Nearly one in three veterans who relies on the government for health care could benefit from taking psychedelic drugs like magic mushrooms or MDMA.
That's not the ******* sment of some hippie or fading 1960s rock star. It came from Andrew Gradison, a senior adviser at President Donald Trump's Veterans Health Administration. Gradison told a conference for psychedelics enthusiasts this month that he is eager to ramp up the VA's capacity to give the drugs to as many as 2.1 million veterans with mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. Gradison said 6.4 million veterans regularly rely on the VA for care.
No government regulator has deemed psychedelics safe or effective for mental illness. Under former President Joe Biden, the Food and Drug Administration in 2024 resoundingly rejected a proposal to authorize MDMA — also known as ecstasy — combined with talk therapy, to treat people with PTSD.
But psychedelics are getting a second chance in the Trump administration. Trump in April issued an executive order to accelerate research, clinical trials and patient access to the drugs. Republicans in Congress are among psychedelics' biggest backers. And the constituency they are seeking to please, veterans, are disproportionately Republicans.
Veterans, frustrated with high suicide rates among their fellow ex-service members, are lobbying aggressively to see Trump follow through.

#Veterans #psychedelics #drugs #mdma

Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) is offering a dividend yield of roughly 6% today. That is well above the roughly 1% yield on offer from the S&P 500 index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and the 1.4% average yield of pharmaceutical stocks. There are good reasons for the negative view of Pfizer, but investors may be ignoring the company's over 100-year history of success. Here's why you may want to consider buying this out-of-favor dividend stock while others are fearful.
Pfizer's stock rocketed higher during the coronavirus pandemic, as investors myopically focused on the company's COVID vaccine. When COVID turned out to be a less serious long-term threat than originally believed, Wall Street dumped Pfizer. At this point, the stock is down more than 50% from its 2021 high. That is a big part of the story behind the high yield.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
However, there's another piece that is more fundamental to the pharmaceutical industry. Like all drug makers, Pfizer's drugs receive time-limited patent protections. When patents expire, generic versions of the medications can be produced. That generally leads to a dramatic decline in revenue from Pfizer's drugs. Right now, Pfizer is facing down some notable patent expirations. This is a completely normal dynamic in the pharmaceutical sector.
Patent expirations are why drug companies are always on the lookout for new drugs. The problem is that patent expirations follow a set schedule, but drug development does not. Pfizer's drug pipeline isn't producing major new drugs right now, and it looks like it may have to work through a period in which new drugs won't fully offset revenue lost to patent expirations. This isn't uncommon, either, but investors are likely focusing on the short term rather than the long term when it comes to Pfizer.

#patent #yield #drug #expirations

Warning: This post contains mentions of bullying, eating disorders, suicide, alcoholism, and drugs.
J. Shearer / WireImage via Getty Images
Steve Grayson / WireImage via Getty Images
Related: "Kylie Jenner's Latest Vlog Has Everyone Debating Her Extravagant Life"
HBO Max / The Howard Stern Show / Via youtube.com

#wireimage #images #steve #kylie

Michael Douglas, firmly in his smooth silver-fox era, has opened the door into secret compartments of his life. Douglas, 82, has just published an incredibly dishy, wildly entertaining, at times both hilarious and painful new memoir, One ****** uva Ride. It's a tale that spans generations of Hollywood royalty, from his father Kirk's rise to stardom to his own run of classic films as both producer and actor: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), The China Syndrome (1979), Romancing the Stone (1984), Wall Street (1987), Fatal Attraction (1987), Basic Instinct (1992), and Falling Down (1993), to name some of the biggest. Written with Shane Salerno, the book is one of those rare memoirs that both entertains and sheds light on a lost world of Hollywood of glamour and decadence, with lots of ****** and drugs and even some rock & roll.
To discuss all this, Douglas has invited me into his palatial apartment overlooking New York City's Central Park, one of several homes he owns and enjoys. He's a welcoming and gracious host, no servants or ****** istants bustling about. Just Douglas padding around in his socks, still as slim, handsome, and charming as ever. Douglas makes me a coffee, and we sit down in a living room with a view of his two Oscars, an Emmy, and other awards. Between Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, the trophy case is so large it fills up a corner of the massive living room.
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#michael

Hayden Panettiere kept the engagement ring Wladimir Klitschko gave her after their relationship ended. Now her loved ones reportedly cannot find it, according to an Oct. 2 report from Us Weekly.
An unnamed source told the publication that friends and family suspect someone who spent time with Panettiere in her final days may have taken the ring while ***** ing her possessions.
The Heroes and Nashville actress died Aug. 16 at 36 in Greenville, South Carolina. The county coroner later ruled her death accidental, caused by the combined toxic effects of several drugs, Fox Carolina reported.
Panettiere and Klitschko's daughter, Kaya, 11, is her mother's sole heir, according to the ***** ociated Press. Her parents never married and ended their relationship in 2018.
Panettiere confirmed the engagement during an Oct. 9, 2013, appearance on Live With Kelly and Michael, after Kelly Ripa asked about the diamond on her hand. She said their schedules had prevented them from setting a wedding date, ABC News reported. Later that month, she told E! News she collaborated with Montblanc, refining ideas from a book of sketches.

#told

Michael Douglas isn't holding back.
In his explosive new memoir "One ***** uva Ride" (out now), the Oscar-winning "Wall Street" icon whisks us behind the curtain of his wild five-decade career, sharing revealing new anecdotes about "Fatal Attraction," "Basic Instinct," "The War of the Roses" and more.
The actor opens up about his 2010 throat cancer battle and strained early relationship with father Kirk Douglas. Douglas, 82, also details how he and his "Romancing the Stone" costar, Kathleen Turner, "fell hard" for each other while he was still married to producer Diandra Luker.
Here are some of the other biggest revelations from "One ***** uva Ride":
Early in the book, Douglas recalls his Oscar-winning work as a producer on "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," which led to him producing and starring in 1979's "The China Syndrome." During that time, the actor struggled in his first marriage to Luker and what he called a "dual life," which included excessive amounts of drugs and partying.

#winning #michael

Vistra (VST) stock opened in the green on Monday following reports that President Donald Trump's administration is finalizing a massive federal support package for the clean energy company. Chris Wright, U.S. Energy Secretary, is set to visit its Perry Nuclear Power Plant to officially announce up to $4.2 billion in government-backed loans aimed at upgrading three of VST's nuclear facilities.
Despite today's rally, Vistra stock is trading about 12% below its price at the start of this year.
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#Monday

Bruce Willis' beloved blended family is cautiously optimistic that some of the new treatments for dementia may help his situation, a source tells Examiner.
"They're all looking into everything and they are open-minded even about risky drugs and surgeries that are still in the clinical trials phase," reveals the source. "Anything Bruce might be remotely eligible for, they're inquiring about."
Wife Emma Heming Willis has become a fierce advocate for frontotemporal dementia awareness after Bruce, 71, received his devastating diagnosis in 2023, even launching the Emma & Bruce Willis Fund for Dementia Research and Caregiver support in March.
The Die Hard star shares daughters Mabel, 14, and Evelyn, 12, with the former model, 50, and daughters Rumer, 38, Scout, 35, and Tallulah, 32, with ex-wife Demi Moore.
"They're all still Bruce's biggest advocates and cheerleaders," says the source. "And they point to the idea that the Bruce they have always known is still in there somewhere, because they can see it in his eyes."

#wife

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said it attacked a boat suspected of being used to smuggle drugs in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, killing four people, as the Trump administration continues its yearlong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America.
The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 235 in 70 strikes since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls "narcoterrorists" in September 2025. As with most of the military's statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.
The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed what appeared to be an explosion destroying a moving boat, which the military said was a go-fast vessel.
The Trump administration is pursuing deals with allied nations to extend its offensive to land across multiple Latin American countries. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit to Panama in August that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras had agreed to allow the U.S. to carry out joint military operations against criminal groups on their soil. Guatemala denied reaching such a deal. Ecuador launched similar missions with the U.S. in March.
President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in "armed conflict" with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing smugglers.

#boat #caribbean

PUBLISHED
OCT 03, 2026 AT 07:38 PM EDT
Tennessee officials are still investigating why death row inmate Christa Pike survived an execution attempt after receiving two doses of pentobarbital, a drug intended to render a person unconscious and ultimately cause death.
While the immediate focus has been on what went wrong inside the execution chamber, experts say Pike's case has also renewed scrutiny of a problem that has been building for more than a decade: how states obtain lethal injection drugs after pharmaceutical companies moved aggressively to keep their products from being used in executions. Despite those efforts, pentobarbital remains the primary execution drug used by many death-penalty states, making questions about sourcing, testing and oversight especially significant.
The issue has reshaped how many states carry out executions, forcing them to change drug protocols, seek alternative suppliers and adopt increasingly secretive procurement practices.

#pentobarbital #executions #published #tennessee

Paloma Elsesser thinks that the glamorization of Ozempic and similar weight-loss drugs isn't a good thing for society as a whole.
The 34-year-old model, who became the first plus-size model to win Model of the Year at the Fashion Awards in 2023, made an appearance on Vogue's The Run-Through podcast and suggested the rise of Ozempic can be correlated to the rise of "conservative" and "anti-woke" rhetoric. "I think the Ozempic era that we're talking about is harmful because it kind of takes away the agency to live in the way that I would hope people and women and young girls and young people can think about their bodies in this world," she shared. Around the 32-minute point of the podcast, which can be seen above.
Elssesser also said that she's seen a rise in "pro-eating disorder content" on platforms such as TikTok, which is especially worrying considering so many young people have unfiltered access to such content.
"II think people are just being like, 'Okay, this is not it,'" she continued. "We're seeing celebrities and people… I think people are upset. … I think that women should have agency. I am critical of applying my body, your body, your choice to this conversation because it's like… 'Is it your choice?' It's not. It's a prescription, so it doesn't actually feel like a choice. … I don't know, maybe I said something problematic. … The number one central tenet, like, anything that I try and live and encourage is to just think critically, not be critical."
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#ozempic #choice

The failed execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee on Wednesday has added new fuel to the longstanding debate over the death penalty in the United States. It has also drawn new scrutiny to the question of whether lethal injection, the nation's primary method of execution for the past 40 years, is truly a "more humane" alternative to other ways of putting someone to death.
Pike was given a death sentence in 1996 after being convicted of killing her classmate, Colleen Slemmer, in an attack she carried out with her then boyfriend. After 30 years on death row, and a last-minute legal battle that temporarily delayed her execution, Pike was scheduled to be put to death on Wednesday night.
However, the two doses of pentobarbital she was given proved not to be fatal. According to witnesses, Pike remained alive and snored loudly for 40 minutes after the drugs were administered. Eventually, the execution was called off and she was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Pike's attorney Randy Spivey reported Thursday afternoon that she was in critical condition and receiving "life-saving care." She was unconscious and placed on a ventilator in the hospital, according to a filing by her legal team on Friday.
Spivey admonished the state for going forward with lethal injection despite his warnings ahead of time that a blood-clotting disorder called thrombocytosis "would cause her to suffer an agonizing death." Pike's attorneys had asked the courts to permit her to die by hanging, but the request was denied.

#pike #years #given

Sylvester Stallone is opening up about his battles with bulimia, as he says his role in the movie "Rambo" spurred an "obsession" with how he looked.
"I started to think: Design your body like a jaguar, a cat. Not big like Arnold [Schwarzenegger], but more feral and aggressive and very limber and athletic," the "Rocky" actor said in a sit-down with The New York Times' "The Interview"podcast, released last weekend.
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"Then it became an obsession. Really bad. It got to the point where I became bulimic. You heard it here first," he said. "I got down to 2.6% body fat when I was doing 'Rocky III,' and I couldn't hold anything down."
"Or I didn't want to keep it down because I became so obsessed with staying at that point of fitness, literally an obsessive body-worship kind of thing," the actor added. "And **** ody does it without additives and drugs, period. I don't care what they say."

#down #stallone

Gypsy Rose Blanchard says she believes Ken Urker died from an apparent overdose, but Louisiana authorities have not announced an official cause of death and are continuing to investigate what happened.
Urker, the father of Blanchard's daughter Aurora, was found dead at a residence in Raceland, Louisiana, on October 1, his 34th birthday. The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office said deputies responded at approximately 6:15 p.m. and found Kenan Urker dead when they arrived.
Blanchard told PEOPLE that she does not know what Urker may have taken or whether any apparent overdose was intentional. TMZ separately reported that Blanchard said an unidentified substance was found where he died, but law enforcement has not publicly identified a substance or confirmed an overdose.
In the hours after his death, Blanchard remembered Urker as a devoted father and someone who would remain her "soulmate" and "red string." She also asked for privacy and compassion for their daughter and both families while the investigation continues.
The possibility of an overdose came as a shock to Blanchard because, she said, she had never known Urker to have a drug problem. She told TMZ that she had never seen him use drugs or other substances and described him as responsible and deliberate about his role as a father and partner.

#urker #father #apparent #death

Pete Davidson reflected on his struggle with addiction and said he was using drugs heavily in the summer of 2023
He said an emotional FaceTime call from his mother motivated him to seek treatment and focus on sobriety
Davidson added that becoming a father helped him avoid drugs as he raises his daughter, Scottie, whom he shares with ex Elsie Hewitt
Pete Davidson is reflecting on how "scary" his past drug use was and his journey to sobriety.
In an interview with Variety, published Wednesday, Sept. 30, the 32-year-old comedian and actor opened up about a particularly difficult time in the summer of 2023, which ultimately led him to pursue treatment.

#davidson #pete #hewitt

The lethal drug administered in Tennessee's failed attempt to execute Christa Pike has been used in multiple states that carry out the death penalty and by the U.S. government after President Donald Trump resumed federal executions during his first term.
Pike, 50, remained alive after two doses of pentobarbital were administered Wednesday, according to her attorneys and media witnesses. One of her lawyers said Thursday that she was being treated at a hospital.
Tennessee officials haven't explained yet what went wrong during the execution.
Republican Gov. Bill Lee ordered a third-party review to determine what happened and said another scheduled execution in Tennessee will not take place this year.
Pentobarbital is a barbiturate, a class of drugs that depresses the central nervous system.

#pike #administered #execution #wednesday

A former Cornell University student filed a civil lawsuit alleging that seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity drugged or pressured her to use drugs and alcohol and **** ually **** aulted her over several hours at the fraternity house in October 2024. The lawsuit and alleged fraternity Snapchat messages have since drawn national attention and scrutiny of Cornell's response.
The allegations have sparked widespread outrage and renewed scrutiny of **** ual violence on college campuses, fraternity culture, and how universities and law enforcement respond when students report **** ual **** ault.
Florence Pugh was among the first in Hollywood to speak out. "This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us," part of her statement on Instagram on Sept. 28 said. "How can you expect us to trust that it's 'not all men' when in moments like this many of you stay quiet?"
Mariska Hargitay, Josh Gad and Hudson Williams also called out the allegations and demanded accountability, part of what has become a national conversation about **** ual violence, fraternity culture, and the institutions tasked with protecting students.
While some people argue that celebrities should stay in their lane and avoid activism, advocates say the response matters.

#scrutiny #response

Tennessee's only female death row inmate has been taken to the hospital after surviving two doses of lethal injection drugs, her lawyers said.
Christa Pike, 50, was alive and snoring loudly after being given two doses of pentobarbital, her attorneys said.
Pike had been scheduled for execution 10 a.m. Wednesday for a killing she committed at age 18. She would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.
An appeals court stopped the lethal injection just an hour before it was to start. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned that stay shortly after.
Media witnesses said officials raised the curtains to the execution chamber at 7:27 p.m., showing Pike strapped to a gurney. "I'm going to leave this world the way I spent most of my life, and that is in love," she said in her "last" words.

#doses #christa

On August 5, Cencora (NYSE:COR) reported results for its fiscal third quarter, which closed on June 30, and the headline numbers looked clean. Revenue rose 5.1% to $84.8 billion, adjusted earnings per share climbed 12.0% to $4.48, and management raised its full-year adjusted EPS outlook to $17.75 to $17.95. The company also repurchased $1 billion of its own stock during the quarter. But the profit story has moving parts, and a few of them pull in opposite directions.
Start with the gap between profit growth and sales growth. Adjusted operating income rose 17.0% while revenue grew only 5.1%. Much of the help came from gross profit, which jumped 23.2% on an adjusted basis as both segments contributed and the OneOncology acquisition in February lifted margins in the US business. In plain terms, adjusted gross margin widened 61 basis points to 4.16%, so the company keeps more gross profit from every dollar it sells.
The strength was not confined to one corner, either. US Healthcare Solutions grew operating income 15.9% on higher pharmaceutical sales and the OneOncology deal, while specialty volume to health systems and physician groups lifted its revenue. International Healthcare Solutions did better still, with operating income up 20.8% on strength in European distribution and global specialty logistics. Management also put cash to work, completing in one quarter the $1 billion of buybacks it had expected to finish by the close of calendar 2026. The board declared a $0.60 quarterly dividend as well, payable August 31, to holders of record on August 14.
Growth is costing more than it first appears. Adjusted operating expenses jumped 26.8%, faster than adjusted gross profit, because OneOncology brought expenses along with its profits. Even so, adjusted operating income amounts to just 1.46% of revenue, a thin cushion on a business this large. Financing adds weight too. Cencora funded part of the purchase with new senior notes plus variable-rate term loans, and net interest expense rose $58.9 million from a year earlier.
The sales mix carries its own drag. GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight loss are adding to revenue, but they earn lower gross margins, so each dollar of that growth is worth less to profit. Meanwhile, an oncology customer Cencora lost in 2025, and lower sales to a large mail order customer both held back US revenue, as did lower manufacturer prices on some brand pharmaceuticals. Cencora is also exploring strategic alternatives for a group of other businesses, and its April divestiture of US Consulting Services trimmed consulting sales.

#adjusted #revenue #august

Definium Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:DFTX) has now delivered a third consecutive positive Phase 3 readout for its LSD-based medication, the second in generalized anxiety disorder. The result puts the company on a viable route toward a potential FDA approval of an LSD-based treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, and considering how closely psychedelic stocks have historically traded on each other's data, the reading carries far more weight than Definium's own ticker.
On September 14, Definium Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:DFTX) announced that its drug DT120, an orally disintegrating tablet formulation of LSD, was successful in Panorama, the company's second late-stage anxiety trial. Over 12 weeks, patients who received a 100-microgram dose experienced a 9.8-point decline on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, a typical clinical measure, compared to a 4.7-point drop with placebo.
The resulting 5.1-point placebo-adjusted improvement is similar to what the company's first pivotal anxiety trial, Voyage, showed back in August: an 11.6-point improvement versus 6.2 for placebo, a 5.4-point separation that Jefferies called one of the strongest placebo-adjusted efficacy results ever seen in generalized anxiety disorder, and that Stifel simply described as "a clean win."
Psychedelic equities have a history of trading as a group rather than as individual names, and this tendency applies both ways. In February 2026, when Compass Pathways, the sector's other clinical leader developing a psilocybin-based drug for treatment-resistant depression, reported positive late-stage data, shares of Definium Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:DFTX), Atai Beckley, GH Research, and Helus Pharma all rose, some by double digits.
That correlation is significant here because Definium's win is an independent validation of the broader therapeutic argument on which Compass and others are betting: a single dose of a classic psychedelic, administered in a controlled clinical setting, can produce lasting improvements in serious mental health conditions via pathways different from existing SSRIs and other standard-of-care drugs.

#definium #placebo

It's been a disappointing couple of years for shareholders of biotechnology outfit CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CRSP). This stock's barely up since the end of 2022, lagging the broad market's gains. It's not the performance that investors keeping tabs on this company were expecting, given its potential.
Don't be discouraged, though. While still speculative like most young biotech names, CRISPR Therapeutics remains a compelling prospect for investors who can stomach the risk and its inevitable volatility. Here's why.
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On the off-chance you're reading this and aren't already familiar with the company, CRISPR Therapeutics is a drug developer that specializes in gene editing.
It's probably an area you've heard a great deal about. No gene-editing drugs were actually on the market in the United States until CRISPR Therapeutics' Casgevy was approved by the FDA as a treatment for sickle cell disease in late 2023. Any and all gene therapies currently on the market followed this pioneer's foray. Being first is a well-deserved accolade for the company, too, which was co-founded by Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, who was one of the co-discoverers of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing mechanism that makes Casgevy work.

#crispr #gene #company

For decades, CVS seemed like the perfect business. It was convenient, sold a mix of products people wanted, and everyone was forced to go there (or to one of its rivals) when they needed to pick up a prescription.
Now, however, the company has been fighting a war on many fronts. Consumers can order much of what made the chain convenient for delivery, and various online services, including Amazon, now fill prescriptions.
"At the rear of the store, business at pharmacy counters is being squeezed by stingier drug reimbursement rates and pharmacist wages. In the aisles, sales of everything from greeting cards to cosmetics are feeling the effects of cut-price competition," according to the Financial Times.
It's an evolving situation that has caused CVS rival Rite Aid to shut down all its stores, while CVS and Walgreens have closed thousands of locations between them.
"The whole drugstore four-wall economic model is collapsing on itself, in my opinion," said Josh ****** s, a portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors, told the Financial Times.

#business #amazon #walgreens

On August 5, Cencora (NYSE:COR) reported results for its fiscal third quarter, which closed on June 30, and the headline numbers looked clean. Revenue rose 5.1% to $84.8 billion, adjusted earnings per share climbed 12.0% to $4.48, and management raised its full-year adjusted EPS outlook to $17.75 to $17.95. The company also repurchased $1 billion of its own stock during the quarter. But the profit story has moving parts, and a few of them pull in opposite directions.
Start with the gap between profit growth and sales growth. Adjusted operating income rose 17.0% while revenue grew only 5.1%. Much of the help came from gross profit, which jumped 23.2% on an adjusted basis as both segments contributed and the OneOncology acquisition in February lifted margins in the US business. In plain terms, adjusted gross margin widened 61 basis points to 4.16%, so the company keeps more gross profit from every dollar it sells.
The strength was not confined to one corner, either. US Healthcare Solutions grew operating income 15.9% on higher pharmaceutical sales and the OneOncology deal, while specialty volume to health systems and physician groups lifted its revenue. International Healthcare Solutions did better still, with operating income up 20.8% on strength in European distribution and global specialty logistics. Management also put cash to work, completing in one quarter the $1 billion of buybacks it had expected to finish by the close of calendar 2026. The board declared a $0.60 quarterly dividend as well, payable August 31, to holders of record on August 14.
Growth is costing more than it first appears. Adjusted operating expenses jumped 26.8%, faster than adjusted gross profit, because OneOncology brought expenses along with its profits. Even so, adjusted operating income amounts to just 1.46% of revenue, a thin cushion on a business this large. Financing adds weight too. Cencora funded part of the purchase with new senior notes plus variable-rate term loans, and net interest expense rose $58.9 million from a year earlier.
The sales mix carries its own drag. GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight loss are adding to revenue, but they earn lower gross margins, so each dollar of that growth is worth less to profit. Meanwhile, an oncology customer Cencora lost in 2025, and lower sales to a large mail order customer both held back US revenue, as did lower manufacturer prices on some brand pharmaceuticals. Cencora is also exploring strategic alternatives for a group of other businesses, and its April divestiture of US Consulting Services trimmed consulting sales.

#profit #operating #Growth #august

On September 8, 2026, CNBC reported that Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) shares fell about 10% after the company said its experimental drug del-desiran failed to meet its primary goal in a late-stage trial for myotonic dystrophy type 1.
It marked the company's third clinical setback in a week following the earlier failure of cardiovascular drug pelacarsen and a separate pause of eight trials of cell therapy rap-cel after three patient deaths. The decline erased roughly 24 billion Swiss francs, or about $29.6 billion, in market value and put Novartis on pace for one of its worst trading days in company history.
Remibrutinib provides a major remaining pipeline catalyst since Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS) reported successful late-stage results for remibrutinib in multiple sclerosis. It gives investors a credible growth driver after the failures of pelacarsen and del-desiran. The business expects more remibrutinib data later this year, making the drug an important test of whether its remaining pipeline can help long-term growth.
Novartis still expects 5% to 6% annual sales growth through 2030. Management reaffirmed its full-year financial guidance and maintained its target for 5% to 6% compound annual sales growth from 2025 through 2030. That guidance shows the company still expects its overall portfolio and remaining pipeline ******* ets to offset pressure from aging drugs.
The company retains a diversified commercial portfolio. The del-desiran failure removes a potentially important future revenue contributor, but Novartis still makes substantial revenue from its existing medicines. It also retains other pipeline ******* ets. That diversification gives the firm financial capacity to absorb individual clinical failures while it rebuilds investor confidence in its growth pipeline.

#company #remibrutinib

On September 8, 2026, CNBC reported that Novartis' failed pelacarsen trial has raised the stakes for rival experimental cholesterol drugs from Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY), both of which are racing to prove that lowering lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). It can meaningfully reduce heart attacks and strokes.
Analysts said Amgen's olpasiran faces the clearest negative read-through given its similar trial design. Lilly's lepodisiran is being tested in a broader patient population that could limit how directly Novartis' failure applies. It is also described as less material to Lilly's overall valuation than pelacarsen was for Novartis.
Copyright: stocking / 123RF Stock Photo
Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) could still succeed where Novartis failed. Pelacarsen's failure does not establish that lowering Lp(a) cannot reduce cardiovascular events. **** ysts noted that Novartis' trial faced a high statistical hurdle and that Amgen's olpasiran and Lilly's lepodisiran have produced stronger Lp(a) reductions in earlier studies. Both companies also continue testing their drugs in specific patient populations with high Lp(a). It leaves room for their trials to produce different outcomes from Novartis' study.
Lilly's lepodisiran faces a less direct read-through than Amgen's olpasiran. **** ysts view Amgen's olpasiran as the closest comparison to pelacarsen because the programs use similar trial designs. Lilly's lepodisiran is being tested in an overall patient population. It could make Novartis' failure less directly applicable. **** ysts also view lepodisiran as less material to Lilly's overall valuation than pelacarsen was to Novartis. It reduces the potential financial impact of an unsuccessful outcome.

#lepodisiran #less

Exton, Pennsylvania-based West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. (WST) designs, manufactures, and sells containment and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products. Valued at $25.7 billion by market cap, the company's technologies include the design and manufacture of packaging components, research and development of drug delivery systems, and contract laboratory services and other services.
Companies worth $10 billion or more are generally described as "large-cap stocks," and WST perfectly fits that description, with its market cap exceeding this mark, underscoring its size, influence, and dominance within the medical instruments & supplies industry. WST stands out as a market leader with a diversified portfolio serving pharma and healthcare.
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How to Play GME Stock as GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen Buys $20.3 Million in Shares

#Stock #billion

Wolfe Research upgraded two prominent pharmaceutical companies to Outperform on August 13. The firm upgraded both Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) and AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV)'s ratings from Peer Perform, with Wolfe ***** igning them similar $300 price targets. The firm's logic in each case was based on a comparable set of factors: pipelines that the market appears to undervalue, and valuations that Wolfe believes are too low given each company's growth track.
Wolfe's thesis for Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) is mainly based on late-stage clinical programs, which it believes the stock has yet to reflect. The firm focused on two experimental therapies in particular, both of which have key late-stage clinical readouts expected over the coming year: litifilimab, which Wolfe believes could be the first biologic approved for cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and felzartamab, which the firm claims represents a bigger commercial opportunity in antibody-mediated transplant rejection than Wall Street currently thinks.
Wolfe also cited Biogen's acquisition of Apellis Pharmaceuticals as strengthening its near-term revenue base through the FDA-approved drugs Empaveli and Syfovre. That move is part of an overall pattern of Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) diversifying beyond its core neurology brand, with the company completing its acquisition of RayThera on August 6, adding another early-stage immunology platform to its pipeline.
Wolfe's Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ:BIIB) thesis is incomplete without valuation. The firm believes the stock is trading at a discount to the broader market, despite the company's development on Leqembi, its Alzheimer's medication, and what Wolfe described as solid commercial execution overall.
AbbVie's upgrade is based on a slightly different premise: patent strength and cash generation rather than simple clinical events. Wolfe stated that AbbVie's 2027 earnings multiple of 14.6x seemed too low for a company that forecasts high-single-digit revenue growth for the rest of the decade. AbbVie's patent position, according to Wolfe, sets the company apart from its competitors in a way that the market has yet to completely price in.

#wolfe #firm #market #clinical

When it comes to long-term success with dividend investing, you need to focus on criteria beyond just yield. While some high yield dividend stocks can be worth the risk, there are plenty that are trading at a high yield for a good reason.
That is, either they are at risk of cutting or suspending their payouts, and/or other risks may lead to stock price declines that outweigh the returns generated by their large payouts. So, instead of focusing on yield alone, consider criteria such as dividend coverage and dividend growth, along with metrics like valuation.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Taking all of these into account, three blue chip dividend stocks stand out as strong, dare I say, "no brainer," buys right now: AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), Realty Income (NYSE: O), and Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG).
Several years ago, uncertainty ran high about AbbVie, mostly due to concerns about the impact of losing patent exclusivity for its flagship drug product, the rheumatoid arthritis treatment Humira. Yet while this did hurt AbbVie's revenue and earnings after exclusivity ended in 2023, the company has staged a comeback, largely thanks to the success of the anti-inflammatory drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq.

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Citi has begun coverage of the newly listed The Magnum Ice Cream Company (EURONEXT:MICC, LSE:MICC, NYSE:MICC) with a lukewarm "neutral" rating, warning that the maker of the eponymous chocolate-coated lollies faces a tougher year ahead after a **** per summer.
The broker set a target price of €17.7 on the shares, arguing that kind weather and solid delivery on cost cuts have already pushed Magnum's valuation up to broadly match its European food peers, leaving little room for further gains.
Citi's central doubt is whether the good times can last. A durable re-rating, it said, takes more than one strong season, and history suggests companies leaning on cost-saving stories rarely hold on to lofty valuations for long.
Several clouds loom over next year. The broker flagged the risk that El Niño weather patterns push up ingredient costs in the second half of 2027, which could expose how sensitive take-home ice cream sales are to price rises.
It also cited the spread of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs as a potential drag on demand, alongside the usual uncertainty over weather comparisons.

#micc #year

A commonly used drug has been linked to a higher risk of death in a new study.
The antibiotic, cefepime, which is used to treat bacterial infections like pneumonia, UTIs and skin infections, is typically administered via injection by healthcare providers in a clinical setting.
Severe side effects may include confusion, decreased consciousness or seizures, especially in older patients and those with kidney problems, among many other common symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic.
Older Adults Taking 5 Or More Prescription Drugs Face Higher Risk Of Death, Study Finds
New research suggests the medication may be ****** ociated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality.

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