FDA Approves Merck's Welireg for Rare Adrenal Tumors

Published 6 hours agoMRK

FDA Approves Merck's Welireg for Rare Adrenal Tumors

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Merck's cancer drug, Welireg (belzutifan), for treating two rare types of adrenal gland tumors: pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL). This marks Welireg as the first oral treatment approved for these tumors, providing a new and more convenient option for patients with these conditions.

The expanded approval specifically targets patients aged 12 and older with metastatic or inoperable PPGL, according to Reuters. Clinical trials have shown that Welireg achieves a 20.6% objective response rate in treating these tumors, potentially improving patient care where previously, treatment options were limited primarily to surgery or palliative care.

Before this approval, systemic options for managing PPGL were scarce. This new indication for Welireg aligns with its already existing approvals for cancers associated with Von Hippel-Lindau Disease and renal cell carcinoma, which contributed to $509 million in sales for Merck last year. This expansion signifies a meaningful step forward in addressing significant unmet medical needs for these rare conditions.

Share this article

Twitter Facebook LinkedIn

Recent Articles

Sigma Lithium Surpasses EPS Expectations Despite Revenue Shortfall

Sigma Lithium Surpasses EPS Expectations Despite Revenue Shortfall

2 minutes agoSGML

Sigma Lithium Corporation recently announced its financial results, showcasing a mixed performance for the quarter. The company reported a GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of $0.04, exceeding analyst expectations. However, their revenue fell short, totaling $20.9 million against a consensus estimate of $72.5 million, as reported by Benzinga. The company achieved a production milestone by delivering 60,237 tonnes of Quintuple Zero Lithium Concentrate, outperforming their guidance and achieving a 22% production increase from the previous quarter. Operating costs remained competitive, averaging $513 per tonne CIF China. Sigma also ended the period with a robust cash flow of $34 million and reduced their debt by $40 million, finishing with $66 million in cash. Sigma Lithium has strategically shifted its commercial approach to leverage seasonal trends, securing average sales prices of $820 per tonne—above market benchmarks. Additionally, they strengthened their expansion plans by securing a $487 million development loan from the Brazilian Development Bank to fund their Phase 2 expansion efforts. These steps are aligned with enhancing its strategic positioning in the competitive lithium market.

Grove Collaborative Prepares for a Challenging Start to 2025

Grove Collaborative Prepares for a Challenging Start to 2025

32 minutes agoGROV

Grove Collaborative is forecasting its first quarter of 2025 to be the weakest in terms of revenue, partly due to the transition to Shopify. This outlook sets a challenging start to the year for the company, which reports expecting a gradual improvement as the year progresses. According to Grove's projections, the second and third quarters should bring some revenue growth, with the fourth quarter expected to achieve low single-digit percentage gains compared to the previous year. Overall, the full-year revenue forecast is cautious, predicting flat to a mid-single-digit percentage decline. On the positive side, adjusted EBITDA for 2025 is anticipated to be anywhere from breakeven to positive low single-digit millions. In strategic moves to bolster its market position, Grove has completed acquisitions of Grab Green and 8Greens to broaden its product offering. The company also shifted its retail strategy, opting out of brick-and-mortar operations to concentrate on direct-to-consumer sales, as reported by BusinessWire. These initiatives are designed to foster sustainable growth and profitability throughout the year.

Li-Cycle Holdings Files for Bankruptcy Protection Amid Financial Tensions

Li-Cycle Holdings Files for Bankruptcy Protection Amid Financial Tensions

1 hours agoLICY

Li-Cycle Holdings Corp., a Canadian company specializing in battery recycling, has filed for bankruptcy protection in Canada. This move comes as the company grapples with substantial financial difficulties that have prompted this significant legal action. Earlier, Li-Cycle undertook several operational changes to mitigate its financial struggles. In April 2024, the company laid off about 17% of its global workforce in an effort to streamline its operations, as reported by hcamag.com. Meanwhile, the company is also embroiled in a shareholder class action lawsuit with Canadian investors seeking certification of their claims against Li-Cycle, according to newswire.ca. Despite these challenges, Li-Cycle received a $75 million investment from Glencore in March 2024 to bolster its financial resilience. However, their market presence took a hit when Li-Cycle's shares were delisted from the New York Stock Exchange in February 2025 for failing to meet listing standards, subsequently moving to the OTCQX Best Market under the ticker 'LICYF.'

Amazon Reduces Workforce in Devices and Services Unit

Amazon Reduces Workforce in Devices and Services Unit

1 hours agoAMZN

Amazon has announced the elimination of around 100 positions within its Devices and Services unit, which includes products like Kindle, Echo, Alexa, and the Zoox self-driving cars division. This move forms part of the company's regular business review processes aimed at streamlining operations and aligning teams more closely with its product development roadmap. According to Reuters, this is part of ongoing cost-cutting measures across the company. While specific details on the divisions most affected were not disclosed, these cuts follow previous layoffs in Amazon's Alexa division and the Wondery podcast group. Interestingly, these recent reductions arrive on the heels of Amazon's integration of generative AI into Alexa, enhancing its conversational capabilities significantly. Despite these workforce changes, Amazon added about 4,000 jobs between the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, indicating continued growth in other areas. In response to the announcement, Amazon's stock experienced a minor decline, closing just under 1% lower, at $210.25. This minor dip reflects a broader trend in the company's stocks over recent months as it navigates adjustments across its business units. Reuters notes that the recent stock performance includes an intraday high of $212.13 and a low of $208.96, underscoring a day of mild fluctuations. These adjustments are part of Amazon's broader strategic initiatives amidst a transformative shift in some of its product offerings.