Category: 3. Business

  • Pakistan’s solar market holds $2.8 billion lending potential, but financial barriers persist

    A new study released by Renewables First has highlighted that Pakistan’s distributed solar market holds an estimated Rs800 billion ($2.8 billion) in untapped lending potential across just three major cities. However, millions of households and small businesses remain excluded from this opportunity due to persistent structural financing barriers.

    The study reveals that, despite significant growth in solar adoption in the country, the benefits have been largely concentrated among affluent households and large businesses that can self-finance installations. 

    Meanwhile, Pakistan’s banking sector, which holds around $131 billion in deposits, allocates only $50 billion for lending, with nearly 63% of banking assets tied up in government securities.

    According to the study, the perceived risk rather than actual risk is the primary barrier preventing banks from lending for solar installations. The report highlights the paradox of rising electricity tariffs, over 200% since 2012, against the backdrop of a 73% reduction in solar panel costs since 2017, which has made solar energy a cost-effective solution for many. 

    However, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and households, who spend a large portion of their income on energy, face challenges in accessing solar financing due to banks’ rigid collateral requirements.

    The study also points to an advances-to-deposits ratio below 40% in banks, which are demanding double collateralization for solar loans, despite solar portfolios showing default rates of under 2%, far lower than the over 10% default rates for traditional SME loans.

    The study also proposed several financing models to address the gap, such as anchor-based financing, vendor-linked financing, and securitization of solar loan portfolios. However, it pointed out the lack of credit bureaus for informal borrowers and the need for standardized documentation for small loans.

    Experts suggested that battery energy storage systems could be the next phase of innovation for the solar market, building on the momentum of distributed solar.


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  • Chinese shares close higher Tuesday-Xinhua

    BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) — Chinese stocks closed higher on Tuesday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.07 percent to 3,919.98 points.

    The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.27 percent higher at 13,368.99 points.

    The combined turnover of these two indices stood at 1.9 trillion yuan (about 269.4 billion U.S. dollars), up from 1.86 trillion yuan on the previous trading day.

    Stocks related to ceramics and furniture led the gains, while shares in the plastics and aircraft manufacturing sectors saw major declines.

    The ChiNext Index, tracking China’s Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, gained 0.41 percent to close at 3,205.01 points on Tuesday.

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  • AI Tools Boost Efficiency, Patient Experience

    AI Tools Boost Efficiency, Patient Experience

    Integrating AI-powered tools into medical coding brings valuable opportunities that offset the increasing pressure on health systems to optimize operational efficiencies.

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    But accurately and efficiently capturing a patient’s care is often a complex and time-intensive task for medical coders.

    “As medical coding evolves, there are increasing opportunities to automate routine tasks that don’t require human input, allowing coders to focus more on those tasks that truly benefit from human judgment. This helps us clearly distinguish between what can be automated and what needs a personal touch,” says Nicholas Judd, MBA, RHIA, Cleveland Clinic Senior Director, Revenue Cycle Management and Health Information Management.

    Medical coding encompasses a wide range of activities essential or accurate billing, reimbursement, reporting and maintaining patient records. Among this workflow is mid-revenue cycle coding — the step that ensures the care a patient receives is accurately documented and translated into standardized codes. These codes are vital for communicating the complexity and scope of treatment, delivering high-quality care across providers and settings, which supports continuity of care and informed clinical decision-making.

    “Correct coding facilitates access to necessary services. It helps ensure that prior authorizations are approved and that patients don’t face unnecessary barriers to receiving care. When coding is inaccurate or incomplete, it can result in miscommunication or delays that negatively affect the patient’s experience,” explains Gina DeFranza, Cleveland Clinic Director, Coding and Reimbursement.

    Judd adds, “Accurate and properly coded documentation helps prevent errors that could lead to inaccurate patient outcomes, delays in insurance processing, and unexpected charges for patients or denied claims. This contributes to providing safer, more effective care, a smoother financial experience, and reduces administrative burdens for patients, coders and providers.”

    Choosing the right partner

    At Cleveland Clinic, revenue cycle teams typically review over 100 clinical documents for each case — such as progress notes, discharge summaries and pathology reports — before selecting codes from a pool of more than 140,000 options. This process can take up to an hour for a single patient encounter.

    “Finding the right AI tool evolved from a comprehensive evaluation process with internal input from the Strategy Office, Digital and revenue cycle management,” says Judd.

    That’s when Cleveland Clinic partnered with AKASA to implement generative AI tools that assist medical coding practices. This collaboration aims to enhance efficiency, accuracy and the overall quality of patient care through advanced automation.

    Together, the organizations are addressing the complexities of coding and documentation that occur between patient care and billing.

    Navigating future potential

    “Healthcare revenue cycle management is a complex, highly regulated domain,” says Judd. “Sophisticated tools like generative AI are essential to keep pace with the rapid changes. The challenge is managing expectations—balancing the hype with the reality of AI capabilities.”

    “Early results show improved speed and accuracy compared to our legacy workflow,” says DeFranza. “By automating routine tasks, we’re freeing up caregivers to focus on more complex work that leans on their clinical expertise and critical thinking.”

    Judd adds, “Accurate coding is essential for continuity of care, patient safety and quality outcomes. Streamlining revenue cycle tasks reduces friction in processes such as prior authorizations and payer denials. Ultimately, this ensures that care delivery remains the central focus, improving the overall patient experience.”

    Looking ahead, both Judd and DeFranza agree that shared learning and demonstrated success will drive further innovations and advancements in the revenue cycle industry.

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  • Chinese shares close higher Tuesday – Xinhua

    1. Chinese shares close higher Tuesday  Xinhua
    2. China, HK stocks rise, led by non-ferrous metals shares  Business Recorder
    3. The Shangai Composite Index Closes 0.07% Higher  TradingView — Track All Markets
    4. Hainan’s Free Trade Port Sparks Surge in Chinese Markets  Devdiscourse
    5. Shanghai Composite Rises 0.36% as CSPC Innovation Soars 11.44% Amid Strong Market Sentiment  Markets Mojo

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  • Statement of Issues released for Godfrey Hirst’s proposed acquisition of Bremworth

    In New Zealand, one of Mohawk’s interconnected bodies corporate is Godfrey Hirst New Zealand Limited.

    The Statement of Issues outlines the Commission’s potential competition issues with the acquisition following its initial investigation. The Statement of Issues is not a final decision and does not mean that the Commission intends to decline or clear the merger.

    The Commission is seeking submissions from Godfrey Hirst, Bremworth and any other interested parties on the issues raised in the Statement of Issues.
    The Statement of Issues can be found on the case register on our website.

    Submissions can be sent by email to registrar@comcom.govt.nz with the reference ‘Godfrey Hirst/Bremworth’ in the subject line. 

    Submissions are due by close of business on 2 February 2026, with cross-submissions due by close of business on 10 February 2026. 

    The Commission is currently scheduled to make a decision on the application by 13 March 2026. However, this date may be extended with the agreement of the applicant if the material before the Commission at that time does not allow it to be satisfied that the proposed acquisition will not have, or would not be likely to have, the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market in New Zealand.

    Background

    We will only give clearance to a proposed merger if we are satisfied that the merger is unlikely to have the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market.

    Further information explaining how the Commission assesses a merger application is available on our website.

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  • Dupixent® (dupilumab) Approved in Japan for Children Aged 6 to 11 Years with Bronchial Asthma

    Dupixent® (dupilumab) Approved in Japan for Children Aged 6 to 11 Years with Bronchial Asthma

    Approval based on global Phase 3 program in children demonstrating Dupixent significantly reduced exacerbations (by 54% to 65%) and improved lung function (by 4.68% to 5.32%) compared to placebo

    Dupixent is the first and only biologic medicine to demonstrate improved lung function in this young patient group in a randomized Phase 3 trial, and inhibits IL-4 and IL-13, two key and central drivers of type 2 inflammation

    TARRYTOWN, N.Y. and PARIS, Dec. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Sanofi today announced that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan has granted marketing and manufacturing authorization for Dupixent® (dupilumab) for the treatment of bronchial asthma in children aged 6 to 11 years with severe or refractory disease whose symptoms are inadequately controlled with existing therapy. This expands the previous approval in Japan in this indication for patients aged 12 years and older.

    The approval in Japan is based on data from the overall population and those with a type 2 inflammation phenotype (defined by raised blood eosinophils and/or fractional exhaled nitric oxide) in VOYAGE, a global Phase 3 trial evaluating Dupixent in children aged 6 to 11 years with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma. Additionally, data from EXCURSION, an open-label extension of VOYAGE that included a sub-study of exclusively Japanese pediatric patients supported the approval. In the VOYAGE trial, Dupixent added to standard-of-care asthma therapy significantly reduced severe exacerbations (by 54% to 65%, p<0.0001) and improved lung function (by 4.68% to 5.32%, p=0.0012, p=0.0009 and p=0.0036, respectively) in the overall population, those with type 2 inflammation, and those with raised blood eosinophils, compared to placebo. In the sub-study of Japanese pediatric patients, Dupixent improved lung function from baseline at 12 weeks and resulted in a low rate of severe asthma exacerbations over one year. The treatment-related adverse events most commonly reported with Dupixent were injection site reactions (erythema, edema and induration) in VOYAGE and fever, oral herpes, eosinophilia and injection site reactions (erythema and induration) in EXCURSION.

    Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. Despite treatment with current standard-of-care inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators, children may continue to experience serious symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. Additionally, impaired lung function in young children can have potentially long-lasting impacts, such as reduced lung growth and persistent airway obstruction, if not addressed early. Patients also may require the use of multiple courses of systemic corticosteroids that carry significant risks. Uncontrolled asthma can interfere with day-to-day activities, like sleeping, attending school and playing sports.

    In addition to asthma, Dupixent is approved in Japan in certain patients with atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP), prurigo nodularis, chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dupixent has been approved in 50 countries around the world for the treatment of asthma in children aged 6 to 11 years.

    About Dupixent
    Dupixent is available in Japan as a 200 mg or 300 mg pre-filled syringe or pre-filled pen and is now available for children aged 6 to 11 years with asthma. Dupixent is intended for injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection) and is given every two or four weeks based on weight. It can be given in a clinic or at home by self-administration after training by a healthcare professional. In children younger than 12 years of age, Dupixent should be administered by a caregiver if given at home.

    Dupixent, which was invented using Regeneron’s proprietary VelocImmune® technology, is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the signaling of the interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) pathways and is not an immunosuppressant. The Dupixent development program has shown significant clinical benefit and a decrease in type 2 inflammation in Phase 3 trials, establishing that IL-4 and IL-13 are two of the key and central drivers of the type 2 inflammation that plays a major role in multiple related and often co-morbid diseases.

    Dupixent has received regulatory approvals in more than 60 countries in one or more indications including certain patients with atopic dermatitis, asthma, CRSwNP, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), prurigo nodularis, CSU, COPD and bullous pemphigoid (BP) in different age populations. More than 1,300,000 patients are being treated with Dupixent globally.1

    About Regeneron’s VelocImmune Technology 
    Regeneron‘s VelocImmune technology utilizes a proprietary genetically engineered mouse platform endowed with a genetically humanized immune system to produce optimized fully human antibodies. When Regeneron‘s co-Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer George D. Yancopoulos was a graduate student with his mentor Frederick W. Alt in 1985, they were the first to envision making such a genetically humanized mouse, and Regeneron has spent decades inventing and developing VelocImmune and related VelociSuite® technologies. Dr. Yancopoulos and his team have used VelocImmune technology to create a substantial proportion of all original, FDA-approved fully human monoclonal antibodies. This includes Dupixent® (dupilumab), Libtayo® (cemiplimab-rwlc), Praluent® (alirocumab), Kevzara® (sarilumab), Evkeeza® (evinacumab-dgnb), Inmazeb® (atoltivimab, maftivimab and odesivimab-ebgn) and Veopoz® (pozelimab-bbfg). In addition, REGEN-COV® (casirivimab and imdevimab) had been authorized by the FDA during the COVID-19 pandemic until 2024.

    Dupilumab Development Program 
    Dupilumab is being jointly developed by Regeneron and Sanofi under a global collaboration agreement. To date, dupilumab has been studied across more than 60 clinical trials involving more than 10,000 patients with various chronic diseases driven in part by type 2 inflammation. 

    In addition to the currently approved indications, Regeneron and Sanofi are studying dupilumab in a broad range of diseases driven by type 2 inflammation or other allergic processes in Phase 3 trials, including chronic pruritus of unknown origin, lichen simplex chronicus and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis. These potential uses of dupilumab are currently under clinical investigation, and the safety and efficacy in these conditions have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority. 

    U.S. INDICATIONS 
    DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used:

    • to treat adults and children 6 months of age and older with moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis or AD) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies. DUPIXENT can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with AD under 6 months of age.
    • with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of moderate-to-severe eosinophilic or oral steroid dependent asthma in adults and children 6 years of age and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. DUPIXENT helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and can improve your breathing. DUPIXENT may also help reduce the amount of oral corticosteroids you need while preventing severe asthma attacks and improving your breathing. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with asthma under 6 years of age.
    • with other medicines for the maintenance treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) in adults and children 12 years of age and older whose disease is not controlled. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with CRSwNP under 12 years of age.
    • to treat adults and children 1 year of age and older with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), who weigh at least 33 pounds (15 kg). It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with EoE under 1 year of age, or who weigh less than 33 pounds (15 kg).
    • to treat adults with prurigo nodularis (PN). It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with PN under 18 years of age.
    • with other medicines for the maintenance treatment of adults with inadequately controlled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a high number of blood eosinophils (a type of white blood cell that may contribute to your COPD). DUPIXENT is used to reduce the number of flare-ups (the worsening of your COPD symptoms for several days) and can improve your breathing. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with COPD under 18 years of age.
    • to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) who continue to have hives that are not controlled with H1 antihistamine treatment. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with CSU under 12 years of age, or who weigh less than 66 pounds (30 kg).
    • to treat adults with bullous pemphigoid (BP). It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with BP under 18 years of age.

    DUPIXENT is not used to relieve sudden breathing problems and will not replace an inhaled rescue medicine or to treat any other forms of hives (urticaria).

    IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

    Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®.

    Before using DUPIXENT, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:

    • have eye problems.
    • have a parasitic (helminth) infection.
    • are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a “live vaccine” right before and during treatment with DUPIXENT.
    • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether DUPIXENT will harm your unborn baby.
    • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether DUPIXENT passes into your breast milk.

    Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

    Especially tell your healthcare provider if you are taking oral, topical, or inhaled corticosteroid medicines; have asthma and use an asthma medicine; or have AD, CRSwNP, EoE, PN, COPD, CSU, or BP and also have asthma. Do not change or stop your other medicines, including corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine, without talking to your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by those medicines to come back.

    DUPIXENT can cause serious side effects, including:

    • Allergic reactions. DUPIXENT can cause allergic reactions, including skin reactions, that can sometimes be severe. Stop using DUPIXENT and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms: breathing problems or wheezing, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat, fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, fast pulse, fever, hives, skin rash, including rash that looks like a bullseye, painful red or blue bumps under the skin, or red pus-filled spots on the skin, general ill feeling, itching, swollen lymph nodes, nausea or vomiting, joint pain, or cramps in your stomach area.
    • Eye problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision, such as blurred vision. Your healthcare provider may send you to an ophthalmologist for an exam if needed.
    • Inflammation of your blood vessels. Rarely, this can happen in people with asthma who receive DUPIXENT. This may happen in people who also take a steroid medicine by mouth that is being stopped or the dose is being lowered. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get: rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, brown or dark colored urine, persistent fever, or a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of your arms or legs.
    • Psoriasis. This can happen in people with atopic dermatitis and asthma who receive DUPIXENT. Tell your healthcare provider about any new skin symptoms. Your healthcare provider may send you to a dermatologist for an examination if needed.
    • Joint aches and pain. Some people who use DUPIXENT have had trouble walking or moving due to their joint symptoms, and in some cases needed to be hospitalized. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or worsening joint symptoms. Your healthcare provider may stop DUPIXENT if you develop joint symptoms.

    The most common side effects include:

    • Eczema: injection site reactions, eye problems, including eye and eyelid inflammation, redness, swelling, itching, eye infection, dry eye, and blurred vision, cold sores in your mouth or on your lips, and high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia).
    • Asthma: injection site reactions, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), pain in the throat (oropharyngeal pain), and parasitic (helminth) infections.
    • Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps: injection site reactions, eye problems, including eye and eyelid inflammation, redness, swelling, itching, eye infection, and blurred vision, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), stomach problems (gastritis), joint pain (arthralgia), trouble sleeping (insomnia), and toothache.
    • Eosinophilic Esophagitis: injection site reactions, upper respiratory tract infections, cold sores in your mouth or on your lips, and joint pain (arthralgia).
    • Prurigo Nodularis: eye problems, including eye and eyelid inflammation, redness, swelling, itching, and blurred vision, herpes virus infections, common cold symptoms (nasopharyngitis), dizziness, muscle pain, and diarrhea.
    • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: injection site reactions, common cold symptoms (nasopharyngitis), high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), viral infection, back pain, inflammation inside the nose (rhinitis), diarrhea, stomach problems (gastritis), joint pain (arthralgia), toothache, headache, and urinary tract infection.
    • Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: injection site reactions.
    • Bullous Pemphigoid: joint pain (arthralgia), eye problems, including eye and eyelid inflammation, redness, swelling, itching, and blurred vision, and herpes virus infections.

    Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of DUPIXENT. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

    Use DUPIXENT exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. It’s an injection given under the skin (subcutaneous injection). Your healthcare provider will decide if you or your caregiver can inject DUPIXENT. Do not try to prepare and inject DUPIXENT until you or your caregiver have been trained by your healthcare provider. In children 12 years of age and older, it’s recommended DUPIXENT be administered by or under supervision of an adult. In children 6 months to less than 12 years of age, DUPIXENT should be given by a caregiver.

    Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information including Patient Information.

    About Regeneron
    Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents, develops and commercializes life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led by physician-scientists, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to numerous approved treatments and product candidates in development, most of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, hematologic conditions, infectious diseases, and rare diseases.

    Regeneron pushes the boundaries of scientific discovery and accelerates drug development using our proprietary technologies, such as VelociSuite, which produces optimized fully human antibodies and new classes of bispecific antibodies. We are shaping the next frontier of medicine with data-powered insights from the Regeneron Genetics Center® and pioneering genetic medicine platforms, enabling us to identify innovative targets and complementary approaches to potentially treat or cure diseases.

    For more information, please visit www.Regeneron.com or follow Regeneron on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or X.

    About Sanofi 
    Sanofi is an R&D driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people’s lives and delivering compelling growth. We apply our deep understanding of the immune system to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world, with an innovative pipeline that could benefit millions more. Our team is guided by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives; this inspires us to drive progress and deliver positive impact for our people and the communities we serve, by addressing the most urgent healthcare, environmental, and societal challenges of our time.  

    Sanofi is listed on EURONEXT: SAN and NASDAQ: SNY 

    Regeneron Forward-Looking Statements and Use of Digital Media 
    This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties relating to future events and the future performance of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Regeneron” or the “Company”), and actual events or results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements concern, and these risks and uncertainties include, among others, the nature, timing, and possible success and therapeutic applications of products marketed or otherwise commercialized by Regeneron and/or its collaborators or licensees (collectively, “Regeneron’s Products”) and product candidates being developed by Regeneron and/or its collaborators or licensees (collectively, “Regeneron’s Product Candidates”) and research and clinical programs now underway or planned, including without limitation Dupixent® (dupilumab) for the treatment of bronchial asthma in children aged 6 to 11 years pursuant to the approval by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) discussed in this press release; the likelihood, timing, and scope of possible regulatory approval and commercial launch of Regeneron’s Product Candidates and new indications for Regeneron’s Products, including Dupixent for the treatment of chronic pruritus of unknown origin, lichen simplex chronicus, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis, and other potential indications; uncertainty of the utilization, market acceptance, and commercial success of Regeneron’s Products (such as Dupixent) and Regeneron’s Product Candidates and the impact of studies (whether conducted by Regeneron or others and whether mandated or voluntary), including the studies discussed or referenced in this press release, on any of the foregoing; the ability of Regeneron’s collaborators, licensees, suppliers, or other third parties (as applicable) to perform manufacturing, filling, finishing, packaging, labeling, distribution, and other steps related to Regeneron’s Products and Regeneron’s Product Candidates; the ability of Regeneron to manage supply chains for multiple products and product candidates and risks associated with tariffs and other trade restrictions; safety issues resulting from the administration of Regeneron’s Products (such as Dupixent) and Regeneron’s Product Candidates in patients, including serious complications or side effects in connection with the use of Regeneron’s Products and Regeneron’s Product Candidates in clinical trials; determinations by regulatory and administrative governmental authorities which may delay or restrict Regeneron’s ability to continue to develop or commercialize Regeneron’s Products and Regeneron’s Product Candidates; ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight impacting Regeneron’s Products, research and clinical programs, and business, including those relating to patient privacy; the availability and extent of reimbursement or copay assistance for Regeneron’s Products from third-party payors and other third parties, including private payor healthcare and insurance programs, health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies, and government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid; coverage and reimbursement determinations by such payors and other third parties and new policies and procedures adopted by such payors and other third parties; changes to drug pricing regulations and requirements and Regeneron’s pricing strategy; other changes in laws, regulations, and policies affecting the healthcare industry; competing drugs and product candidates that may be superior to, or more cost effective than, Regeneron’s Products and Regeneron’s Product Candidates (including biosimilar versions of Regeneron’s Products); the extent to which the results from the research and development programs conducted by Regeneron and/or its collaborators or licensees may be replicated in other studies and/or lead to advancement of product candidates to clinical trials, therapeutic applications, or regulatory approval; unanticipated expenses; the costs of developing, producing, and selling products; the ability of Regeneron to meet any of its financial projections or guidance and changes to the assumptions underlying those projections or guidance; the potential for any license, collaboration, or supply agreement, including Regeneron’s agreements with Sanofi and Bayer (or their respective affiliated companies, as applicable), to be cancelled or terminated; the impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics, or pandemics on Regeneron‘s business; and risks associated with litigation and other proceedings and government investigations relating to the Company and/or its operations (including the pending civil proceedings initiated or joined by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts), risks associated with intellectual property of other parties and pending or future litigation relating thereto (including without limitation the patent litigation and other related proceedings relating to EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection), the ultimate outcome of any such proceedings and investigations, and the impact any of the foregoing may have on Regeneron’s business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition. A more complete description of these and other material risks can be found in Regeneron’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and its Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2025. Any forward-looking statements are made based on management’s current beliefs and judgment, and the reader is cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements made by Regeneron. Regeneron does not undertake any obligation to update (publicly or otherwise) any forward-looking statement, including without limitation any financial projection or guidance, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    Regeneron uses its media and investor relations website and social media outlets to publish important information about the Company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Regeneron is routinely posted and is accessible on Regeneron‘s media and investor relations website (https://investor.regeneron.com) and its LinkedIn page (https://www.linkedin.com/company/regeneron-pharmaceuticals)

    Sanofi Disclaimers or Forward-Looking Statements 
    This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include projections and estimates regarding the marketing and other potential of the product, or regarding potential future revenues from the product. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “intends”, “estimates”, “plans”, and similar expressions. Although Sanofi’s management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Sanofi, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, unexpected regulatory actions or delays, or government regulation generally, that could affect the availability or commercial potential of the product, the fact that product may not be commercially successful, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including future clinical data and analysis of existing clinical data relating to the product, including post marketing, unexpected safety, quality or manufacturing issues, competition in general, risks associated with intellectual property and any related future litigation and the ultimate outcome of such litigation, and volatile economic and market conditions, and the impact that global crises may have on us, our customers, suppliers, vendors, and other business partners, and the financial condition of any one of them, as well as on our employees and on the global economy as a whole. The risks and uncertainties also include the uncertainties discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by Sanofi, including those listed under “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in Sanofi’s annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024. Other than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.

    All trademarks mentioned in this press release are the property of the Sanofi group except for VelociSuite and Regeneron Genetics Center.

    ____________________
    1 Data on File

    Primary Logo

    Source: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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  • Announcement of the Conclusion of a Joint Research & Development Agreement and Investment Agreement with Salubritas Therapeutics Aimed at Demonstrating the Improvements of Hearing Function through Hair Cell Regeneration and Creating Innovative Pharma…

    OSAKA, Japan, December 23, 2025 – Shionogi & Co., Ltd.  (Head Office: Osaka, Japan; Chief Executive Officer: Isao Teshirogi, Ph.D.; hereafter “Shionogi”) announced the conclusion of a joint research & development agreement and investment agreement with Salubritas Therapeutics (Head Office: Massachusetts, USA; Chief Executive Officer: En Li, Ph.D.; hereafter “Salubritas”) aimed at demonstrating improvement in hearing function

    through sensory hair cell regeneration in the inner ear and creating innovative pharmaceuticals.

     

    Under this agreement, the two companies will promote joint research & development aimed at prevention and treatment of hearing loss through hair cell regeneration. The regeneration of hair cell is considered one of the effective intervention methods for fundamentally treating sensorineural hearing loss. However, there have been no successful clinical trials, and drug discovery is regarded as extremely difficult. To address this issue, we will collaborate with Salubritas, which has cutting-edge research knowledge and technological capabilities in hair cell regeneration, to create a therapeutic drug that regenerates hair cells and improves hearing function. 

     

    Hearing loss is a serious health issue affecting an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide. The number of patients continues to rise, and it is predicted that a quarter of the world’s population will experience some form of hearing impairment by 2050.1,2 Among these, damage and loss of hair cells correlates with the severity of hearing loss and is one of the main causes of moderate to severe hearing loss.3 However, at present, with no effective treatments other than hearing aids and cochlear implants, hair cell regeneration is expected to offer a new option for improving hearing loss.

     

    Shionogi has identified “Contributing to a Healthy and Prosperous Life” as a material focus. We are committed to creating a society where everyone can lead a longer, more vibrant life, realizing their goals. Shionogi continues to strive to deliver innovative treatments for diseases with high unmet medical needs, including hearing loss, to patients as quickly as possible.

     

     

    About Salubritas

    Salubritas is a biotechnology company founded in 2021 to develop treatments for hearing loss through sensory hair cell regeneration. Dr. Zheng-Yi Chen, a co-founder of Salubritas and Associate Professor of Mass Eye and Ear (MEE) and Harvard Medical School, became the first in the world to successfully differentiate and induce hair cells from somatic cells in adult animals without the use of pluripotent stem cells4. The company is pioneering regenerative therapies with the goal of developing a treatment that regenerates functional hair cells to improve hearing function. It also maintains a network with Massachusetts Eye and Ear, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School in the United States and a global leader in otology and inner ear disease research, enabling close collaboration with some of the world’s most distinguished scientists and physicians in the field of hearing loss treatment.

     

    About Hearing Loss

    Hearing loss is a serious health issue affecting an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide. The number of patients continues to rise, due to the growing and aging global population. Since the condition progresses slowly, it is often difficult to recognize and make the diagnosis rate low. Onset of hearing loss can interfere with various aspects of social life, such as communication with others and is known to be a risk factor for central nervous system disorders, including dementia.5

     

    Reference:

    1.       WORLD REPORT ON HEARING, WHO, 2021.

    2.       GBD 2019 Hearing Loss Collaborators. Lancet. 2021; 397: 996-1009.

    3.       Wu, Pei-zhe, et al. Journal of Neuroscience. 2020; 40: 6357-6366.

    4.       Quan Yi-Zhou, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 2023; 120: e2215253120.

    5.       Livingston Gill, et al. Lancet. 2024; 404: 572-628.

     

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are based on expectations in light of the information currently available, assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. Risks and uncertainties include general domestic and international economic conditions such as general industry and market conditions, and changes of interest rate and currency exchange rate. These risks and uncertainties particularly apply with respect to product-related forward-looking statements. Product risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, completion and discontinuation of clinical trials; obtaining regulatory approvals; claims and concerns about product safety and efficacy; technological advances; adverse outcome of important litigation; domestic and foreign healthcare reforms and changes of laws and regulations. Also for existing products, there are manufacturing and marketing risks, which include, but are not limited to, inability to build production capacity to meet demand, lack of availability of raw materials and entry of competitive products. The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

     

    For Further Information, Contact:

    SHIONOGI Website Inquiry Form: https://www.shionogi.com/global/en/contact.html

     

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  • Volunteers hand out hundreds of gifts in Lincolnshire hospitals

    Volunteers hand out hundreds of gifts in Lincolnshire hospitals

    Staff from a Grantham-based business, Cathodic Protection Co, have been volunteering for the charity for a number of years. They were on hand to help unpack and organise 1,000 blankets.

    “If you’re in hospital on Christmas day that maybe isn’t the greatest feeling in the world,” said Chris Martin, the 43-year-old managing director. “If we can make a small difference, we’re happy to do our bit.”

    Sakina, Maryam, Nyla and Florence, from Spalding High, created 208 personalised cards in a single day.

    “We wanted to spread Christmas cheer because no one should be left out at Christmas,” Nyla said.

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  • New York Times reporter sues Google, xAI, OpenAI over chatbot training

    New York Times reporter sues Google, xAI, OpenAI over chatbot training

    A Google logo is seen at a company research facility in Mountain View, California, US on May 13, 2025. Reuters

    An investigative reporter best known for exposing fraud at Silicon Valley blood-testing startup Theranos sued Elon Musk’s xAI, Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, Meta Platforms and Perplexity on Monday for using copyrighted books without permission to train their artificial intelligence systems.

    New York Times reporter and “Bad Blood” author John Carreyrou filed the lawsuit in California federal court with five other writers, accusing the AI companies of pirating their books and feeding them into the large language models (LLMs) that power the companies’ chatbots.

    The lawsuit is one of several copyright cases brought by authors and other copyright owners against tech companies over the use of their work in AI training. The case is the first to name xAI as a defendant.

    Spokespeople for the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit.

    Unlike other pending cases, the writers are not seeking to band together in a larger class action – a type of lawsuit they said favours defendants by allowing them to negotiate a single settlement with many plaintiffs.

    “LLM companies should not be able to so easily extinguish thousands upon thousands of high-value claims at bargain-basement rates,” the complaint said.

    Anthropic reached the first major settlement in an AI-training copyright dispute in August, agreeing to pay $1.5 billion to a class of authors who said the company pirated millions of books.

    The new lawsuit said class members in that case will receive “a tiny fraction (just 2%) of the Copyright Act’s statutory ceiling of $150,000” per infringed work.

    Monday’s complaint was filed by attorneys at law firm Freedman Normand Friedland, including Kyle Roche, whom Carreyrou profiled in a 2023 New York Times article.

    During a November hearing in the Anthropic class action, US District Judge William Alsup criticised a separate law firm Roche co-founded for gathering authors to opt out of the settlement in search of “a sweeter deal.” Roche declined to comment on Monday.

    Carreyrou told the judge at a later hearing that stealing books to build its AI was Anthropic’s “original sin” and that the settlement did not go far enough.


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  • Next Fed chair: Who are the frontrunners for the top job? – BBC

    Next Fed chair: Who are the frontrunners for the top job? – BBC

    1. Next Fed chair: Who are the frontrunners for the top job?  BBC
    2. Hassett’s Fed chair candidacy received pushback from high-level people close to Trump, sources say  CNBC
    3. Weekly Markets Monitor: A season for Kevin?  World Gold Council
    4. Tale of two Kevins: Tall task faces next Fed chair  Forex Factory
    5. President Trump could name new Fed chair by first week of January – CNBC citing people familiar  marketscreener.com

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