Latest news with #RobertDavis
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
When will the refitted M/V Monomoy begin ferry service between Cape Cod, Islands? Latest.
What is the status of the M/V Monomoy? The work on refitting the M/V Monomoy, 'is making fantastic progress,' Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority General Manager Robert Davis said, and it is scheduled for a stabilization test on Aug. 20. The ship is one of three purchased by the Authority in 2022 from Hornbeck Offshore Services of Covington, Louisiana. The vessel, along with the M/V Barnstable and M/V Aquinnah, was converted for use by the Steamship Authority at Alabama Shipyard in Mobile. The M/V Aquinnah was commissioned earlier this month and is expected to return to regular, year-round runs between the Vineyard and Woods Hole by June 16, Davis said May 16. The purchase and conversion costs for the three vessels were made possible, in part, via an agreement with the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority that yielded $28.1 million in federal funding. Davis reported that a utility building for the new Woods Hole Terminal construction is 50% completed and is expected to be ready by the end of this year. The terminal should be open a year from now, he said. Some issues caused by the construction raised by staff and customers are being addressed, Davis said. They include restriping crosswalks from the ferry to the buses and moving pickup and drop-off areas behind the new building as well as adding Jersey barriers along the adjacent bike path. A golf cart also will be arriving to assist customers, he said. Authority Board Chair James Malkin asked about coordination for safety around the construction site during the upcoming summer season. Other board members asked for more state police and coordination with the Falmouth police at the site, which will be provided. Susan Vaughn writes about transportation and other local community issues affecting Cape Cod residents and visitors. She can be reached at smharris@ Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Steamship Authority updates on new Cape Cod, Islands ferries
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
10th annual South Side Memorial Day Parade in Auburn Gresham neighborhood is one of Memorial Day events in Chicagoland
CHICAGO — Memorial Day is a day to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. There are multiple events taking place around Chicagoland on Monday to do just that, including the 10th annual South Side Memorial Day Parade, which steps off in the city's Auburn Gresham neighborhood — and will finish with a new name. City honors fallen service members, Gold Star families during annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at Daley Plaza The event begins at 10 a.m. with a wreath ceremony at St. Leo's Residence for Veterans, located at 7750 South Emerald Avenue. The parade procession then goes off at 11 a.m. and heads west on 79th Street before culminating in after-parade festivities at Veterans New Beginnings, located at 8140 South Racine Avenue. The event will include honorary guests, live music, free food and more. South Chicago marks Memorial Day with tribute to fallen Vietnam veterans U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient who retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, will be the keynote speaker. The South Side Memorial Day Parade is a celebration honoring veterans living in the 17th Ward and throughout the city. Ald. David Moore (17th Ward) started the parade 10 years ago to honor Commander Robert Davis, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1951-55 and died last year at age 81. What stores, restaurants are open for Memorial Day 2025? Moore is now renaming the parade, which going forward will be known as the Commander Robert Davis South Side Memorial Day Parade. Here are just some of the other Memorial Day events happening Monday around Chicagoland: Memorial Day Parade Begins at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Benton Street and River Street. Features local veterans groups, military organizations, marching bands and more. Arlen Peterson, longtime Aurora resident, active community member and cancer survivor, will serve as grand marshal. Free parking is available downtown. Annual Memorial Day Observance The Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association, in cooperation with the City of Elgin, will host a series of commemorative events at memorial sites and cemeteries across the city, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and concluding with a traditional program at Bluff City Cemetery. 8:30 a.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery, 1001 Villa Street: A combined color guard will present the colors, followed by a rifle salute and the playing of Taps. 9 a.m. at Lakewood Memorial Park, 30W730 U.S. 20: A service will be held at the Garden of Honor to recognize those buried at the cemetery, and the program includes a combined color guard, rifle salute and Taps. 9:40 a.m. at Elgin Veterans Memorial Park, 274 North Grove Avenue: Hosted by the Elgin Navy Club and the Elgin Marine Corps League, features a performance by the Elgin Master Chorale. The program will honor veterans interred at sea, concluding with the strewing of flowers into the Fox River, a rifle salute and the playing of Taps. 11 a.m. at Bluff City Cemetery, 945 Bluff City Boulevard: A local tradition since 1868, the family-oriented event will include a special tribute marking the 75th anniversary of the Korean War. The program will feature performances by the Larkin High School Band and the Elgin Master Chorale. Visit for more information. Memorial Day Parade Hosted by American Legion Post 76. Parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Memorial Park and travel west on Union Avenue then south on West Street (which becomes Warrenville Road), before ending at Wheaton Cemetery with a ceremony led by American Legion Post 76. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Construction begins on MSD's $1bn biologics centre in Delaware, US
Merck & Co (MSD) has begun construction on a $1bn biologics centre of excellence, Merck Wilmington Biotech, in Delaware, US. The 470,000ft² facility is set to bolster the company's biologics and therapy production, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), featuring manufacturing, laboratory, and warehouse offerings. This move aims to diversify the company's product pipeline and bring critical medicines, such as Keytruda (pembrolizumab), closer to American patients. It is strategically positioned to become the future US production hub for the therapy. The investment in Delaware is part of the company's strategy to enhance its biologics portfolio and meet the growing demand for its pipeline products in the country. This centre is expected to generate more than 500 full-time positions and nearly 4,000 employment opportunities in construction. The lab component is anticipated to be completely operational by 2028, and the investigational compound production is expected to commence by 2030. MSD also plans potential site expansions, which could introduce an extra 1,500 full-time positions and 26,000 jobs in construction. Merck Wilmington Biotech's location at Chestnut Run Innovation & Science Park (CRISP) is said to not only contribute to the city's biotech sector growth but also leverage the talent pool from nearby universities in Delaware and Pennsylvania. The proximity to MSD's current facilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is also expected to offer opportunities for both current and prospective employees. MSD CEO and chairman Robert Davis said: 'The Merck Wilmington Biotech site represents our continued commitment to growing our investments in US manufacturing and has the potential to create thousands of high-paying American jobs while ensuring that we can produce and distribute products close to patients right here in the US.' MSD noted that following the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, it has channelled over $12bn into enhancing US manufacturing and research capabilities. This includes the recent completion of a $1bn vaccine production facility in Durham, North Carolina, and a planned $3.5bn investment in biologics and small-molecule manufacturing sites, which will create an estimated 650 additional full-time positions. These efforts are projected to create over 37,600 construction-related jobs by 2028. "Construction begins on MSD's $1bn biologics centre in Delaware, US" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
InnovationRx: A Patent Fight Over The World's Top-Selling Drug
In this week's edition of InnovationRx, we look at a patent fight over the world's top-selling drug, breakthroughs from the American Association for Cancer Research, Verily's Parkinson's dataset, the relationship between microplastics and heart disease, and more. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here. Robert Davis, chief executive officer of Merck & Co. Merck's Keytruda is the world's top-selling drug, bringing in nearly $30 billion in sales last year. The drug, which is used to treat lung cancer, melanoma and certain other cancers, has historically been given by intravenous infusion, but Merck is gearing up to launch an injectable version that would be easier on patients. That formulation is currently pending FDA approval (the agency has a target of September 23 to decide) and, if approved, Merck has said it plans to launch on October 1. San Diego-based Halozyme is fighting that plan–and last week filed suit in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, alleging that the injectable version of Keytruda infringes on its patents. Halozyme, which is publicly traded with a market cap of $7.5 billion, partners with pharmaceutical companies to make injectable versions of important medicines, and said that it had expected Merck to sign a licensing deal in order to use its hyaluronidase technology. It's now seeking an injunction to block Merck's planned commercialization of the drug. Merck has said that the suit is 'meritless.' The court battle comes at a critical time for Keytruda, which is facing the approaching expiration of some key patents starting in 2028 that could potentially open the way for less costly versions known as biosimilars. Merck's efforts to change the blockbuster drug's delivery system could potentially both increase its sales and extend its patent runway. On Tuesday, Merck said that it would spend $1 billion on a new factory in Delaware that would include biologic drugs, the new injectable version of Keytruda among them. More than 21,000 people gathered over the past few days at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research in Chicago. Companies presented innovative research, suggesting hope for patients against some of the world's deadliest diseases. Here are a few highlights from the meeting: Diagnostic Help From AI: Artificial intelligence is proving to be helpful in better diagnosing cancer. In one new academic paper, an AI model was able to predict whether a cancer patient is at risk of developing wasting disease better than conventional methods. Other research found that an AI model was able to classify sarcomas (cancers that attack soft tissues) from images alone, a task that normally requires complex chemical analysis. And in a third study, AI was used to help diagnose nonmelanoma skin cancers. Promise For Boehringer Ingleheim's Lung Cancer Drug: Just under 5% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer have a mutation in a gene called HER2 that results in much more aggressive tumors that are harder to treat, because the mutations closely resemble other proteins in the body, which can cause toxic side effects. Pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim presented data from a clinical trial of its drug zongertinib, which binds tightly to HER2 proteins. The study found a durable response to the drug in patients with lower rates of adverse side effects than comparable treatments. Promising Immunotherapies: An off-the-shelf cell therapy developed by Sentio Biosciences caused complete remission in blood cancer patients with fewer side effects than a typical CAR-T treatment in a small phase 1 clinical trial. Plus, a study from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found that the use of immunotherapy both before and after surgery improved outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer. One Shot For HPV: A large-scale clinical study conducted by the National Cancer Institute suggests that Gardisil, a vaccine that protects against HPV, is just as effective at preventing cervical cancer after only one dose as the current schedule of two doses currently prescribed in the United States. Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which publishes the Science family of journals, testified to the Senate Appropriations Committee about the state of biomedical research in the United States on Wednesday. In his testimony, Parikh criticized the execution of cuts to jobs and grants to scientific agencies by the Trump administration. 'Too many game-changing decisions are being made by individuals with little to no understanding of the complex ecosystem,' he testified. He also criticized proposed budget cuts to NIH, stating that they would lead to fewer treatments for cancer, dementia and other maladies and cost America its leadership in the field. 'Unfortunately, the implementation and execution of these efforts have caused both collateral and targeted damage to the biomedical research enterprise,' he stated in his prepared comments. 'And — if rumored proposed budgets for 2026 are realized – will hand leadership of biomedical research to China and, even more devastatingly, dismantle the engine of hope and prosperity for millions of Americans.' A new study by a team of economists at American University's Institute for Macroeconomic and Policy Analysis found that a 25% reduction in research funding would lower government revenues 4.3% in the long term, while a 75% cut would lower it 11.3%–more than since the Great Depression. Plus: The FDA approved Abeone Therapeutics' gene therapy Zevaskyn, which is used to treat a rare genetic condition that causes extremely fragile skin, leading to blistering and other wounds over the body. Verily, Alphabet's health and AI company, received a $14.7 million grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation to build a large molecular dataset of Parkinson's patients. The dataset is designed to help researchers better understand the relationship between genetics, immunology and metabolism, which could accelerate new treatments for the debilitating neurological disease. As many as 1 million people in the U.S. have Parkinson's disease with nearly 90,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Diagnostics company Predicta Biosciences announced the commercial launch of its first test, GenoPredicta. The test uses whole genome sequencing of blood or bone marrow from patients to detect genetic variations that can diagnose and guide treatment for multiple myeloma (a blood cancer). The test is intended as a next generation of diagnostics, enabling more accurate diagnosis than the current standard, fluorescence in situ hybridization, without requiring the painful intrusion of a bone marrow biopsy. The company's test can also identify genetic mutations that indicate a patient won't respond to a particular medicine. 'There's really a lot of benefits both from the blood-based side and from the whole genome sequencing side, which gives us just a much more complete view of the alterations in that patient's cancer than the current standard does,' cofounder Irene Ghobrial, who's also a professor at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, told Forbes. A new study published this week suggests that exposure to phthalates, a class of chemicals used to make plastic used in household items, may be linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths from heart disease each year. The study focused on a specific phthalate called DEHP, which can prompt inflammation in the heart's arteries, leading to disease. The study estimates exposure to DEHP caused more than 350,000 deaths from heart disease–about 13% of all heart disease deaths–in 2018 alone. Novo Nordisk will sell low-cost versions of its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy through telehealth companies Hims, Ro and LifeMd. The three companies had been selling compounded versions of the drug, which the FDA permitted when there was a shortage, but that shortage was declared ended last month. Compounding pharmacies have filed suit to keep being able to produce those versions. (Disclosure: Forbes Media owns a small stake in Ro.) Plus: IVF automation company Overture Life raised $21 million from Overwater Ventures, GV and Khosla Ventures bringing its total investment to $57 million at an undisclosed valuation. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company uses software and robotics to bring down the costs of fertility procedures. As Trump pushes coal, a federal program to screen coal miners for deadly black lung disease has been shuttered. The shingles vaccine appears to lower dementia risk, according to several recent studies. Measles continues to spread in the United States, with over 900 cases nationwide, putting the country at a tipping point for the return of endemic measles for the first time since it was declared eradicated 25 years ago, new research warns. Damage from a gut bacteria may help explain why colon cancers have been rising in people under age 55. Chinese biotech Akeso won approval in China for its drug challenging Merck's Keytruda. Summit Therapeutics has a deal with Akeso for the drug's development in the U.S. Trump's cuts to science funding mean that mice, rats and even monkeys used in research face being euthanized. Health system operating margins dropped below 1% in March, according to a report from Strata.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Construction begins on MSD's $1bn biologics centre in Delaware, US
Merck & Co (MSD) has begun construction on a $1bn biologics centre of excellence, Merck Wilmington Biotech, in Delaware, US. The 470,000ft² facility is set to bolster the company's biologics and therapy production, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), featuring manufacturing, laboratory, and warehouse offerings. This move aims to diversify the company's product pipeline and bring critical medicines, such as Keytruda (pembrolizumab), closer to American patients. It is strategically positioned to become the future US production hub for the therapy. The investment in Delaware is part of the company's strategy to enhance its biologics portfolio and meet the growing demand for its pipeline products in the country. This centre is expected to generate more than 500 full-time positions and nearly 4,000 employment opportunities in construction. The lab component is anticipated to be completely operational by 2028, and the investigational compound production is expected to commence by 2030. MSD also plans potential site expansions, which could introduce an extra 1,500 full-time positions and 26,000 jobs in construction. Merck Wilmington Biotech's location at Chestnut Run Innovation & Science Park (CRISP) is said to not only contribute to the city's biotech sector growth but also leverage the talent pool from nearby universities in Delaware and Pennsylvania. The proximity to MSD's current facilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is also expected to offer opportunities for both current and prospective employees. MSD CEO and chairman Robert Davis said: 'The Merck Wilmington Biotech site represents our continued commitment to growing our investments in US manufacturing and has the potential to create thousands of high-paying American jobs while ensuring that we can produce and distribute products close to patients right here in the US.' MSD noted that following the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, it has channelled over $12bn into enhancing US manufacturing and research capabilities. This includes the recent completion of a $1bn vaccine production facility in Durham, North Carolina, and a planned $3.5bn investment in biologics and small-molecule manufacturing sites, which will create an estimated 650 additional full-time positions. These efforts are projected to create over 37,600 construction-related jobs by 2028. "Construction begins on MSD's $1bn biologics centre in Delaware, US" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
