UK antibody trial to test early intervention in patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 January 12, 2021 Vir Biotechnology and global healthcare company GSK announced today an agreement with the UK-based AGILE initiative to evaluate a treatment in patients with mild to moderate Covid-19. Preclinical data suggests that the neutralising antibody VIR-7832 has distinguishing properties which enhance the ability to clear infected cells and boost the function of virus-specific T cells, which [...]
Retail tycoon Philip Day secures deal to save Edinburgh Woollen Mill’s future January 12, 2021 Billionaire businessman Philip Day has reportedly secured a deal with overseas investors to rescue retailers Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Ponden Home and Bonmarche, in a move that could save around 2,500 jobs. Day is expected to use his secured creditor status to acquire the brands’ assets from administrators to then sell them on to Middle Eastern [...]
Bank of England bosses reassess 2021 GDP and jobs numbers as UK economy faces ‘darkest hour’ January 12, 2021 Bank of England boss Andrew Bailey and his deputy Ben Broadbent have today both signalled the effects of the UK’s third Covid-19 lockdown. In separate speeches, Bailey and Broadbent spoke on the impact of the current nationwide lockdown, the furlough extension and consumer behaviour. The UK economy was facing its “darkest hour”, but Bailey also [...]
Landlords suffer slump in retail and hospitality rent collection in December January 12, 2021 Commercial landlords struggled to collect rent owed by retail and hospitality tenants in December, as the sectors continued to be hit by the impact of lockdown restrictions on trading. Landsec – the UK’s largest commercial property development and investment firm – collected just 65 per cent of the £112m due in December, compared to a [...]
Financial services M&A dips as management shifts priorities January 12, 2021 M&A in the UK’s financial services industry dropped amid the pandemic as management’s priority shifted away from deals to the preservation of cash. The UK financial services industry announced just 136 deals in 2020 down from 211 in 2019, according to exclusive EY data. Deal activity came to a near standstill at the start of [...]
Exclusive: Ted Baker uses unpaid leave to pressure staff to return to the office January 12, 2021 Exclusive: Ted Baker uses unpaid leave to pressure staff to return to the office
Moonpig confirms £1bn London listing after pandemic sales boom January 12, 2021 Online greeting card platform Moonpig has confirmed its intention to float on the London Stock Exchange, targeting a valuation of more than £1bn. The private equity-owned company, which trades as Moonpig in the UK and as Greetz in the Netherlands, has enjoyed a boom in sales during the pandemic, in contrast to its high street [...]
European car giants count cost of dire year for auto industry January 12, 2021 European car giants this morning began to lay out of the full cost of the coronavirus pandemic on their performances in 2020. Over the course of the year, vehicle sales plummeted as factories and showrooms were shuttered around the world. French auto firm Renault said that worldwide sales fell 21.3 per cent last year as [...]
Real estate giant JLL hires first female chief January 12, 2021 The property industry has reached a milestone with the first appointment of a woman to take charge of one of the country’s leading surveying firms. JLL said this morning it has appointed senior client partner Stephanie Hyde, 47, as the new CEO of its UK business where she will oversee more than 4,300 employees from [...]
Games Workshop repays business rates support as profits surge in pandemic January 12, 2021 Games Workshop, the owner of Warhammer, this morning announced it would repay business rates support as it reported a surge in profit in the second half after consumer demand soared during the pandemic. The London-listed firm said profit before tax was £91.6m in the six months to 29 November, compared to £58.6m in 2019, and [...]
