FINWIRES · TerminalLIVE
FINWIRES

Shionogi & Co Secures US FDA Approval for Oral Antiviral to Prevent COVID-19 After Exposure

By

The US Food and Drug Administration approved Shionogi & Co's (TYO:4507) Xocova or ensitrelvir as the first and only oral antiviral for post-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 in individuals aged 12 and older, according to a Tokyo bourse filing on Monday.

The approval, which came ahead of the June 16 Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date, was supported by Phase 3 Scorpio-PEP trial results, which showed a 67% reduction in symptomatic COVID-19 risk following exposure compared to placebo.

The treatment was generally well tolerated, with adverse event rates similar to placebo, and no reports of altered taste attributed to the drug.

Related Articles

Asia

PlaySide Studios Sees AU$4 Million Revenue Hit in Fiscal Year 2027 After Meta Contract Termination, Shares Hit Nearly One-Year Low

PlaySide Studios (ASX:PLY) was informed by Meta Platforms Technologies that Meta will terminate the company's outsourced development contracts on the Horizon Worlds social platform, with all work expected to conclude by July 31, according to a Monday Australian bourse filing.The company said management anticipates the revenue impact from the loss of the work will be about AU$4 million in fiscal 2027, while fiscal year 2026 revenue guidance remains unchanged, and the cash balance at June 30 is expected to be about AU$14 million to AU$15 million.There is no change to the company's development progress on the upcoming title Game of Thrones: War for Westeros, the post-launch roadmap for MOUSE: P.I For Hire or its Dew publishing agreement, the filing added.The company started a consultancy process with several employees that will likely result in redundancies, with the goal of realigning its cost base, and will provide a further update on the outcome in due course.The company's shares fell 21% in recent trade and earlier reached their lowest since July 2025.

$ASX:PLY
Asia

Japanese Shares Open Higher as Middle East Tensions Persist

Japanese equities edged upward at the start of Monday's trading session amid the ongoing instability in the Middle East and stalled progress in US-Iran ceasefire negotiations.The Nikkei 225 advanced to 66,363.43 shortly after the opening bell.At home, sentiment among Japan's largest corporations showed signs of weakening. Driven by rising uncertainty over regional turmoil, businesses pulled back on capital investment during the first quarter.According to Finance Ministry data released Monday, capital outlays excluding software dropped 3.5% quarter-on-quarter for the three-month period ending in March.Non-manufacturers reduced their spending by 5.1% compared to the previous quarter, while manufacturers posted a more modest decline of 0.3%.

$^N225
Asia

ARB Seeks to Boost North America Growth with Fully Integrated US Platform

ARB (ASX:ARB) said it seeks to create a fully integrated US platform with localized product development and marketing as well as multi-channel distribution to accelerate profitable growth, according to a Monday Australian bourse filing.The company said it is investing in US-based innovation, including designing products specifically for US consumers as well as solution-based engineering for North American vehicle platforms. It estimated its investment at AU$12 million per year at a five-year average.The company's shares were down nearly 1% in recent Monday trade.

$ASX:ARB