Murdoch

Recce Pharmaceuticals Continues Strategic Partnership with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 29, 2024

In 2023, Recce established its dedicated AIR Unit led by researcher Sohinee Sarkar, Ph.D., within MCRI’s state-of-the-art research facilities, underscoring the commitment of both organizations to drive innovation for anti-infective therapeutics.

Key Points: 
  • In 2023, Recce established its dedicated AIR Unit led by researcher Sohinee Sarkar, Ph.D., within MCRI’s state-of-the-art research facilities, underscoring the commitment of both organizations to drive innovation for anti-infective therapeutics.
  • “The partnership between Recce and MCRI will advance efforts and promote Australian leadership in the fight against antibiotic resistance.”
    The collaboration between Recce’s AIR Unit and MCRI exemplifies the power of partnership in driving medical breakthroughs.
  • As both organizations work together to advance anti-infective research, they remain committed to improving patient outcomes and addressing global health challenges.
  • James Graham, Chief Executive Officer of Recce Pharmaceuticals, added, “Our continued work at the AIR Unit aligns with Murdoch Children’s mission to address the global health threat of anti-microbial resistance through innovative research.

FOX CORPORATION NAMES JEFF COLLINS PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING SALES, MARIANNE GAMBELLI TO RETIRE

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 22, 2024

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lachlan Murdoch, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX), today announced that Jeff Collins has been appointed President of Advertising Sales, Marketing and Brand Partnerships for Fox Corporation.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lachlan Murdoch, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX), today announced that Jeff Collins has been appointed President of Advertising Sales, Marketing and Brand Partnerships for Fox Corporation.
  • Collins, who most recently served as Executive Vice President, Advertising Sales for FOX News Media, will now report to Murdoch.
  • In this role, Collins will oversee the company's Ad Sales efforts across the company's portfolio of brands and platforms, including FOX Entertainment, Tubi, FOX Sports, FS1, FS2, FOX Deportes, and FOX News Media, which includes FOX News Channel and FOX Business Network.
  • "I want to thank Marianne for her many contributions to FOX and congratulate her on a phenomenal career," said Murdoch.

BridgeBio Announces First Child Dosed in PROPEL 3, its Phase 3 Clinical Trial for Infigratinib in Children with Achondroplasia

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, December 13, 2023

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIO) (BridgeBio), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on genetic diseases and cancers, today announced that the first child has been dosed in PROPEL 3, a Phase 3 clinical trial studying the efficacy and safety of infigratinib in children with achondroplasia. Both the U.S. FDA and the EU EMA indicated the trial design for PROPEL 3 would be acceptable as a registrational study to support a marketing application for the treatment of children with achondroplasia.

Key Points: 
  • “The Phase 2 data for infigratinib has been very promising and suggests potential to increase growth, improve functionality and reduce the associated medical complications in children with achondroplasia.
  • PROPEL 3 is a global, one-year, 2:1 randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial, which will evaluate the efficacy and safety of infigratinib in children with achondroplasia aged 3 to
  • Information about PROPEL (NCT04035811), BridgeBio’s observational lead-in study in achondroplasia for PROPEL 3 and other studies, can be found here on clinicaltrials.gov.
  • BridgeBio is committed to exploring the potential of infigratinib on wider medical and functional impacts of achondroplasia, hypochondroplasia and other skeletal dysplasias, which hold significant unmet needs for families.

FOX CORPORATION NAMES ADAM CIONGOLI CHIEF LEGAL AND POLICY OFFICER

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 8, 2023

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, Nov. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lachlan Murdoch, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX), today announced that Adam Ciongoli has been appointed Chief Legal and Policy Officer for Fox Corporation beginning December 1.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, Nov. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lachlan Murdoch, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX), today announced that Adam Ciongoli has been appointed Chief Legal and Policy Officer for Fox Corporation beginning December 1.
  • Ciongoli, who currently serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Sustainability, Corporate Responsibility and Governance Officer for Campbell Soup Company, will report to Murdoch.
  • "I am pleased to welcome Adam to the FOX executive leadership team," said Murdoch.
  • Ciongoli brings nearly 30 years of legal experience in both the public and private sectors to his new role at FOX.

We won't always have to use animals for medical research. Here's what we can do instead

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Animals have been used for medical research for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Greece where the first dissections were performed.

Key Points: 
  • Animals have been used for medical research for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Greece where the first dissections were performed.
  • These days, one of the main uses of animals is to ensure the safety of medical products before they’re trialled in humans.
  • But in addition to the important ethical reasons for minimising animal use, the reality is sometimes animals just aren’t that good at predicting human responses.

What are non-animal models?

    • In doing so, this can more accurately predict if a medical product is likely to fail, allowing reinvestment in products that are more likely to succeed.
    • These can be used across the medical product development process to complement – and in time potentially replace – other model types.
    • They can be used in drug studies to model a drug’s behaviour within the body, from cellular interactions to processes that involve multiple organs.


What can we use non-animal models for?


    In theory, we can use non-animal models for everything we use animal models for – and more. Simple non-animal models (human cells cultured over a flat surface) are already used to help identify drug targets due to their ability to test a large number of compounds and experimental conditions. In the future, non-animal models will reduce – and eventually replace – animal use across a range of applications:
    Outside of medical products designed for humans, non-animal models can also support innovation in veterinary and agricultural medicines, cosmetic testing and eco-toxicology.

An export opportunity for Australia

    • Non-animal models present an economic opportunity for Australia, where the models, their components, and surrounding services could be exported to the world.
    • Our novel economic analysis sized the potential Australian market for two non-animal models: organoids and organs-on-chips.
    • Another example is from Schott Minifab, an international biotech and medical device company with Australian roots, which has successfully established scaled production of non-animal model components in Australia for domestic and export markets.

Making it a reality

    • Non-animal models have already begun to complement and replace animal use in some areas, such as identifying drug targets.
    • However, accelerating their development and adoption across a wider range of applications will require further technical advances to lower cost and validate their performance as superior models.


    Governments, industry and research must collaborate to deliver against these actions. Success will only come from collective efforts.

    Read more:
    Is it time for Australia to be more open about research involving animals?

BridgeBio Pharma Presents Updated Six Month Results from its Phase 2 Cohort 5 Trial of Infigratinib in Achondroplasia at the Endocrine Society (ENDO) 2023 Annual Conference

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, June 20, 2023

Infigratinib is an oral small molecule designed to inhibit FGFR3 and target achondroplasia at its source.

Key Points: 
  • Infigratinib is an oral small molecule designed to inhibit FGFR3 and target achondroplasia at its source.
  • The Phase 2 trial was designed to identify the dose of infigratinib that will be explored in the Phase 3 trial.
  • Our data also presents the opportunity for us to move forward quickly in initiating a Phase 3 clinical trial.
  • Based on the positive results to date, BridgeBio is underway in enrolling children in the run-in for a Phase 3 trial.

BridgeBio Pharma to Present Updated Six Month Results from its Phase 2 Cohort 5 Study of Infigratinib in Achondroplasia in a Late Breaker Oral Presentation at the Endocrine Society (ENDO) 2023 Annual Conference

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 8, 2023

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIO) (“BridgeBio” or the “Company”), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on genetic diseases and cancers, announced today that the updated six month results from Cohort 5 in PROPEL2, a Phase 2 trial of the investigational therapy, infigratinib in children with achondroplasia will be featured in an oral presentation at the Endocrine Society (ENDO) 2023 Annual Conference, taking place in Chicago, Illinois on June 15 – 18, 2023.

Key Points: 
  • PALO ALTO, Calif., June 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIO) (“BridgeBio” or the “Company”), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on genetic diseases and cancers, announced today that the updated six month results from Cohort 5 in PROPEL2, a Phase 2 trial of the investigational therapy, infigratinib in children with achondroplasia will be featured in an oral presentation at the Endocrine Society (ENDO) 2023 Annual Conference, taking place in Chicago, Illinois on June 15 – 18, 2023.
  • At ENDO 2023, BridgeBio will also present additional data from its achondroplasia program and nonclinical results from studies in hypochondroplasia.
  • Furthermore, the Company will share updates from its autosomal dominant hypocalcemia type 1 (ADH1) program, including 18 month data from its ongoing Phase 2 study of encaleret in ADH1 and its sponsored hypoparathyroidism genetic testing program.
  • To access the oral presentation and poster materials following the Company’s participation at ENDO 2023, please visit https://investor.bridgebio.com/presentations .

A win for the press, a big loss for Ben Roberts-Smith: what does this judgment tell us about defamation law?

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, June 1, 2023

An appeal may still be on the cards, but this is a high-profile loss for a very prominent person.

Key Points: 
  • An appeal may still be on the cards, but this is a high-profile loss for a very prominent person.
  • More broadly, this case shows how hard it is to use defamation law to repair any perceived damage to your reputation.
  • Read more:
    Why defamation suits in Australia are so ubiquitous — and difficult to defend for media organisations

What was this case about?

    • The case centred on several defamatory meanings (or, as they’re known in defamation law, “imputations”) that Roberts-Smith said the papers had made against him.
    • Among these were that he’d killed unarmed Afghan male prisoners and ordered junior soldiers to execute others in Afghanistan between 2006 and 2012.
    • That means to win this case, they needed to prove the meanings conveyed by their reporting – even if those meanings were unintended – were true.
    • Besanko, reading a summary judgment today, said the newspapers were able to establish the substantial truth of some of the most serious imputations in the case.

What does this case tell us about defamation in Australia?

    • But the fact this widely scrutinised case yielded such astonishing testimony, day in and day out, shows how risky it is to use defamation law to restore perceived injury to one’s reputation.
    • Defamation law is seeking to correct people’s views about the plaintiff.
    • But it’s open to doubt that defamation law is actually any good at securing its own stated purpose of changing people’s minds about the plaintiff.

The 2021 defamation law reforms

    • The law that applies in the Roberts-Smith case is the defamation law we had before major reforms introduced in July 2021 across most of Australia.
    • These reforms introduced a new defence known as the public interest defence.
    • If a case like this were litigated today following these reforms, it is highly likely the publisher would use the new public interest defence.

As Fox News settles its lawsuit with Dominion, will it make any difference to how it reports?

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 25, 2023

The packed court room was waiting for the lawyers’ opening statements in the defamation case launched more than two years earlier by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News.

Key Points: 
  • The packed court room was waiting for the lawyers’ opening statements in the defamation case launched more than two years earlier by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News.
  • Then, without warning, the judge announced the two parties had agreed to settle.
  • And what promised to be six weeks of the biggest media circus of recent times was abruptly cancelled.
  • Moreover, at the end of such a case Fox would definitely appeal, pushing any finality well into the future.

The case against Fox

    • Fox said Dominion was valued at about $226 million in run-up to 2020 election.
    • In contrast, Fox News knew it was almost certain to lose.
    • He also said Fox as broadcaster was responsible for what its interviewees said, as well as what its own employees said.
    • Dominion had already driven a discovery process, which put on the public record many telling internal communications of Fox employees.
    • The resolution requires a great deal of something that Fox News has in wheelbarrows (money) and very little of something it has in teaspoons (editorial integrity).

What does it all mean for Fox and Murdoch?

    • Dominion lawyer Stephen Shackleford said: “Money is accountability, and we got that today from Fox, but we’re not done yet.
    • Both are much smaller than Fox, and one suspects a financial settlement such as the one Dominion and Fox have just consummated could be financially ruinous, even fatal, for them both.
    • Dominion is also suing the two most frequent interviewees on Fox, both at one stage Trump employees – Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell.
    • The last individual being sued by Dominion is Mike Lindell, the owner of My Pillow, and Fox News’s biggest sponsor.
    • Presumably, however, the starting point for their settlement will be the amount Fox gave Dominion.
    • Fox Corp chief executive Lachlan Murdoch told a business group Fox had around US$4 billion (A$5.98 billion) in cash.
    • Fox News is in big trouble if they do not expose the truth on cheating in the 2020 election.

Lachlan Murdoch could well have won his Crikey lawsuit, so why did he drop it?

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 24, 2023

Late last week, Lachlan Murdoch dropped his defamation claim against key figures behind online publication Crikey. Murdoch had a strong case. So why would he choose to drop it?

Key Points: 


Late last week, Lachlan Murdoch dropped his defamation claim against key figures behind online publication Crikey. Murdoch had a strong case. So why would he choose to drop it?

Read more:
Why Fox News' settlement with Dominion Voting Systems is good news for all media outlets

The facts of the case

    • His empire includes Fox News in the US and Sky News in Australia.
    • Murdoch was suing over a June 2022 article on the subject of the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.
    • After the article was published, Murdoch sent the publishers of Crikey a “concerns notice”, essentially threatening to sue them.
    • According to Murdoch, those behind Crikey used his defamation threat as part of marketing campaign to drive subscriptions.

Crikey’s defences may have failed

    • Each of these defences relies on legal principles that excuse the publication of content that is defamatory for the sake of other important interests.
    • Perhaps their strongest defence was a new one: a statutory defence of “publication of matter in the public interest”.
    • There was a decent risk a court would have gone with the second option, and the defence would have failed.
    • If the defences had have failed, Murdoch would have won.

The backdrop of the Dominion v Fox case

    • Dominion Voting Systems had sued Fox in the US, seeking a whopping US$1.6 billion damages.
    • There was plenty of ammo for Dominion to argue Fox was deliberately spreading lies about Dominion, which would have been required for Dominion to succeed.
    • Just before the trial was about to start, Dominion agreed to put an end to the case in exchange for a US$787.5 million payment from Fox.

Discontinuing the defamation case was a sound decision

    • If Lachlan Murdoch continued the Crikey case, then all of the dirty laundry that was to be aired in the Dominion case could have been aired in Australia.
    • According to the principle of open justice, that evidence would have been heard in open court, with the global media watching.

There are other reasons Murdoch would want the case to end now

    • This would mean the Crikey respondents failed in their reliance on the statutory defence of “publication of matter in the public interest”.
    • Murdoch may end up having to pay the legal costs of the Crikey respondents.
    • Read more:
      Murdoch v Crikey highlights how Australia's defamation laws protect the rich and powerful