Feb 25, 2019

Roche buying Spark Therapeutics for $4.8 billion

Roche is betting on gene therapies. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

Roche, the Swiss-based pharmaceutical conglomerate, is acquiring Spark Therapeutics in a $4.8 billion all-cash deal. The Wall Street Journal first reported the buyout.

Why it matters: Pharmaceutical companies see promise in gene therapies and are willing to pay a large premium for them, but the treatments also come with record-high price tags. Spark has an $850,000 gene therapy to treat a rare eye condition, and a separate product is in the works for hemophilia.

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Axios

Updated 15 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Esper catches White House off guard with opposition to military use, photo op

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said at a press briefing Wednesday that he does not currently support invoking the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that permits the president to use active-duty troops on U.S. soil, in order to quell protests against racial injustice.

Why it matters: President Trump threatened this week to deploy military forces if state and local governments aren't able to squash violent protests. Axios reported on Tuesday that Trump is backing off the idea for now, but that he hasn't ruled it out.

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Rebecca Falconer, Orion Rummler

Updated 42 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Updates: George Floyd protests continue for 9th day

Demonstrators march on Pennsylvania Avenue on June 3. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Largely peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd and other police-related killings of black people continued Wednesday, marking nine straight days of demonstrations.

The latest: As several major cities moved to lift curfews, NYPD officers "aggressively" dispersed large crowds in Brooklyn and Manhattan beyond New York City's 8 p.m. curfew, per the New York Times. The National Guard was stationed outside many protests Wednesday night, including in Hollywood and Atlanta.

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Orion Rummler

4 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump hits back at Mattis: "I gave him a new life"

President Trump speaks at the White House. Photo: Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images

President Trump unloaded on his former defense secretary via Twitter on Wednesday, hours after James Mattis condemned him for making a "mockery of our Constitution" in his response to mass protests in the wake of George Floyd's killing.

What he's saying: "Probably the only thing Barack Obama & I have in common is that we both had the honor of firing Jim Mattis, the world’s most overrated General. I asked for his letter of resignation, & felt great about it. His nickname was 'Chaos', which I didn’t like, & changed it to 'Mad Dog'"

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