All articles tagged with #regulatory review
Warner Bros. Discovery is at the center of a Hollywood rivalry, with Netflix proposing a $72 billion deal and Paramount pursuing a $77.9 billion hostile takeover, both facing lengthy regulatory hurdles that could reshape the media landscape, impact competition, and involve political considerations, including potential influence from the Trump administration.
The largest U.S. railroad union endorses Union Pacific's $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern after securing job protections, though some unions and industry groups remain concerned about competition and service disruptions. The deal has mixed support among unions and faces a lengthy regulatory review, with President Trump's stance potentially influencing the outcome.
The Trump administration is considering strict new restrictions on licensing Chinese investigational drugs, including enhanced scrutiny and security reviews, amid concerns over China's growing influence in biotech and medicine, with proposals also to boost US domestic drug production and speed up FDA review processes.
The FDA's top cancer drug regulator, Richard Pazdur, played a key role in the rejection of Replimune's skin cancer therapy, RP1, amid internal agency dysfunction and leadership changes, despite support from other officials. The decision was influenced by internal debates and procedural issues within the FDA.
The FDA has launched its agency-wide AI tool, Elsa, ahead of schedule, aiming to streamline clinical protocol reviews and speed up regulatory processes, as highlighted by Commissioner Marty Makary.
JetBlue and United have announced a partnership featuring a frequent flyer program, elite benefits, and interline sales, with United returning to JFK in 2027 and sharing slots with JetBlue. The deal also includes United adopting JetBlue's Paisly for travel services and both airlines leveraging Kinective for advertising. While not a joint sales agreement, the partnership aims to enhance their market offerings and corporate deals, with regulatory approval still pending.
The British government has announced a review of Jeff Zucker's bid to acquire The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator, two influential publications in British conservative politics. The bid, backed mostly by funds from the United Arab Emirates, has faced criticism from Tories who fear undue foreign influence over The Telegraph's coverage. The review could delay the deal and allow rival bidders, including Rupert Murdoch and Lord Rothermere, to build opposition. Zucker has pledged to preserve editorial independence and insists that his Emirati financial partner would have no say in editorial matters. The review is expected to conclude by late January.
Tempur Sealy International is set to acquire Mattress Firm in a cash-and-stock deal worth $4 billion, as the leading U.S. bedding maker looks to counter a post-pandemic decline in sales. The deal would give the combined company a footprint of about 3,000 stores globally. However, the companies expect to close the deal only by the second half of 2024, with analysts anticipating a lengthy review by regulators.
SpaceX is cleaning up the damage caused by the launch of its fully-stacked Starship rocket, which lost multiple engines and caused severe damage to the ground infrastructure. The company hopes to launch another Starship rocket as soon as June or July, but that timeline depends on a variety of factors, including repair work, regulatory signoff, and the readiness of its next prototype. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the launch, which triggered a review, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service disclosed that the launch started a 3.5-acre fire on land owned by Texas' Boca Chica State Park. SpaceX has as many as 10 further Starship prototypes in various stages of assembly, as well as up to seven more Super Heavy boosters.
Kaiser Permanente plans to acquire Geisinger Health to create a new nonprofit group, Risant Health, that will operate independently and focus on developing nonprofit community health systems. The deal is subject to regulatory review. Kaiser hopes to invest $5 billion in Risant over the next five years and add five or six health systems to the group. The move is a response to the increasing consolidation of the healthcare industry by large for-profit companies. The new venture aims to invest in technology and preventive care to keep patients healthy and reduce the need for expensive specialty and hospital care.