Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup, livestreamed its first patient on Wednesday. Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old paralyzed patient, used his mind to play online chess with a chip implanted by Neuralink. The implant allows people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts.
Valneva, a French biotech firm, forecasts nearly doubling its product sales by 2026. It also raised its 2024 product sales guidance, expecting growth from travel vaccines like Ixiaro and Dukoral. The company anticipates mid-term sales driven by these vaccines, with Ixiaro sales expected to grow by double digits for the next three years.
UnitedHealth Group announced on Wednesday that its unit Change Healthcare has fully restored its cloud-based services after a cybersecurity attack. The services for handling medical claims were rebuilt, and Amazon’s cloud services for Change Healthcare applications were also restored, following the cyberattack.
A study published on Wednesday predicts declining fertility rates globally, with most live births expected to occur in low-income countries by the end of the century. This trend will create a divide between “baby boom” and “baby bust” regions, with low-income countries facing economic and political instability taking the lead in population growth.
Bristol Myers Squibb reported that its Opdivo and Yervoy combination met the main goal in a late-stage liver cancer trial. The positive results support the company’s efforts to expand the use of these drugs, which are set to lose market exclusivity by the end of the decade.
The United States and some large western European countries have dropped in the global happiness ranking due to rising unhappiness among younger populations. Nordic nations continue to hold the top spots in the World Happiness Report, based on data from Gallup and analyzed by the University of Oxford.
Germany’s BioNTech, known for its COVID-19 vaccine, reported a significant drop in revenue and earnings in 2023. The company’s focus is shifting towards cancer drug development, with hopes pinned on new cancer drug launches to drive future growth.
Argentina is facing a major dengue outbreak, with over 120,000 cases recorded so far in the current season. The outbreak is on track to break previous records, reflecting a wider concern in South America due to warmer and wetter weather leading to a surge in dengue cases.
The ransomware attack on UnitedHealth has disrupted payments to U.S. doctors and healthcare facilities, particularly impacting community health centers serving millions of poor and uninsured patients. While larger healthcare centers have resumed operations using alternative technology, the hack continues to affect smaller providers.
GSK, a British pharmaceutical giant, announced plans to cap out-of-pocket costs for its inhaled asthma and chronic lung disease medicines in the U.S. Eligible patients will pay a maximum of $35 per month for these medications starting from January 1, 2025.
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