in recent years, prompted the organization behind the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, to try to inject the show with changes. The aforementioned "Top Gun: Maverick" is a formidable player in this year's awards race, as is "Avatar: The Way of Water." The movie, which was made for $25 million, grossed $103 million worldwide, making it indie studio A24's biggest film ever.

☆ Not having a college degree matters most early in your career. But there are workarounds for young workers.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Research suggests a college degree isn't as much of a requirement as it once was for many jobs. But there's one thing George lacks: a college degree. An analysis by the Burning Glass Institute, a nonprofit research group, found that the share of jobs requiring a college degree has fallen in recent years. Beat the bots through keywords — and find a friendly recruiterGeorge, who works at Logan Capital Management in Pennsylvania, could recall only one time when not having a college degree cost her a job. "If you're up against someone with a liberal arts degree, you're more likely to progress because you know how to sell," he said.

☆ Eisai, Biogen Alzheimer's drug slows cognitive decline, safety for some becomes focus
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Deena Beasley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The drug, lecanemab, was associated with a type of brain swelling in 12.6% of trial patients, a side effect previously seen with similar drugs. He suggested that could be because homozygous study patients who were given a placebo fared better than expected. Overall, lecanemab patients benefited by 23% to 26% compared with a placebo on these secondary trial goals. Detailed data from the study were presented at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease meeting in San Francisco and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Howard Fillit, chief science officer at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, said doctors always balance the benefits and risks of therapies.

☆ Eisai shares plunge 10% in Tokyo after report of death in Alzheimer's trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Shares in Japanese drugmaker Eisai Co (4523.T) headed for their biggest plunge in more than a year on Tuesday after a report that a woman in a trial of the company's Alzheimer's disease treatment died. Eisai's shares sank 10% to 8,595 yen, leading decliners on the benchmark Nikkei index (.N225), which slid 0.5% in the morning session. Shares in Biogen sank 4.3% on Monday. Eisai and Biogen shares have been on a roller coaster in recent years on prospects for their candidates to battle dementia. Lecanemab was shown to slow cognitive and functional decline in a large trial of patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, Eisai and Biogen said in September.

☆ Here's what to do when your boss is gaslighting you
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This edition of Insider's work-advice column is about how to deal with a boss who's gaslighting you. He's gaslighting me about my performance, and I worry he's building a case to eventually try to fire me. And because we work in a very transparent and data-heavy organization, I can prove that he's wrong. Or, he could double down on the gaslighting behaviors, in which case you need to fashion an exit strategy, stat. Do your best to reduce direct contact with your boss — and take detailed notes on the meetings you do have.

☆ Post-pandemic travelers visited these 10 countries the most in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

It's almost time to start planning your 2023 travel, and a good place to start might be with the most visited countries of 2022. Flight ticket database company, ForwardKeys, published its annual report ranking the top countries based on the amount that tourism has increased since the travel industry was impacted in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report found that a majority of the top 20 countries were mainly in Central America and the Caribbean. According to ForwardKeys, this stat reflects the fact that many tourism-dependent countries in those regions imposed less severe COVID-19 travel restrictions and were able to maintain a steady flow of visitors even throughout the pandemic.

☆ $5.7 billion Cityblock Health is planning 'aggressive' growth. Its CEO shares how the startup wants to use M&A and more mental-health services to make that happen.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Cityblock Health isn't putting its growth on pause as a recession looms. But Cityblock Health isn't slowing down. The startup's "aggressive" plans for growth include expanding its mental-health and maternal-health services, Ajayi said, adding that the company could also make some acquisitions. Cityblock isn't looking to buy any companies that work with members outside Medicaid and Medicare. While Cityblock can afford to ride out a recession, the startup isn't ignoring the market downturn, Ajayi said.

☆ $5.7 billion Cityblock Health is planning 'aggressive' growth. Its CEO lays out how expanding mental-health services and dealmaking might be in the cards.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Cityblock Health isn't putting its growth on pause as a recession looms. But Cityblock Health isn't slowing down. The startup's plans for growth include expanding its mental-health and maternal-health services, Ajayi said, adding that the company could also make some acquisitions. Cityblock isn't looking to buy any companies that work with members outside Medicaid and Medicare. While Cityblock can afford to ride out a recession, the startup isn't ignoring the market downturn, Ajayi said.

☆ Children’s health leaders call for emergency response as respiratory viruses continue to spread across the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And health care systems nationwide continue to feel the strain of a respiratory virus season that has hit earlier and harder than usual. There have been about 8 flu hospitalizations for every 100,000 people this season – rates typically seen in December or January. While the Covid-19 emergency declaration remains in place, the federal government has not made a formal emergency declaration around children’s health care. HHS and the CDC are in regular contact with health care leaders and providers, actively monitoring situational needs and ready to provide assistance on a case-by-case basis, an HHS spokesperson told CNN. They also urge all those eligible to get their flu and Covid-19 vaccines, along with other routine vaccinations.

☆ Japan Oct CPI up 3.6% year/year, fastest since 1982 -govt
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Japan's core consumer prices rose 3.6% in October from a year earlier, the fastest pace since 1982, the government said on Friday. The rise in the core consumer price index, which excludes fresh food but includes oil products, would mark the fastest gain since February 1982, and compared with rises of 3.0% in the prior month and 3.5% forecast by economists. The so-called core-core inflation index, which excludes fresh food and energy prices, rose 2.5% in the year to October. For the full tables, go to the ministry's website at: http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/cpi/index.htmReporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A real estate investor who owns more than 100 rental units says that investors should be 'a lot more excited to buy this year than last.' Here's his 4-step process for finding a great deal.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Start by deciding where you want to buy property and learn everything about that market. Then, figure out what an "average deal" is in your area so you can score great deals. If you're going to be a buy-and-hold investor in a new area, get a buy box and make it hyper-focused." "The more you know your buy box, the better your chances at finding a great deal," he said. I'm willing to write lots of offers and I will close on every great deal."

☆ Fake account shows 'challenges' with Twitter - Lilly CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] FILE PHOTO: Twitter app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File PhotoNov 16 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly & Co (LLY.N) Chief Executive Officer Dave Ricks said on Wednesday that the recent imposter Twitter account incident "demonstrates some of the challenges" on the social media platform. Speaking at the STAT Summit 2022, Ricks described the incident as "disappointing" and said that the apology which followed from Lilly did not "happen quickly enough". The drugmaker had issued an apology from its official Twitter account, @LillyPad, after an imposter Twitter account with the handle @EliLillyandCo tweeted that insulin would be free, amid political backlash and scrutiny into high medicine costs. Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Some Amazon staffers joked that the writers of its mega-expensive 'Lord of the Rings' series should be laid off after the company cut thousands of roles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Travis Clark | Katherine Long | Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Some Amazon staffers have joked that the "Rings of Power" writers should be laid off. "The Rings of Power" was hit with a mixed reception, and Amazon has been quiet about its viewership. Several of those employees have joked that the writers of Amazon's uber-expensive series, "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," should be laid off, Insider reported. No press release followed its season finale; by contrast, HBO released viewership for the finale of its own fantasy series, "House of the Dragon," the next day. And judging by the jokes in the layoffs-focused Slack channel, that seems to even be a narrative within Amazon among staffers.

☆ Trevor Noah jabbed at Elon Musk's early Twitter tenure, joking that if the new owner really wants to make money he should charge white people to say the 'n-word'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Comedian Trevor Noah ridiculed Elon Musk's plan to charge $8 a month for Twitter Blue on his show. Noah said if Musk charged white people to say the n-word Twitter would be "the most profitable company in history." He noted that the use of the N-word went up 500% in the first 12 hours after Musk became Twitter's owner. After Musk officially became Twitter's owner last Thursday, Noah said, "we got a taste of this extra free speech." "It was a troll that turned into a real, he used his free speech, and he paid a big price," Noah said.

☆ 'Safe port in the storm:' Why investors rewarded Apple but fled its Big Tech peers after earnings
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Apple's earnings received a drastically different reaction from investors than its Big Tech peers Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Facebook. Shares of Apple were up about 7% Friday morning, the day after Apple reported earnings that showed 8% annual sales growth and despite misses on estimates for iPhone and services revenue. Apple looks like a "relatively safe port in the storm," as a note Friday from Credit Suisse analyst Shannon Cross says. Sacconaghi said some of Apple's Big Tech peers also seemed to have issues controlling costs, whereas Apple remains fairly lean and profitable. "Overall, our viewpoint remains consistent that Apple remains recession resilient given its products, services and wearables businesses," wrote Piper Sandler's Harsh Kumar.

☆ Amazon has been suspiciously quiet about 'The Rings of Power' viewership in the 2 weeks since the first season concluded
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Steven Tweedie | Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Amazon has yet to share viewership numbers on its "Rings of Power" finale, weeks later. The show has yet to cross the vague 100 million viewers milestone it teased three weeks ago. Payne and Patrick McKay later noted that 12.6 million viewers watched the premiere in the US in the first four days. Still, Amazon said "Rings of Power" in its first two months has driven "more Prime signs-up globally than any other Amazon original." HBO said this week that "House of the Dragon" was averaging 29 million viewers per episode.

☆ Updated Covid-19 boosters offer protection, but new studies suggest they don't offer an edge against Omicron
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Similar immune responsesThe studies have important limitations, and they aren’t the final word on the updated boosters. In Barouch’s study, antibody concentrations were 15 times higher after the original boosters, rising from 184 to 2,829. They were 17 times higher after the updated shots, jumping from 211 to 3,693. After waiting the recommended three months since his last Covid-19 infection, President Joe Biden got an updated booster Tuesday and urged eligible Americans to do the same. Worobey says that when the strains are combined as they are in the updated boosters, they actually end up competing.

☆ Earnings playbook: How to trade the busiest week of the season thus far, including Apple and Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Fred Imbert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +17 min

It's the busiest week of the earnings season thus far, with nearly 150 S & P 500 components set to report. What history shows: Coca-Cola has outperformed analyst earnings expectations in the last 11 quarters, FactSet data shows. Alphabet is set to report earnings after the close, with management expected to hold a conference call at 5 p.m. What history shows: FactSet data shows Microsoft's earnings per share have come in above expectations in 24 of the last 25 quarters. What history shows: McDonald's earnings per share have outperformed expectations in six of the last 10 quarters, FactSet data shows.

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