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Author Archives: Francisca Samuel

Tamara News  /  Articles by: Francisca Samuel

Author: Francisca Samuel

Francisca Samuel is an editor at Tamara News, where she covers immigration, travel, business and technology news for readers across Africa and the Gulf.

08 Oct 2026
ETIAS launch delay

Europe’s New Border Rule Was Supposed to Start This Year. It Didn’t.

Categories EU, Visa Updates

Europe’s new travel authorization system was supposed to be live by now. It isn’t. The ETIAS launch delay has pushed the start date past the end of 2026. Nobody has set a new one yet. Travelers heading to Europe from visa-exempt countries can relax a little longer. But the uncertainty is starting to cause its own problems.

The official EU travel portal says only that ETIAS “is not currently in operation.” No applications are being collected. That wording replaced a firmer “last quarter of 2026” target in mid-July 2026.

Why the ETIAS Launch Delay Keeps Happening

ETIAS launch delay

ETIAS, the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, screens visa-exempt travelers before they reach the Schengen area. Think of it as Europe’s answer to the US ESTA system. Travelers from the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia would apply online. They would pay a small fee and get approval before departure.

The system kept slipping for years before this latest delay. Officials once aimed for 2024. Then they pushed to 2025. Then they settled on the last quarter of 2026. That target held through March 2026. At that point, eu-LISA, the EU agency running the technology, still called ETIAS a project “preparing to go live at the end of 2026.” Then the picture changed. By mid-July 2026, the 2026 window disappeared from the official site entirely.

The Entry/Exit System Problem Behind the ETIAS Postponement

ETIAS depends on a separate system first. That system is the Entry/Exit System, or EES. It records biometric data for non-EU travelers at Schengen borders. EES became mandatory at all external borders on April 10, 2026. The rollout has not gone smoothly.

Airports reported queues running several hours at peak times. Temporary flexibility rules let border staff scale back biometric registration during the worst congestion. Those rules expired on September 6, 2026. Nobody has announced an extension yet, even though airline groups including IATA and ABTA asked for one running into 2027. The Financial Times reported that eu-LISA now sees a 2026 ETIAS launch as unfeasible, given how unsettled EES still is.

The logic from Brussels is simple. Regulators want the biometric checks already in place to stabilize first. Only then will they add a second layer of screening on top. Stacking two unfinished systems invites more of the airport chaos EES has already caused on its own.

What the ETIAS Delay Means for Travelers Right Now

Nothing changes for travelers today. Visa-exempt visitors from eligible countries can enter the Schengen area the same way they always have. No ETIAS application exists to file. No fee is due yet.

That matters because third-party websites have already started advertising ETIAS “pre-approval” and paid processing services. None of them are legitimate yet. The European Commission has not opened applications. The Commission has promised several months of public notice before launch, followed by a transition period once it starts. Watch the official EU travel portal for that notice. Don’t trust a travel agency or booking site to announce it first.

Once ETIAS does launch, the basics are already set. Adults aged 18 to 70 will pay €20. Approval will last three years, or until the traveler’s passport expires, whichever comes first. A single approval will cover multiple short trips to any Schengen country during that window, much like a multi-entry visa does today. The rest of the Schengen area’s entry rules keep working independently of ETIAS. That includes the reintroduced border checks between Spain and Italy covered separately this week. None of that has changed.

Travel agents and airlines also face a planning headache of their own. Booking platforms built around a 2026 ETIAS rollout now need to rework their timelines, and some have quietly removed references to the system from their checkout pages rather than guess at a date.

No Confirmed ETIAS Date, But a Meeting on the Calendar

Press reports point to 2027 as the likely new launch window. No EU body has confirmed that in writing. The European Commission sets the actual start date only after eu-LISA finishes its technical sign-off. That process carries no public deadline right now.

One date is on the calendar, though. The eu-LISA Management Board holds its next scheduled meeting from November 17 to 19, 2026, in Dublin. The board may well discuss a revised ETIAS timetable there, though nobody has formally promised to announce one. Until then, plan around a simple assumption: ETIAS could appear sometime in 2027, without a specific month attached. Travelers from the UK should also track separate changes to UK immigration rules that took effect this week. Those rules apply on top of whatever Europe eventually decides about ETIAS, not instead of it.

ETIAS Delay: Your Questions Answered

  • Is ETIAS live yet? No. The official EU travel portal states that ETIAS is not currently in operation and that no applications are being accepted as of October 2026.
  • When will ETIAS launch? No confirmed date exists. Press reports point to 2027, but the European Commission has not announced an official start date.
  • Do I need to apply for ETIAS to travel to Europe right now? No. Visa-exempt travelers can still enter the Schengen area under existing rules, with no ETIAS application required.
  • Why was the ETIAS launch delayed again? Regulators cite ongoing problems with the Entry/Exit System, the biometric border-check system that has to stabilize before ETIAS adds a second screening layer.
  • How much will ETIAS cost once it launches? €20 for travelers aged 18 to 70, with approval valid for three years or until the passport expires.
  • Should I pay a website that offers ETIAS pre-approval? No. No legitimate ETIAS application process exists yet. Any site charging for one is not an official channel.

08 Oct 2026
Australia student visa changes

Australia Just Closed the Onshore Door for International Students

Categories Immigration, Study Abroad, Visa Updates

Australia has closed the door on most onshore student visa applications. These Australia student visa changes took effect on October 2, 2026. They sit inside new migration regulations. The same reform stops most applicants from adding a partner or child to a student visa application. It landed days after separate fee increases pushed the cost of applying even higher.

Anyone in Australia who hopes to switch onto a new student visa needs to check the rules now. Some students still qualify for an onshore application. Many do not.

What the Australia Student Visa Changes Require

Australia student visa changes

The Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 reworked the rules for subclass 500 student visas and subclass 590 student guardian visas. Australia’s Federal Register of Legislation lists the instrument as F2026L01347. It commenced on October 2, 2026.

A new rule, paragraph 1222(3)(aa), covers subclass 500 holders directly. They must generally be outside Australia to apply for another student visa as the student. That applies no matter how they held their current visa, whether as the student or as a family member. Sixteen other visa types also face the new offshore requirement. These include subclasses 400, 407, 408, 417, 457, 462, and both forms of 482.

The rule does not stop at lodging. Clause 500.411 adds a second layer. Anyone required to apply from offshore must also stay offshore until the visa is granted. Migration lawyer James Bae, writing for Visa Plan Lawyers, explained the target. The rule is meant to stop people who leave briefly to lodge an application, then return to Australia on a bridging visa while they wait.

Who Still Qualifies for an Onshore Student Visa

Exemptions remain, but they are narrow. A student holding a visa in their own right can still apply onshore in a few cases. These cover Defence students, Foreign Affairs students, and school students. A separate instrument, LIN 26/087, lists further exempt groups.

Doctoral students enrolled at the time of application still qualify. So do students hit by a registered provider’s default, including sanctions or suspension under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act. A student who has not finished their course, but will finish within 12 months, also qualifies. The same goes for a student moving up to a higher-level course after finishing their current one. The move must be a genuine step up, not sideways or down.

One onshore pathway disappeared entirely. Students used to get 28 days after a visa ended to lodge a new application onshore. That option is gone. A narrower replacement now applies in one situation only: when the Administrative Review Tribunal overturns a cancellation after the visa has already ended.

New Student Visa Limits on Partners and Children

Family members face the tightest new restrictions. The old subsequent entrant pathway is gone. Partners and children can no longer apply for a student visa as family once the student’s own visa has been granted. Under paragraph 1222(3)(e), the whole family must apply together. One combined application, lodged at the same time as the student’s.

Limited exceptions still exist. A family member can apply separately if the student is a Defence or Foreign Affairs student. The same applies if the student holds a passport from a listed Pacific or Southeast Asian country, or receives a foreign government scholarship. Family members who already held a student visa on October 2, 2026, or applied before that date, keep their existing status. A child born in Australia on or after that date, to a current student visa holder, also qualifies for inclusion. Course progression students get no family exemption at all.

Rising Visa Fees Add to the Pressure

The onshore and family rules arrived on top of a separate cost increase. From July 1, 2026, the base charge for subclass 500 and 590 visas rose from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500. That is a steeper jump than most other visa categories received. Other visa charges rose by roughly 25% on their first instalment. Citizenship application fees rose too, in line with inflation.

Together, the fee rise and the October reforms raise both the price and the difficulty of studying in Australia from inside the country. Fee increases tied to immigration processing are not unique to Australia. They have become a recurring theme across major destination countries this year.

What International Students Should Do Now

Anyone who lodged an application before October 2, 2026, keeps the old rules. The Department of Home Affairs assesses those applications under the settings in force when they were filed. Existing student visas stay valid and unaffected.

For everyone else, check eligibility early. Do this before booking travel or enrolling in a new course. Students weighing other options might also look at application deadlines in other countries or funded scholarship programs, which carry their own visa pathways. A registered migration agent or lawyer can confirm which exemption, if any, fits a specific case. Home Affairs assesses most of these exemptions one by one.

Common Questions on the Australia Student Visa Changes

  • When did the Australia student visa changes take effect? October 2, 2026, under the Migration Amendment (Student Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 (F2026L01347).
  • Can current student visa holders still apply onshore for another student visa? Generally no. Exceptions include doctoral study, provider default, course completion, and course progression to a higher qualification.
  • Can I add my partner or child to my student visa after it’s granted? No. The subsequent entrant pathway for family members no longer exists, apart from a short list of exemptions.
  • Does this affect visas lodged before October 2, 2026? No. Those applications keep the rules that applied on the day they were filed.
  • How much does a subclass 500 student visa cost now? The base charge rose from AUD 2,000 to AUD 2,500 on July 1, 2026, ahead of the October onshore and family rules.
  • Is the 28-day onshore reapplication window still available? No. A narrower route now exists only after a successful Administrative Review Tribunal appeal against a cancellation.

08 Oct 2026
Google data center halt

Google’s $15 Billion AI Push Just Hit a Wall in Finland

Categories Tech

Finland has stopped work at two of Google’s data center sites. The order affects a 13 billion euro ($15 billion) AI infrastructure push, Google’s largest single investment in Europe. This Google data center halt came from Finland’s Permit and Supervision Agency, known as the LVV, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

The agency told Tuike Finland, the local company representing Google, to immediately suspend preparatory work at its Muhos and Kajaani sites. It set a deadline of October 23, 2026. The reason is simple: regulators say large areas of forest came down before anyone ran the environmental review the law requires.

Why Finland Ordered a Google Data Center Halt

Google data center halt

Google announced the 13 billion euro investment in September 2026. The plan covers four sites: Muhos, Vaala, Kajaani, and Hamina. Google called the package its biggest single European commitment to date.

Work moved fast. Crews cleared trees, stripped topsoil, built access roads and storage areas, and altered drainage ditches at Muhos and Kajaani. Hanna Halmeenpää, who chairs the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, says more than 300 hectares came down at Muhos alone. That is roughly 420 football fields. Some of the cleared land held sites worth protecting under Finnish conservation rules, she says.

Tommi Muilu of the LVV confirmed the physical changes on the ground: trees removed, soil stripped, roads built, drainage altered. His agency’s position is clear. None of this should have happened before a formal environmental impact assessment. Finnish law requires that review first for large projects that could significantly change the local environment, not after construction starts.

What Investigators Found at the Google Data Center Site

The LVV’s inquiry began after reports surfaced in September 2026. Investigators compared satellite imagery against the company’s own survey claims. Halmeenpää says the images show protected-worthy areas already leveled by the time anyone raised a formal objection.

Finland’s Environment and Climate Minister, Sari Multala, called the situation “a serious matter.” She said the projects will likely face delays if the claims against the company and its subcontractors hold up. The LVV has given Tuike Finland until October 14, 2026, to explain its plans. Formal enforcement proceedings could follow if the company does not satisfy the agency.

Google’s Response to the Data Center Dispute

Google spokesman Sondre Rönander acknowledged the company fell short of its own standards. He said Google had acted in good faith and would study the LVV’s findings. Google also separately maintains that the clearing complied with Finnish law. The company says it surveyed the site in advance to avoid damaging high-value environmental areas.

That claim sits directly against Halmeenpää’s account. She disputes the idea that the survey caught everything, pointing again to the satellite record. Google has offered to plant trees across 130 hectares at Muhos as a partial remedy. That pledge does not resolve the core question: did construction start before approval?

The dispute lands at an awkward moment for the AI industry’s buildout. Demand for AI compute has pushed Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and others to race through site selection and construction. Many of these sites sit in regions with limited spare power and water capacity. Finland offered Google cool air, cheap renewable power, and political goodwill. A regulatory halt tied to environmental law now complicates that pitch for every company chasing similar deals elsewhere in Europe.

No Confirmed Date for Google’s Finnish AI Buildout to Resume

Nothing about this dispute is settled yet. Tuike Finland has to respond by October 14. The LVV’s own deadline for ending the suspended work runs to October 23. Either date could slip if negotiations drag on, and enforcement proceedings would add months, not weeks, to any resolution.

Other large tech buildouts have run into similar friction this year. Amazon faced its own backlash over secrecy around data center permitting in the US. Chip demand tied to AI has also kept pressure on supply chains worldwide, as seen in South Korea’s record AI chip exports. Financing for AI infrastructure keeps climbing too. Nvidia’s market value keeps rising on chip demand, and that demand fuels exactly the kind of expansion regulators in Finland now want to slow down.

For now, the practical effect is narrow: two sites, paused, pending explanations. The broader effect may be wider. Regulators elsewhere are watching how Finland handles a company with Google’s resources and leverage. If the LVV holds firm, it sets a precedent. Environmental review comes before the bulldozers, not after.

Questions About the Finland Data Center Halt

  • Why did Finland halt Google’s data center construction? The Finnish Permit and Supervision Agency (LVV) says Tuike Finland, Google’s local company, cleared forest and altered land at two sites before completing the environmental impact assessment the projects required.
  • Which sites are affected? The suspension applies to the Muhos and Kajaani sites. Google’s wider Finnish investment also covers Vaala and Hamina, which are not named in the halt order.
  • How much forest was cleared? Campaigners cite roughly 300 hectares cleared at Muhos, about 420 football fields, based on satellite imagery and public reporting cited by the LVV.
  • What does Google say happened? Google says it surveyed the land beforehand to avoid high-value environmental areas and that the work complied with Finnish law, while also acknowledging it fell short of its own standards.
  • What happens if Tuike Finland doesn’t comply? The LVV can open formal enforcement proceedings, which would extend the delay well beyond the current October 23 suspension deadline.
  • Does this affect Google’s other European data centers? Not directly yet. The order names only Muhos and Kajaani, but it raises scrutiny questions for Vaala, Hamina, and similar AI infrastructure projects elsewhere in the EU.

08 Oct 2026
Denmark CPR data breach

Hackers Accessed More Personal Records Than Denmark Has People

Categories Tech

Hackers broke into Denmark’s national population register. They pulled records on about 8.8 million people, Danish authorities said on October 5, 2026. That is more than Denmark’s entire population of roughly 6 million. The Denmark CPR data breach exposed records going back years, including people who have died or moved abroad. Names, home addresses and national ID numbers were all exposed.

What the Denmark CPR Data Breach Exposed

Denmark CPR data breach

The Central Person Register, known as the CPR, is Denmark’s core identity database. It assigns every resident a personal ID number. That number gets used across healthcare, banking, taxes and government services. Cybernews’ reporting on the incident says attackers used access credentials that belonged to a private Danish company to search the register. The register itself holds roughly 11 million records. That explains why a breach of 8.8 million entries can outnumber the country’s living population.

People already enrolled in Denmark’s name and address protection scheme were not affected, officials said. Everyone else had their name, home address and CPR number exposed. Whoever misused that stolen access now holds that information.

Why a National ID Breach Hits Differently Than a Typical Hack

Most consumer data breaches expose usernames, emails or card numbers. Those can usually be changed after a breach. A CPR number cannot be changed. It follows a Danish resident for life. It links medical records, tax filings, pension accounts and government correspondence together. That permanence is exactly why Denmark’s Minister of Research, Education and Digitalization, Christina Egelund, called the incident “a deeply serious incident.” She urged citizens to stay alert “now and in the future,” according to ITPro’s account of the government’s response.

Denmark’s MitID two-factor login system should stop attackers from directly impersonating someone using a CPR number alone. Still, officials warned residents to expect a wave of phishing attempts. Fake texts, calls and emails may come from people posing as banks or government agencies. Those scammers already know their target’s name, address and ID number. That makes the scam far more convincing than an ordinary phishing attempt would be.

What Security Researchers Say Went Wrong at the CPR

The breach traces back to legitimate access, not a software flaw. A private company had standing permission to search the CPR system. Attackers appear to have hijacked that access rather than breaking in directly. Cybersecurity researchers quoted by ITPro flagged two separate problems with that setup. One researcher pointed to the lag between when the intrusion began in September and when staff first noticed irregular activity. That activity surfaced on the night of Friday, October 2. The researcher called that detection gap a common weakness whenever a breach arrives through a third party. Another researcher warned that centralized national databases carry outsized risk whenever outside partners get direct search access. That expert recommended stricter limits on what partners can view, paired with monitoring for unusual search patterns.

Denmark is not the first European country to face a breach of this scale. Government identity systems have become frequent targets. A single successful intrusion can expose data on nearly an entire population at once. European data protection law requires member states to report major breaches quickly. It also requires them to notify affected individuals when the risk is high. Danish officials have not yet said whether every affected resident will get an individual notice, or only a general public warning.

Denmark has reported the incident to its national data protection authority. Police are now investigating alongside other agencies. The government has not named the company whose access was exploited. It has not identified any suspects either.

How Denmark Is Responding to the CPR Data Breach Now

Officials revoked the abused access credentials. They say they have added new protections to the CPR system since. A broader security review is underway across government agencies that rely on the register. Denmark’s response mirrors a pattern now familiar across the tech industry. Companies and governments alike are tightening data access, even as they rethink how they screen for vulnerabilities in increasingly complex systems.

The incident also lands amid wider scrutiny of how technology platforms handle sensitive data and automated systems. That theme surfaced days earlier at a city council hearing on AI governance in New York. It surfaced again in an unrelated trade secrets dispute between Apple and OpenAI set for mid-October. None of those cases involve the Danish breach directly. But they reflect a broader year in which lawmakers and regulators on both sides of the Atlantic have pushed harder on how data gets stored, shared and protected.

For now, Danish residents have been told to avoid sharing passwords or one-time login codes with anyone who contacts them unexpectedly. That holds true even if the caller already knows personal details. Security firms recommend verifying any unexpected request through an official phone number or website, rather than a number the caller provides.

Denmark Data Breach: What People Are Asking

How many people were affected by the Denmark CPR data breach?

About 8.8 million records were accessed, out of roughly 11 million total entries in the register. Those entries include deceased people and former residents.

What information was exposed?

Names, home addresses and CPR numbers, Denmark’s national ID number, were exposed. People enrolled in the country’s address protection program were excluded from the exposure.

How did hackers get into the system?

They used access credentials belonging to a private Danish company. That company had legitimate permission to search the register, so this was not a technical break-in.

When was the breach discovered?

Irregular activity was first spotted on the night of Friday, October 2, 2026. The government confirmed the scope of the breach and went public on October 5.

Can someone use a stolen CPR number to steal my identity?

Denmark’s MitID two-factor system limits that risk. Still, officials warned residents to watch for phishing calls, texts and emails from people who already know their personal details.

Has anyone been identified as responsible for the breach?

No. Officials had not named a suspect as of their statements. They had not confirmed whether the breach originated from a criminal group or another source.

08 Oct 2026
Shionogi IntraBio rare disease deal

Shionogi Pays $2 Billion for a Drug Only a Few Thousand Patients Use

Categories Business

Shionogi agreed on October 5, 2026, to pay $2 billion in cash for IntraBio. IntraBio is a small, privately held biotech based in Austin, Texas. The Shionogi IntraBio rare disease deal hands the Japanese drugmaker a medicine that treats two separate ultra-rare, often fatal genetic disorders. It also brings a pipeline aimed at a handful of other conditions most people have never heard of.

What the Shionogi IntraBio Rare Disease Deal Actually Buys

Shionogi IntraBio rare disease deal

IntraBio’s lead product, Aqneursa, won U.S. approval in 2024 for Niemann-Pick disease type C. That is a rare neurodegenerative disorder. Late last month, the FDA cleared the same drug for a second use: ataxia-telangiectasia. That is a genetic condition that damages the nervous system and immune system from early childhood. Fierce Pharma’s reporting on the deal notes that Aqneursa is now the first approved treatment for ataxia-telangiectasia anywhere in the world.

IntraBio reported $68 million in sales for 2025. That is a modest figure next to the $2 billion price tag Shionogi just agreed to pay. Shionogi is clearly paying for more than current revenue. It gets IntraBio’s rare-disease development team. It also gets a pipeline that includes a Phase 3 program for CACNA1A-related disorders. Shionogi estimates that group of neurological conditions affects about 30,000 people in the United States, and none currently have an approved treatment.

Why a Tiny Patient Population Still Commands a Big Price

Rare-disease drugs often carry prices most consumers would find startling. So few patients exist to share the cost of development that each one effectively pays more. Regulators also tend to move faster on these approvals than on mainstream drugs. Insurers rarely push back hard on reimbursement once a treatment becomes the only option on the market. That combination makes ultra-rare disease drugs attractive to acquirers, even when the current sales base looks small.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants orphan drug status to treatments for conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans. That status comes with tax credits and extended market exclusivity. Aqneursa qualifies for both of its approved uses. Those protections make the economics of ultra-rare disease drugs more predictable for a buyer like Shionogi. They also help explain why competition for approved orphan drugs has intensified across the pharmaceutical industry this year.

A Rare Disease Deal Fits a Wider Pattern in Pharma

Shionogi built much of its business on antibiotics and antiviral drugs. It has spent the past two years trying to diversify away from that base. In April, it paid $2.5 billion for Tanabe Pharma’s Radicava, a treatment for ALS. Shionogi projects Radicava could reach $700 million in annual sales. BioPharma Dive’s coverage of the IntraBio deal notes that Shionogi plans to apply IntraBio’s regulatory and commercial expertise across its wider rare-disease pipeline. That pipeline includes programs targeting Pompe disease and Fragile X syndrome.

Shionogi is not alone in chasing rare-disease assets this month. Novartis struck its own rare-disease and oncology licensing agreement with China’s Abogen Biosciences just days earlier. That deal is part of a broader wave of pharma dealmaking. It has continued even as bank earnings season dominates the wider market’s attention this week. Large drugmakers increasingly prefer buying proven, approved rare-disease treatments over gambling on early-stage pipelines. A drug already on the market simply carries far less regulatory risk.

Shionogi’s chief executive, Isao Teshirogi, framed the purchase as a natural extension of the company’s history. He said the deal reflects Shionogi’s “solid commitment to building a leading global rare disease business.” He pointed to the company’s track record with infectious diseases as the model for its approach to rare conditions now. Nathan McCutcheon, head of Shionogi’s U.S. subsidiary, said the acquisition would help “accelerate the development of new treatment options.” He noted that patients with these conditions often wait years for any approved therapy at all.

What Still Has to Happen Before the Deal Closes

IntraBio will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Shionogi’s New Jersey-based U.S. division once the transaction completes. Shionogi said it will review how the acquisition affects its financial outlook for the fiscal year ending next March. That language signals Shionogi has not yet folded IntraBio’s numbers into its own guidance. Neither company has disclosed a target closing date. Neither has detailed the payment structure beyond describing it as an all-cash transaction. The announcement follows a busy week for large corporate transactions, including the completed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger in media.

The deal still needs standard antitrust clearance. IntraBio’s narrow patient base makes a competition challenge unlikely, though. Investors will be watching Shionogi’s next earnings update closely. They want guidance on how quickly Aqneursa’s second approved use can add meaningfully to sales. They will also want to know whether the CACNA1A pipeline advances on schedule toward a possible future filing.

Shionogi-IntraBio Deal: Fast Facts

How much is Shionogi paying for IntraBio?

$2 billion in cash, according to both companies’ statements on October 5, 2026.

What does IntraBio’s drug Aqneursa treat?

It treats Niemann-Pick disease type C, approved in 2024, and ataxia-telangiectasia, approved in September 2026 as its second use.

How much revenue does Aqneursa generate?

IntraBio reported $68 million in sales for 2025, well below the deal’s $2 billion price.

Why is Shionogi buying rare-disease drugmakers?

Shionogi is trying to diversify beyond its traditional infectious-disease business. It bought the ALS drug Radicava for $2.5 billion in April. It is now adding IntraBio’s rare-disease pipeline and expertise on top of that.

Has the Shionogi-IntraBio deal closed?

No. Shionogi had not disclosed a closing date as of the announcement. The acquisition still requires standard regulatory clearance.

What other conditions could IntraBio’s pipeline eventually treat?

IntraBio is running Phase 3 trials for CACNA1A-related disorders. That is a group of rare neurological conditions estimated to affect about 30,000 people in the United States, with no currently approved treatment.

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