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Wall Street Pauses as Fed Meeting Looms: Futures Hold Steady

U.S. stock futures were little changed on Tuesday as investors awaited the start of the Federal Reserve’s final policy meeting of the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and Nasdaq futures all hovered near flat, reflecting a cautious mood across Wall Street. The Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged, but traders are focused on Chair Jerome Powell’s comments and the central bank’s updated economic projections. Markets are looking for clues on when rate cuts might begin in 2024, with inflation cooling but still above the Fed’s long-term target. Recent gains in equities have been fueled by optimism that the Fed’s tightening cycle is over, yet uncertainty remains about how quickly monetary policy will shift toward easing. Until then, investors appear content to hold their positions, waiting for clearer signals from the Fed before making bold moves.

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Alzheimer’s vaccines get a boost from new drug approval

 

After decades of disappointment and controversy, the field of Alzheimer’s disease research has finally seen a breakthrough with the approval of the first drug that targets the underlying pathology of the condition. 

Aducanumab, a monoclonal antibody that clears amyloid plaques from the brain, was granted accelerated approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in June 2021, despite mixed results from clinical trials and objections from some experts. 

The drug’s approval has rekindled interest in other therapeutic approaches that aim to prevent or slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s, such as vaccines that stimulate the immune system to attack amyloid or tau, another protein that accumulates in the brains of people with the disease. 

Several vaccine candidates are currently in various stages of development and testing, and some researchers are optimistic that they could offer a more effective and convenient way to treat Alzheimer’s than infusions of antibodies.


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