Latest news with #reverse


Bloomberg
21-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Giant US Companies Are Rushing to Europe to Borrow Money
The giants of corporate America from Pfizer Inc. to Alphabet Inc. are borrowing in euros like never before as the anxiety triggered by President Donald Trump's tariff threats pushes them to hunt for alternative funding avenues in case their home market freezes up. A record number of these so-called reverse Yankee deals have been sold this year at a total value of more than €83 billion ($94 billion), up 35% on 2024, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That's nearly 14% of overall euro corporate issuance, the data shows.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alzheimer's disease could be prevented by antiviral drug already on market
An existing drug for HIV could double as a preventative therapy for Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers. NRTIs (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors) are antivirals that are approved to treat HIV infection, but scientists from UVA Health at the University of Virginia found that patients taking them were less likely to develop the common form of dementia. There was a roughly 10% annual reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in people taking NRTIs for every year of use of these drugs, according to lead study author Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati, M.D., professor of ophthalmology at UVA, who spoke to Fox News Digital about the finding. Alzheimer's Brain Treatment Shows Promising Results In New Study After coming across another mechanism that could potentially prevent Alzheimer's, the researchers analyzed 24 years of health insurance data, including 270,000 patients. The Alzheimer's risk reduction among patients taking NRTIs was "significant and substantial," the researchers wrote in the findings, which were published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia. Read On The Fox News App Now, the UVA team is calling for clinical trials of NRTIs to gauge their use for treating Alzheimer's. Approximately 10 million people worldwide are diagnosed with the common dementia each year. Alzheimer's Rates Have Reached Staggering Number As Experts Call For Change "This level of protection could translate into 60,000 fewer cases of Alzheimer's disease every year in our country, and up to one million fewer cases every year around the world," Ambati told Fox News Digital. In addition to keeping the HIV virus from replicating, NRTIs also prevent the activation of inflammasomes, proteins that are involved in the development of Alzheimer's. "We had previously shown that NRTIs blocked the inflammasome, so it wasn't altogether surprising that people taking NRTIs might be protecting against this disease," Ambati noted. "However, the degree of protection against Alzheimer's was quite surprising." Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study but commented on the findings. "Inflammasomes are intracellular protein complexes that trigger the release of inflammatory cytokines," he told Fox News Digital. "HIV uses these inflammasomes to fight the immune system." "These chemicals are likely responsible for making Alzheimer's worse, or for accelerating the process of cognitive decline based on neuro-inflammation." Rebecca Edelmeyer, Ph.D., vice president of Scientific Engagement at the Alzheimer's Association in Chicago, also reviewed the study's findings, which she called "interesting." 'I'm A Neurologist — Here's Why Dementia Is Rising And How To Reduce Your Risk' "Further research and specifically designed clinical trials are needed to fully understand the potential future use of NRTIs to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's, but the study highlights the potential role drug repurposing can play in advancing new Alzheimer's treatments," she told Fox News Digital. Repurposing existing drugs can offer a "promising pathway," according to Edelmayer. As existing drugs' safety and side effects are often already known, the studies can be quicker and less expensive than with new treatments, she added. The research team acknowledged some limitations of the study. "Like all retrospective health insurance database studies, the findings of our study are an association between this class of drugs and the development of Alzheimer's disease," Ambati told Fox News Digital. "They don't necessarily provide a cause and effect — however, the fact that we found this link in multiple databases increases confidence in this result." Siegel agreed that the new study is observational, but noted that it takes place over many years. "It also shows that only this particular HIV drug — inflammasome — dramatically decreases the risk of Alzheimer's, not the other HIV drugs, including protease inhibitors," the doctor said. "I think this is convincing preliminary evidence that warrants further study," Siegel added. "It is very possible that this drug may be useful in Alzheimer's prevention, given the increasing evidence implicating immune dysregulation and inflammation as causes of AD." Looking ahead, the researchers have developed a new drug called K9. Like NRTIs, the novel medication blocks inflammasomes, but is "safer and more effective," according to Ambati. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "The fact that the new drug reversed memory loss and improved spatial learning in mice further increases confidence in our findings," he told Fox News Digital. The UVA team now plans to test K9 in clinical trials for Azheimer's. Ambati noted that people should not take NRTIs for Alzheimer's prevention unless they are in the context of a clinical trial. "If interested, they should be on the lookout for such trials for themselves or loved ones who may be affected," he advised. For more Health articles, visit Nearly seven million people in the U.S. are currently living with Alzheimer's, and the number is expected to reach 13 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association. The UVA study was funded in part by the UVA Strategic Investment Fund and the National Institutes of article source: Alzheimer's disease could be prevented by antiviral drug already on market


Fox News
15-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Alzheimer's disease could be prevented by antiviral drug already on market
An existing drug for HIV could double as a preventative therapy for Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers. NRTIs (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors) are antivirals that are approved to treat HIV infection, but scientists from UVA Health at the University of Virginia found that patients taking them were less likely to develop the common form of dementia. There was a roughly 10% annual reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in people taking NRTIs for every year of use of these drugs, according to lead study author Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati, M.D., professor of ophthalmology at UVA, who spoke to Fox News Digital about the finding. After coming across another mechanism that could potentially prevent Alzheimer's, the researchers analyzed 24 years of health insurance data, including 270,000 patients. The Alzheimer's risk reduction among patients taking NRTIs was "significant and substantial," the researchers wrote in the findings, which were published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia. Now, the UVA team is calling for clinical trials of NRTIs to gauge their use for treating Alzheimer's. Approximately 10 million people worldwide are diagnosed with the common dementia each year. "This level of protection could translate into 60,000 fewer cases of Alzheimer's disease every year in our country, and up to one million fewer cases every year around the world," Ambati told Fox News Digital. In addition to keeping the HIV virus from replicating, NRTIs also prevent the activation of inflammasomes, proteins that are involved in the development of Alzheimer's. "We had previously shown that NRTIs blocked the inflammasome, so it wasn't altogether surprising that people taking NRTIs might be protecting against this disease," Ambati noted. "However, the degree of protection against Alzheimer's was quite surprising." "It is very possible that this drug may be useful in Alzheimer's prevention." Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, was not involved in the study but commented on the findings. "Inflammasomes are intracellular protein complexes that trigger the release of inflammatory cytokines," he told Fox News Digital. "HIV uses these inflammasomes to fight the immune system." "These chemicals are likely responsible for making Alzheimer's worse, or for accelerating the process of cognitive decline based on neuro-inflammation." Rebecca Edelmeyer, Ph.D., vice president of Scientific Engagement at the Alzheimer's Association in Chicago, also reviewed the study's findings, which she called "interesting." "Further research and specifically designed clinical trials are needed to fully understand the potential future use of NRTIs to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's, but the study highlights the potential role drug repurposing can play in advancing new Alzheimer's treatments," she told Fox News Digital. Repurposing existing drugs can offer a "promising pathway," according to Edelmayer. As existing drugs' safety and side effects are often already known, the studies can be quicker and less expensive than with new treatments, she added. The research team acknowledged some limitations of the study. "Like all retrospective health insurance database studies, the findings of our study are an association between this class of drugs and the development of Alzheimer's disease," Ambati told Fox News Digital. "They don't necessarily provide a cause and effect — however, the fact that we found this link in multiple databases increases confidence in this result." Siegel agreed that the new study is observational, but noted that it takes place over many years. "It also shows that only this particular HIV drug — inflammasome — dramatically decreases the risk of Alzheimer's, not the other HIV drugs, including protease inhibitors," the doctor said. "I think this is convincing preliminary evidence that warrants further study," Siegel added. "It is very possible that this drug may be useful in Alzheimer's prevention, given the increasing evidence implicating immune dysregulation and inflammation as causes of AD." Looking ahead, the researchers have developed a new drug called K9. Like NRTIs, the novel medication blocks inflammasomes, but is "safer and more effective," according to Ambati. "The fact that the new drug reversed memory loss and improved spatial learning in mice further increases confidence in our findings," he told Fox News Digital. The UVA team now plans to test K9 in clinical trials for Azheimer's. Ambati noted that people should not take NRTIs for Alzheimer's prevention unless they are in the context of a clinical trial. "If interested, they should be on the lookout for such trials for themselves or loved ones who may be affected," he advised. Nearly seven million people in the U.S. are currently living with Alzheimer's, and the number is expected to reach 13 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association. The UVA study was funded in part by the UVA Strategic Investment Fund and the National Institutes of Health.


Daily Maverick
06-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Stocks drift, dollar steadies as focus shifts to Asian currencies
By Ankur Banerjee SINGAPORE, May 6 (Reuters) – Global stocks held tight ranges on Tuesday and the dollar clawed back some of its recent losses against Asian counterparts as investors revived concerns about US tariffs and their impact on economic growth. Those worries coupled with pledges from key oil producers to boost supply also kept crude prices languishing near four-year lows. The focus in Asia has shifted to currencies following the Taiwan dollar's surge in recent sessions, which has stoked speculation that a revaluation of regional foreign exchange was on the cards to win US trade concessions. Its rally suggested a big unwinding is under way and shines a light on one economy among many where years of big trade surpluses have built up large long dollar positions at exporters and insurers that are now under question and on edge. The heat turned to Hong Kong on Tuesday, where the de facto central bank bought $7.8 billion to stop the local currency from strengthening and breaking its peg to the greenback. 'The real action today is in Asian FX,' said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo in Singapore. 'If these currencies keep strengthening sharply, it could spark fears of a 'reverse Asian currency crisis', with potential ripple effects in the bond market amid fears that Asian institutions reassess their unhedged exposure to Treasury holdings.' On the mainland, China's yuan strengthened to its highest level since March 20 at 7.23 per dollar. The Taiwan dollar was last at 30 per US dollar in early trading on Tuesday, not far from the near three-year high of 29.59 it touched on Monday as it jumped 8% over two days. In stocks, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was 0.2% lower with Japan closed for a holiday. Taiwan stocks slipped 0.3%. Chinese markets returned from a holiday with the blue-chip index opening slightly higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.2%. Investor attention has been on the possibility of easing trade tensions between the US and China after Beijing last week said it was evaluating an offer from Washington to hold talks over tariffs. But with few details, uncertainty has reigned with investors left trying to make sense of headlines coming out of the White House. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington is meeting with many countries, including China, and that his main priority with China is to secure a fair deal. Trump also on Monday slapped a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the United States but offered little clarity on how the levies would be implemented. Saxo's Chanana said tariff headlines are doing more to drive market direction. 'And that means the tactical risk-reward could still be tilted to the upside with hard data holding up and sentiment buoyed by hopes of trade deals.' Data on Monday showed the US services sector's growth picked up in April, while a measure of prices paid by businesses for materials and services raced to the highest level in more than two years, signaling a building up in inflation pressures due to tariffs. Attention shifts to the Federal Reserve's policy decision on Wednesday, where the central bank is widely expected to keep rates steady but the spotlight will be on how policymakers are likely to navigate a tariff-ridden path. 'The markets want confirmation that the Fed intends to cut rates through any price shock that tariffs cause, just as is currently priced-in,' said Kyle Rodda, senior financial markets analyst at Traders are pricing in 75 basis points of easing this year with the first move possibly in July, LSEG data showed. In commodities, oil steadied on Tuesday after hitting four-year lows in the previous session that was driven by an OPEC+ decision to accelerate output increases. Gold prices touched a one-week high on safe-haven demand.


Business Recorder
06-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Stocks drift, dollar steadies as focus shifts to Asian currencies
SINGAPORE: Global stocks held tight ranges on Tuesday and the dollar clawed back some of its recent losses against Asian counterparts as investors revived concerns about U.S. tariffs and their impact on economic growth. Those worries coupled with pledges from key oil producers to boost supply also kept crude prices languishing near four-year lows. The focus in Asia has shifted to currencies following the Taiwan dollar's surge in recent sessions, which has stoked speculation that a revaluation of regional foreign exchange was on the cards to win U.S. trade concessions. Its rally suggested a big unwinding is under way and shines a light on one economy among many where years of big trade surpluses have built up large long dollar positions at exporters and insurers that are now under question and on edge. The heat turned to Hong Kong on Tuesday, where the de facto central bank bought $7.8 billion to stop the local currency from strengthening and breaking its peg to the greenback. 'The real action today is in Asian FX,' said Charu Chanana, chief investment strategist at Saxo in Singapore. 'If these currencies keep strengthening sharply, it could spark fears of a 'reverse Asian currency crisis', with potential ripple effects in the bond market amid fears that Asian institutions reassess their unhedged exposure to Treasury holdings.' On the mainland, China's yuan strengthened to its highest level since March 20 at 7.23 per dollar. The Taiwan dollar was last at 30 per U.S. dollar in early trading on Tuesday, not far from the near three-year high of 29.59 it touched on Monday as it jumped 8% over two days. In stocks, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was 0.2% lower with Japan closed for a holiday. Taiwan stocks slipped 0.3%. Asian stocks rise on signs of easing Sino-US trade tensions Chinese markets returned from a holiday with the blue-chip index opening slightly higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.2%. Investor attention has been on the possibility of easing trade tensions between the U.S. and China after Beijing last week said it was evaluating an offer from Washington to hold talks over tariffs. But with few details, uncertainty has reigned with investors left trying to make sense of headlines coming out of the White House. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington is meeting with many countries, including China, and that his main priority with China is to secure a fair deal. Trump also on Monday slapped a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the United States but offered little clarity on how the levies would be implemented. Saxo's Chanana said tariff headlines are doing more to drive market direction. 'And that means the tactical risk-reward could still be tilted to the upside with hard data holding up and sentiment buoyed by hopes of trade deals.' Data on Monday showed the U.S. services sector's growth picked up in April, while a measure of prices paid by businesses for materials and services raced to the highest level in more than two years, signaling a building up in inflation pressures due to tariffs. Attention shifts to the Federal Reserve's policy decision on Wednesday, where the central bank is widely expected to keep rates steady but the spotlight will be on how policymakers are likely to navigate a tariff-ridden path. 'The markets want confirmation that the Fed intends to cut rates through any price shock that tariffs cause, just as is currently priced-in,' said Kyle Rodda, senior financial markets analyst at Traders are pricing in 75 basis points of easing this year with the first move possibly in July, LSEG data showed. In commodities, oil steadied on Tuesday after hitting four-year lows in the previous session that was driven by an OPEC+ decision to accelerate output increases. Gold prices touched a one-week high on safe-haven demand.