Wednesday’s business headlines
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here’s a look at Wednesday’s business headlines with Jane King.
Gas prices fall to lowest levels since February
Analysts at GasBuddy say prices at the pump could drop below $3 a gallon.
A gallon of unleaded gasoline cost an average of $3.52 in the U.S. on Monday, down about 12 cents from a week ago.
AAA says the average gas price in central Indiana is around $3.59 per gallon.
Data: Alzheimer’s drug may benefit some patients
The hotly-anticipated results of a clinical trial of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug suggest that the treatment slowed cognitive decline somewhat for people in the early stages of the disease but also caused some patients to experience brain swelling or brain bleeding.
The new data, released Tuesday evening, offered the first detailed look at the effects of the drug, lecanemab.
Lecanemab, like other drugs before it, shows the need to start Alzheimer’s treatment early, says Dr. Keith Vossel, the director of the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Care at UCLA.
“In these clinical trials, the patients that seem to benefit the best were patients that were in this category called ‘mild cognitive impairment’. And what that means is, they’re just beginning to notice memory loss or problems with language or problems with their visual skills,” Vossel said.
Alzheimer’s experts say the new study shows reason for both optimism and caution.
Senators to examine impact of potential Kroger-Albertsons merger
The Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing this week to scrutinize the potential impact of the merger between the Kroger and Albertsons grocery store chains.
To win approval for the deal from antitrust regulators, Albertsons and Safeway agreed to sell 168 of their stores to buyers approved by the Federal Trade Commission.
2022 holiday season could be the last for Sears
Retail analysts believe this may be the last Christmas season for Sears.
There are only 15 full-line Sears stores still open. Sears was once the world’s largest and most important retailer.
Study: More daters embracing frugality
“The Wall Street Journal” reports many daters are increasingly pushing back and embracing frugality.
It’s a necessity for some, with the price of restaurant meals up 17% and the cost of alcoholic beverages away from home up 12% since before the pandemic, according to the most recent Consumer Price Index.