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Healthcare workers strike in front of Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, as more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers go on strike from October 4 to 7 across the United States, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 4, 2023. WHAT ARE KAISER WORKERS' DEMANDS AND WHAT IS THE COMPANY OFFERING? Some of the key demands by the workers include higher pay to keep up with the cost of living, a $25-per-hour minimum wage for all healthcare workers, and a reformed bonus structure. The union insists Kaiser needs to hire 10,000 new healthcare workers to fill current vacancies, as well as "fix broken hiring processes" that are preventing full staffing. The unions are asking Kaiser Permanente to make massive investment in the education and training of future healthcare workers, and for a diminished role for vendors and third-party contractors that the healthcare network relies on.

Persons: Julie Su, Kaiser, Kaiser Permanente, John August, Russ Richmond, Leroy Leo, Bhanvi, Ahmed Aboulenein, Steve Gorman, Shinjini Ganguli, Diane Craft Organizations: Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Permanente, REUTERS, Kaiser Permanente, Labor, AMN Healthcare, District of Columbia, Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Tenet Healthcare, Satellite Healthcare, Fresenius, Thomson Locations: United States, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Kaiser, California, Bengaluru, Washington, Los Angeles

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff reviewers said on Tuesday Amgen's (AMGN.O) late-stage study might not be sufficient to confirm the effectiveness for its lung cancer drug, as the firm pursues a traditional nod for the treatment. Amgen's drug was granted accelerated approval by the U.S. FDA in 2021 for advanced lung cancer patients with KRAS mutations whose disease has worsened after treatment with chemotherapy or other medicines. The U.S. health regulator grants the so-called accelerated approval based on data that show therapies are likely to work, and requires confirmatory trials later to give them traditional approval. Data from the study showed Lumakras reduced the risk of disease progression in patients with advanced lung cancer by 34%, compared with chemotherapy in a clinical trial. The agency is expected to make a decision on traditional approval for the drug by Dec. 24.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Amgen's, William Blair, Matt Phipps, Lumakras, Bhanvi Satija, Shounak Dasgupta, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, U.S, FDA, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Unleashing a New Weapon on the Mosquito: A Mosquito
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Stephanie Nolen | Eleanor Lutz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

Anggy Aldana working at the World Mosquito Program lab in Medellín, Colombia. Researchers found, after painstaking trial and error, that they could insert the bacteria into mosquito eggs using minute needles. How mosquito eggs are injected with Wolbachia A looping video showing a thin needle injecting fluid into a row of black mosquito eggs. How Wolbachia spreads among wild mosquitoes A series of three illustrations showing the outcomes of breeding between wild mosquitoes and mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia. Mosquito eggs and a tray of chilled mosquitoes at the World Mosquito Program lab.

Persons: Eleanor Lutz, Wolbachia, Scott O’Neill, —, O’Neill’s, Steven Sinkins, Marlon Victoria, ”, Victoria, “, O’Neill, It’s, Laura Harrington, They’re, won’t, ” Mr Organizations: Mosquito Program, Mosquito, Brazil —, FRANCE Croatia United, ARGENTINA CHILE Americas, CHILE Americas, University of Glasgow, —, Medellín Health, Colombian, Cornell University Locations: Medellín, Colombia, Cali, Honduras, Australia, Australian, Vietnam, Indonesia, France, Florida and Texas, Brazil, Americas, African, Asia, Europe, FRANCE Croatia United States PORTUGAL JAPAN CHINA Texas PAKISTAN Florida EGYPT INDIA MALI MEXICO PHILIPPINES SUDAN ETHIOPIA Colombia SOMALIA INDONESIA BRAZIL ANGOLA PERU NAMIBIA AUSTRALIA, AFRICA Africa, Oceania, ARGENTINA CHILE, FRANCE Croatia United States PORTUGAL JAPAN CHINA Texas Florida EGYPT, MEXICO MALI PHILIPPINES SUDAN Colombia SOMALIA INDONESIA BRAZIL ANGOLA PERU NAMIBIA AUSTRALIA ARGENTINA Africa, CHILE, Africa, United States, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wolbachia, Siloé, West Africa, Medellin

Sept 26 (Reuters) - Shares of Immunovant (IMVT.O) surged nearly 80% on Tuesday, after early-stage data from its experimental antibody treatment exceeded analysts' expectations. Immunovant is developing its antibody drug, IMVT-1402, as an under-the-skin injection to potentially treat autoimmune diseases. Immunovant's experimental drug reduced the levels of IgG, or immunoglobulin antibodies, that cause inflammation and disease in healthy adults. Shares of Roivant Sciences (ROIV.O), Immunovant's largest shareholder with a 56.5% stake, according to LSEG data, also rose 17.5% to $12. The positive data from IMVT-1402 could give Roivant another "potentially blockbuster" candidate to transact, after its experimental treatment for bowel disease, Jefferies analyst Dennis Ding said.

Persons: J.P, Morgan, Brian Cheng, drugmakers Johnson, Johnson, Hytrulo, Immunovant, transact, Jefferies, Dennis Ding, Bhanvi, Krishna Chandra Organizations: UCB, Roivant Sciences, Thomson Locations: United States, York, IMVT, Bengaluru

CNN —A journalist was attacked on Wednesday evening in New York City by an official who was part of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s camp, a news channel has alleged. Iran International correspondent Kian Amani was filming outside the Millennium Hilton New York One UN Plaza Hotel and reporting on Raisi’s “entourage” leaving when the incident happened, the Iran International news channel said in a statement Thursday. “The entourage of Iran’s president attacked, harassed and insulted Iran International journalists covering Ebrahim Raisi’s stay in New York,” Iran International alleged. Iran International is a Persian-language news channel that broadcasts from Washington, D.C. Founded in 2017, Iran International has previously come under scrutiny by the Iranian government.

Persons: CNN —, Ebrahim Raisi’s, Kian Amani, ”, “, Amani, I’m, Abram Paley, ” Paley Organizations: CNN, Iran International, Millennium Hilton New York, UN, Hotel, Amani, Iranian Foreign Ministry, State, Twitter, Washington , D.C Locations: New York City, Iran, New York, Amani, Persian, Washington ,

The updated shots are part of a push by public health officials to align the next COVID vaccines more closely with the actual circulating variant of the virus, similar to the way annual flu shots are designed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday authorized updated COVID vaccines made by Pfizer (PFE.N) and its German partner BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) as well as by Moderna (MRNA.O). CDC Director Mandy Cohen is expected to approve the recommendations issued by the advisers, allowing Americans to get the updated vaccines. The first COVID vaccines in 2020 were monovalent, or single-target vaccines, aimed at the original strain of the virus. They were followed by bivalent COVID vaccine booster shots that targeted both the original and the Omicron strains.

Persons: Emily Elconin, BioNTech, Caitlin Rivers, Mandy Cohen, Rivers, bivalent, Daniel Kuritzkes, Eris, Kuritzkes, Novavax, Bhanvi, Julie Steenhuysen, Will Dunham, Caroline Humer Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Pfizer, Moderna, FDA, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, CDC, Omicron, Brigham, Women's Hospital, Vaccine, EG, Thomson Locations: Waterford , Michigan, U.S, United States, Baltimore, Europe, Asia, Boston, Moderna, Bengaluru, Chicago

Sept 7 (Reuters) - Insulet Corp's (PODD.O) shares hit an over three-year low on Thursday on concerns that strong demand for a new class of diabetes drugs that also aid in weight loss could hit sales of its insulin pumps. CEO James Hollingshead said at the Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference that GLP-1 drugs, which are used to treat type-2 diabetes and obesity, could delay the onset of insulin dependency in diabetes patients. GLP-1s are highly effective weight-loss drugs that some analysts predict could become a $100 billion market by 2030. Shares of Massachusetts-based Insulet fell about 12% to $170.87 and were on track to wipe off about $1.6 billion from the company's market capitalization if losses hold. Insulet manufactures and sells insulin delivery devices, which eliminate the need for multiple daily injections for people with insulin-dependent diabetes.

Persons: James Hollingshead, Novo, Trang Ly, Bhanvi, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Wells, Healthcare Conference, New England, of Medicine, Massachusetts, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Benjamin Katz — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Benjamin Katz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Benjamin KatzBen Katz is a reporter writing about the global aviation and aerospace industry in The Wall Street Journal’s corporate bureau in London. His stories often focus on how the industry navigates the ups and downs of major geopolitical, economic and global health events. Ben joined the Journal from Bloomberg News, where he first started writing about the aviation industry along with British business and politics. With Journal colleagues, he received an Honorable Mention at the 2020 Sabew awards for coverage of the pandemic’s impact on airlines. He previously won a Peter Lisagor Chicago Headline Club award and was a finalist for the Harold Wincott Award for Young Financial Journalist of the Year in 2017.

Persons: Benjamin Katz Ben Katz, Ben, Peter Lisagor, Harold Wincott Organizations: Airbus, Boeing, Journal, Bloomberg News, Cardiff University, Peter Lisagor Chicago Headline, Young Financial Locations: London, Cape Town , South Africa

Medtronic Plc logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, April 10, 2023. Medtronic, which makes pacemakers, catheters and other tools used in heart and gastrointestinal surgeries, joins rivals, including Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N), Stryker (SYK.N) and Boston Scientific (BSX.N), on benefiting from a rise in non-urgent surgeries. CEO Geoff Martha said trends pointed to a recovery in surgical volumes as some procedures returned to stronger than pre-pandemic levels. Whereas, revenue from its medical surgical unit rose 5.5% to $2.04 billion. Medtronic also said that it was expecting to split its patient monitoring and respiratory interventions businesses in the first half of fiscal 2025.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Stryker, Geoff Martha, It's, Martha, Edward Jones, John Boylan, Medtronic, Bhanvi Satija, Christy Santhosh, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: REUTERS, Abbott, Abbott Laboratories, Boston, Thomson Locations: Dublin, Bengaluru

Aug 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Pfizer's (PFE.N) respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for use in women during the middle of the third trimester of pregnancy to protect their babies. An FDA panel of outside experts backed the safety and effectiveness of Pfizer's RSV vaccine for women in their second and third trimesters earlier in May. RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms but can also lead to serious illness and hospitalization. Infants are at greatest risk for severe illness from RSV. An estimated 58,000 to 80,000 children below the age of five years are hospitalized every year due to RSV infection in the U.S., according to government data.

Persons: Pfizer, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Patrick Wingrove, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Pfizer, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, GSK, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, Bengaluru, New York

CVS Health logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. The regional health insurance provider will still retain CVS Caremark for managing specialty drugs, which are costly medications used to treat complex conditions like cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Other analysts highlighted difficulties in shifting to a different model than the one offered by companies like CVS - which provide other services including home drug delivery and reimburse pharmacies for patients' prescriptions. Amazon Pharmacy will provide at-home delivery of prescription drugs as well as upfront pricing, while Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company will provide access to generic drugs, Blue Shield said. Blue Shield of California's other partners include privately held Abarca for processing claims related to prescription drugs, while smaller PBM Prime Therapeutics will work to negotiate savings with drugmakers.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Mark, Elizabeth Anderson, J.P, Morgan, Lisa Gill, Gill, Blue, Manas Mishra, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Shweta Agarwal, Pooja Desai, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Frances Kerry Organizations: CVS, REUTERS, Amazon, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Evercore ISI, Mark Cuban, Plus, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

An Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical manufacturing plant is pictured at 50 ImClone Drive in Branchburg, New Jersey, March 5, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File PhotoAug 8 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly (LLY.N) on Tuesday raised its annual forecasts after beating estimates for quarterly results, driven by strong demand for its new diabetes drug Mounjaro, ahead of a decision on its use as a weight-loss treatment. The company is leaning on Mounjaro, approved last May in the U.S. for diabetes, to soften the hit from insulin price cuts and competition for cancer therapy Alimta. A decision on Mounjaro to treat obesity, expected later this year, could help the drugmaker tap a multi-billion dollar market. Lilly now expects annual revenue in range of $33.4 billion to $33.9 billion, compared with its prior range of $31.2 billion to $31.7 billion.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Mike Segar, Mounjaro, Wells, Mohit Bansal, Lilly, Bhanvi Satija, Mariam Sunny, Sriraj Organizations: Company, REUTERS, Novo Nordisk, Thomson Locations: Branchburg , New Jersey, U.S, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoAug 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. drug regulator's approval of Biogen (BIIB.O) and Sage Therapeutics' (SAGE.O) first-of-its-kind postpartum depression (PPD) pill is unlikely to allay the drugmakers' growth concerns, analysts said on Monday. Adverse commentary after their PPD drug was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday sent Sage shares tumbling 40%, while Biogen dropped 3% in premarket trading. Zurzuvae's use as a clinical depression treatment represents a more than $1 billion sales opportunity compared with $250 million to $500 million potential for postpartum depression, said Jefferies analyst Michael Yee. "Postpartum depression is not necessarily where a big commercial opportunity is," Biogen CEO Christopher Viehbacher said last month. The U.S. FDA said last week that additional studies might be required to support the drug's approval for major depressive disorder (MDD), or clinical depression.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Sage, Biogen, Baird, Brian Skorney, Skorney, Zurzuvae, Jefferies, Michael Yee, Christopher Viehbacher, Yee, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Manas Mishra, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Food and Drug Administration, FDA, REUTERS, Sage Therapeutics, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, U.S, Thomson Locations: White Oak , Maryland, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ How the heat wave is hurting your productivity at work
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

There are no federal regulations that protect workers in extreme heat, contributing to losses in productivity. "There's of course the worst case, the risk of death, but there is the risk of injury with the rise in temperature and reduced work hours. How much heat impacts productivityPlenty of studies show that extreme heat can crush economic activity across a variety of sectors. Long-term exposure to extreme heat, the authors write, causes inflammation and cardiovascular pressure. Workers in high-exposure industries worked about an hour less when the temperature was above 85 degrees Fahrenheit compared to the 76-80 degrees Fahrenheit range.

Persons: Algernon Austin, Biometeorology, Austin Organizations: Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Center for Economic, Policy Research, Economics, Workers, International Locations: Wall, Silicon, New Orleans, Nashville, California

July 28 (Reuters) - Biogen (BIIB.O) agreed to buy rare disease drugmaker Reata Pharmaceuticals (RETA.O) for nearly $6.5 billion, the first large acquisition under new CEO Christopher Viehbacher as he seeks to return the drugmaker to growth. Through the deal, Biogen said it will gain Texas-based Reata's recently approved drug Skyclarys to treat a rare genetic disorder that causes progressive damage to the nervous system. It already makes Spinraza, a treatment for the rare muscle-wasting disorder called spinal muscular atrophy, and a treatment for a rare type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Biogen said it will pay Reata $172.50 per share in cash, which represents a 58.9% premium to the stock's last closing price. Reuters GraphicsShares of Reata surged nearly 52% to $164.76 in early trading, while Biogen's shares fell marginally to $261.14.

Persons: Christopher Viehbacher, Viehbacher, Biogen, Eisai, Baird, Brian Skorney, Manas Mishra, Bhanvi, Shinjini Organizations: Pharmaceuticals, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Texas, United States, Bengaluru

☆ The world’s most shark-filled waters
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

There were just 57 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks last year, out of a global population of 8 billion, five of which were fatal. However, some places around the world have much higher rates of shark attacks than others, with the numbers rising with the passing years. Let’s take a look at the locations worldwide with the highest rates of shark attacks between 2012 and 2021 and the reasons they’ve become hot spots. South Africa (29 bites)South Africa had 29 unprovoked shark bites between 2012 and 2021, of which six were fatal. South Carolina (45 bites)None of the 45 unprovoked attacks in South Carolina in the decade-long time frame were fatal.

Persons: Let’s, ”, Gavin Naylor, Gansbaai, they’ve, ” Neil Hammerschlag, “, ” Richard Peirce, orcas, Brad Leue, Chuck Bangley, Fernando de Noronha, Katarina Zarutskie, ” Zarutskie Organizations: CNN, Discovery, Discovery Channel, Warner Bros ., ISAF, Volusia, Florida Program, Shark Research, orcas, Conservation, University of Miami Rosenstiel School, Shark Conservation Society, International, of Oceanography, Aquaculture Locations: New York, Florida, Florida’s Volusia County, ”, Smyrna Beach, Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria, Hawaii, Windward Oahu, South Africa, Carolina, South Carolina, Charleston, Horry, Beaufort, ” California, San Diego, California, Brunswick County, North, North Carolina, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Brazil, Pernambuco, Bahamas, Staniel Cay

☆ Opinion | Barbara Kingsolver Thinks Urban Liberals Have It All Wrong on Appalachia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +58 min

It’s like there’s no point in asking who started this because it’s a really, really old antagonism. I think that’s probably what’s most critical right now is that all of our entertainment, our news media, it’s all made in cities. And he’s really pretty horrible, and he doesn’t feed them enough, and that’s really sad. You’re going to have a flat tire, and the guy that pulls up to help you is going to tell your dad within minutes. It’s not like most books you’re going to see.

Persons: Ezra Klein, ezra klein, —, Hernan Diaz, Barbara Kingsolver, “ David Copperfield ”, Dickens, It’s, barbara kingsolver, you’ve, ezra klein We’re, Nobody, I’d, I’ve, Bobby Ann Mason’s, “, — Wendell Berry, Robert Penn Warren, James Still, Harriette, Taylor Greer, you’re, George Washington, ” he’s, — he’s, he’s, I’ll, They’re, George W, Bush, they’re, barbara kingsolver You’re, we’ve, That’s, that’s, I’m, ” barbara kingsolver, barbara kingsolver Oh, barbara kingsolver ezra klein barbara kingsolver, ezra klein Yes, we’re, Charles Dickens, “ David Copperfield, ”, Tommy, ” It’s, ezra klein There’s, barbara kingsolver There’s, Tommy Traddles, Tommy Waddles, who’s, He’s, We’re, Tommy’s, she’s, it’s, Beth Macy, overdosed, ” ezra klein, There’s, grandkids, they’ve, Dori, doesn’t, Peggot, Frances Goldin, Arwen Donahue, She’s, Beth Macy’s, Lazarus, Laline Paull, ezra klein Barbara Kingsolver Organizations: New York, Fiction, Trump, Nicholas County High School, DePauw University, Walmart, The New York Times, . Times, New York Times, Farmers, “, Knoxville —, Purdue Pharma, Purdue, aha, Scots Locations: Appalachia, It’s, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, U.S, exploitations, Congo, Caribbean, Indiana, Nicholas, Arizona, Europe, Tucson , Arizona, Tucson, Paris, Athens, France, “ Shiloh, MAGA, America, Brazil, Eastern Europe, There’s, California, New York, “, Tommy, Pennington, Knoxville, there’s, nove, Lee County, that’s Lee County, that’s, United States of America, who’s, New York City

July 14 (Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group's (UNH.N) quarterly profit beat Wall Street estimates on Friday as a smaller-than-expected jump in medical costs allayed fears that a resumption in long-delayed surgical procedures would hit profit growth, sending its shares up 5%. The beat from the industry bellwether lifted the shares of rivals Humana (HUM.N), Cigna (CI.N), CVS Health (CVS.N) and Elevance Health (ELV.N) between 2% and 5%. Chief financial officer John Rex said the company expects medical costs for the third quarter to be "a little bit lower" compared to the second quarter. UnitedHealth's profit of $6.14 per share for the second quarter beat analysts' expectations of $5.99, according to Refinitiv. Reporting by Bhanvi Satija and Raghav Mahobe in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja DesaiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: John Rex, Stephens, Scott Fidel, UnitedHealth, Humana, Bhanvi Satija, Pooja Desai Organizations: Wall, Humana, CVS Health, Elevance, Health, Medicare, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

Severe weather can happen any day of the year. Some people will go to a tornado shelter as soon as a warning is issued. The National Weather Service provides alerts in English and Spanish, which can limit communications with people who primarily speak other languages. How do I get a severe weather warning? Your cellphone should automatically receive severe weather warnings.

Persons: Kathleen Sherman, Morris, Sherman, ”, Amber Silver, Patrick Rios, Harvey, Kim Klockow, McClain, Rory Doyle, Klockow, Ilana Panich, Ms, “ Organizations: Mississippi State University, University, Social, National Weather Service, New, International, of, ., The New York Times, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, The New York, Weather Service, Service Locations: Eastern Tennessee, Albany, Rockport , Texas, New York City, Rolling Fork, Miss, Austin , Texas, .

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo/File PhotoJune 14 (Reuters) - Health insurer stocks dropped sharply on Wednesday after UnitedHealth Group (UNH.N) said costs were on the rise for the largest U.S. healthcare provider by market value due to an increase in surgeries among older adults. Shares of industry bellwether UnitedHealth fell 7.3% to $455.11, wiping out roughly $42 billion from the company's market capitalization in the current trading session. Meanwhile, stocks of medical device makers and hospital operators rose, as increased frequency of surgeries mean more revenue for them. The company highlighted strong demand for hip and knee procedures at outpatient centers, as well as for home health services and behavioral services. Elevance Health (ELV.N), CVS Health Corp (CVS.N), Centene Corp (CNC.N) and Cigna Group (CI.N) fell between 6% and 7.5%.

Persons: Mike Blake, bellwether, UnitedHealth, Jefferies, Brian Tanquilut, Zimmer Biomet, Leroy Leo, Bhanvi, Manas Mishra, Shinjini Organizations: REUTERS, UnitedHealth, Medicare, Humana Inc, Reuters Graphics, Elevance, CVS Health Corp, Centene Corp, Cigna, Elevance Health Inc, CVS, Healthcare, Tenet Healthcare, Stryker, Thomson Locations: Santa Ana , California, U.S, Bengaluru

The company reported a larger-than-expected quarterly loss and cut its annual revenue forecast for the second time, but strength in its biologics unit drove quarterly sales past tempered Wall Street estimates. Catalent's "results cleared an admittedly low bar", Stephens analyst Jacob Johnson said. "After a number of shoes dropping and a lot of noise recently, today was a good first or second step." Catalent reported a third-quarter loss of 9 cents per share, compared with Wall Street estimates for a loss of 3 cents, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. The company will also amend its 2022 results filing with a $26 million deduction caused by a revenue recognition error at its Bloomington plant.

Persons: Stephens, Jacob Johnson, Alessandro Maselli, Maselli, Catalent, Bhanvi Satija, Sriparna Roy, Devika Organizations: Novo Nordisk's, Thomson Locations: Maryland, Brussels, Indiana, Bloomington, Bengaluru

Catalent, one of the top contract manufacturers for pharmaceutical companies, said a drop in revenue from COVID vaccine manufacturing had coincided with higher-than-expected costs and production challenges at its facilities in Indiana and in Brussels. Adding to woes, its cost-cutting plans have been delayed due to regulatory inspections and subsequent corrective actions, the company said. Despite Friday's gain in shares, Catalent's stock is down 19% since it first disclosed production challenges at its three major production plants in April. Catalent cut its full-year revenue to a range of $4.25 billion to $4.35 billion, from its prior forecast of $4.63 billion to $4.88 billion. It also slashed its annual adjusted net income forecast to between $187 million and $228 million, from between $567 million and $648 million previously.

☆ Factbox: Who are the three Russian scientists accused of state treason?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lucy Papachristou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

May 18 (Reuters) - Three Russian scientists who have worked on hypersonic missile technology face "very serious accusations" of state treason, the Kremlin says. Maslov was detained early in the morning of June 28 last year in Novosibirsk, according to an interview that his sons Nikolai and Alexei gave to local media. He declined to tell them anything about the possible reasons for his arrest, and they learned from his lawyer that he was being charged with state treason. Kommersant newspaper reported that Maslov was accused of divulging state secrets related to hypersonics, but provided no further details. Born in Siberia, he studied in the aircraft engineering department at Novosibirsk State Technical University.

Novavax, whose COVID vaccine is its lone marketed product after 35 years in business, is relying on launching an updated COVID shot this fall to match circulating strains and cost cuts to improve its prospects. Novavax said $800 million of that was from "locked-in" overseas purchase contracts for the COVID shot that it has committed to ship this year. Novavax is working to produce an update version of its protein-based vaccine in time for the fall COVID-19 booster season. Novavax expects the cost cuts to reduce its annual research and commercial expenses by 20% to 25% from last year. Data from a mid-stage trial in adults aged 50 to 80 years showed that the combination shot produced an immune response comparable to its protein-based COVID vaccine and already approved influenza shots, Novavax said.

☆ Biden Praises ‘Absolute Courage’ of U.S. Journalist Detained in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It is also the first time that a Western journalist in Russia has been charged with espionage since the end of the Cold War. “Evan and Austin should be released immediately along with every other American held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad,” Mr. Biden said. Debra and Marc Tice, the parents of Mr. Tice, wrote an opinion article, published in The Washington Post last August, in which they urged Mr. Biden to step up diplomatic efforts to free him. Mr. Biden also called for the release of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine serving a 16-year prison sentence in Russia on what the United States says are fabricated charges of espionage, and addressed Brittney Griner, a W.N.B.A. star who was freed in a prisoner swap in December after being detained for nearly 10 months in Russia.

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