Latest news with #COPD
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Sinead O'Connor's devastated dad shares heartbreaking weekly ritual
The father of Sinead O'Connor has opened up about missing the late singer since her death. Sean O'Connor was speaking ahead of her second anniversary on July 26, 2023. The 87-year-old admitted he cried every day for two weeks when he learned of his daughter's sudden death at her apartment in London in 2023. He said: "When Sinéad passed, I cried my eyes out for a fortnight. I still miss her," he told Oliver Callan on his RTE Radio 1 show on Thursday. "Of course it's a comfort (the outpouring of grief by the public), but Sinéad had two personas. One was in the public arena and the other was with her family and I saw her funeral as being lovely for her fans. "At a personal level, I've never had publicity in respect of Sinéad and it made it all the more hurtful for all of us when she died.' Sean said he visits her grave every week and 'brings her up to date'. "I visit her grave every week... and we have a conversation and I bring her up to date. I put my hand on her gravestone which is designed by my daughter Eimear. It's very simple, it just says 'Sinead O'Connor'. Two dates - born and died and 'God is love'. It's more to do for her fans.. with the family, it is in the heart." When Callan said it was "very difficult, as a dad", Mr O'Connor agreed. The radio presenter asked what he did for Sinéad when "the fame part was cruel to her", and he replied: "You can't do anything except be there. "Sinéad could be outrageous in the public world and she could be outrageous in the family, she could be cranky. In the end I always had compassion for her, she was always on the edge. We got on very well, most of the time, sometimes she'd fall out with me." Sinead O'Connor (Image: David Corio/Redferns via Getty Images) He also recounted the happy memory of the last time he saw Sinéad when they took a three-night holiday in Wexford and said that having so much family around him helped when she died. "It was a sad time, the extent of the family around me helped," he added. Last year, an inquest revealed that the mother-of-four died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma. The 56-year-old was found unresponsive by officers at her apartment in London. Two weeks before she died, she told her fans that she had recently moved back to London after a 23-year absence - and she was "very happy to be home". She said she was finishing an album that was going to be released this year - and planned to launch a world tour spanning Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the US. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Merck Just Announced a $10 Billion Deal That Will Help Diversify Its Business
Key Points Merck aims to boost its business by buying Verona Pharma for $10 billion. Through the deal, it will add Ohtuvayre -- a treatment for COPD -- to its portfolio. With the stock valued at only 12 times earnings and yielding over 4%, it's a steal of a deal. 10 stocks we like better than Merck › One of the biggest concerns with healthcare giant Merck (NYSE: MRK) is its dependence on top-selling cancer drug Keytruda. While it has been a beast for the business over the years, generating billions in revenue, investors are always concerned about what else is ahead for the business in the long run and how strong the company's growth prospects will be, especially as patents run out. Recently, Merck announced an important acquisition, which may alleviate some of those concerns around its future growth. For the price of $10 billion, it's acquiring Verona Pharma (NASDAQ: VRNA). Here's what that might mean for Merck's operations, and whether it makes the stock a no-brainer buy right now. What Merck gets with the Verona Pharma deal For $10 billion, Merck is acquiring a promising healthcare company which is in the early stages of its growth. Key to its potential is Ohtuvayre, a blockbuster drug that regulators approved last year as a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Analysts estimate that it could generate $1 billion in annual revenue by 2029. Verona has already been generating strong results of late. Sales through the first three months of the year for Ohtuvayre totaled $71.3 million, which was nearly double what it generated in the previous period. The product's growth has been exciting, and that's ultimately the big hope for Merck -- that Ohtuvayre becomes a key pillar for its overall growth. Verona's CEO, David Zaccardelli, believes that with the help of Merck, Ohtuvayre could take off. He said: "We believe Merck's commercial footprint and industry-leading clinical capabilities will help accelerate the potential of Ohtuvayre to reach more patients living with COPD." There is hope that Ohtuvayre may be a possible treatment option for other indications as well, with Verona involved in multiple other trials for the drug, including as a treatment for cystic fibrosis and asthma. Merck expects the deal to close before the end of the year. Merck could use another growth catalyst A key problem for Merck is that its business simply hasn't been generating strong growth in recent years. In its most recent quarter (ended in March), sales were down by nearly 2% year over year. The good news is that with Winrevair, which is approved for pulmonary arterial hypertension, still in its early stages and now with potentially Ohtuvayre in the mix, Merck's top line may receive a boost on multiple fronts in the near future. A new injectable version of Keytruda may soon become available as well (Keytruda is currently administered intravenously). While Merck may not have been an exciting growth stock to own of late, its future does appear to be getting brighter, especially as it diversifies its operations. Has Merck become a no-brainer buy? Merck's business is stronger with the acquisition of Verona, and with the stock trading at only 12 times its trailing earnings, it's one of the best healthcare stocks you can buy right now. Not only is it cheap, but with underrated growth prospects and a dividend that yields more than 4%, it may be a steal of a deal. The stock was arguably a good buy even before the Verona acquisition news, and it's an even better-looking buy right now. Although shares of Merck are down 16% this year and there are headwinds facing drugmakers today due to tariffs and trade wars, if you're in it for the long haul, buying and holding Merck stock could pay off significantly in the years ahead. Should you buy stock in Merck right now? Before you buy stock in Merck, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Merck wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $679,653!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,046,308!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 179% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025 David Jagielski has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Merck. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Merck Just Announced a $10 Billion Deal That Will Help Diversify Its Business was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Sinead O'Connor's father recalls their last trip and the pain of losing her
The father of the late Sinead O'Connor has recalled one of their final memories together as he admitted he is only beginning to 'deal' with her death in recent times. The Nothing Compares 2 U singer passed away in July 2023 with her two-year anniversary coming up next Saturday (July 26). The singer's death certificate confirmed her death was a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Sean O'Connor in the funeral cortege of his daughter Sinead. Pic: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin Sinead's death stunned fans worldwide, with her father Sean revealing he 'cried my eyes out for a fortnight' and still misses his beloved daughter. Speaking to Oliver Callan on RTÉ Radio 1 on Thursday morning, the 87-year-old told the presenter he visits Sinead's grave every week to 'bring her up to date.' Sean revealed his daughter's grave is simple and was designed by another one of his daughters, Eimear. @rteradio1 'I still miss her.' Seán O'Connor, father of the late singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor, joined #OliverCallan ♬ original sound – rteradio1 'It's more to do with the fans than her family,' he said, 'Her family is in the heart.' Asked how he was by Sinead's side during the turbulent times of her career, Sean revealed there was nothing he could do but be there for her. 'In the end, I always had a feeling of compassion for her,' he said, 'She was always on the edge. We got on really well, most of the time, and sometimes she'd fall out with me.' Sean O'Connor with his children Sinead, Joseph and Eimear at the launch of Dublin: One City One Book in 2011. Pic: Fran Veale Sean recalled one of his final memories with his daughter, when the pair headed away for a staycation to Wexford in January 2023. He remembered: 'We went down to the holiday, checking in two rooms and we went off for a drive and we came back and I had been upgraded. 'I had a suite — and chocolates [and] a bunch of flowers. You couldn't go anywhere with Sinead, somebody would come over, 'Oh, Sinead love. How are ya?'' Sean told Oliver how the duo had planned to go away again in April but Sinead opted to head to England instead. 'I'm beginning to deal with it now,' he said of the loss of his daughter.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Verona Pharma plc (VRNA) Is Unlikely To Face Antitrust Action For Merck Deal, Says Jim Cramer
We recently published . Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer recently discussed. Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA)'s shares experienced a boost in July when pharmaceutical giant Merck announced that it would acquire the firm for a $10 billion price tag. The stock experienced a healthy 20.6% gain after the announcement, which added to its 80% year-to-date gains at that point. Cramer discussed the Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA) acquisition after it was announced. He called the firm's COPD drug a 'first in class' compound that would help Merck with its drug portfolio, particularly as investors worry about KEYTRUDA's patent expiration. This time, he discussed antitrust approval of the acquisition: 'Did you see the Merck deal the other day? Verona? Two gentlemen? Getting together, Merck and Verona. You know they're not gonna block that. That doesn't even hit the radar, whoever's in antitrust.' A patient in a clinic, taking a medication dose from a nebulizer to treat a respiratory disease. After the Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA) acquisition was announced, here is what Cramer said: 'Yeah, I talked to Rob this morning, really liked this. He thinks he's got about 50 billion dollars worth of new drugs, which would therefore make it so you should stop worrying about the Keytruda patent expiration in 2028. I am with Rob. I think this COPD is a really important, another important franchise for them the alternative use steroids. And we've all be discovering that if you have trouble using steroids, one it becomes less effective over time, and two, the side effects are much worse than people realize. So I think this is a first in class, novel, compound that will make it so. . .I like this acquisition very much.' While we acknowledge the potential of VRNA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Verona Pharma plc (VRNA): A Bull Case Theory
We came across a bullish thesis on Verona Pharma plc (VRNA) on Capital Employed's Substack by Patients Capital Management. In this article, we will summarize the bulls' thesis on VRNA. Verona Pharma plc (VRNA)'s share was trading at $91.53 as of 3rd July. A patient in a clinic, taking a medication dose from a nebulizer to treat a respiratory disease. Verona Pharma, a UK-based biopharmaceutical company, is advancing a standout therapeutic with its lead asset, Ohtuvayre, poised to redefine treatment for COPD and related respiratory diseases. The most compelling data point is patient feedback: individuals using Ohtuvayre report feeling noticeably better, which is critical in COPD where managing daily wellbeing matters most. Ohtuvayre's non-steroidal mechanism means it can be safely combined with all existing COPD medications, creating effectively zero competition and addressing a major unmet need by avoiding the downsides of chronic steroid therapies. Beyond COPD, Verona Pharma retains significant upside from potential indications in non-CF bronchiectasis and asthma, which remain largely unpriced in current valuations and could offer meaningful long-term growth—serving as optionality embedded in the investment thesis. Strategically, the company is positioning for partnerships by developing dry powder inhaler (DPI) and metered dose inhaler (MDI) formulations, creating a clear window for larger pharmaceutical companies to engage in due diligence or acquisition discussions. Importantly, Verona Pharma carries no near-term financing overhang, eliminating a common investor concern and making potential deal outcomes even more impactful. Despite a strong rally in the stock, the market still appears to underappreciate Verona Pharma's potential: analysts are currently modeling peak sales of around $2.5 billion, even though the nebulized version alone could realistically reach $4–5 billion. As sell-side estimates adjust quarterly to reflect this upside, the stock is likely to re‐rate. Looking ahead, growing investor conviction and evolving shareholder base could provide deeper support for higher valuation levels. With differentiated clinical efficacy, broad strategic optionality, strong balance sheet, and significant valuation mispricing, Verona Pharma offers a compelling multi-catalyst investment opportunity in respiratory therapeutics. Previously, we covered a on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (TEVA) by Kontra in May 2025, which highlighted the company's transformation under CEO Richard Francis, strong free cash flow growth, and rising contributions from innovative drugs like Austedo and Uzedy. The company's stock price has been stable with an approximate 0.7% gain since our coverage. This is because the thesis has yet to fully play out but remains valid given Teva's ongoing operational momentum and valuation support. Patients Capital Management shares a similar view on Verona Pharma but emphasizes a more targeted bet on a single asset, Ohtuvayre, with blockbuster potential and strategic optionality in respiratory therapeutics. VRNA isn't on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of VRNA as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock. Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
