Currently browsing tag

york, Page 2

U.S. jury clears Pfizer in second trial over Zoloft

By Jessica Dye NEW YORK (Reuters) – A U.S. jury on Thursday said Pfizer Inc was not responsible for birth defects in a young girl whose mother took its antidepressant Zoloft while pregnant, the second straight win for the company out of hundreds of similar lawsuits. Plaintiff Rachel Robinson claimed in her 2011 lawsuit that Pfizer failed to warn that using Zoloft during pregnancy could cause birth defects and sought damages from the company after her now eight-year-old daughter was born with a rare, serious heart problem. Following a week-and-a-half long trial in state court in Philadelphia, jurors on Thursday returned a verdict for the company, according to Pfizer spokeswoman Neha Wadhwa.

Safety switches may redeem potent CAR T cancer therapies

By Ransdell Pierson NEW YORK (Reuters) – New therapies that clinical data show can eliminate blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma in 40 percent to 90 percent of patients may have to be genetically modified to include a switch that shields healthy cells from attack. The therapies could generate tens of billions of dollars in annual sales for drugmakers including Kite Pharma and Juno Therapeutics Inc, once they are approved. The therapies involve using what are known as CAR T cells, which are white blood cells taken from the body and genetically modified to have the cancer-spotting traits of antibodies. Doctors say the reason is that the modified T cells cause inflammation because they kill so many cancer cells so quickly.

Investors eye opportunities as Republicans take U.S. Senate

By Rodrigo Campos NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Republican takeover of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday could lead to new legislative measures that directly affect the energy sector and other slices of the equities market. Republican Senate candidates picked up formerly Democratic seats in Iowa, North Carolina, Montana, Colorado, West Virginia, South Dakota and Arkansas, more than the six gains needed for a majority in that chamber. …