SRN NEWS

(SRN NEWS)- Much is made of how many people are killed by guns in the United States.  But a new analysis of 2024 data finds that while 15,364 individuals lost their lives to firearm homicide in this country, 16,499 died via physician-assisted suicide in Canada.  Since the country legalized assisted suicide in 2016 the number of people submitting to the procedure has grown steadily and Canadian lawmakers continue to expand the groups of people who are eligible. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

(SRN NEWS)- The world body is working on its Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity and there’s a strong push to add transgender people as a protected class.  The pro-life group CitizenGo has launched a petition drive to block the move, stating that “In 1998, the Rome Statute settled this question. Article 7 states that ‘the term ‘gender’ refers to the two sexes, male and female, within the context of society.”  Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

(SRN NEWS)-According to a poll from LifeWay Research, the churches whose members score highest in measures of discipleship are either very big, very small, and/or located in the SOUTH.  LifeWay spokesman Scott McConnell says “ “People can walk with Jesus Christ as disciples in any setting, but some differences we see in where that takes place can indicate where it might be more challenging or more easily encouraged.”  Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

Sept 25 (Reuters) – ADARx Pharmaceuticals said on Thursday it had raised $446.3 million in an upsized US initial public offering, reflecting growing investor appetite for biotech listings. The San Diego-based drug developer sold 26.3 million shares at $17 apiece, the top end of its marketed range, up from its earlier plan to sell 21.9 million shares. Biotech has emerged as a bright spot in this year’s IPO market, with a steady flow of listings continuing into the fall as investors favor the sector’s relative insulation from the Iran war and AI-driven disruption. Drug developers City Therapeutics and Iambic Therapeutics filed for US IPOs this week, while Retension Pharmaceuticals and TRex Bio filed for listings last week. Electra Therapeutics also raised $350 million in an upsized US IPO before making its market debut last Friday. Its shares have fallen about 21% since. Founded in 2019, ADARx’s experimental drugs target diseases related ​to immunity, kidney, cardiovascular and neurological systems. The company’s most advanced candidate, onvuzosiran, is in late-stage testing for hereditary angioedema, a rare genetic disorder that causes sudden swelling attacks. Drugmaker AbbVie has agreed to invest up to $100 million in a concurrent private placement, which would give it a roughly 4.9% stake ​post-IPO, ADARx said. J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, TD ​Cowen, among others, are the underwriters for ADARx’s offering. The stock will start trading on Nasdaq on Friday under the symbol “ADRX.” (Reporting by Pragyan Kalita in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas) Brought to you by www.srnnews.com

By Aditya Kalra NEW DELHI, Sept 25 (Reuters) – India’s government has ordered states to crack down on the sale of nicotine pouches, which it considers a major health risk, saying globally popular brands are being widely sold illegally in the country, a letter from the health ministry shows.  Nicotine pouches have emerged as one of Big Tobacco’s most important bets on a future beyond cigarettes, offering rapid growth, attractive margins and, for now, lighter regulation than many ​rival smoking alternatives.   In India, where tobacco kills 1.35 million people a year, the government has banned e-cigarettes but approved certain nicotine replacements like patches and ​chewing gums.   Nicotine pouches – small packets placed under the lip that contain nicotine but no tobacco – remain illegal and unapproved, with a government source saying they are often smuggled into India for sale online and through local tobacco stores. A federal study in June called them “a largely unregulated public health concern”, with wide consumption among people aged 18 to 40 of brands such as Philip Morris’ Zyn and Swedish Smokeless Solutions’ White Fox. There is increased “availability of oral nicotine pouches through online and offline channels in the country … Nicotine exposure is of particular concern among children,” the health ministry wrote in a letter to all states on September 19, seen by Reuters. “Initiate appropriate enforcement action in accordance with the law, in the interest of public health and protection of children,” it added. The directive cited provisions of India’s drug law that allow for the search and seizure of such products and the prosecution of those selling them.  The ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Philip Morris and Swedish Smokeless did not immediately respond to requests for comment.  Philip Morris on its website says the company has zero tolerance towards illegal trade, while Swedish Smokeless urges users to only buy original products from authorised outlets. While the World Health Organization has said governments need to introduce more safeguards to protect people, especially youth, from nicotine pouch addiction, some agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration say smokers who switch completely to alternatives such as pouches, vapes and heated tobacco products may reduce their health risks. NO NEW APPROVALS  In April, an Indian investigation found that Mumbai ​international airport’s duty-free shops run by billionaire Gautam Adani’s business group breached the law by selling nicotine pouches.  Adani has denied wrongdoing, and an Indian court this week rejected the company’s arguments that duty-free shops are immune from domestic laws. It also told the Adani Group it was free to make representations before the government to make a case for the pouches.  However, the government believes “nicotine pouches are addictive, pose independent health risks and have not been established as effective smoking-cessation aids,” according to minutes of the main federal drug panel’s meeting published on September 16. The Drugs Technical Advisory Board “recommended that no new nicotine formulation be approved henceforth in public interest,” it added. (Reporting by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) Brought to you by www.srnnews.com