US wants coalition of nations to engage China in curbing synthetic drugs

By Michael Martina and Simon Lewis WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. wants other countries to engage China on limiting the flow of synthetic drugs, the State Department’s top official on narcotics said on Thursday, as Washington complains of a lack of co-operation by Beijing in combating their illegal trade. On the eve of a U.S.-led…

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Explainer-Who is eligible for the new FDA-approved Alzheimer’s drug?

By Deena Beasley The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted standard approval to Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The FDA decision is expected to trigger broader coverage of the $26,500-a-year drug by the U.S. government’s Medicare health plan for people aged 65 and older. Leqembi was granted “accelerated” FDA…

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AbbVie trims full-year profit forecast on higher R&D expenses

(Reuters) -AbbVie Inc cut its full-year profit forecast on Thursday, citing $280 million in milestone and in-process research and development expenses during the second quarter. The company now expects adjusted profit between $10.57 and $10.97 per share, compared with $10.72 to $11.12 it previously expected. Analysts on average were expecting full-year earnings of $10.97 per…

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Pfizer makes equity investment in Caribou Biosciences

(Reuters) – Pfizer has invested $25 million to buy a minority stake in Caribou Biosciences, making it the latest small biotechnology firm to attract the pharmaceutical giant’s interest. The news lifted shares of Caribou more than 61% in early trade. Pfizer purchased nearly 4.7 million Caribou shares at $5.33 per share, Caribou said on Thursday,…

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AI robots could play future role as companions in care homes

By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) – Nadine, a social robot powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) with human-like gestures and expressions, could have an important future role to play in tending to the sick and elderly, according to a professor who helped invent it. Nadia Magnenat Thalmann, a robot expert from the University of Geneva, who…

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Generali buys U.S. asset manager Conning under deal with Cathay Life

MILAN (Reuters) – Generali has agreed to buy Connecticut-based asset manager Conning Holdings as part of a partnership with Cathay Life, a unit of Taiwan’s Cathay Financial Holding, the Italian insurer said on Thursday. The deal, structured as an exchange of assets without a cash consideration, realises Generali CEO Philippe Donnet’s ambition of expanding into…

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Chinese rush to buy Hong Kong insurance, dollars as confidence cracks, yuan weakens

SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (Reuters) – Chinese investors are rushing offshore to make dollar deposits and buy Hong Kong insurance in a signal domestic confidence is languishing and that the ailing yuan faces more pressure. The outflows highlight deep-seated concern about the state of China’s economy as its much-awaited pandemic recovery stalls. Consumer spending is flagging, the…

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Man pleads guilty to raping Ohio child who sought abortion in neighboring Indiana

By Sharon Bernstein (Reuters) – The man charged with raping and impregnating a 9-year-old Ohio girl who traveled to neighboring Indiana to obtain an abortion last year pleaded guilty on Wednesday and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Gerson Fuentes, who was the live-in boyfriend of the child’s mother, confessed…

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