GE Vernova is bucking up to address Jim Cramer’s only gripe with a stock that has skyrocketed more than 75% this year. We’re talking about a new investment that helps the Club name deliver more heavy-duty gas turbines to meet unprecedented customer demand, which has been fueled by the insatiable energy consumption from the buildout of AI data centers. GE Vernova is planning to spend at least $41 million at its Schenectady, New York, plant to expand its generator operations and increase gas power capacity, the company announced Tuesday. The investment will go toward improvements in the manufacturing process for H65 and H84 generators, which are key cogs in the electricity generation process at power plants alongside its heavy-duty gas turbines. The turbines and generators work hand in hand to create electricity that’s pumped out into the grid. “We are committed to meeting the needs of our customers and the world as demand for electricity continues to rise at historic rates. This investment in our Schenectady facility continues our work to build gas power capacity and help meet global energy needs,” CEO Scott Strazik said in a press release. The $41 million allocation — which also create 50 new jobs at the upstate New York facility, according to the company — builds on GE Vernova’s previous $22 million investment in the same plant last year to support the manufacturing of generators. Overall, GE Vernova has pledged to make $720 million in investments into U.S. manufacturing so far in 2025. GE Vernova’s latest move to bolster its manufacturing base should come as little surprise to investors. The company is struggling to keep pace with orders for its gas turbines, which are “largely sold out” for 2026 and 2027, and “approaching filling out ’28 and starting to sign agreements for later years,” Strazik said earlier this year on a quarterly earnings call. That means it can take years for these turbines to get customers since they’re massive and complex machinery. Power segment orders for GE Vernova increased 44% organically last quarter. Overall, gas turbine orders from utilities, independent power producers and industrial players are on track to break records this year as well, according to S & P Global Commodity Insights. Why is the demand so high? The tens of billions of dollars being spent on AI computing infrastructure is creating a surge in electricity demand — following a prolonged stretch of little growth in the U.S. As a result, there’s a rush to build more power-generating capacity in the country, and turbines from the likes of GE Vernova, Siemens Energy and Mitsubishi Power are essential pieces to that puzzle. To be sure, GE Vernova’s new $41 million investment doesn’t go directly into easing the supply constraint of gas turbines because its focus is on generators. Nevertheless, the funding will prevent additional bottlenecks because generators are a crucial complement to GE Vernova’s gas turbine business, according to one Wall Street analyst. “While the focus has been on the supply limitations for gas turbines, steam turbines and generators are critical components of the overall build of materials,” Chris Dendrinos, an energy analyst at RBC Capital Markets, wrote in an email to CNBC. “The investment that GEV is making in Schenectady ensures that it continues to have the supply of generators to support the overall gas turbine business and prevent additional supply bottlenecks.” Dendrinos also called Tuesday’s announcement “material” and “a meaningful piece” of the company’s overall plan in expanding U.S. manufacturing. GEV YTD mountain GE Vernova (GEV) year-to-date performance Although GE Vernova has already made some strides to address its gas turbine shortage, this additional investment is welcome news for shareholders. It helps address Jim’s only complaint about the stock – that management should more aggressively expanding production capacity to meet demand. It’s understandable that the firm is cautious, though. GE Vernova doesn’t want to be left with excess inventory and cancelled orders again after a similar hype cycle occurred in the early 2000s around natural gas power plant construction. “I am not happy that the company has resisted adding capacity because of being burned in the past. This time is indeed different,” Jim said during the August Monthly Meeting last week. “GE Vernova is really our nation’s best hope of meeting the electric demand.” Despite our gripe, GE Vernova is still one of Jim’s favorite Club names at the moment. “Here’s a stock that almost seems to be invented for this moment,” he said last week. After all, the fervent demand for its turbines due to the generative AI boom has led to more upside for overall company sales. That was made extremely clear in GE Vernova’s stellar earnings report in July. After the release, we hiked our price target on shares by $150 to $700 apiece. The stock has been one of Wall Street’s favorite this year, its recent pullback alongside other momentum names notwithstanding. While shares have pulled back more than 11% since Aug. 6, GE Vernova is still up around 78% year to date. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long GEV, NVDA, META, BMY, DHR. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
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Summer McIntosh among nine athletes committed to full World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2025 series
Summer McIntosh is among nine swimmers to commit to the full schedule of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2025.
Following her stunning World Aquatics Championship campaign, where she won four gold medals and a bronze at Singapore 2025, the three-time Olympic champion has now signed up for the full World Cup schedule.
The Swimming World Cup features three stops in October, starting in Carmel and Westmont in the USA, before Canada’s McIntosh gets to enjoy a home race in Toronto.
Joining McIntosh is five-time Olympic medallist Kate Douglass, who medalled in every event she entered at the Olympic Games of Paris 2024. The Team USA swimmer also left Singapore with five world championship medals, three of which were gold.
American compatriot Regan Smith will face stern competition from Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, joined by a countrywoman and fellow five-time Olympic champion Mollie O’Callaghan.
Four men have also signed up for the full World Cup series later this year, where McIntosh is accompanied by a fellow Canadian in Joshua Liendo.
European swimming stars Thomas Ceccon of Italy, Hungary’s Hubert Kos and Swiss Noè Ponti complete the initial nine-strong lineup, all eager to add to their Olympic silverware over in North America.
The 2025 Swimming World Cup begins on 10 October in Carmel, Indiana, the first stage taking place over three days. Westmont, Illinois will host the aquatics stars on 17-19 October, before they wrap up the series across the border in Ontario on 23-25 October.
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Griffin Dunne, Alexis Bledel, Jennifer Beals Set For Louis Kahn Biopic
EXCLUSIVE: Production has recently wrapped in Philadelphia on Joy Will Prevail, a period drama about the final three years in the life of architect Louis Kahn, and the relationships — both romantic and professional — that inspired his final residential commission.
The film stars Griffin Dunne (After Hours) as Kahn, alongside Alexis Bledel (The Handmaid’s Tale), Ben Rosenfield (Mickey and The Bear), Molly Ephraim (A League of Their Own), and Jennifer Beals (Flashdance). It is written and directed by Max Korman marking his feature debut.
Set in the early 1970s, Joy Will Prevail follows Kahn at the height of his career, designing monumental structures around the world, while quietly navigating a complex personal life: having fathered children with three different women – his wife, Esther Kahn (Beals), and two longtime partners, including landscape architect Harriet Pattison (Bledel) – all of whom live with the knowledge of one another.
When a young father, Steve Korman (Rosenfield), with the support of his wife, Toby Korman (Ephraim), approaches Kahn to design a country home for his family, the architect initially declines. But, as personal and professional tensions mount, he unexpectedly agrees, beginning a three-year collaboration that serves as a creative and spiritual reckoning for both men. It would culminate in the final house that Kahn ever designed, completed shortly before his sudden and mysterious death.
Pic is currently in post-production and was produced by J. Andrew Greenblatt, Derek Dienner through his Lancaster-based production company Make/Films, and Alex Peace-Power.
Filming took place at key architectural landmarks in Fort Washington and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, including the Kahn Korman House, the Margaret Esherick House, and the Vanna Venturi House; as well as on location in various sites throughout Lancaster, Pennsylvania, including Armstrong World Industries and Penn Square.
“The story behind Louis Kahn’s final residential commission exists in the tradition of the American Western: the passing of generations; the wanderer and the settler; a family taking root in a changing world,” stated Max Korman, the writer-director of the film. “At a time when architecture is regaining cultural relevance – particularly in cinema – I’m excited to share this personal project, brought to life by an extraordinary cast and crew.”
Estonian-born American architect Kahn was considered by some at the time of his death in 1974 as “America’s foremost living architect”. Known for his monumental and monolithic style, he served as professor of architecture at Yale School of Architecture and professor of architecture at the School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania. His notable designs included The Salk Institute in La Jolla, California and the First Unitarian Church in Rochester, New York.
Griffin Dunne is repped by Constellation and UTA. Ben Rosenfield is repped by Entertainment 360 and Gersh. Molly Ephraim is repped by Range Media Partners and Innovative Artists. Alexis Bledel is repped by Industry Entertainment and Innovative Artists. Jennifer Beals is repped by Constellation
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head-to-head, schedule and how to watch the CHAN quarter-final live
Kenya and Madagascar will open the knockout stage of the 2024 African Nations Championships in 2025 on Friday (22 August).
The men’s football competition, reserved for players active in their countries’ domestic leagues, sees co-hosts Kenya welcome the African island nation to Nairobi to compete for a place in the final four.
Nicknamed the Harambee Stars, Kenya came through Group A unbeaten to top the group, conceding just once on their way to the knockout stages. With home advantage, the tournament debutants can write even more history with victory.
Madagascar have the competition pedigree and the credentials going into their quarter-final clash, finishing third at the 2022 edition in Algeria. They just about emerged from Group B, pipping Mauritania to second on goal difference.
CHAN 2024 was postponed to 2025, though it retained the same name. The final will be held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on 30 August.
Read on to find out the key details ahead of the quarter-final meeting.
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Footballer faces jail for £400,000 handover of laundered money
Tim BuglerJames Keatings was caught transferring laundered money in June last year A former Hibs and Hearts footballer is facing jail after being caught by police with £400,000 of laundered money.
James Keatings, 33, was seen transferring boxes of cash from a van in Wishaw, Lanarkshire, in June last year after a tip-off from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Keatings, who was on Hibs’ 2016 Scottish Cup-winning side, admitted possessing and transferring criminal property at Falkirk Sheriff Court.
The ex-striker came through the Celtic academy and has played for Dundee United, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Hamilton Academical and other Scottish clubs.
Sheriff Maryam Labaki said he had committed an “insidious crime” that “crossed the custody threshold”.
The court heard how Keatings had parked his white transit van alongside a Mercedes van on Young Street in Wishaw.
Police and officers from the NCA saw him remove “two weighty boxes from his van and put them in the rear of the Mercedes”.
A later searched of the Mercedes and found two boxes containing 78 bundles of notes totalling £390,040.
A quantity of elastic bands, which had Keatings DNA on them, were also discovered in the boxes.
The court heard that Keatings’ finger and palm prints were found in various locations on the boxes and bank notes.
Solicitor Brien Grieg, defending, said Keatings was a first offender, a father, and “a working man”.
He told police at the time of his arrest he was working as a plasterer.
Sheriff Labaki deferred sentence until 19 September for background reports, but continued Keatings’ bail in the meantime.
She said: “This is a very significant sum, and it’s an insidious crime in many ways.
“You must prepare yourself for every eventuality. You have crossed the custody threshold.”
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New Insights in Today’s Research Notes on 3I/ATLAS | by Avi Loeb | Aug, 2025
Press enter or click to view image in full sizeAvi Loeb’s research notes on 3I/ATLAS (August 24, 2025). Before my morning jog at sunrise, I sketched a model for the dust outflow around the new interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, which appears as a fuzzy glow in the image obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope on July 21, 2025.
One of the remarkable coincidences regarding 3I/ATLAS is the alignment of its trajectory with the ecliptic orbital plane of the planets around the Sun. This means that 3I/ATLAS is passing through the so-called interplanetary zodiacal dust that resides in that plane. As it gets rarefied at large distances, the outflow of dust from the surface of 3I/ATLAS is destined to eventually be stopped by the zodiacal medium.
The glow of scattered sunlight extends to a characteristic distance of about 3,000 kilometers on all sides of 3I/ATLAS. The mass density of the outflow gets diluted inversely with radius squared until it is stopped by the ram-pressure of the ambient medium. Streams of dust particles could interact electromagnetically as dust particles often acquire electric charge. If the radius of the nucleus of 3I/ATLAS is 10 kilometers, as inferred from its brightness for an albedo of 5%, then the outflow density is diluted by a factor of 90,000 at a distance of about 3,000 kilometers relative to its initial value near the nucleus surface.
What is the ejection speed of the outflow from the surface of 3I/ATLAS? The minimum value would be the rotation speed of that surface. The observed rotation period of 16 hours (reported here) gives a rotation speed of about 1 meter per second for a nucleus radius of 10 kilometers. But detailed analysis of the Hubble image (accessible here) suggests an ejection speed of about 20 meters per second for 1-micrometer sized dust particles.
The outflowing gas delivers to the ambient medium a ram pressure equal to its mass density times its ejection velocity squared. As the outflow gets rarefied, the ram pressure declines inversely with distance squared and eventually gets stopped by the zodiacal medium. In the frame of the object, the ambient medium moves at minus its velocity, 60 kilometers per second. Adopting a characteristic mass density for the zodiacal medium of about a proton mass per cubic centimeter and a speed of 60 kilometers per second for 3I/ATLAS relative to that medium, I calculated the implies mass density profile of the outflow so that it will get stopped at about 3,000 kilometers. Extrapolating the mass density of the outflow to the surface of the object and multiplying by the ejection speed of 20 meters per second and by the surface area of its Sun-facing side, gives a mass loss rate of about 10 kilograms per second. This is very close to the value inferred by other considerations from the detailed analysis of the Hubble image.
The inferred mass loss rate is independent of the assumed radius of the nucleus because the inferred mass density at the nucleus’ surface scales inversely with radius squared after being calibrated at the stopping radius. Since the mass loss rate scales as the mass density of the outflow at the nucleus’ surface times the surface area, which scales as radius squared, the derived mass loss rate does not depend on the radius of the nucleus.
The ram-pressure confinement and the small mass density in the outskirts of the dust cloud around 3I/ATLAS explain the lack of a prominent cometary tail behind 3I/ATLAS. The total dust mass required to maintain this cloud in a steady state over six months can be supplied by a surface layer that is only a millimeter in thickness on a 10-kilometer object. This dust layer could have been developed as a result of fragmentation of the surface from bombardment by interstellar dust and gas during a long interstellar journey.
The derived column density of the outflow is too low for it to be opaque. This suggests that the observed reddening of the spectrum of 3I/ATLAS reflects the red surface of 3I/ATLAS, as characteristic for the surfaces of Kuiper belt objects, like Arrokoth which was observed by the New Horizons spacecraft and believed to have organic molecules as a result of being exposed to interstellar cosmic rays and ultraviolet light.
Most importantly, the low opacity of the dust suggests that the reflected light originates mostly from the surface of 3I/ATLAS and not from the dust surrounding it. Given its brightness, the radius of 3I/ATLAS needs to be of order 10 kilometers for an albedo of 5% or a few times smaller for a perfect reflector.
As I pointed out in my first paper on 3I/ATLAS (accessible here), this conclusion raises two puzzles. The previous interstellar objects, 1I/`Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, were both hundreds of meters in size. Based on the solar system reservoir of rocks, one would expect to find a hundred thousand rocks with a 100-meter diameter for each 20-kilometer rock. Clearly, we did not observe as many interstellar objects on the scale of 1I/`Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov before discovering 3I/ATLAS. In addition, the reservoir of rocky materials in interstellar space can only supply a 20-kilometer rock once per 10,000 years even if we assume that all this material is packaged in such rocks.
If 3I/ATLAS is not a rock made of heavy elements based on these considerations, what could it be? One possibility is that it is an iceberg made a hydrogen or helium, which are more abundant in interstellar space by several orders of magnitude. The problem is that a hydrogen iceberg would be easily evaporated by starlight, as I showed in a paper with Thiem Hoang (accessible here). Alternatively, 3I/ATLAS might have targeted the inner solar system and has nothing to do with the reservoir of rocks on random trajectories in interstellar space. A technological design would also explain the alignment of its trajectory with the ecliptic plane (likelihood of 0.2%) and its close passage to Mars, Venus and Jupiter (likelihood of 0.0005%).
Here’s hoping that the data collected in the coming months will reveal more details about 3I/ATLAS as it approaches the Sun and gets brighter and warmer. Turning the heat on 3I/ATLAS may reveal its nature.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Press enter or click to view image in full size(Image Credit: Chris Michel, National Academy of Sciences, 2023) Avi Loeb is the head of the Galileo Project, founding director of Harvard University’s — Black Hole Initiative, director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the former chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University (2011–2020). He is a former member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a former chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. He is the bestselling author of “Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth” and a co-author of the textbook “Life in the Cosmos”, both published in 2021. The paperback edition of his new book, titled “Interstellar”, was published in August 2024.
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Scientists think they detected the first known triple black hole system in the universe — and then watched it die
Chinese astronomers may have discovered a never-before-seen triple black hole system.
The team identified this triplet, which is locked in a complex “waltz,” after spotting a hidden supermassive black hole lurking in the background of a peculiar gravitational wave event first detected six years ago.
In 2019, the U.S.-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detected a series of faint ripples in the fabric of space-time, known as gravitational waves. They appeared to be given off by the distant merger of two black holes located somewhere between 544 and 912 light-years from Earth. The cosmic collision, dubbed GW190814, was particularly noteworthy due to the size of the merging singularities, which weighed 23 and 2.6 solar masses, respectively.
Normally, merging black holes have a similar mass to one another because this creates the right type of gravitational friction for them to come together. At the time, GW190814 was the “most unequal mass ratio yet measured with gravitational waves,” according to a 2020 study of the event. Scientists were particularly surprised by the size of the smaller singularity, which is only just massive enough to be considered a black hole.
In a new study, published July 21 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, astronomers proposed that this uneven merger was caused by a hidden third object that provided the necessary gravitational kick for the two mismatched black holes to collide and transform into a single entity, despite their significant size difference.
Related: Accidental discovery of 1st-ever ‘black hole triple’ system challenges what we know about how singularities form
It is very rare for unevenly sized black holes to merge together due to the gravitational imbalances between them. (Image credit: N. Fischer, H. Pfeiffer, A. Buonanno (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes project) The team used simulations to predict how this interaction would influence the gravitational waves generated by the merger, and identified a unique “fingerprint” signal associated with the hidden object. They then reanalyzed the LIGO data from the initial discovery and found that this fingerprint signal was in fact present.
“This is the first international discovery of clear evidence for a third compact object in a binary black hole merger event,” study co-author Wen-Biao Han, an astronomer at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in a statement. “It reveals that the binary black holes in GW190814 may not have formed in isolation but were part of a more complex gravitational system.”
Based on the simulations, the team believes the most likely identity of the hidden compact object is a supermassive black hole. They don’t yet know how large this behemoth may be, but the lower limit for supermassive black holes is around 100,000 solar masses, suggesting that it is at least that massive — and making it far larger than the other two objects initially identified in the system.
The smaller pair of merging black holes were likely part of a binary system that danced around the supermassive black hole as they spun around one another, similar to how Earth and the moon circle each other on their collective journey around the sun. This is the first time that this configuration has been seen in a black hole system.
The newly formed black hole from the merger will likely continue to dance around its supermassive partner for billions of years before eventually being swallowed by the larger object, the team added.
The new findings not only provide “significant insights into the formation pathways of binary black holes” but also provide a new way of identifying other hidden giants lurking in the background of other similarly uneven black hole mergers, Han said.
Since LIGO detected the first-ever gravitational waves in 2015, the observatory has spotted more than 100 additional gravitational wave events, most of which were caused by black hole mergers. Each new detection provides more data scientists can use to uncover new secrets about the universe’s most massive objects, which are notoriously hard to study.
Black hole quiz: How supermassive is your knowledge of the universe?
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Prosus N.V. Reinforces Commitment to Innovation at Annual General Meeting
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Prosus ( (NL:PRX) ) has issued an announcement.
Prosus N.V. recently held its annual general meeting, where CEO Fabricio Bloisi thanked investors for their participation. The company continues to focus on its strategic investments and technological advancements, aiming to strengthen its position in the global technology market. This meeting underscores Prosus’s commitment to innovation and its role in shaping the future of technology, which is likely to have significant implications for its stakeholders.
More about Prosus
Prosus is a global technology company focused on unlocking an AI-first world for its 2 billion customers. With investments in over 100 companies worldwide, it builds local e-commerce champions in growth markets and holds leading positions in food delivery, classifieds, and fintech. Prosus drives innovation and growth across its portfolio through its unique technology ecosystem and invests in new technology growth opportunities via Prosus Ventures.
Learn more about PRX stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.
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Torrential monsoon rains in Pakistan kill over 20, including 10 in Karachi | Floods News
Schools shut and villages swept away as Pakistan reels from monsoon devastation.
At least 21 people have died in monsoon rain-related incidents in Pakistan, authorities said, pushing the nationwide death toll over the last week above 400 as floods and landslides continue to devastate large parts of the country.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Wednesday that 11 people were killed in Gilgit-Baltistan in the north and 10 others died in Karachi, Pakistan’s financial hub, where heavy rain triggered electrocutions and house collapses.
Schools in Karachi, a city of more than 20 million, remained closed as forecasters warned of further downpours until Saturday. Sindh’s chief meteorologist, Amir Hyder Laghari, blamed “weak infrastructure” for the severe flooding in urban areas.
The city’s ageing pipes and drains struggled to handle the deluge, leaving entire neighbourhoods submerged. Residents were seen scooping murky water from their homes as power and phone outages added to the disruption.
People wade through a flooded road after the monsoon rain in Karachi, Pakistan, on August 19, 2025 [File: Imran Ali/Reuters] Provincial officials reported 40 to 50 houses damaged in two districts. “Another (rain) spell is to start by the end of the month,” NDMA chairman Inam Haider Malik said.
The northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been hardest hit, with more than 350 people killed since last Thursday. Authorities and army units are searching for dozens of missing villagers in areas struck by flash floods and landslides. Excavators have been deployed to clear debris clogging rivers and drainage systems.
“We have established relief camps where we are providing medical assistance. We are also giving dry rations and tents to all the people,” army Colonel Irfan Afridi told the AFP news agency in Buner district, where more than 220 people have died in recent days.
“The children are scared. They say we cannot sleep at night due to fear,” said Anjum Anwar, a medical worker at a relief camp. “The flood … has destroyed our entire settlements.”
The monsoon season, which runs from June to September, often brings destruction to Pakistan’s mountainous north and flood-prone south. Authorities warn the current rains may last until mid-September.
Nearly 750 people have died since this year’s monsoon began, officials said. Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, has faced increasingly extreme weather in recent years. In 2022, monsoon floods submerged a third of the country, killing about 1,700 people.
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Comparative Real-World Effectiveness of Rituximab vs Cladribine in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
In the changing landscape of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), decisions around aggressive treatments rest on clinical trial data as well as real-world effectiveness and safety. A Norwegian observational cohort study, using a target trial emulation framework, offers compelling data when comparing rituximab (Rituxan; Genentech) and cladribine (Mavenclad; Merck KGaA), 2 agents often reserved for more aggressive disease presentations. Over a median follow-up of 4.5 years, rituximab demonstrated superior capabilities in controlling disease activity and improving disability outcomes, with a larger safety profile compared with cladribine.1
Image Credit: luchschenF | stock.adobe.com
This study analyzed data from 285 patients with RRMS that came from 2 geographically distinct university hospitals. Each had its own treatment preference: Haukeland University Hospital (rituximab) and Oslo University Hospital (cladribine). The treatment assignment was largely based on patient residence, allowing for a quasi-random allocation and lessening selection bias.1 By using scores that match for things like age, sex, disease duration, past treatments, MRI marks, disability score, and relapse history, the team was able to emulate a randomized trial within observational data.1
The primary end point, new MRI disease activity over 4 years, clearly supported rituximab. The total rate was 17% (95% CI: 11–23) for those on rituximab versus 57% (95% CI: 44–66) for those on cladribine, showing an absolute risk difference of about 40 percentage points (95% CI: 28–50).1 Those treated with rituximab were free from new MRI activity for an average of 16.8 months longer than those on cladribine. Also, rituximab conferred significant reductions in relapse rate and treatment discontinuation: 6% versus 17% relapse risk (RD ≈ 12 percentage points) and 7% versus 21% discontinuation risk (RD ≈ 15 percentage points), once more in favor of rituximab.1
Apart from disease control, the disability outcomes were also better with rituximab. The change in disability did not differ between the 2 groups, but the number of patients with disability improvement was higher for those on rituximab, 21% compared with 4%. This shows a risk difference of about 18% (95% CI: 4–29).1 Those using rituximab also had a much better chance (odds ratio of 15.9, 95% CI: 3.8–92.4) of achieving NEDA-3 status (no evidence of disease activity). Biomarker analysis showed that serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), which may signal disease progression, was much lower in the rituximab group, while neurofilament light chain levels were similar in both groups.1
Data showed that the number of patients in the hospital for adverse effects was comparable: 6 out of 100 people per year for rituximab and 4.1 out of 100 for cladribine. More people who took rituximab were hospitalized for COVID-19 (16 vs 2). This shows they might get sick easier or were watched more closely during the pandemic period. No deaths were reported, and the number of other infections was similar for both groups.1
In summary, this real-world comparative study supports rituximab as a more efficacious treatment option compared with cladribine for reducing radiologic disease activity, lowering relapse rates, improving disability outcomes, and achieving NEDA-3 over long-term treatment, with comparable safety. These insights, drawn from real-world practice, provide valuable guidance for clinicians weighing treatment options in RRMS. Future randomized controlled trials, such as the ongoing NOR-MS (NCT04121403), are needed to confirm these findings in fully randomized cohorts.1,2
REFERENCE
1. Rød BE, Høgestøl EA, Torkildsen Ø, et al. Comparative effectiveness of rituximab and cladribine in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: A target trial emulation. Mult Scler. 2025;31(8):975-984. doi:10.1177/13524585251342727
2. Norwegian Study of oral cladribine and rituximab in multiple sclerosis (NOR-MS) (NOR-MS). Updated December 16, 2024. Accessed August 19, 2025. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04121403
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