Latest news with #PPH
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Campaigners offer to run under-threat Preston pub building
A heritage campaign group fighting to save a derelict pub thought to be about 300 years old from demolition have offered to take over the management of the Tithebarn in Preston, Lancashire, called last orders in 2016 and the building is now "beyond viable repair", the city's council has said. The authority, which owns the building close to Preston bus station, has deemed it unsafe and recommended it for Glenn Cookson of Preserving Preston's Heritage (PPH) said the building had "rich history" and was exploring the viability of turning it into a museum. Councillor Martyn Rawlinson said the council "would be happy to work with the group if the project was feasible". Council deputy leader Martyn Rawlinson said the authority "would be happy to work with the group if the project is feasible". 'Passionate' Mr Cookson, director of marketing and communications at PPH, said he would be "really saddened" if the city was to lose the building, which is attached to Grade II-listed mill building next door, formerly known as Aladdin's Cove said it is was one of the first things passengers see when they arrive at the bus station and the group were "passionate" about protecting Cookson said the group was looking at setting up a community interest company and was in the early stages of exploring taking over the site, with an idea to use it as a heritage centre or people's history the Labour councillor for Fishwick and Frenchwood, who is the main spokesman for the Tithebarn site, said the council welcomed the offer and it would be part of the considerations when making a decision on its future at a cabinet meeting on 18 demolition is approved, bulldozers would move in over summer and, under another plan being considered, the site could make way for a new public green featuring trees, shrubs, grassed areas and seating. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PPH, Big Pharma Stocks Volatile on Trump Drug Pricing
Big pharma stocks, as measured by the VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH), plunged Monday morning then recovered in afternoon trading as investors reacted to mixed messages about President Donald Trump's sweeping plan to cut prescription drug prices by as much as 80%. PPH top holdings like Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) and Johnson & Johnson Inc. (JNJ) fell as much as 4% in early trading. International pharmaceutical stocks like Novartis AG (NVS) and AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) also declined amid fears that U.S. policy changes could ripple across the global industry. However, major drugmakers staged a notable comeback in the afternoon as PPH closed 2% higher after the Trump administration released clarifying comments that eased some of the more severe concerns about how quickly and aggressively the pricing reforms would be implemented. This intraday rebound helped limit losses but underscored the policy sensitivity of the sector. President Trump's executive order introduces a "Most Favored Nation" (MFN) pricing policy, mandating that the U.S. pays no more for prescription drugs than the lowest price paid by other developed countries. The administration argues that Americans have long subsidized global pharmaceutical research and development through higher domestic prices. The order sets a 30-day deadline for drug manufacturers to propose price reductions, with further actions promised if significant progress isn't made within six months. Industry groups have criticized the move, warning it could stifle innovation and lead to reduced investment in new drug development. Looking ahead, the performance of the healthcare sector in 2025 will largely depend on two major variables: the direction of U.S. trade policy and the extent to which President Trump's aggressive prescription drug price reforms are implemented. While the pharmaceutical industry faces immediate headwinds, long-term outcomes will vary based on how negotiations between the federal government and drug manufacturers unfold. Big pharma stocks, heavily weighted in ETFs like PPH, are likely to remain under pressure in the short term. Valuation multiples may compress as investors price in the potential for lower U.S. revenues. However, if the policy rollout is watered down or delayed—as has often happened with healthcare legislation—and global demand for therapeutics remains strong, there may be room for a rebound later in the year. More broadly, the healthcare sector remains a key defensive allocation during periods of economic uncertainty. With the potential for a prolonged trade war, rising unemployment and tightening consumer budgets, investors may continue to rotate into sectors like healthcare, which historically outperform during late-cycle or recessionary periods. The sector's combination of non-cyclical demand, innovation potential and relative earnings stability makes it a compelling core holding for portfolios preparing for volatility. In summary, while headline risks around drug price reform may dominate in the near term, long-term investors could find opportunities in both pharmaceutical and biotechnology ETFs—provided they understand the policy risks, global trade implications and diversification potential that the healthcare sector | © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved 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
Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Joy as girls from Gaza become first to arrive in UK for vital treatment - 'like a dream'
Seriously-ill Rama, 12, and Ghena, five, will receive specialised care in London after becoming the first children from Gaza to get to the UK for vital treatment Two young girls from war-torn Gaza are receiving vital treatment in the UK after a landmark breakthrough. Seriously-ill Rama, 12, and Ghena, five, will receive specialised care in London after a "lifeline to hope" agreement to bring them to Britain. The girls are the first to arrive under a new humanitarian scheme with healthcare in the region on the brink of collapse amid a brutal Israeli aid blockade. The girls both have conditions they have suffered with from birth, but cannot get the treatment they desperately need in Gaza. Moving photos show Rama and Ghena, whose care is being paid for by charity Project Pure Hope (PPH), arriving in London. The girls, accompanied by their mothers and one sibling, are now being treated in the private wing of top hospitals in the capital. The little girls are among thousands of children in desperate need of treatment with little or no access to vital treatment. Rama's mum Rena said reaching the UK was "just like a dream". Her daughter - who is weak and malnourished - is expected to undergo a bowel operation in London. Meanwhile Ghena requires urgent treatment to save the vision in her left eye. Dr Farzana Rahman, from PPH, told Sky News: "One of the hardest parts of trying to make progress in this area is that delays cost lives. "A number of children have died who we haven't been able to help and this is an urgent situation and I think for all of us that's the hardest part." Dr Rahman said she did not know why it had taken so long to secure visas for the two girls. Their arrival follows nearly 18 months of negotiations and has been hailed by supporters. Dr Krish Kandiah told The Mirror: "Seeing two young girls finally receive the medical help they so desperately need is truly wonderful. It's the culmination of 18 months of campaigning, negotiating, and organising. "When compassion crosses borders, healing begins — one child, one act of kindness at a time. Our prayer is that these Gazan children will be the first, not the last, whom the UK helps." Baroness Arminka Helic said: 'These gravely injured children should never have been in this position. Many of them are suffering from injuries or conditions that require highly specialised care. In Gaza, where the health system has collapsed, that care simply doesn't exist. "Giving them access to treatment isn't just the right thing to do, it is the only chance they have at recovery." Rama and Ghena were flown to the UK from Egypt following lengthy collaboration between PPH, UK medics, the British government and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. The Foreign Office stressed it had not opened a new visa route for refugees. PPH warned that thousands more children are unable to get the treatment they need. Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer said a "small number" of kids from Gaza will be allowed to travel to the UK for privately-funded treatment. The Government has called on Israel to end its blockade, now in its ninth week, and let aid through. Medical supplies are running low and all of Gaza's hospitals are damaged after months of airstrikes. The United Nations' emergency relief coordinator said Israel's actions amount to "cruel collective punishment." Tom Fletcher said: "Blocking aid starves civilians. It leaves them without basic medical support. "It strips them of dignity and hope. It inflicts a cruel collective punishment. Blocking aid kills." UN food stockpiles have run out and aid groups say thousands of Palestinian children are malnourished. Israel insists its blockade aims to pressure Hamas to release hostages. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said the blockade means 3.000 trucks of vital supplies cannot reach the one million children whose lives are in danger without them. Gaza's Health Ministry said a further 18 people had been killed and dozens more wounded in Israeli strikes. It said the overall death toll since October 2023 is now over 52,000 people. The ministry claims more than half the dead have been women and children. The bodies of another eight people - including three children and three women - arrived at Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis, the hospital said.
The National
01-05-2025
- Health
- The National
Two girls evacuated from Gaza for urgent medical treatment in UK breakthrough
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza Two children from Gaza have been evacuated to the UK for urgent medical treatment, the first patients to arrive after a 17-month campaign for Britain to accept those in need of hospital care. Medical aid organisations, community groups and MPs have been lobbying the UK government for months and meeting senior ministers about fully funded plans to treat a small amount of injured children privately in leading UK hospitals. For British-Palestinian families, these negotiations have kept alive a 'glimmer of hope' that injured children could come to the UK for treatment. The girls were transferred to Egypt before travelling to the UK, accompanied by their mothers and one sibling. Ghena, five, needs treatment on an optical nerve to save her sight, while Rama, 12, needs an operation on her bowel. They are now receiving privately paid specialist care, organised under the Project Pure Hope (PPH) humanitarian project, in private wings of leading London hospitals, supported by teams specialising in surgery, paediatrics and psychological health. Temporary housing, interpreters and mental health services have also been provided. All costs, including evacuation, were covered by private charitable donations. More patient transfers are planned in the coming months. Baroness Arminka Helic, a Conservative member of the House of Lords who has been campaigning for children in need of treatment to be brought to the UK, said: 'These gravely injured children should never have been in this position. Many of them are suffering from injuries or conditions that require highly specialised care. In Gaza, where the health system has collapsed, that care simply doesn't exist. "Giving them access to treatment isn't just the right thing to do, it is the only chance they have at recovery, and I thank the UK doctors and healthcare leaders who made this possible after 17 months of tireless dedication and collaboration.' While other European and Arab countries have taken in children and adults for emergency treatment from Gaza, the UK had not done so until now. Fully funded plans to give Palestinian children injured in Gaza life-saving treatment in the UK were shown to Prime Minister Keir Starmer in October, with calls for his government to lift visa restrictions. Mr Starmer met British-Palestinian families who demanded the UK government enable children injured in Gaza to enter the UK to receive specialist hospital treatment. Palestinian ambassador Dr Husam Zomlot said that meeting was a step towards Britain's recognition of its historical role in the Palestine-Israel conflict. In December it emerged that an orphaned four-year-old boy who had lost both of his legs had been denied a medical visa for treatment in the UK, and 50 MPs signed a letter urging the government to do more to take in injured Palestinian children. One injured teenager from Gaza, who lost both his parents in an air strike, was given a visa to live in the UK under the Conservative government last June. The healthcare system in Gaza has been severely degraded, with hospitals overwhelmed, infrastructure damaged and medical supplies critically limited. The specialist medical care the children need is not available in Gaza or anywhere in the region. The UK is one of a handful of countries with the expertise to treat them. PPH said each child was selected following a clinical review process to ensure medical urgency, legal compliance and patient safety. It is understood their conditions are not linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict. PPH said: 'For many children with complex or life-threatening injuries, the treatment they need, including specialist surgery, rehabilitation, or trauma care, is not available locally.' Established in 2023 by a coalition of NHS clinicians, healthcare professionals, lawyers and humanitarian advocates, PPH has arranged medical treatment for injured children from Gaza in Italy, the UAE and Jordan. The initiative has provided critical medical equipment to healthcare providers in Gaza and Lebanon, and also offered support to hospitals and organisations in Israel caring for children affected by the crisis. This week, Mr Starmer hosted the head of the Palestinian Authority as the UK government announced a £101 million ($134.6 million) funding package for the occupied territories in a show of the UK's 'steadfast support'. The Prime Minister said discussions were focusing on how to return to a ceasefire as quickly as possible, and 'get humanitarian aid in at speed and at volume' as he met his counterpart Mohammad Mustafa. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Mr Mustafa also signed an agreement outlining their commitment to advancing Palestinian statehood within a two-state solution.
Morocco World
20-04-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Morocco Retains Top IP Ranking in Africa and Arab World
Rabat — Morocco maintains its position as the leading country in Africa and the Arab world for intellectual property (IP) protection and innovation, Morocco ranks 22nd out of 55 countries with a total score of 59.21. This marks a slight drop from its 2024 score of 62.76 out of 100. The US Chamber attributes this success to Morocco's strategic efforts to strengthen its legal and institutional IP framework. The country has joined several key international agreements, such as the Singapore Treaty on Trademarks and the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement, which safeguard industrial designs. The Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC) has recognized this achievement, elevating various initiatives that support innovation, including the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH), which speeds up patent processing through international cooperation. Other programs, like the National Bank of Innovative Projects and the IP Marketplace, aim to support inventors and help bring new ideas to market. 'International recognition reflects the positive momentum Morocco is experiencing in industrial property, with steady growth in applications for trademarks, patents, and industrial designs,' stated OMPIC. The US authority had pointed out last year that, despite progress, Morocco still faces challenges, especially in combating counterfeit goods and digital piracy, with concerns over the clarity and enforcement of IP rights in fields like software-based inventions. Still, Morocco's high ranking shows its commitment to promoting innovation, improving legal protections, and attracting investment with a stronger intellectual property system. Tags: 'Morocco in processintellectual propertyMorocco news
