An emotional Rory McIlroy paid tribute to Seve Ballesteros after eclipsing the Spaniard by clinching his seventh Race to Dubai title, despite being beaten to the DP World Tour Championship by Matt Fitzpatrick.
McIlroy moves past Ballesteros’ tally of six and now sits just one behind Colin Montgomerie’s record of winning the European tour’s season-long race eight times.
It caps a year that McIlroy had already called his greatest ever after completing the career Grand Slam by winning the Masters in April.
That followed victory at Pebble Beach in February, the prestigious Players Championship in March, and the Irish Open in September.
“I had a conversation with Carmen [Ballesteros’ former wife] before I went out to play and she told me how proud he would have been,” McIlroy said on Sky Sports.
“He means so much to this Tour and the European Ryder Cup team. We rally so much around his spirit, his quotes and everything he meant for European golf.
“To surpass him this year, I did not get this far in my dream.”
And on chasing Montgomerie’s record, he added: “I want it. Of course I do.
“I was the first European to win the Grand Slam and I would love to be the European with the most wins in terms of the season-long races.”
For a long time on Sunday it looked like McIlroy would also win the final event of the DP World Tour’s season, holding a two-shot lead before faltering down the stretch as Fitzpatrick surged into the lead with a birdie on the last.
That left McIlroy needing to hole a 15-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to force a play-off with his European Ryder Cup team-mate.
And, as he did at the Irish Open in September, McIlroy roared with delight after erasing the two-shot deficit.
To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is facing what could be the biggest challenge to his government since the Russian invasion.
He came to power in 2019, promising to tackle state corruption. But he’s found himself this week, uncomfortably close to a $100m corruption scandal.
A group of officials, government ministers and businessmen are accused of arranging kickbacks using the state nuclear energy firm. One of them is the co-owner of the television production company founded by Zelenskyy.
So, in a country at war, how will this scandal affect morale? And how is it being received by donors in the EU and elsewhere?
Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom
Guests:
Peter Zalmayev – Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative
Olena Tregub – Secretary-general of Ukraine’s Independent Defence Anti-Corruption Commission
Lowering the prices of prescription drugs has been high on United States President Donald Trump’s agenda since he took office in January. He has taken a number of steps, including striking deals with pharmaceutical companies, to lower the costs of prescription drugs.
Trump has also directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to streamline its regulation process to boost cheaper copycat drugs, such as generic and biosimilar drugs.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
Biosimilars are highly similar versions of biologics, a group of drugs produced through biological processes. One of the most widely used biologic drugs is insulin, which is used to treat diabetes.
Biologics, which make up just 5 percent of prescriptions, account for more than half of the total expenditures on medicines in the US, according to the health data analysis company IQVIA.
The Trump administration said it hopes to make these medications more affordable, partly by increasing access to biosimilars.
So what are biologics and biosimilars, and will the administration’s proposals help drive down their costs?
What are biologics?
Biologics is short for biological medications or products. It’s a broad category of products that include vaccines, blood and blood components, gene therapy and tissues. They are a class of complex drugs produced through biological processes or from living organisms, such as proteins and genes. They treat cancer, autoimmune diseases and other rare disorders.
Biologics are typically administered by injection or through an intravenous infusion, said Alex Keeton, executive director of the Biosimilars Council at the Association for Accessible Medicines, an industry group that advocates on behalf of biosimilar manufacturers.
The FDA approval process for these products is rigorous and typically takes 10 to 15 years, said Brian Chen, a University of South Carolina health law and economics expert. Speedier timelines are possible in extraordinary circumstances: Federal agencies worked with vaccine manufacturers and scientists to expedite COVID-19 vaccines, for example.
What are biosimilars?
As the name suggests, these medications are similar to the original biologics approved by the FDA. Biosimilars are developed and sold after the original biologic has lost its patent exclusivity, Keeton said. Biosimilars for Humira, a drug used by people with rheumatoid arthritis, include Cyltezo, Amjevita and Idacio.
“They still work the same way clinically, but they’re not exactly the same,” Keeton said.
That’s because, unlike with generic versions of brand name drugs, it’s impossible to make exact copies of biologics. Biologics have complicated production processes and their components are derived from live organisms.
“Biologics are like strands of flexible, cooked spaghetti folded in very specific ways, making exact replication nearly impossible,” Chen said.
The FDA evaluates proposed biosimilar products against the original biologic to determine whether the product is extremely similar and has no meaningful clinical differences. It is expected to have the same benefits and risks as the original biologic. To be approved, biosimilar manufacturers must show patients using their products don’t have new or worsening side effects compared with patients using the original biologic.
FDA approval for biosimilars often takes five to six years, Keeton said.
Biosimilars increase market competition, incentivising brand name drug manufacturers to lower their prices.
How much do biologics and biosimilars usually cost?
They’re pricey, and exact costs vary.
One 2018 study found that biologics and biosimilars can cost a US patient $10,000 to $30,000 each year on average.
Humira is more. It was listed at $6,922 for a month’s supply in early November. The Humira biosimilar Cyltezo advertises for 5 percent off Humira’s cost. The makers of Cyltezo also offer a non-brand name option for people who pay cash at pharmacies while using the GoodRx app at a price of $550.
The actual amount insured patients pay also depends on their plan and their insurer’s negotiated rates.
Biosimilar prices typically run 15 percent to 35 percent lower than their brand name biologic counterparts, one 2024 study found. The FDA found biologics produce a more dramatic cost savings of 50 percent on average.
Why are these medications so expensive?
Biologics and biosimilars are difficult to develop and produce, which adds to their expense.
Making a standard over-the-counter medication such as aspirin requires five ingredients. Making insulin, a biologic, requires genetic modifications to living organisms.
These complex manufacturing procedures and proprietary information make it difficult for competitors to create alternatives.
To put this in perspective, there were 226 marketed biologics in the US as of July, and the FDA had approved 76 biosimilars such as insulin. When it comes to non-biologic medications, the FDA has approved more than 32,000 generic drugs. That’s more than the number of approved brand name drugs.
Can biosimilars be used in place of the original, FDA-approved biologics?
Yes. All biosimilars must meet FDA requirements and must be highly similar and have no clinically meaningful differences from their existing FDA-approved biologic counterpart.
So how does the Trump administration hope to change the FDA approval process for biosimilars?
Under its draft guidance, the administration proposed reducing some of the tests required as part of the FDA process used to prove a biosimilar drug is as safe and effective as its biologic counterpart.
Currently, a manufacturer requesting a biosimilar licence has to provide clinical study data proving its product’s similarity. The FDA’s new proposal would no longer require drug developers to conduct these comparative clinical trials.
Manufacturers would still be required to test proposed biosimilars. Other data – including comparative analysis, immune response data and human study data showing how the drug moves through the body – could sufficiently demonstrate the drug’s similarity to an existing biologic, the FDA said.
Why does the FDA want to change the biosimilar approval process?
Ultimately, the agency said it aims to incentivise drug manufacturers to quickly develop biosimilars by eliminating redundant, costly and time-consuming clinical studies, Keeton said.
Saving that time might increase the number of biosimilar alternatives.
It would almost certainly lower the front-end development costs for drugmakers, Chen said.
Will that change lower the costs of these medications for patients who need them?
Regulatory changes alone may not significantly drive down prices for many Americans.
Several non-brand name options need to be available to produce significant price drops, according to a US Department of Health and Human Services report.
But prices could remain the same even with more options.
A 2024 study in the JAMA Health Forum, a health policy journal, found that annual out-of-pocket costs either increased or remained stable for most biologics even after biosimilars were available. Patients who used biosimilars didn’t pay less than those who used the original biologics.
That’s at least partly because biologic manufacturers often offer substantial rebates to pharmacy benefit managers, companies that work with insurers, employers and others to manage prescription drug plan benefits. In exchange, insurers give the name brand biologics preferred or exclusive placement on their lists of insurance-covered drugs, Chen said. Rebate walls ultimately prevent the sale of cheaper biosimilars, he said.
Are there any other obstacles to getting more biosimilars on the market?
Yes, another key hurdle remains: Name brand biologic manufacturers often hold many patents and file lawsuits blocking approved biosimilars from being commercially marketed.
A 2018 study conducted by Chen found that of 12 FDA-approved biosimilar products, five were commercially available as of October 2018. Six others were unavailable because of patent disputes.
Think Sir Alastair Cook’s player-of-the-series-winning runs in 2010-11 as England triumphed in Australia for the first time in 24 years. Or Mitchell Johnson ripping England apart three years later.
Others such as Shane Warne (1993), Jofra Archer (2019), and Marnus Labuschagne (2019) have used Ashes series to announce themselves on the Test stage.
England’s Chris Woakes, now retired, was named player of the series in 2023. 18 months earlier, it went to Australia’s Travis Head.
Tongue & Green – Vaughan’s picks
Former England captain and TMS commentator Michael Vaughan: “The obvious choice is the two captains but I’m going to throw in Josh Tonguefor England.
“At times, he didn’t bowl great [this summer], but you look at the way he hoovered up the tail on a few occasions against India. I loved the fact he went back to play for Notts and blew Surrey away at The Oval.
“If you go back to the Ashes in the UK, the Test match at Lord’s, you could argue he was England’s best bowler. That awkward action he delivers had the likes of [David] Warner and [Usman] Khawaja in a few problems. He’s brilliant bowling at left-handers and he could be that bowler you turn to when Travis Head comes to the wicket.
“For Australia, Cameron Green. He’s back bowling in state cricket but his body is going to have to be carefully managed.
England’s batters & Lyon – Cook’s picks
Getty Images
Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook: “I’m highlighting the entire England batting line-up because they need at least four of them to have a good series to win the Ashes. England will take wickets, but they need runs on the board.
“It’s proven in pretty much any series, especially away from home. You need one batter to have an outstanding series, then two or three to dovetail. Joe Root could score 600 runs, only for England to still lose. He’d need Harry Brook to score two of those brilliant hundreds and someone like Zak Crawley to make an impact three times in his 10 chances at the top of the order.
“Nathan Lyon is going to be so important for Australia. I know lots of people are saying spin won’t play a huge role because of the conditions, but I’m yet to be sold on that. Will they really produce pitches that leave Tests ending in two-and-a-half days? I don’t see it.
23 hours ago
1 day ago
The middle-orders – McGrath’s picks
Former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath: “For Australia, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head need to have good series.
“If Labuschagne can go well, it will take the pressure off Smith and Head – it would allow both of those to play their natural games.
“Labuschagne was left out of the team but has been in superb form in the Sheffield Shield to win his place back. If he can have a good series, it will have a massive impact.
“I’ve gone on record to say I want Ben Stokes to be England’s leading run-scorer, because that would mean Australia have bowled well to the rest. That’s me winding up the English.
“It’s the same for England as it is for Australia – Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Harry Brook are really important. There’s a lot made about Root not having made a hundred in this country and I think Brook is a special player, albeit one that will have to adapt to big Australian grounds.
Stokes & Head – Agnew’s picks
Getty Images
Former England bowler and BBC chief cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew: “Frankly, I can’t see England winning the Ashes without Ben Stokes.
“He’s a talismanic figure, a resourceful leader, but more than anything, his bowling is important. He’s critical in that department. All of the bowlers, including him, do have fitness concerns.
“Stokes has to play four out of the five Tests for England to win.
“For Australia, Travis Head will be an interesting character to watch. I think England are going to bombard him and bowl with great hostility at him. And he hasn’t had a great start to the Australian season.
“Obviously, Steve Smith is crucial to their batting, but I think Head is too. There’s a lot of uncertainty about how Australia are going to bat and he can change the game in the course of an hour.
Root & Lyon – Hartley’s picks
Former England spinner and TMS commentator Alex Hartley: “Joe Root is a jet. He’s England’s most consistent run-scorer and holds the batting together.
Smith & Carey – Shemilt’s picks
Getty Images
BBC Sport chief cricket reporter Stephan Shemilt: “It’s a big series for Jamie Smith, one of the players brought into the England side in 2024 with this Ashes series in mind.
“The Surrey man has looked every inch the Test cricketer: thrilling with the bat and more than tidy with the gloves. However, at the end of the India series – his first five-Test series behind the stumps – he started to tire and his returns in both areas diminished. Now he has to do it again.
“Australian pitches should suit his batting and it is a great place to keep. Smith just has to stay the course. An away Ashes is physically and mentally demanding. England need him going strong all the way to Sydney.
“Not that I only want to pick wicketkeepers, but I’m interested to see how Alex Carey goes. He was clearly affected by the fallout of the Jonny Bairstow stumping in 2023 and his performances faded as a result.
“Carey is particularly important if Pat Cummins’ absence is prolonged. With Cummins at eight, Australia’s lower-order is decent. Without him the tail looks long so Carey will have the job of marshalling the tail-enders.
6 days ago
5 days ago
5 November
Atkinson & Labuschagne – Tufnell’s picks
Former England spinner and TMS commentator Phil Tufnell: “Gus Atkinson might have gone under the radar a little in the build-up, but I think he could be vital.
“Everyone’s talking about pace and bounce but you’re going to need someone to hit the top of off-stump on these apparently greener pitches. And let’s not forget, he also gives it more than a good go with the bat.
“For Australia, Marnus Labuschagne has come back into a bit of form and, if selected, he could be a key anchor role with the bat.
Atkinson & Boland – Mann’s picks
Getty Images
TMS commentator Simon Mann: “For England, it’s Gus Atkinson. If Steve Smith is right about the pitches and England have focused too much on out-and-out pace, then Atkinson could be the England bowler most suited to modern Australian conditions.
Stokes & Hazlewood – Norcross’ picks
TMS commentator Dan Norcross: “The captain, Ben Stokes, when fit, balances England’s attack and allows them both to play a spinner and whip him out of the attack if he takes tap. His experience of Australian pitches (unlike Root, he’s scored a hundred there before) could be invaluable if Australia make heavy inroads with the new ball.
“He hasn’t managed to stay fit through an entire series for some time (notably missing the deciding Test against India at The Oval). His ability to make it through the series could be the difference between an historic victory or another down under disaster.
Archer & Smith – Moeran’s picks
TMS commentator Henry Moeran: “If – and it’s a big if – he can stay fit and be the bowler we’ve seen at times since his comeback, Jofra Archer could be the difference maker.
“We’ve been longing to see what he can do on Australian pitches and this could be special.
Think Sir Alastair Cook’s player-of-the-series-winning runs in 2010-11 as England triumphed in Australia for the first time in 24 years. Or Mitchell Johnson ripping England apart three years later.
Others such as Shane Warne (1993), Jofra Archer (2019), and Marnus Labuschagne (2019) have used Ashes series to announce themselves on the Test stage.
England’s Chris Woakes, now retired, was named player of the series in 2023. 18 months earlier, it went to Australia’s Travis Head.
Tongue & Green – Vaughan’s picks
Former England captain and TMS commentator Michael Vaughan: “The obvious choice is the two captains but I’m going to throw in Josh Tonguefor England.
“At times, he didn’t bowl great [this summer], but you look at the way he hoovered up the tail on a few occasions against India. I loved the fact he went back to play for Notts and blew Surrey away at The Oval.
“If you go back to the Ashes in the UK, the Test match at Lord’s, you could argue he was England’s best bowler. That awkward action he delivers had the likes of [David] Warner and [Usman] Khawaja in a few problems. He’s brilliant bowling at left-handers and he could be that bowler you turn to when Travis Head comes to the wicket.
“For Australia, Cameron Green. He’s back bowling in state cricket but his body is going to have to be carefully managed.
England’s batters & Lyon – Cook’s picks
Getty Images
Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook: “I’m highlighting the entire England batting line-up because they need at least four of them to have a good series to win the Ashes. England will take wickets, but they need runs on the board.
“It’s proven in pretty much any series, especially away from home. You need one batter to have an outstanding series, then two or three to dovetail. Joe Root could score 600 runs, only for England to still lose. He’d need Harry Brook to score two of those brilliant hundreds and someone like Zak Crawley to make an impact three times in his 10 chances at the top of the order.
“Nathan Lyon is going to be so important for Australia. I know lots of people are saying spin won’t play a huge role because of the conditions, but I’m yet to be sold on that. Will they really produce pitches that leave Tests ending in two-and-a-half days? I don’t see it.
23 hours ago
1 day ago
The middle-orders – McGrath’s picks
Former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath: “For Australia, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head need to have good series.
“If Labuschagne can go well, it will take the pressure off Smith and Head – it would allow both of those to play their natural games.
“Labuschagne was left out of the team but has been in superb form in the Sheffield Shield to win his place back. If he can have a good series, it will have a massive impact.
“I’ve gone on record to say I want Ben Stokes to be England’s leading run-scorer, because that would mean Australia have bowled well to the rest. That’s me winding up the English.
“It’s the same for England as it is for Australia – Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Harry Brook are really important. There’s a lot made about Root not having made a hundred in this country and I think Brook is a special player, albeit one that will have to adapt to big Australian grounds.
Stokes & Head – Agnew’s picks
Getty Images
Former England bowler and BBC chief cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew: “Frankly, I can’t see England winning the Ashes without Ben Stokes.
“He’s a talismanic figure, a resourceful leader, but more than anything, his bowling is important. He’s critical in that department. All of the bowlers, including him, do have fitness concerns.
“Stokes has to play four out of the five Tests for England to win.
“For Australia, Travis Head will be an interesting character to watch. I think England are going to bombard him and bowl with great hostility at him. And he hasn’t had a great start to the Australian season.
“Obviously, Steve Smith is crucial to their batting, but I think Head is too. There’s a lot of uncertainty about how Australia are going to bat and he can change the game in the course of an hour.
Root & Lyon – Hartley’s picks
Former England spinner and TMS commentator Alex Hartley: “Joe Root is a jet. He’s England’s most consistent run-scorer and holds the batting together.
Smith & Carey – Shemilt’s picks
Getty Images
BBC Sport chief cricket reporter Stephan Shemilt: “It’s a big series for Jamie Smith, one of the players brought into the England side in 2024 with this Ashes series in mind.
“The Surrey man has looked every inch the Test cricketer: thrilling with the bat and more than tidy with the gloves. However, at the end of the India series – his first five-Test series behind the stumps – he started to tire and his returns in both areas diminished. Now he has to do it again.
“Australian pitches should suit his batting and it is a great place to keep. Smith just has to stay the course. An away Ashes is physically and mentally demanding. England need him going strong all the way to Sydney.
“Not that I only want to pick wicketkeepers, but I’m interested to see how Alex Carey goes. He was clearly affected by the fallout of the Jonny Bairstow stumping in 2023 and his performances faded as a result.
“Carey is particularly important if Pat Cummins’ absence is prolonged. With Cummins at eight, Australia’s lower-order is decent. Without him the tail looks long so Carey will have the job of marshalling the tail-enders.
6 days ago
5 days ago
5 November
Atkinson & Labuschagne – Tufnell’s picks
Former England spinner and TMS commentator Phil Tufnell: “Gus Atkinson might have gone under the radar a little in the build-up, but I think he could be vital.
“Everyone’s talking about pace and bounce but you’re going to need someone to hit the top of off-stump on these apparently greener pitches. And let’s not forget, he also gives it more than a good go with the bat.
“For Australia, Marnus Labuschagne has come back into a bit of form and, if selected, he could be a key anchor role with the bat.
Atkinson & Boland – Mann’s picks
Getty Images
TMS commentator Simon Mann: “For England, it’s Gus Atkinson. If Steve Smith is right about the pitches and England have focused too much on out-and-out pace, then Atkinson could be the England bowler most suited to modern Australian conditions.
Stokes & Hazlewood – Norcross’ picks
TMS commentator Dan Norcross: “The captain, Ben Stokes, when fit, balances England’s attack and allows them both to play a spinner and whip him out of the attack if he takes tap. His experience of Australian pitches (unlike Root, he’s scored a hundred there before) could be invaluable if Australia make heavy inroads with the new ball.
“He hasn’t managed to stay fit through an entire series for some time (notably missing the deciding Test against India at The Oval). His ability to make it through the series could be the difference between an historic victory or another down under disaster.
Archer & Smith – Moeran’s picks
TMS commentator Henry Moeran: “If – and it’s a big if – he can stay fit and be the bowler we’ve seen at times since his comeback, Jofra Archer could be the difference maker.
“We’ve been longing to see what he can do on Australian pitches and this could be special.
