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Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson officially remained out of practice Thursday. He has back and foot injuries that have kept him sidelined this week. The Colts, though, are optimistic about Richardson’s chances of playing Sunday, Stephen Holder of ESPN reports. Richardson missed two starts in October with an oblique injury and was benched for two others in November. He has started the past five games. Joe Flacco started the four games Richardson missed this season. Tight end Mo Alie-Cox (toe) and linebacker E.J. Speed (knee) also missed practice again, but linebacker Jaylon Carlies (shoulder) returned to limited work after being estimated as a non-participant Wednesday. Offensive guard Quenton Nelson (ankle) was downgraded to limited after being estimated as a full participant Wednesday. Wide receiver Alec Pierce (concussion) was listed as a full participant for the second consecutive day, as was cornerback Jaylon Jones (throat). Cornerback JuJu Brents (knee) fully participated for the second consecutive practice as he works his way back from injured reserve.Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty may be part of one of Hollywood's most , but he keeps his relationship with girlfriend, Alida Morberg, private. It’s unclear when Skarsgård and Morberg first began dating or how they met, but they have now been together for over eight years. The couple have also started a family, though they haven't publicly revealed their children’s names. Skarsgård rarely speaks about his relationship in interviews and does not have any social media, but Morberg, who is also an actress, has shared a few glimpses into their life together over the years. In 2017, Morberg shared a of herself visiting Skarsgård on the set of In the shot, Skarsgård is donning his and smiling creepily at the camera. “Congrats honey!!! I am so afraid of horror movies, lucky it's only you😱🤡,” Morberg wrote in Swedish in the caption. star has become known for tackling dark roles — including his latest — but off-screen, he doesn’t consider himself a “villain,” as he told during an April 2023 interview. “I’m a father of two,” he joked of his real life with Morberg and their kids, adding: “Which is the most honorable profession in a way.” So who is Bill Skarsgård’s girlfriend? Here’s everything to know about actress Alida Morberg and her relationship with the actor. IBL/Shutterstock Like Skarsgård, Morberg is also Swedish. According to her , she was born in the small town of Lilla Edet, while Skarsgård grew up in Stockholm. It’s unclear if the pair met while living in Sweden, but both have made their rounds in the Swedish film and television circuit. John Salangsang/BFA/Shutterstock Morberg has been acting since the early aughts, and she’s repped by the same Swedish talent firm as Skarsgård, . Her credits include a 2020 Swedish TV series, a 2022 Irish crime thriller and one episode of Netflix’s , which stars Skarsgård as Clark Olofsson, the notorious Swedish criminal who inspired the term “Stockholm Syndrome.” In addition to their careers in entertainment, Skarsgård and Morberg have something else in common: they both come from large families with connections to the industry. Morberg is the , a well-known Swedish actor and celebrity chef who is best known for the 1997 Swedish series . She is one of five girls, several of whom have also followed in their father’s footsteps. One of her sisters, Liza, is a writer and director with several credits to her name, while another, Astrid, is a budding actress who recently appeared in the horror film . As for Skarsgård, he is the son of Golden Globe-winning actor and the younger brother of actors and . The star also has five other siblings. Not much is known about the early days of the couple’s relationship, but they confirmed their romance at the March 2016 premiere of , in which Skarsgård starred as Matthew, a friend of Tris' ( ). That same month, Morberg shared her of Skarsgård. The picture featured a group of their friends having dinner on a patio in the Echo Park neighborhood in Los Angeles to celebrate Easter. Alida Morberg/Instagram Skarsgård and Morberg secretly welcomed a daughter in 2018. The actor confirmed the news during a September 2019 appearance on ahead of the premiere of . “I have one, yeah,” he said when host asked if he had any children. He added: “She’s 11 months old ... I’ve gotten a bunch of fun merch throughout the years so her little baby room is filled with all these Pennywise teddy bears.” actor spoke about his daughter again during an interview on that same month. He revealed that while filming the horror movie, he would FaceTime with Morberg and their then-2-week-old daughter in his full Pennywise costume. “She didn’t know,” he joked, “but I have a great screenshot of it.” In January 2020, Morberg shared a of their baby girl, though her face was not shown. “My biggest love in life ❤️,” she captioned the post. A few years later, in August 2022, Morberg revealed that they were expecting their second child, posting a cradling her bump. The couple have not yet revealed the sex or name of their youngest child, but Skarsgård confirmed that he is a father of two during his 2023 interview with . Alida Morberg/Instagram While the pair mainly keep their relationship out of the spotlight, Morberg has promoted several of her partner’s projects on social media and attended a handful of his movie premieres, including the European premiere of in 2019. In February 2022, Morberg encouraged her followers to — a short film titled that starred his dad Stellan and brother Gustaf. Earlier that month, she also posted the for , teasing in the caption that she and Skarsgård were starring in it. The project was a full family affair, as Morberg's dad Per also briefly appeared in an episode. Read the original article onMidxMidwest Brings 90+ Venture Capitalists to Kansas City to Drive Regional Investment ActivityNBA President Afam Osigwe has declared it unconstitutional for cabinet members or governors to give gifts to judges His comments followed the controversial construction of judges' quarters in Abuja by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, which sparked public outrage Osigwe emphasized that such gestures undermine judicial independence and should be rejected CHECK OUT: Education is Your Right! Don’t Let Social Norms Hold You Back. Learn Online with LEGIT. Enroll Now! Afam Osigwe, president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has declared that it is unconstitutional for members of the cabinet or governors to give gifts to judges. Osigwe made these remarks on Thursday during Politics HQ, a programme on News Central TV. Controversial Construction of Judges' Quarters Osigwe's comments come in the wake of Nyesom Wike , minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), announcing the construction of quarters for judges in Abuja . PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! In September, Wike flagged off the construction of 40 houses for judges, sparking public outrage. He stated that 20 houses would be allocated to judges of the FCT high court, 10 to judges of the federal high court , and 10 to judges of the court of appeal. Read also Group lambasts critics dragging Wike, Tinubu over FCT demolitions: “People with mischievous intent” Wike denied claims that the houses were being constructed to influence judges for political gains, asserting that the initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu ’s welfare packages to promote judicial independence. Call for Judicial Independence Osigwe emphasized that the executive arm of government should not directly provide the judiciary with its needs, as such gestures undermine judicial autonomy. He urged the judiciary to reject acts of “benevolence” that could have hidden agendas. “In any situation where a governor gathers judges or brings a chief judge or any person whatsoever to display to the public that he’s giving them cars as if he’s doing them a favour, it is condemnable,” Osigwe said. He stressed that these actions are unconstitutional, demeaning, and detract from the judiciary's independence. Proper Channels for Budgetary Allocations Osigwe called for an end to the practice of executives acting as a “big brother” to the judiciary. Read also LG autonomy: What will happen to govs who tamper with LGA funds, circumvent Supreme Court judgement He insisted that budgetary allocations for the judiciary should go through proper channels and not be handed out like gifts, which he described as “humiliating” and detrimental to judicial independence. “The executive cannot go to the legislature or judiciary seeking gifts. If judicial needs are budgeted items, they should be handled within the framework of judicial independence,” he added. Wike Speaks on Building Judges' Quarters Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has clarified the intentions behind the construction of houses for judges in Abuja . Addressing the claims, Wike emphasized that the initiative is not aimed at gaining political favor but rather ensuring the safety and dignity of the judiciary. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ng
The US says it pushed retraction of north Gaza famine warning
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Russia’s survival is impossible without sovereignty and everything must be done to protect it, Vyacheslav Volodin, the Speaker of the Russian parliament’s lower chamber, has said. Volodin stressed the importance of Moscow maintaining the ability to make independent decisions about its future during an interview with Russia 24 on Saturday. "For our country, being a sovereign state is not just crucial - it is existential. The loss of sovereignty equates to the loss of the nation,” he stressed. According to the State Duma Speaker, many European countries and the EU as a whole have no agency anymore and are being guided by decisions made by others, notably the US. "Europe has largely lost its sovereignty. We see this in decisions made by the US, which are often unfriendly towards European nations,” he stressed. Due to those steps by Washington, some EU states have started to “experience significant economic decline, with businesses shutting down and people losing their jobs,” he explained, adding that “NATO bases are being built on their soil,” Volodin explained. Russia cannot allow itself to follow a similar path because “it is a huge country, and for us sovereignty is a life-or-death issue,” he said. "If we want to plan our future ourselves, we need to protect it [sovereignty], take care of the security of the state, improve the quality of life of people, develop the economy, and think about technological and digital sovereignty,” the speaker explained. Earlier this month, Russia’s Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) named “sovereignty” as the state word of the year in the country. The choice was based on the analysis of speeches by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the government’s strategic planning documents, it said. During his end-of-the-year press conference last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Russia “has grown stronger and become a truly sovereign state, and we will make decisions without looking at other people’s opinions, only with our national interests in mind.” According to Putin, those developments mean that the country has now “largely achieved the state we wanted to achieve.”India News | .BANIHAL/BHADERWAH DEL41 JK-SNOW-CRICKET Snow Strands Hundreds of Commuters in J&K's Banihal; for Some It's Cricket All Right
The Dallas Cowboys are shutting down CeeDee Lamb for the rest of the season after the star wideout played through a shoulder injury for nearly two months. Lamb initially sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder on Nov. 3 but has not missed any of the Cowboys' first 15 games this season. "Additional examinations and scans this week on CeeDee Lamb's shoulder have determined that his injury has now progressed to a point that he will be listed as ‘Out' for the remaining two games of the season," a team spokesperson said in a statement to media outlets. "He will undergo a process of treatment and rehabilitation for his shoulder, is not currently expected to require surgery and is projected to make a full recovery." The Cowboys (7-8), eliminated from playoff contention, face two division rivals to close the season. They visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and will host the Washington Commanders in Week 18. Lamb, 25, hauled in 101 receptions for 1,194 yards and six touchdowns this season. It marked his fourth straight 1,000-yard season, and he may be selected to a fourth straight Pro Bowl for his efforts. Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million contract extension in August, covering the 2025-28 seasons. --Field Level MediaCOIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai vowed Thursday not to wear footwear until the DMK govt was ousted and publicly flog himself six times in front of his Chennai residence at 10am Friday to protest police's handling of the Anna University rape case . Annamalai's announcement added to the political storm building up over a 37-year-old food vendor with a criminal record allegedly raping a second-year engineering student on campus three days ago. He accused police of revealing the survivor's name, phone number and other details in violation of laws guaranteeing privacy to girls and women targeted for sexual harassment. "How did the FIR enter the public domain? The FIR also shows the survivor in poor light. " he said, holding law minister S Regupathy accountable for the breach. "Where did the Nirbhaya Fund (for safety initiatives) go? Why was there no CCTV camera anywhere near the crime scene on the Anna University campus?" Annamalai said. He wrote to National Commission for Women chairperson Vijaya K Rahatkar, alleging police made public the survivor's identity as part of DMK govt's attempt to malign her. He slammed Regupathy for saying the state was peaceful for three months but became "disturbed" after Annamalai's return from a trip to London. The BJP neta said he was tired of the "dirty politics" in his state. "No more public protest because you (police) arrest BJP cadres who gather and lodge them in a marriage hall. So, from tomorrow, cadres will protest in front of their houses," he said. "In the second week of Feb, I am going to visit all six Arupadai Veedu (the deity Muruga's six abodes) and complain about the situation in TN." Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , Location Guesser and Mini Crossword .Tomas Hertl has waited for this since the Golden Knights’ schedule came out. “One of the days I looked for before the season was (when) we’d play in the ‘Shark Tank,’” Hertl said. That day is Friday. That’s when Hertl will return to San Jose’s SAP Center for the first time since the Sharks traded him to the Knights in March. The rivalry between the two Pacific Division foes has dipped the past few years. The Knights (23-8-3) have consistently been one of the NHL’s best teams. The Sharks (11-20-6) haven’t made the playoffs since 2019. San Jose, given its lack of recent success, decided it made sense to trade Hertl. He had an incredible tenure with the team, scoring 218 goals and 484 points in 712 games after being selected with the 17th pick in the 2012 draft. The surprising part is San Jose was willing to trade Hertl within the division. The Knights gave up their 2025 first-round pick and center prospect David Edstrom in the deal, but also got the Sharks to retain 17 percent of Hertl’s $8.14 million cap hit. The 31-year-old has no idea what to expect Friday. “The feeling will get me when I get there, even at the morning skate and stuff like that,” Hertl told the Review-Journal. “I’m pretty excited to come back, but at the same time, it’s going to be a little weird. I was there for 11 years. I was never in the visiting room. Now, I’m coming to the rink like an outsider.” Solid tenure The Sharks were consistent contenders most of Hertl’s time with the team, but never got over the hump. He helped San Jose reach the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, which it lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hertl’s last trip to the playoffs with the Sharks was a memorable one. He scored a short-handed goal in double overtime of Game 6 of San Jose’s first-round series with the Knights in 2019. That extended the series to Game 7, which the Sharks won in overtime after center Cody Eakin was called for a controversial major penalty in the third period. San Jose went on to advance to the Western Conference Final but lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in six games. Hertl finished with 15 points in 19 games during that postseason run. Things have been tough for the Sharks ever since. Their .396 points percentage is the worst in the NHL since the start of the 2019-20 season. San Jose finished with the league’s worst record last year, which led to it landing Boston University center Macklin Celebrini with the first pick in June’s draft at Sphere . Celebrini, 18, is third among rookies in scoring with 25 points in 25 games. Hertl still has plenty of friends on the Sharks. He tries to keep up with them when he can. “I don’t want them to do better than us, but I still keep an eye on them,” Hertl said. “When you play somewhere for 11 years, no one can really take that away from you.” New team Hertl, by his own standards, has had an inconsistent first full season with his current team. He has 24 points in 34 games, but leads the Knights with seven power-play goals. He’s coming off a two-point game Monday in his team’s 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks . “He’s around the puck,” Cassidy said. “I think he’s fitting in better in terms of the style we want to play. It takes a while, especially for centermen.” One of the challenges Hertl has faced during his time with the Knights is a lack of consistent linemates. Coach Bruce Cassidy has found at least one good winger for Hertl in Keegan Kolesar. Cassidy then tried out William Karlsson on Hertl’s left wing Monday and the decision paid off right away. The Knights had a 17-4 edge in shot attempts with Karlsson, Hertl and Kolesar on the ice. “I like playing with him. He’s got the vision and he’s pretty shifty,” Karlsson said. “We’ve just got to be a little bit more effective. We had the chances, but didn’t bury too many. The chances have been there and it’s been good.” Cassidy could shuffle the lines again when left wing Ivan Barbashev and center Nicolas Roy return from their upper-body injuries. It’s unclear if either will be available Friday. For now, Hertl appears to have found a solid group to work with. Just before what should be one of his most emotional games of the year. “I know they’re playing better, and it definitely won’t be an easy game, but I definitely want to have a good game there and enjoy, hopefully, a good reception from the fans,” Hertl said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A lead organization monitoring for food crises around the world withdrew a new report this week warning of imminent famine in north Gaza under what it called Israel's “near-total blockade,” after the U.S. asked for its retraction, U.S. officials told the Associated Press. The move follows public criticism of the report from the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The rare public dispute drew accusations from prominent aid and human-rights figures that the work of the U.S.-funded Famine Early Warning System Network , meant to reflect the opinion of unbiased international experts, has been tainted by politics. A declaration of famine would be a great embarrassment for Israel, which has insisted that its 15-month war in Gaza is aimed against the Hamas militant group and not against its civilian population. U.S. ambassador to Israel Jacob Lew earlier this week called the warning by the internationally recognized group inaccurate and “irresponsible ." Lew and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the monitoring group, both said the findings failed to properly account for rapidly changing circumstances in north Gaza. Humanitarian and human rights officials expressed fear of U.S. political interference in the world's monitoring system for famines. The U.S. Embassy in Israel and the State Department declined comment. FEWS officials did not respond to questions. “We work day and night with the U.N. and our Israeli partners to meet humanitarian needs — which are great — and relying on inaccurate data is irresponsible,” Lew said Tuesday. USAID confirmed to the AP that it had asked the famine-monitoring organization to withdraw its stepped-up warning issued in a report dated Monday. The report did not appear among the top updates on the group's website Thursday, but the link to it remained active . The dispute points in part to the difficulty of assessing the extent of starvation in largely isolated northern Gaza. Thousands in recent weeks have fled an intensified Israeli military crackdown that aid groups say has allowed delivery of only a dozen trucks of food and water since roughly October. FEWS Net said in its withdrawn report that unless Israel changes its policy, it expects the number of people dying of starvation and related ailments in north Gaza to reach between two and 15 per day sometime between January and March. The internationally recognized mortality threshold for famine is two or more deaths a day per 10,000 people. FEWS was created by the U.S. development agency in the 1980s and is still funded by it. But it is intended to provide independent, neutral and data-driven assessments of hunger crises, including in war zones. Its findings help guide decisions on aid by the U.S. and other governments and agencies around the world. A spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry, Oren Marmorstein, welcomed the U.S. ambassador's public challenge of the famine warning. “FEWS NET - Stop spreading these lies!” Marmorstein said on X . In challenging the findings publicly, the U.S. ambassador "leveraged his political power to undermine the work of this expert agency,” said Scott Paul, a senior manager at the Oxfam America humanitarian nonprofit. Paul stressed that he was not weighing in on the accuracy of the data or methodology of the report. “The whole point of creating FEWS is to have a group of experts make assessments about imminent famine that are untainted by political considerations,” said Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch and now a visiting professor in international affairs at Princeton University . “It sure looks like USAID is allowing political considerations -- the Biden administration’s worry about funding Israel’s starvation strategy -- to interfere." Israel says it has been operating in recent months against Hamas militants still active in northern Gaza. It says the vast majority of the area’s residents have fled and relocated to Gaza City, where most aid destined for the north is delivered. But some critics, including a former defense minister, have accused Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing in Gaza’s far north, near the Israeli border. North Gaza has been one of the areas hardest-hit by fighting and Israel’s restrictions on aid throughout its war with Hamas militants. Global famine monitors and U.N. and U.S. officials have warned repeatedly of the imminent risk of malnutrition and deaths from starvation hitting famine levels. International officials say Israel last summer increased the amount of aid it was admitting there, under U.S. pressure. The U.S. and U.N. have said Gaza’s people as a whole need between 350 and 500 trucks a day of food and other vital needs. But the U.N. and aid groups say Israel recently has again blocked almost all aid to that part of Gaza. Cindy McCain , the American head of the U.N. World Food Program, previously called for political pressure to get food flowing to Palestinians there. Israel says it places no restrictions on aid entering Gaza and that hundreds of truckloads of goods are piled up at Gaza’s crossings and accused international aid agencies of failing to deliver the supplies. The U.N. and other aid groups say ongoing combat, looting and insufficient security by Israeli troops make it impossible to deliver aid effectively. Lew, the U.S. ambassador, said the famine warning was based on “outdated and inaccurate” data. He pointed to uncertainty over how many of the 65,000-75,000 people remaining in northern Gaza had fled in recent weeks, saying that skewed the findings. FEWS said in its report that its famine assessment holds even if as few as 10,000 people remain. USAID in its statement to AP said it had reviewed the report before it became public, and noted “discrepancies” in population estimates and some other data. The U.S. agency had asked the famine warning group to address those uncertainties and be clear in its final report to reflect how those uncertainties affected its predictions of famine, it said. “This was relayed before Ambassador Lew’s statement,” USAID said in a statement. “FEWS NET did not resolve any of these concerns and published in spite of these technical comments and a request for substantive engagement before publication. As such, USAID asked to retract the report.” Roth criticized the U.S. challenge of the report in light of the gravity of the crisis there. “This quibbling over the number of people desperate for food seems a politicized diversion from the fact that the Israeli government is blocking virtually all food from getting in,” he said, adding that “the Biden administration seems to be closing its eyes to that reality, but putting its head in the sand won’t feed anyone.” The U.S., Israel’s main backer, provided a record amount of military support in the first year of the war. At the same time, the Biden administration repeatedly urged Israel to allow more access to aid deliveries in Gaza overall, and warned that failing to do so could trigger U.S. restrictions on military support. The administration recently said Israel was making improvements and declined to carry out its threat of restrictions. Military support for Israel’s war in Gaza is politically charged in the U.S., with Republicans and some Democrats staunchly opposed any effort to limit U.S. support over the suffering of Palestinian civilians trapped in the conflict. The Biden administration’s reluctance to do more to press Israel for improved treatment of civilians undercut support for Democrats in last month’s elections. Sam Mednick and Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report.Tricaprilin is under clinical development by Cerecin and currently in Phase II for Infantile Spasm (West Syndrome). According to GlobalData, Phase II drugs for Infantile Spasm (West Syndrome) have a 67% phase transition success rate (PTSR) indication benchmark for progressing into Phase III. GlobalData tracks drug-specific phase transition and likelihood of approval scores, in addition to indication benchmarks based off 18 years of historical drug development data. Attributes of the drug, company and its clinical trials play a fundamental role in drug-specific PTSR and likelihood of approval. Tricaprilin overview Tricaprilin (AC-1204) is under development for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, migraine, infantile spasms (West syndrome). The drug candidate is administered orally. The therapeutic candidate is a formulation of caprylic triglyceride. Caprylic triglyceride is a long-chain triglyceride which acts by boosting cellular metabolism. The drug candidate was also under development for dementia, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and cognitive impairment in Multiple sclerosis. Cerecin overview Cerecin, formerly Accera, is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers and develops drugs for the treatment of neurological diseases. It is investigating Tricaprilin, a proprietary oral formulation of a medium chain triglyceride against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, migraine and epilepsy. The company’s drug candidate produces ketosis which helps in improving mitochondrial metabolism. Cerecin works in partnership with University of Minnesota, EDB Singapore, Wilmar International Ltd and other companies. It has operational presence in Colorado, the US; and Victoria, Australia. Cerecin is headquartered in Singapore City, Singapore. For a complete picture of Tricaprilin’s drug-specific PTSR and LoA scores, This content was updated on 12 April 2024 From Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors. , the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article. GlobalData’s Likelihood of Approval analytics tool dynamically assesses and predicts how likely a drug will move to the next stage in clinical development (PTSR), as well as how likely the drug will be approved (LoA). This is based on a combination of machine learning and a proprietary algorithm to process data points from various databases found on GlobalData’s .
After more than four decades of infusing himself with the blood clotting factor his body can’t make, Chad Stevens decided it was time to try something new. Stevens, 63, suffers from hemophilia B, a bleeding disorder caused by a genetic mutation that affects production of a type of protein known as factor 9. Over the years, bleeds have damaged his joints. His ankles have been fused, his knees and elbows have severe damage. And successfully hitting a vein to infuse himself as he got older wasn’t getting any easier. In mid-October, Stevens traveled from his home town of Newdale, Idaho, to Omaha’s Nebraska Medical Center, where he became the hospital’s first patient to receive the first gene therapy approved for his condition. Called Hemgenix, the therapy doesn’t fix the damaged gene. Instead, a modified virus delivers the working gene to the liver, providing the instructions his body needs to make the factor on its own. The medical center is the first hospital in the region to become an administration site for the therapy, according to drug-maker CSL Behring. Since then, Stevens hasn’t had any bleeds or needed to infuse clotting factor. He said he hopes the therapy will provide enough to take him from severe hemophilia to a milder version that might require infusions only for a severe trauma or surgery. “That’s really promising,” Stevens said. “I hate to get too excited about it, because you never know what’s going to happen. But I’m quite thrilled with it.” So is Dr. Alex Nester, a hematologist with Nebraska Medicine who specializes in benign or non-cancerous blood conditions, including bleeding disorders and sickle cell disease. “It’s incredible,” he said. “It’s (been) a dream in the hemophilia community for 20-plus years.” The treatment, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2022, is one of a number of gene therapies that have trickled out in recent years for a variety of genetic conditions. The FDA approved a separate gene therapy for hemophilia A last year. The agency also has approved two gene therapies for sickle cell disease, another inherited blood disorder that causes red blood cells to become misshapen, block blood flow and cause painful episodes. Kim Phelan, CEO of The Coalition for Hemophilia B, said the lasting advantages of the gene therapy include reduced joint damage, fewer hospitalizations and a better quality of life for people with hemophilia. An estimated 7,000 people in the U.S. have hemophilia B, and approximately 17,000 have hemophilia A, which involves a different blood clotting factor. “After more than 25 years of anticipation and hope, individuals with hemophilia now have access to a groundbreaking therapy that offers the potential for greater independence and a more normalized life,” she said. Gene therapy at Nebraska Medicine At Nebraska Medicine, the addition of the gene therapy builds on the work of the team involved in bone marrow transplants and cellular therapies, including CAR-T, or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. That treatment involves removing patients’ immune cells from their bodies and genetically engineering them to recognize and attack their cancer. Dr. Matthew Lunning, medical director of gene and cellular therapy at Nebraska Medicine, said earlier this fall that the team has used CAR-T to treat hundreds of lymphoma and leukemia patients since the late 2010s. Earlier this year, he and his team used CAR-T for the first time to treat an Omaha woman with lupus, an autoimmune disease, as part of a multi-site clinical trial. He credited Nebraska Medicine’s leaders for making the investment required to offer such ground-breaking therapies. Still, gene therapies, according to news reports, have been somewhat slow to catch on. In the case of hemophilia, Nester said he suspects that may be a result of the complex modern history of the condition. By the 1980s, he said, hemophilia patients who suffered trauma were given a concentrated form of the missing proteins when they needed help getting their blood to clot. But many contracted infections such as HIV and hepatitis C from contaminated blood products, which killed thousands of those with severe disease. Later, the products were purified but still were reserved for cases of active bleeding. As a result, older patients like Stevens suffered significant joint damage. In the 1990s, researchers began producing a recombinant version of the missing proteins in hamster cells, similar to the way insulin is made. Children diagnosed with hemophilia could dose themselves with clotting factors to prevent bleeds, he said. That resulted in a generation with no bleeding episodes for years at a time and without the joint damage suffered by older patients. “You don’t need a lot of these factors to live a pretty normal life,” said Nester, also an assistant professor of medicine in UNMC’s oncology and hematology division. That also means younger patients may have less interest for now in a more permanent solution, he said. Some also may be holding off for newer versions of the gene therapy that are in the pipeline. Stevens said his parents, on the other hand, were told he probably wouldn’t survive his teens. Between his mother and her three sisters, three had children with hemophilia, a total of seven. He was the youngest. He is now the sole survivor. Several died from bleeds and a couple died of complications of AIDs due to the contaminated clotting factor relied on at the time. “It took a big toll on the hemophilia community,” he said. “It just decimated it, really. So us older ones are pretty lucky to have survived all of that.” Issues with earlier blood products, however, also have made older patients skeptical about new treatments. “We like to wait and see how the products are doing out there before you jump on it,” he said. Cost of treatment can run into the millions Patients also have to weigh the cost. The price for the one-time treatment reportedly was set at $3.5 million. A spokesperson for CSL Behring said the company has seen an acceleration in the number of people being infused with the therapy since its approval, which the company attributes to its outreach to patients and work with insurers. Some 90% now cover the therapy, and the company also offers a program to help patients with copays. She declined to say, however, how many patients have received the therapy. But Nester said clotting factors also are costly. Depending on the patient, the source of their factor and their insurance, it may run a half a million dollars a year “to keep nothing from happening,” he said. Meanwhile, he said, researchers have seen that the majority of patients who have received the gene therapy are making 10% or more of the normal levels of the missing clotting factor even five years after being treated. That means their bodies are producing at least the preventative dose. “Patients still may have a bleeding episode after twisting their ankle or maybe needing a dose before surgery,” Nester said, “but, generally speaking, spontaneous bleeds or bleeds associated with minor trauma are gone.” Not every hemophilia patient will qualify for the treatment, however, he said. Patients can’t have antibodies to either the virus or the factor they’re missing. Stevens said his infusions probably cost closer to three-quarters of a million dollars a year. So far, the cost of his gene therapy has been covered. Previously employed in banking in Boise, he retired and applied for Social Security disability benefits on the advice of his doctor after his pain and mobility issues had made it nearly impossible for him to get out of his chair at work. He moved back to Newdale, population 325, in eastern Idaho. But he didn’t like being on disability, because he wasn’t giving back. He was elected to the City Council and appointed mayor, a post he continues to hold. “It was just a pleasure to be contributing again,” Stevens said. Since receiving the therapy, he said, he seems to be moving a little better, and his knee isn’t bothering him as much. Since the damage was done at an earlier age, he doesn’t think the therapy will do much to repair it. “But if we can keep it from getting any worse,” Stevens said, “that’s the goal.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!
FOXBORO — Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said prior to Saturday’s game that running back Antonio Gibson would start over Rhamondre Stevenson during an interview with analyst Scott Zolak on 98.5 The Sports Hub. So, it was a surprise to see Stevenson out with the starters on the Patriots’ first offensive snap. “That was just a coach’s decision,” Mayo said. When asked a follow-up, Mayo reiterated it was a coach’s decision, “so, I’ll leave it at that.” Gibson said he hadn’t been told during the week that he’d be starting. “I don’t know nothing about that at all,” Gibson said. He said nothing was communicated before the game about why Stevenson started. Stevenson has fumbled seven times this season. He lost a key fumble in last Sunday’s loss to the Bills, though Gibson also fumbled in that game. Gibson carried the ball 12 times for 63 yards, though most of his production came on the Patriots’ final drive. Stevenson carried the ball twice for 1 yard. Both backs were targeted once but neither caught a pass. The Patriots switched running backs on their second drive, with Gibson entering the game. Mayo has had to walk back many comments made to the media this season. This was one of the more bizarre instances.
Girls soccer: Wolf Pack trying to find groove before start of TCALDETROIT (AP) — Electric vehicles had another whirlwind year around the globe, driven by buyers in China, and growth in parts of Europe and the United States, despite headwinds. In a milestone for China, the world’s biggest auto market, EVs hit 50% of new car sales in July. That included pure battery EVs plus plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Chinese companies such as BYD continue to gain traction worldwide with their inexpensive EVs. Electric vehicles also made and the U.S. Uncertainty around purchase subsidies could complicate matters come 2025, especially under the incoming Trump administration in the U.S. But mainstream consumers remain interested in new models, longer driving ranges, better performance and lower prices. The transition to electric vehicles is an important part of the shift to clean energy. Road transport accounts for of all global emissions from energy, according to the International Energy Agency. Widespread EV adoption could significantly address climate change. Here are five facts about EVs this year. Most of the data comes from consultancy Rho Motion. The global EV market, including pure EVs and plug-in hybrids, grew by 25% year-over-year as of November. Rho Motion estimates 15.2 million EVs had been sold worldwide ahead of the end of the year, and the International Energy Agency expected electrified vehicle sales to reach one in five cars sold globally. Most were in China. Mexico sold roughly 5 times as many EVs this year than last, mostly from Chinese powerhouse automaker BYD, according to Rho Motion. Related Articles Because China’s population is so much larger, its 40% growth year-to-date translates to many more EVs than Mexico’s fivefold increase. Other areas of note are the United Kingdom, which saw a roughly 17% increase year-to-date. That’s interesting to compare to France and Germany, which saw sales decline. In Turkey, the EV market grew by almost 50% year-to-date, driven by Tesla entering the market last year and Togg, a Turkish auto company, ramping up its sales. In Norway, which for years has been in first place for share of vehicles that are electric, 90% of new cars were EVs. The best-selling pure electric vehicles were the Tesla Model Y, followed by the Tesla Model 3 — both globally and in the U.S., according to Rho Motion. The Model Y SUV was released in 2020. Its base version today costs nearly $45,000. The Model 3 was released in 2017. The least expensive version sells for around $42,000. Both have been eligible for a $7,500 tax credit in the U.S. Tesla’s market share stood at 17% of all electric cars across the globe through October, according to Rho Motion. In the U.S., Tesla’s market share was 49% through October. That means the company still has the biggest EV market share. But its hold is shrinking as other auto companies combined sell a growing number of electrics. For example, GM, Ford, Honda and more are offering a wider variety of EVs at lower prices and sizes and are chipping away at Tesla’s longstanding lead. Tesla remains the most valuable auto company in the world, with a market value of $1.4 trillion.
Man Utd crash at Wolves, Man City held by EvertonRokmaster Resources Corp. ( CVE:RKR – Get Free Report ) traded down 25% during mid-day trading on Saturday . The stock traded as low as C$0.02 and last traded at C$0.02. 396,000 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 182% from the average session volume of 140,187 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.02. Rokmaster Resources Stock Down 25.0 % The firm’s fifty day moving average is C$0.02 and its 200-day moving average is C$0.02. The stock has a market capitalization of C$2.45 million, a PE ratio of -0.30 and a beta of 2.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 103.54. About Rokmaster Resources ( Get Free Report ) Rokmaster Resources Corp., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in North, Central, and South America. It explores for zinc, lead, silver, copper, gold, and polymetallic deposits, as well as precious metals. The company holds a 100% in the Duncan Lake property comprising 35 contiguous mineral claims that covers an area of 3,929 hectares; and a 55% interest in the Big Copper property located in the Slocan Mining Division in southeast British Columbia, Canada. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Rokmaster Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rokmaster Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Drop in Boxing Day footfall ‘signals return to declining pre-pandemic levels’