DeSantis suspends state attorney for refusing to enforce laws on abortion, transgender surgery

 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren on Thursday for “neglect of duty” after the prosecutor refused to enforce bans on abortion and transgender surgery.

“When you flagrantly violate your oath of office, when you make yourself above the law, you have violated your duty, you have neglected your duty and you are displaying a lack of competence to be able to perform those duties,” DeSantis said at a news conference in the county sheriff’s office.

“And so today we are suspending State Attorney Andrew Warren effective immediately.”

Warren, a Democrat, was first elected in 2016, when he defeated the Republican incumbent, and has been an outspoken voice for social justice.

DeSantis cited Warren’s signing of a letter saying that he would not enforce “prohibitions on sex change operations for minors” and another saying that he would not enforce “any laws related to protecting the right to life” as evidence that the state attorney had shirked his duty as a public prosecutor.

“It’s not for him to put himself above that and say that he’s not going to enforce the laws,” DeSantis said, accusing Warren of acting like he had “veto power” over the state legislature.

The governor announced that he would replace Warren with former Judge Susan Lopez.

“I have the utmost respect for our state laws and I understand the important role that the State Attorney plays in ensuring the safety of our community and the enforcement of our laws,” Lopez said in a statement.

“I want to thank the Governor for placing his trust in me, and I promise that I will faithfully execute the duties of this office.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3587811-desantis-suspends-state-attorney-for-refusing-to-enforce-laws-on-abortion-transgender-surgery/

China Locks Down 1 Million People in Wuhan

 About 1 million people are on lockdown again in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the Covid-19 virus was first found, according to Bloomberg and other news reports.

The city of 12 million became the world’s first to face restrictive measures back in early 2020. China still maintains its “zero COVID” policies, which require testing, social isolation and more frequent lockdowns.

Now, after four people were found to have asymptomatic COVID-19, residents in the Jiangxia district must stay inside for three days. The government has stopped all public transportation, and entertainment venues must be closed for three days, Bloomberg says. The first two cases were found during normal tests, and the others through contact tracing.

Bloomberg says the restrictions are limited to just one area but could cause worry about broader restrictions.

In Shanghai, residents are adapting to a “new normal” of frequent mass testing,

The BBC reported, after the city of 25 million emerged from a strict two-month lockdown in early June.

Chinese companies have told some employees they must live at work temporarily to restrict possible transmission as much as possible to keep the economy running.

This week, two new studies strengthened the theory that the coronavirus originated at a marketplace in Wuhan, one of the earliest arguments explaining the virus’ emergence.

The country has had more than 2.2 million cases and 14,720 deaths.

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20220727/china-locks-down-one-million-people-in-wuhan

Global Blood Therapeutics Is Said to Draw Takeover Interest

 Global Blood Therapeutics Inc., which makes a drug for sickle cell disease, is attracting takeover interest, according to people familiar with the matter.

Some large pharmaceutical companies are studying a potential deal, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. The company is working with advisers to evaluate the potential interest, they said. There’s no certainty it will lead to a transaction, the people added.

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/mergers-and-acquisitions/global-blood-therapeutics-is-said-to-draw-takeover-interest

GreenLight Biosciences, Samsung Biologics complete 1st commercial-scale engineering run for mRNA Covid vax

 

• GreenLight’s messenger RNA production process is transferable to large-scale equipment and CMO facilities​

• Technology transfer and scale-up from lab bench to Samsung’s commercial facility was completed in seven months

• GreenLight’s mRNA synthesis reaction had a titer of 12g/L at a commercial scale and produced 650g of mRNA

• The mRNA synthesis reaction was achieved without the need for customization, using standard equipment for Contract Development and Manufacturing Companies (CDMO)

• Commercial-scale run has demonstrated production—in a single facility—of both Drug Substance and LNP formulation, allowing the production of bulk Drug Product

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/greenlight-biosciences-samsung-biologics-complete-130000462.html

Merck KGaA Earnings, Sales Grew in 2Q

 Merck KGaA on Thursday posted growing earnings and sales for the second quarter, which it said were driven by all divisions and boosted by positive currency effects.

The German pharmaceuticals-and-chemicals company posted after-tax profit of 870 million euros ($884.5 million), up from EUR747 million the year prior, on sales which grew to EUR5.57 billion from EUR4.87 billion.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization before one-time items, known as Ebitda pre--a closely watched metric--came in at EUR1.78 billion, up from EUR1.58 billion, Merck said.

Sales growth was positively affected by foreign-exchange effects, especially due to developments in the U.S. dollar, the Chinese yuan and the Taiwanese dollar, the company said.

Merck backed its guidance on sales and Ebitda pre growth for the full year. It said it continues to expect sales growth of between 6% to 9%, and Ebitda pre growth of 5% to 9%.

However, strong positive currency effects are expected to help lift full-year results in these two metrics, Merck said. The company now expects full-year sales of between EUR21.9 billion and EUR23 billion, and Ebitda pre of between EUR6.75 billion and EUR7.25 billion. It had previously guided for net sales between EUR21.6 billion and EUR22.8 billion, and Ebitda pre between EUR6.6 billion and EUR7.1 billion.

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/MERCK-KGAA-436395/news/Merck-KGaA-Earnings-Sales-Grew-in-2Q-41192387/

Becton Dickinson Raises FY22 Guidance

 Becton, Dickinson & Co. on Thursday raised and narrowed its full-year projections for revenue and adjusted per-share earnings to reflect its most recent performance.

The Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based media technology company said it now expects full-year revenue to be between $18.75 billion and $18.83 billion, up from its previous view of $18.5 billion to $18.7 billion.

The revenue forecast reflects a stronger growth rate in base businesses and an increase in Covid-19-only diagnostic testing revenues, the company said.

The company raised its adjusted per-share earnings projection for the year to between $11.28 and $11.35, from its previous view of $11.15 to $11.30.

The raised guidance came as the company reported a fall in its third-quarter profit, which was negatively affected by spinoff- and acquisition-related costs. The company's adjusted per-share earnings and revenue grew in its quarter ended June 30 and beat Wall Street expectations.

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/BECTON-DICKINSON-AND-COM-11801/news/Becton-Dickinson-Raises-FY22-Guidance-41199022/

Vaxcyte Says FDA Grants Fast-Track Designation to Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Vaccine

 Vaxcyte Inc. said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted fast-track designation to VAX-24, the company's vaccine candidate to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease in adults.

The designation is an FDA process to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs that treat or prevent serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need.

The clinical-stage vaccine company said it completed a pre-investigational new drug meeting with the FDA regarding the VAX-24 pediatric program. Vaxcyte said it got positive written feedback from the FDA supporting the initiation of a pediatric study that proceeds directly into infants.

Pneumococcal disease an infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. It can result in IPD, including meningitis and bacteremia, and noninvasive PD, including pneumonia, otitis media and sinusitis. Despite universal vaccination for PD in infants and in many adults in the U.S., the overall incidence of PD is substantial and is driven by emerging serotypes not covered by currently available vaccines, the company said.

Vaxcyte in July said it completed enrollment in the Phase 2 portion of the continuing Phase 1/2 proof-of-concept study evaluating VAX-24 in healthy adults age 50 to 64. The company also said it dosed the first participants in a separate Phase 2 study of VAX-24 in healthy adults 65 years and older.

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/VAXCYTE-INC-108367227/news/Vaxcyte-Says-FDA-Grants-Fast-Track-Designation-to-Invasive-Pneumococcal-Disease-Vaccine-41202019/