Latest news with #emphysema
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pulmonx Corp (LUNG) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong International Growth Amid US Challenges
Release Date: July 30, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Positive Points Pulmonx Corp (NASDAQ:LUNG) reported a 15% increase in total worldwide revenue for Q2 2025, reaching $23.9 million, indicating strong adoption of their Zephyr valves. International revenue excelled, achieving a record $9.1 million, a 32% increase from the previous year, showcasing robust demand and effective global commercial execution. The company has launched successful direct-to-patient campaigns, expecting to exceed 70,000 first-time patient engagements this year, significantly driving patient inquiries and website traffic. Pulmonx Corp (NASDAQ:LUNG) is making progress with its AI-powered screening tool, Lung Track Detect, which has shown promising early results in identifying emphysema patients from routine CT scans. The company is expanding its capacity footprint, having opened 12 new screening centers and trained 26 new physicians in Q2 alone, enhancing patient access and treatment capacity. Negative Points US revenue growth was slower than expected, with Q2 2025 revenue at $14.7 million, reflecting operational pressures and capacity constraints at interventional pulmonology centers. Pulmonx Corp (NASDAQ:LUNG) revised its full-year 2025 revenue guidance down from $96-$98 million to $90-$92 million due to slower-than-anticipated ramp-up of US commercial initiatives. The company faced a decline in Stratex scans, a leading indicator for their procedures, due to capacity constraints and evolving priorities within IP centers. Gross margin for Q2 2025 decreased to 72% from 74% in the previous year, primarily due to a shift in geographic revenue mix with a larger share from international markets. Net loss for Q2 2025 was $15.2 million, slightly improved from a $15.3 million loss in the prior year, but still indicating ongoing financial challenges. Q & A Highlights Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Signs with LUNG. Q: Can you provide more details on the revised guidance for Q3 versus Q4, and expectations for US versus international growth? A: (Meihuul Joshi, CFO) Our initial guidance indicated that international revenue growth would drive the first half of 2025, with the US driving the second half. International growth has been consistent with expectations, but US growth has been slower due to the slow ramp of our growth initiatives. We expect US revenue to be at least two-thirds of total revenue in the second half. Q3 is expected to be flat compared to the previous year, with growth anticipated in Q4. Q: What factors contributed to the decline in StratX scanning trends, and how significant was the increase in June and July? A: (Steve Williamson, CEO) The decline was due to capacity constraints from increased focus on cancer screening and procedures. However, the June and July uptick in StratX scans indicates that our initiatives are starting to have an impact. The increase in scans is a positive sign, showing more patients are entering the funnel, although conversion timelines can vary. Q: If the June and July StratX trends continue, could this lead to meeting or exceeding guidance? A: (Steve Williamson, CEO) The increase in StratX scans is encouraging, but conversion timelines vary. While we expect a rebound in US growth in the second half, it's too early to determine the full impact. There is potential upside to our guidance if initiatives convert faster than expected. Q: Is the slower growth due to new competitive dynamics or other factors? A: (Steve Williamson, CEO) The slower growth is not due to new competition. We remain the premier offering in valves. The challenge lies in the multifaceted approach to patient identification and workflow optimization. We are working to ensure hospitals have the capacity to treat the increased patient volume. Q: How are you addressing the capacity constraints in hospitals? A: (Steve Williamson, CEO) We are engaging with hospital administrators to expand capacity for treating emphysema patients. By integrating cancer and COPD detection into a single clinical pathway, we aim to leverage existing investments in lung cancer screening to address a broader patient population. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Fox News
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Johnny Carson's pal recounts emotional ‘last supper' with TV icon: ‘He knew he was dying'
Howard Smith was often worried about his friend and neighbor, Johnny Carson. "He smoked a lot - he would smoke three packs of cigarettes a day," Smith told Fox News Digital. "He would come over to my house, and we'd play tennis, and then after that he would light up a cigarette." "I was probably on him for six months just saying, 'John, you should consider maybe not smoking as much,'" Smith shared. "One day, he finally told me, 'I've realized that it's not good for you and I shouldn't be doing it.' He never smoked after that.'" For the last 18 years of his life, the legendary "Tonight Show" host didn't smoke, Smith claimed in his book. But irrevocable damage was done. In 2002, he was diagnosed with emphysema, a disease that killed him in 2005 at the age of 79. Smith, who "knew and loved" the fiercely private TV icon, has recently written a memoir, "My Friend Johnny: The Last 20 Years of a Beautiful Life with Johnny Carson and Friends." The foreword was written by Jay Leno. WATCH: JAY LENO SAYS HE'S 'VERY LUCKY IN LIFE' AS HE CARES FOR HIS WIFE WITH DEMENTIA "I wanted people to know John – the John I knew," the retired businessman explained. "I was not in show business. I had the largest software company in the world at that time. And I think because I wasn't in show business, he could trust me. And in showbiz, you sometimes don't know who you can trust. I think that meant a lot to him." "I have read several things that have been written about John, and I would say that 90% of those articles were not favorable," he shared. "They were down on John. And that was not the John I knew. I wanted people to get to know my friend." And like any good pal, Smith was concerned about Carson's habits. According to his book, Carson was "an avid smoker," prompting him to ask, beg, and even challenge him to consider quitting smoking. And it was Carson's fourth wife, Alexis Maas, who ultimately got him to quit, said Smith. "John was a stubborn person," Smith admitted. "I'd give him s—t a lot. I think that's why he liked me, because we'd go back and forth on different things. I never treated him like a star." In 2002, CBS News published a story titled "Johnny Carson: I'm Not That Sick." At the time, Carson said through a spokesperson that when it came to his illness, "I'm dealing with it the best I can, and it is not causing me any major problems." However, Smith claimed that Carson was a lot sicker than the headline implied. He just didn't want the public "to make a fuss." "In our 20 years of playing tennis together, I knew the sound of John's laugh, his forehand grunts, and his labored breathing," Smith wrote. "Toward the end, his breathing became increasingly difficult. We started playing less often, and then, sadly, even suddenly, despite all the signs, the day I dreaded arrived." Smith told Fox News Digital he still vividly remembers the last time he saw his friend. It was after New Year's in 2005. He described their evening as "the last supper." "I'm at a pharmacy in Malibu, and he happened to be there," Smith recalled. "He goes, 'What are you doing tonight?' I said, 'Nothing.' He said, 'Why don't we go get dinner tonight?' John's wife had a place in Pittsburgh, so she spent a lot of time with her family there. So, he was by himself on that day. I remember he picked me and my wife up, and we went to this restaurant. We were the first people there and the last to leave." "John was the funniest I've ever seen him," Smith reflected. "He went on and on, told stories about different people that he had on the show… We just laughed so hard. Our stomachs were sore from laughing… At one point, I said, 'I got to go to bed,' and John was like, 'Oh no, Howard, I want to tell you this other story.' And it kept going." "Looking back, there must have been something going on in his head that night. We probably had 500 dinners together, and he was never that funny, going on and on. We would have dinner at 6 o'clock and be back home by eight." "For some reason, that night, he just wanted to tell us all these stories and make us laugh," Smith continued. "We've never laughed like that before. It's like he didn't want us to leave without hearing him first. At the end of the night, he drives us up to our house, gets out of the car. He gave both my wife Jane and me a kiss and a hug. Then he tells us, 'I love you.' John was not standoffish, but I'd never seen him do anything like that." "I think he knew he was dying, but didn't want us to worry," said Smith quietly, fighting back tears. "But at that moment, he just wanted to remember the good times. He wanted to tell us how much we meant to him. He wanted to give us the best of himself." According to Smith, Carson died 16 days later. "When I think about that night, I feel he wanted to tell us that he would be OK, and that he loved us," said Smith. "That's the John I knew." Today, Smith prefers to remember the happier times. While Carson was "intimate and shy," he slowly opened up to his neighbor, who offered to play tennis with him. "We used to play tennis three to four days a week," Smith chuckled. "Then one day he said, 'Howard, I don't think I can play anymore. I think I ran out of gas. But let's do this. On Saturdays and Sundays, you come over to my house. I'll make you a coffee, and we'll just sit around, talk about life.'" And in those later years, Carson wasn't craving the spotlight, Smith insisted. "After he retired, he had another life," Smith explained. "He was traveling around the world. He went to Africa. He spent two months learning Swahili. Then he went to Russia and learned Russian so he could talk to people there. He would use this telescope at his house to look up at the stars. My wife and I would often have discussions with him about the Big Bang Theory." "A lot of people wished he hadn't retired," said Smith. "But John didn't. He loved being retired. He would study astronomy. He played card tricks. I remember we went to a local restaurant in Malibu for dinner and there was a young kid there doing different card tricks for people. And John was delighted. He would go, 'Can you do this?' He did all kinds of card tricks for this kid… John was shy and quiet, but he loved just being himself." And Carson was a loyal friend who didn't think twice about offering a helping hand in secret, said Smith. He quietly donated to the Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, as well as to a local group dedicated to helping homeless veterans, among other charities. "He loved life," said Smith. "And he gave back. He didn't need the publicity for it." Today, Smith wants the public to discover a new side of "the king of late night." "I didn't realize that he and I were building this special bond," said Smith. "But I'm still grateful for that day when we first decided to play tennis together."
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Billy Slater opens up about devastating new family tragedy a year after footy legend's brother in law died saving his daughter from drowning
Queensland coach Billy Slater has opened up for the first time about the death of his father just 10 months after the rugby league legend's brother in law died while saving his daughter from drowning. Slater, who is preparing to coach his fourth State of Origin series, says he will miss his dad Ron this week when he heads to Suncorp Stadium for the series Opener. Ron passed away in late January at the age of 72 after a long battle with emphysema. A smoker for 50 years, Ron had a serious health scare in 2018 that led to him giving up smoking and later receiving a double lung transplant in 2021. 'I used to run the Queensland team by Dad every game. I can't do that anymore,' Slater told News Corp. 'I do a lot of travelling in the car, going to the airport, and Dad was the No.1 number on my phone that I would hit. 'I can't make that call anymore for a chat, so they are the times I really miss him. 'He kicked on for another three-and-a-half years and it (his lung condition) finally got him. 'You try to think about the good times you did have and be grateful for that.' Slater senior was a legend of rugby league in Queensland and where Billy got his competitive spirit from. 'That's where I got my passion for the game. He played and coached throughout my childhood,' Slater said. 'Ever since I can remember, I was going training with dad and going to games with him on the bus. He tackled a bit better than me, that's one thing I know. 'In the end, he had pneumonia, but dad said, "I'm living life to the end". 'He said, "That's it, no more hospitals". Ron was a legend of rugby league in Queensland and where Billy got his competitive spirit from 'He was out of fight. 'The saving grace for me is that dad was fully there (with his mental faculties) until the end. 'You see people with dementia, but my old man was with it. He watched footy. 'He spoke to us. He didn't have an enemy in the world. 'He went on his terms and that's one thing I am grateful for.' It's been a heartbreaking 12 months for Slater's family after the footy great's brother-in-law Ryan Craig died last year. The father-of-four, and husband of Slater's sister Sheena, died in Kinchant Dam near Mackay when the boat he and his family were on broke down and he went into the water to rescue his daughter. The nine-year-old was later pulled safe and well from the dam but Craig's body was not recovered until days later. Slater grew up with his older sister in Innisfail, about 90km south of Cairns in Queensland. The 40-year-old all-time footy great played 323 games for the Melbourne Storm during a career in which he reached the absolute pinnacle of rugby league. In addition to his 31 games for Queensland and 30 matches for Australia, Slater starred in seven grand finals, won the Dally M Medal as the NRL's best player in 2011 and took out the Golden Boot award as the top player in the world in 2008. Since he retired in 2018 he has found success as the coach of the Queensland State of Origin side and as a commentator for Channel Nine. In his 2017 autobiography he reminisced about his younger days with Sheena, saying he and his sister 'learned to value what we were given' as the family struggled to make ends meet - but added that they 'never felt poor'.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Strood man waits four years for drop kerb to be installed
A man who was promised a dropped kerb four years ago still has not got one, despite being told repeatedly one would be put Partridge, 74, was promised the work outside his property in Penguin Close, Strood, as part of a package of alterations by mhs homes in August other jobs, including the building of a wet room and the creation of a hard-standing area for his car outside his home, were completed but the dropped kerb is still housing association said it had been waiting for permission from Medway Council, while the authority said it hoped work would begin in a week, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Mr Partridge said: "I've been banging my head against the wall, you know. I've been contacting people, my daughter has for me, even my next-door neighbour has, but we just don't seem to get anywhere."If you get through to somebody, eventually they say 'Oh yeah, we'll sort that' and that's it, you never hear anything back."Mr Partridge has the lung disease emphysema and needs to carry an oxygen tank with him wherever he there was a delay in getting the dropped kerb, he did suggest a disabled parking bay instead, but the only viable spot would be across the street which is too far for him to means every time Michael wants to park up, he has to mount the kerb. An mhs spokesperson said: "We understand Mr Partridge's frustration at the length of time taken for the kerb to be dropped."The dropped kerb was agreed as part of a package of improvements that also included a new wet room and driveway, both of which have been completed."Unfortunately, the kerb cannot be dropped until we have the relevant permission from Medway Council. "However, we're working closely with the local authority to resolve this situation as quickly as possible."Medway Council said: "Work to install the dropped kerb is due to take place next week."We are investigating a delay in processing payment for the work."
Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Telegraph
I found my mum's long-lost love letters (some were awkwardly sexy)
When my mother Geraldine Flower died five years ago, aged 72, I was devastated and heartbroken. The only peace I felt was around the fact nothing had been left unsaid between us. Or so I thought. She was an amazing, charismatic woman who drew people to her like moths to a flame. That she had enjoyed a bit of a colourful past was not a mystery. There had been nine marriage proposals (that we knew of), one poor man was left at the altar, but remained a life-long friend. There were rumours she'd once been a spy. She was naughty with a real twinkle in her eye. But I had no idea how many secret admirers she'd actually had – until I found the letters. Around the time of the memorial, I was sorting my mum's bedroom. Nearly 20 years ago, my husband Simon Byrt and I had bought the flat below my mum in west London. Simon's lovely and easy-going and didn't mind living below his mother-in-law – which was a good thing, as she could be tricky, but always funny at the same time. During her long illness (after recovering from breast cancer, she developed emphysema), we spent a huge amount of time together. As I was tidying the room, I stumbled upon a leather case hidden under a chest of drawers, which I had never seen before. It was stuffed full of letters which had been sent to her in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. There were love letters, poems, songs and Telexes, from all around the world, many from men who had been smitten by the woman they called 'Miss Flower'. I felt so many different emotions looking through the contents of the suitcase. Deep grief but also love, and then shock at finding such a treasure trove of information about a person I knew so well. Some of the letters were written by friends and I knew of them already, or were from boyfriends she had stayed friends with, but most of what I found out was new. There was no guilt: she must have known I would find the letters so I didn't feel bad about reading them after her death. I know she would have done the same! Secret assignations and coded letters Despite initially feeling overwhelmed at my discovery, the letters soon became an amazing, exciting distraction which pulled me out of a dark, sad place. They hinted at adventures and assignations, and were proof of the power of handwritten and typed letters in an age of social media. How often do we all gaze at photos of our parents and grandparents and wonder if they were thinking, feeling people like us? This felt like a way in. Together with Simon and our friend, singer/songwriter Emilíana Torrini, I spent long evenings going through them all. When we alighted on a funny, awkwardly sexy letter – where a lovesick admirer thinks of her as he mows the lawn ('on my mind is only one thing, a warm kiss with Geraldine Flower') – Simon and Emilíana began to compose a song. They did it to distract me and try to cheer me up. 'It just felt like a nice thing to do,' Simon told me. 'Sometimes humour can pull you out of a dark place.' As a film publicist, I've always enjoyed a good story, both on the page and on screen, so I began researching the identities of the letter writers and tried to work out some of the interweaving stories and timelines. Some I recognised or found but many were impossible to pin down. Some of these men treated Geraldine as their muse, pouring out their hopes and dreams. I think she was very good at rebuffing her admirers in a kind way, so they stayed friends. Her first big love was Reggie. There were more letters from him than anyone else. She moved to London because of him but she called off the wedding just a few days before – even though my grandparents had come over from Australia. But despite that they stayed friends and later he became my godfather. We spent holidays and Christmases together. Mum's 13-year-old Jack Russell, named after the late Reggie, now lives with us. But there were other mysteries. A man from Washington DC sent coded letters to Mum, then suggested they meet at noon in front of Westminster Abbey. We Googled him, and could see that later on he became very high up in the CIA. Another was most definitely a spy. And there are a lot of people who seem to know each other in the letters. Daily Telegraph receptionist and avid traveller The daughter of an Irish mother and an Australian father, who met in Britain during the war, Geraldine lived an adventurous life, moving from Australia to London in 1968. She'd worked in secretarial jobs – including as a receptionist for the Daily Telegraph – did a journalism course and pitched travel stories to newspapers, before setting up her own marketing agency. My mother was very independent. She travelled to India, Iran and all around Europe and made all these pen friends there. We even found an offer for a £200,000 (now £20 million) Caribbean island among the letters. For a moment, I thought: maybe I own an island (sadly not!). When Mum became pregnant with me after a fling, she refused to marry out of duty. I am in occasional contact with my father (who lives in Beirut), but it was Mum who did all the hands-on nurturing, along with her circle of friends. We didn't find any letters from my dad in the suitcase. Growing up with such a glamorous mother could be challenging. She'd say: 'This is going to be gorgeous on you darling,' and pull out a tiny lime-green mini skirt. And I'd say: 'You know I would never wear that.' But I have a very tall stylish friend Fiona (Clark) who would be given all these amazing clothes and shoes. At my mum's memorial, we hung her collection of scarves around the room and invited guests to each take away one as a memento. A smartly dressed older male friend of hers ended up wearing her leopardskin scarf. Turning her life into a film Simon and Emilíana's song, Miss Flower, charmed everyone who heard it. Over the following months, Simon and Emilíana, who have written music together for years, wrote an album inspired by the letters. Emilíana also began to dream up fantastical storylines for my mum's younger years. She was very fond of Mum, having played at our wedding 15 years ago, and whenever she was on tour in London she would stay with us. Emilíana and our other friends loved to visit us, but would always pop up to her flat to chat to my mum and hear her stories. Mum loved it all. After Emilíana released the Miss Flower album last year, it won Best Pop Album at the Icelandic Music Awards, and a film was suggested. We knew it couldn't be a documentary (we don't have any video footage of my Mum). But when Emilíana met the husband-and-wife directing team Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard (who made the Nick Cave music documentary, 20,000 Days on Earth), they suggested combining scripted narrative episodes from Geraldine's life with performances by Emilíana and her band, together with readings from the letters by well-known actors and musician. In the film, Geraldine is played by actress Caroline Catz (best known for TV's Doc Martin) – looking uncannily like my glamorous, chain-smoking mother. The casting all happened very organically, I had worked as a publicist for Richard Ayoade and Alice Lowe – they kindly offered to read letters. The directors obviously had Nick Cave's number (he reads a letter from an Australian boyfriend). Sophie Ellis-Bextor, a friend and neighbour, offered to help narrate the story. What was lovely was many contributors had a link to my mother, who had a real gift for friendship throughout her life. Niall Murphy, the actor who plays a magician in the film actually worked in Geraldine's local coffee shop part-time; in her last months he brought her meals and played the fiddle for her. Costumes for the film's dancers were provided by my Mum's great friend Tempe Brickhill and the team at fashion house Issey Miyake. My first-ever summer job was at Issey Miyake, that's where I met Kate Coyne who dances in the film, alongside another friend, dancer/musician Viva Seifert. The film was shot on a small budget over two days. A friend, Sam Dyson, founder of Distiller Music, had moved into film production and helped raised the finance. We filmed at his new studio, Distillery II, near Bristol. That meant a huge saving on costs, but it will also hopefully help spread the word about the new studio. We have disguised the identity of lovers who we were unable to track down. It's possible that, after seeing the film, one of Geraldine's admirers will get in touch with her own letters. But obviously they're in their late 70s and 80s now. Souvenirs of the past Arguably, letters are souvenirs of our past, and who we hoped to be. I really want to encourage people to talk to their parents and grandparents about their early lives (and ask whether they have letters). 'It would be brilliant if we could start a narrative,' says Simon. 'Because there's a huge romance to hand-written letters that we're in danger of losing.' The Extraordinary Miss Flower premiered in competition at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival. My friends' teenagers came along and were so excited by the idea of letter writing. The romance of it all seemed to strike a cord with them. On Friday there will be a special screening with live music at BFI Southbank, attended by many of Geraldine's (and our) friends, I just hope people enjoy the film and connect with it. I am still grieving, of course. For the first year and a half I couldn't talk about my mum without getting upset. But making the album and then the film was a way to connect with her. These were her glory years. I love the fact she's being immortalised in her prime in a very mysterious way. My mum was always very young at heart and loved a good story. I'm sure she will be enjoying the process from wherever she is now. If anything, she would be saying there are more crazy stories you should be including. Zoe Flower spoke to Liz Hoggard
