Posts by Stephanie Irvin
Merck held talks to buy biotech MoonLake for over US$3 billion: FT
Published Tue, Jun 3, 2025 · 07:45 AM MERCK has held talks to buy Swiss biotech MoonLake Immunotherapeutics for more than US$3 billion, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing three people familiar with the matter. MoonLake’s shares rose 19 per cent in extended trading. Merck submitted a nonbinding offer for MoonLake earlier this year,…
Read MoreGoogle Deepmind CEO says global AI cooperation ‘difficult’
[LOS ANGELES] Artificial intelligence pioneer and head of Google’s Deepmind, Demis Hassabis on Monday said that greater international cooperation around AI regulation was needed but “difficult” to achieve “in today’s geopolitical context”. At a time when AI is being integrated across all industries, its uses have raised major ethical questions, from the spread of misinformation…
Read MoreWhy Prior Authorization Is Causing Headaches and How to Solve It
In healthcare, insurance companies use prior authorization (PA) to determine whether a prescribed treatment, medication, or procedure is medically necessary before they approve coverage. Although intended to control costs and ensure that patients receive appropriate care, the prior authorization process has become a major source of frustration for both healthcare providers and patients. Despite its…
Read MoreMeta aims to fully automate advertising with AI by 2026: WSJ
[BENGALURU] Meta Platforms aims to allow brands to fully create and target advertisements with its artificial intelligence tools by the end of next year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday (Jun 2), citing people familiar with the matter. The social media company’s apps have 3.43 billion unique active users globally and its AI-driven tools…
Read MoreCK Hutchison announces completion of Vodafone and Three’s merger in UK
Vodafone and Three will invest £11 billion over the next 10 years in building one of Europe’s most advanced 5G networks Published Mon, Jun 2, 2025 · 08:09 PM [LONDON] Vodafone and CK Hutchison have completed the merger of their UK operations, creating a new business called “VodafoneThree”, which will invest £1.3 billion (S$2.3 billion)…
Read MoreSanofi to buy immunology biotech Blueprint for US$9.1 billion
[PARIS] Sanofi agreed to buy Blueprint Medicines for at least US$9.1 billion as the French drugmaker expands further in rare immunological diseases. Sanofi will pay US$129 per share in cash for the US biotech, it said in a statement. That represents a 27 per cent premium to Blueprint’s closing price on May 30. The…
Read MoreTesla not keen on local production in India, minister says
Published Mon, Jun 2, 2025 · 04:20 PM [NEW DELHI] Tesla does not want to produce cars in India, a federal minister said on Monday (Jun 2), while adding that Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are among the foreign carmakers eyeing India’s new electric vehicle policy. Tesla has long wanted to sell in the world’s third-largest car…
Read MoreNio’s May deliveries up 13.1% as Firefly rolls out, but stock hovers near 52-week low
[SINGAPORE] Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio delivered 23,231 vehicles in May, marking a 13.1 per cent increase year on year, the company said in a regulatory filing on Sunday (Jun 1). This was, however, about 2.8 per cent fewer vehicles compared to Nio’s delivery of 23,900 vehicles in April. Of the deliveries made in…
Read MoreHSBC to inject US$4 billion into its private credit funds
Banks have been trying to muscle in, with some such as Citi and UBS partnering with existing players Apollo and General Atlantic Published Mon, Jun 2, 2025 · 01:20 PM [LONDON] Europe’s biggest bank HSBC will inject US$4 billion into its private credit funds, amid a wider push by banks into the booming market as…
Read MorePhilippines eyes India, Thailand rice to cut Vietnam reliance
[MANILA] The Philippines, the world’s top rice importer, plans to look beyond its dominant supplier, Vietnam, to ensure steady supplies and competitive prices at home. The agriculture department is in talks with private importers on purchases from producers such as India, Pakistan, Cambodia and Myanmar, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said on Friday (May 30).…
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