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Friday, 29 January 2010 12:09 GMT
English press review - Friday
LONDON, Jan 29 (APM) - AstraZeneca's fourth-quarter and full-year results were reported in all the papers but the financial news was overshadowed by its plans to cut 8,000 jobs over the next four years.
The Financial Times (p20) reports on the job losses and says the company has given an "unusually long-term forecast".
The story was accompanied by a news analysis that AZN has refined its strategy with the creation of its iMed innovative medicine units.
In its market page (p36), the paper says that AZN's shares led blue chip fallers on Thursday, dipping 4.6% to 29.06 pounds after its annual earnings missed forecasts.
The Guardian (p30) also led with the job cuts, and noted that since starting an overhaul in 2007, the Anglo-Swedish drug maker has cut 12,6000 jobs from a 15,000 target.
The Daily Telegraph has the story on the front page of its business section, saying the company's view that it faces a challenging five years, wiped more than 2 billion pounds off its stock market value.
The Telegraph goes on to say that the job cuts, on top of the 15,000 already announced, are almost certain to affect the UK, where 11,000 of the 65,000 employees are based.
The Wall Street Journal's story, headlined: "AstraZeneca to cut 16% of workforce," notes that the overhaul appears similar to the one already underway at UK rival GlaxoSmithKline and fits a trend in the industry (p23).
The Times (p52) also leads with the job cuts, saying that according to analysts, this could lead to a loss of 1,500 jobs in the UK.
WEEK-LATER CONTRACEPTIVE PILL
The Daily Telegraph gives front page space to news of a contraceptive pill that can be taken almost a week after sexual intercourse, but noted fears that it could promote promiscuity and lead to a rise in sexually transmitted diseases.
It says the existing "morning-after" pill can be taken up to three days after intercourse, but a new version, called EllaOne, still works five days afterwards.
A study shows that it is potentially more effective, reducing the small risk of pregnancy in women who take such pills by around half. HRA Pharma UK manufactures the pill.
Separately, The Times says the new morning-after pill that can stop women becoming pregnant for almost a week after unprotected sex has prompted a row over fair access (p30).
The paper says the drug, ulipristal acetate is not available over the counter and is three times as expensive as the regular drug, levonorgestrel.
The Daily Mail also reports on the morning-after pill (p37), saying it is more effective than existing drugs taken by thousands of women each year, according to a study.
GP BOUNDARIES
The Financial Times (p2) reports that the British Medical Association has attacked the government's proposal to offer patients a completely free choice of family doctor, warning that the proposals could cost "hundreds of millions of pounds a year".
Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's family doctor committee, said that at a time when the NHS was about to face the fiercest spending squeeze in its 60-year history, it was not clear that health secretary Andy Burnham should be giving the plans priority for extra spending.
The BMA said although the goal was "laudable", it was expensive.
MMR JAB
The Times reports that parents have been urged to give their children the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) triple vaccine after researchers who linked the jab to health problems were condemned as irresponsible and dishonest by the medical regulator (p4).
Medical royal colleges, health unions and charities all moved to dispel "unfounded" fears over the vaccine's safety after Andrew Wakefield was found guilty of charges relating to his claim that the MMR jab could increase the risk of bowel disease and autism.
The paper says 12 organisations, including the Medical Research Council, the BMA, and the Faculty of Public Health, released a joint statement reaffirming their confidence in the jab, saying "a large body of scientific evidence shows no link between the vaccine and autism".
The Independent gave three full pages to the story, (p2,3 and 4), saying how a "classic scare story has kept us gripped," as it explained the nation's fascination for Wakefield's research.
The Daily Mail dedicates two pages (p6, 7) to the news, with the headline: "Damning verdict on MMR doctor."
The paper says the take-up of the MMR jab plunged by 12% after Wakefield linked the triple vaccine to autism in 1998, with further falls in take-up the following years as the number of measles cases rose.
U.S. HEALTHCARE REFORM
Under the headline: "Prospects for health reform remain bleak," the FT (p10) reports that the Democrats were still struggling to salvage their healthcare reform effort on Thursday, with the prospects for passing legislation remaining bleak despite president Barack Obama's call to Congress not to walk away from reform.
The paper says Obama delivered a "pep talk" to Democrats during his first State of the Union address, but did not give them any direction on how to overcome the current procedural impasse.
"Do not walk away from reform. Not now, not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people," the FT reports him as saying.
The Wall Street Journal has an editorial on the issue (p34), saying that Obama showed no particular willingness to compromise, save a claim that he was open to other ideas.
"And he re-pitched the health bill now in Congress with the same contradiction - covers more people but saves money too - that all but the most devoted partisans long ago dismissed as unbelievable."
The paper says Obama sounded like a "man who is still hoping Democrats will find a way to sneak this monstrosity into law despite its unpopularity".
ra/nh
[17940] 29/01/2010 12:09 GMT - GENERAL
The Financial Times (p20) reports on the job losses and says the company has given an "unusually long-term forecast".
The story was accompanied by a news analysis that AZN has refined its strategy with the creation of its iMed innovative medicine units.
In its market page (p36), the paper says that AZN's shares led blue chip fallers on Thursday, dipping 4.6% to 29.06 pounds after its annual earnings missed forecasts.
The Guardian (p30) also led with the job cuts, and noted that since starting an overhaul in 2007, the Anglo-Swedish drug maker has cut 12,6000 jobs from a 15,000 target.
The Daily Telegraph has the story on the front page of its business section, saying the company's view that it faces a challenging five years, wiped more than 2 billion pounds off its stock market value.
The Telegraph goes on to say that the job cuts, on top of the 15,000 already announced, are almost certain to affect the UK, where 11,000 of the 65,000 employees are based.
The Wall Street Journal's story, headlined: "AstraZeneca to cut 16% of workforce," notes that the overhaul appears similar to the one already underway at UK rival GlaxoSmithKline and fits a trend in the industry (p23).
The Times (p52) also leads with the job cuts, saying that according to analysts, this could lead to a loss of 1,500 jobs in the UK.
WEEK-LATER CONTRACEPTIVE PILL
The Daily Telegraph gives front page space to news of a contraceptive pill that can be taken almost a week after sexual intercourse, but noted fears that it could promote promiscuity and lead to a rise in sexually transmitted diseases.
It says the existing "morning-after" pill can be taken up to three days after intercourse, but a new version, called EllaOne, still works five days afterwards.
A study shows that it is potentially more effective, reducing the small risk of pregnancy in women who take such pills by around half. HRA Pharma UK manufactures the pill.
Separately, The Times says the new morning-after pill that can stop women becoming pregnant for almost a week after unprotected sex has prompted a row over fair access (p30).
The paper says the drug, ulipristal acetate is not available over the counter and is three times as expensive as the regular drug, levonorgestrel.
The Daily Mail also reports on the morning-after pill (p37), saying it is more effective than existing drugs taken by thousands of women each year, according to a study.
GP BOUNDARIES
The Financial Times (p2) reports that the British Medical Association has attacked the government's proposal to offer patients a completely free choice of family doctor, warning that the proposals could cost "hundreds of millions of pounds a year".
Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA's family doctor committee, said that at a time when the NHS was about to face the fiercest spending squeeze in its 60-year history, it was not clear that health secretary Andy Burnham should be giving the plans priority for extra spending.
The BMA said although the goal was "laudable", it was expensive.
MMR JAB
The Times reports that parents have been urged to give their children the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) triple vaccine after researchers who linked the jab to health problems were condemned as irresponsible and dishonest by the medical regulator (p4).
Medical royal colleges, health unions and charities all moved to dispel "unfounded" fears over the vaccine's safety after Andrew Wakefield was found guilty of charges relating to his claim that the MMR jab could increase the risk of bowel disease and autism.
The paper says 12 organisations, including the Medical Research Council, the BMA, and the Faculty of Public Health, released a joint statement reaffirming their confidence in the jab, saying "a large body of scientific evidence shows no link between the vaccine and autism".
The Independent gave three full pages to the story, (p2,3 and 4), saying how a "classic scare story has kept us gripped," as it explained the nation's fascination for Wakefield's research.
The Daily Mail dedicates two pages (p6, 7) to the news, with the headline: "Damning verdict on MMR doctor."
The paper says the take-up of the MMR jab plunged by 12% after Wakefield linked the triple vaccine to autism in 1998, with further falls in take-up the following years as the number of measles cases rose.
U.S. HEALTHCARE REFORM
Under the headline: "Prospects for health reform remain bleak," the FT (p10) reports that the Democrats were still struggling to salvage their healthcare reform effort on Thursday, with the prospects for passing legislation remaining bleak despite president Barack Obama's call to Congress not to walk away from reform.
The paper says Obama delivered a "pep talk" to Democrats during his first State of the Union address, but did not give them any direction on how to overcome the current procedural impasse.
"Do not walk away from reform. Not now, not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people," the FT reports him as saying.
The Wall Street Journal has an editorial on the issue (p34), saying that Obama showed no particular willingness to compromise, save a claim that he was open to other ideas.
"And he re-pitched the health bill now in Congress with the same contradiction - covers more people but saves money too - that all but the most devoted partisans long ago dismissed as unbelievable."
The paper says Obama sounded like a "man who is still hoping Democrats will find a way to sneak this monstrosity into law despite its unpopularity".
ra/nh
[17940] 29/01/2010 12:09 GMT - GENERAL
