Business news in brief

By The Associated Press

NHTSA launches recall query into 94,000 Jeep Wranglers

NEW YORK | The U.S. government’s auto safety agency is investigating a potential “loss of motive power” in more than 94,000 Jeep Wrangler 4xe vehicles after receiving complaints for cars outside the scope of an earlier recall involving an engine shutdown condition in the same SUV model.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it opened a recall query to assess the severity of the alleged defect as well as the effectiveness of the remedy provided in the recall of select Jeep Wrangler 4xes announced in November 2022.

According to the NHTSA, failure complaints involve both vehicles that already received the remedy for this 2022 recall and those not initially included.

J&J allows key tuberculosis drug production at lower prices in South Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa | Medical advocacy groups have welcomed Johnson & Johnson’s decision not to enforce its patent on a critical tuberculosis medication, allowing its production at much lower prices, after South African authorities opened an investigation into the conglomerate.

The South African Competition Commission in a statement on July 5 said it decided not to prosecute a complaint against J&J regarding “allegations of abuse of dominance,” which was prompted after J&J and its subsidiary filed a secondary patent for bedaquiline last year, used to treat drug-resistant TB.

Experts argued that the patent prevented generic producers from making cheaper medicines, threatening the treatment of tens of thousands of people in South Africa. TB killed more than 50,000 people there in 2021, making it the country’s leading cause of death.

Authorities said J&J has agreed not to enforce its patent and to drop the price charged to South Africa by about 40%.

Delta, Riyadh Air say they’ll run flights between U.S. and Saudi Arabia

Delta Air Lines said Tuesday it has entered into a partnership with startup Riyadh Air with the goal of operating flights between the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh Air, which plans to begin passenger flights next summer, is backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign-wealth fund and is part of the country’s plan to diversify its oil-based economy and boost tourism.

Atlanta-based Delta and Riyadh did not give a timetable for beginning flights or financial details around their partnership. Their CEOs said neither airline is taking an ownership stake in the other.

—From AP reports