WESTERN UNION AND THE WESTERN UNION FOUNDATION SUPPORT TONGA RELIEF EFFORTS

Western Union Waives Transfer Fees for Money Transfers into Tonga Through February, 28, 2022; Western Union Foundation Pledges a Donation and Kicks Off a Fundraising Appeal with Agents and Employees

SINGAPORE, Jan 27 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Western Union Company, a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, today announced business and foundation support for communities impacted by the devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga.

Tonga Transfer Fees Waived

Western Union is waiving transfer fees^¹ for all international money transfers into Tonga through February 28, 2022. This includes transactions made from both digital and retail channels. Specifically, fees are waived on Westernunion.com in more than 75 countries, Western Union app in more than 55 countries or via our global retail Agent network across more than 200 countries and territories.

Customers in Tonga may receive their money transfers in cash at Agent locations in-country. Currently, Western Union services are available in a limited capacity at Agent locations across the country, with more locations being reopened as the internet interruptions are resolved. Customers are advised to check the Agent Locator for information on the nearest locations. Customers also have the option to receive mobile money transfers with Digicel. 

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ADAGENE ANNOUNCES FIRST PATIENT DOSED WITH NOVEL, PROPRIETARY COMBINATION OF ANTI-CD137 AGONIST, ADG106, AND ANTI-CTLA-4 MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY, ADG116

SAN DIEGO and SUZHOU, China, Jan 28 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adagene Inc. (“Adagene”) (Nasdaq: ADAG), a company transforming the discovery and development of novel antibody-based therapies, today announced the first patient has been dosed in a combination cohort of its anti-CD137 agonist, ADG106, with its anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody (mAb), ADG116, in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors. The dose escalation cohort will evaluate the safety and tolerability of this novel, proprietary combination in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors.

“Existing cancer therapies that target CD137 and CTLA-4 are associated with safety concerns, creating a significant unmet need and high threshold for agents that are both safe and potent. With ADG106 and ADG116, we now have two promising agents to test the therapeutic potential of these two potent pathways together to safely inhibit tumor growth,” said Anthony W. Tolcher, M.D., FRCPC, FACP, co-founder of NEXT Oncology™ and study investigator. “While the oncology community has long known of the compelling preclinical rationale for this intriguing combination, safety has been a barrier to further exploration. Given the encouraging individual safety profiles of both ADG 106 and ADG116 in patients so far, we finally have the rare and exciting opportunity to be the first to move this combination into clinic and improve patient care.”

The combination is part of an open-label, global phase 1b/2 clinical trial (ADG116-1003) at multiple sites in the U.S. and Asia Pacific (APAC). The combination part begins with dose-escalation, followed by dose expansion once a recommended dose is established.

“Published research in preclinical models underscores the potential synergistic effect of combining these two potent pathways. We are proud to pioneer exploration of this novel combination, which also demonstrates the translational power of our NEObody™ platform — targeting unique epitopes with novel mechanisms of action by species cross reactive antibodies that can move directly from preclinical syngeneic mouse models to clinical studies,” said Peter Luo, Ph.D., Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Adagene. “This innovative clinical research will establish the safety and potential complementary effects of ADG106 and ADG116 against two challenging but orthogonal pathways for T-cell priming by anti-CTLA-4 and proliferation by anti-CD137, respectively, building on the promising preclinical and clinical data on safety and preliminary efficacy from our global trials. This pursuit aligns with our goal to transform the development paradigm of antibody-based immunotherapies for global cancer care.”

As single agents, both ADG106 and ADG116 have demonstrated robust safety profiles and early signals of efficacy. In monotherapy trials in 98 patients, ADG106 was well tolerated at doses of 3 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg and at 300mg and 400mg flat doses, with limited liver toxicity or hematologic abnormalities observed. Results showed evidence of efficacy and a potential biomarker associated with tumor shrinkage was identified.

In monotherapy evaluation, ADG116 demonstrated a strong safety profile at doses up to 10 mg/kg, and showed early signals of efficacy, including in treatment-resistant “cold” and “warm” tumors such as ovarian and pancreatic cancers. ADG116 has achieved the recommended dosing range as a single agent and for evaluation in combination therapy.

About ADG116
ADG116 is a fully human ligand-blocking anti-CTLA-4 mAb generated using Adagene’s proprietary NEObody technology and being developed for the treatment of advanced/metastatic solid tumors. ADG116 is designed to enhance efficacy by potent Treg depletion in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and to maintain its physiological function by soft ligand blocking thereby addressing safety concerns associated with existing CTLA-4 therapeutics.

About ADG106
ADG106, is a fully human ligand-blocking, agonistic anti-CD137 IgG4 mAb generated using Adagene’s proprietary NEObody technology and being developed for the treatment of advanced solid tumors and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. CD137 stimulates the immune system to attack cancer cells and is a key driver for long-lasting T-cell proliferation and survival. Clinical trials of ADG106 as monotherapy have been conducted in the U.S. and China, and combination trials are underway with multiple anti-PD-1 therapies.

About Adagene
Adagene Inc. (Nasdaq: ADAG) is a platform-driven, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming the discovery and development of novel antibody-based cancer immunotherapies. Adagene combines computational biology and artificial intelligence to design novel antibodies that address unmet patient needs. Powered by its proprietary Dynamic Precision Library (DPL) platform, composed of NEObody™, SAFEbody®, and POWERbody™ technologies, Adagene’s highly differentiated pipeline features novel immunotherapy programs. Adagene has forged strategic collaborations with reputable global partners that leverage its technology in multiple approaches at the vanguard of science.

For more information, please visit: https://investor.adagene.com. Follow Adagene on WeChat, LinkedIn and Twitter.

SAFEbody^® is a registered trademark in the United States, China, Australia, Japan, Singapore, and the European Union.

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the potential implications of clinical data for patients, and Adagene’s advancement of, and anticipated preclinical activities, clinical development, regulatory milestones, and commercialization of its product candidates. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including but not limited to Adagene’s ability to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its drug candidates; the clinical results for its drug candidates, which may not support further development or regulatory approval; the content and timing of decisions made by the relevant regulatory authorities regarding regulatory approval of Adagene’s drug candidates; Adagene’s ability to achieve commercial success for its drug candidates, if approved; Adagene’s ability to obtain and maintain protection of intellectual property for its technology and drugs; Adagene’s reliance on third parties to conduct drug development, manufacturing and other services; Adagene’s limited operating history and Adagene’s ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development and commercialization of its drug candidates; Adagene’s ability to enter into additional collaboration agreements beyond its existing strategic partnerships or collaborations, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Adagene’s clinical development, commercial and other operations, as well as those risks more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors” section in Adagene’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Adagene, and Adagene undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=42275

SMARTSTREAM AIR INTRODUCES ENHANCED AUTOMATION AND EXCEPTIONS MANAGEMENT IN THE CLOUD

LONDON, Jan 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- SmartStream Technologies, the financial Transaction Lifecycle Management (TLM^®) solutions provider, today announces SmartStream Air Version 6, its cloud-native AI data reconciliations solution now encompassing two new features: enhanced exceptions management capabilities and attribute-by-attribute matching.

The latest version provides users with increased automation of exception management in the cloud. SmartStream Air’s AI capabilities manage discrepancies during the reconciliations process by creating exception cases - where clients can track the status of exceptions, assign the cases to relevant teams or users, and add any supporting comments or attachments.

Users can define the automation rules for exception management, Version 6 simplifies the set-up by providing ‘hints’ and ‘recipes’ – this is a comprehensive pre-defined library of commonly used automation rules which enhance the user experience for rapid results.

SmartStream Air Version 6 enables clients to validate data integrity across a huge number of fields, particularly for reference data, regulatory and intersystem reconciliations – this will help to build a strong data governance framework to ensure data quality, completeness and accuracy of reporting.

This new version will simplify the reporting process with higher levels of automation for attribute-by-attribute matching – allowing clients to check far greater data sets than seen before and validate data integrity across all shared fields providing accuracy. This new functionality shows how SmartStream’s data scientists are developing the platform to support limitless data types and will continue to do so as data management and regulatory reporting become ever more relevant for a number of provisions under MIFID II and MiFIR.

Andreas Burner, Chief Information Officer, SmartStream, states: “In this latest release we recognised that organisations need to modernise their operational blueprint and use the latest AI technologies to evolve their data strategies to better support the changing business needs. Many of the tier one buy- and sell-side firms we speak to highlight the importance of being able to spot both data and reporting decision irregularities, in one control framework. Having better control of this allowed them to showcase to the regulators that they've taken all the necessary steps to ensure their data is both complete and accurate”. 

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TOSHIBA LAUNCHES TWO SILICON CARBIDE MOSFET MODULES

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (Toshiba) has launched two silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET Dual Modules: ‘MG600Q2YMS3’ with a voltage rating of 1200V and drain current rating of 600A; and ‘MG400V2YMS3’ with a voltage rating of 1700V and drain current rating of 400A.

The first Toshiba products with these voltage ratings, they join the previously released MG800FXF2YMS3 in a lineup of 1200V, 1700V and 3300V devices.

According to a statement, the new modules have mounting compatibility with widely used silicon (Si) IGBT modules.

Their low energy loss characteristics meet needs for higher efficiency and size reductions in industrial equipment, such as converters and inverters for railway vehicles, and renewable energy power generation systems.

With annual sales now surpassing 710-billion yen (US$6.5 billion), Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation looks forward to building and contributing to a better future for people everywhere. (US$1 = RM4.189)

More details at https://toshiba.semicon-storage.com/ap-en/top.html

-- BERNAMA

Moore Nanotechnology Systems releases next generation ultra-precision machining platform

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 -- Moore Nanotechnology Systems (Nanotech), a leading global supplier of ultra-precision machining systems, has announced the release of their next generation ultra-precision machining platform, the 250UPL MP.

According to a statement, this solution is configurable for all sub-nanometer, ultra-precision Single Point Diamond Turning (SPDT), grinding and milling applications.

Optical mold-tool makers demand higher-quality surface finishes to support the fidelity of optical systems now common in smart phone, AR/VR/MR and automotive applications.

Nanotech President and Chief Executive Officer, Mark Boomgarden, explained: “We work with the leading camera-module and optical-component suppliers around the world to gain mid and long-term insight to their product and technology requirements, which is then used as input to our own multi-year development roadmap.”

“Building upon years of success in this segment, our technical staff stepped up to the challenge and delivered Nanotech’s 250UPL MP. This is one of many new product innovations you will see from Nanotech over the next 12-18 months.”

Meanwhile, Nanotech Vice President of Sales, Scott Gerhart commented further: “Over the last six months, we’ve been shipping the 250UPL MP to select market-leading companies around the world, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”

The current generation of ultra-precision machines in use today has reached the maximum potential. A clean-sheet design was required to break through to the next level of performance, and Nanotech’s 250UPL MP meets and exceeds these requirements.

Moore Nanotechnology Systems (Nanotech) was founded in Keene, NH in 1997 as a stand-alone subsidiary of the Moore Tool Company.

More details at www.nanotechsys.com.

-- BERNAMA

2022 JAPAN PRIZE WINNERS REVEALED

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- The Japan Prize Foundation has announced the winners of the 2022 Japan Prize on Jan 25.

Prof Katalin Kariko (Hungary/USA) and Prof Drew Weissman (USA) are co-winners of the Japan Prize in the field of ‘Materials and Production’, and Prof Christopher Field (USA) has been awarded the Japan Prize in the field of ‘Biological Production, Ecology/Environment’.

With this year's prize, Kariko and Weissman are being recognised for their pioneering research contributing to the development of mRNA vaccines.

Meanwhile, Field is being recognised for his outstanding contributions to the estimation of global biospheric productivity and climate change science using advanced formulae based on observation.

This year, the Foundation asked approximately 15,500 prominent scientists and engineers from worldwide to nominate researchers working in this year's fields, and it received 208 nominations in the field of Materials and Production, and 138 nominations for the field of Biological Production, Ecology/Environment.

This year's winners were selected from that total of 346 candidates, according to a statement.

The establishment of the Japan Prize was motivated by the Japanese government's desire to create an internationally recognised award that would contribute to scientific and technological development around the world.

With the support of numerous donations, the Japan Prize Foundation received endorsement from the Cabinet Office in 1983.

The Japan Prize is awarded to scientists and engineers from around the world who have made creative and dramatic achievements that help progress their fields and contribute significantly to realising peace and prosperity for all humanity. 

-- BERNAMA

Expereo expands managed services portfolio with SD-WAN Gateways launch

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 -- Expereo, the leading global provider of managed Internet, SD-WAN, SASE, and Cloud Access solutions, has announced the launch of SD-WAN Gateways.

According to a statement, this new service boosts the SD-WAN performance for enterprises with a global footprint to support their multi-cloud strategies and increase application performance.

“Businesses are entering a multi-cloud era in which the internet cannot always provide consistent quality for enabling their applications to perform seamlessly,” said Expereo CPO, Sander Barens.

“One of the main SD-WAN Gateways benefits is that it combines a scalable network infrastructure with an enhanced WAN performance boosting your application performance. This results in a better user experience and higher productivity.”

SD-WAN Gateways allow enterprises’ global network to enhance the SD-WAN experience between data centres and hub sites both intra-regionally and globally, without sacrificing in-country performance.

Enterprises can combine their existing SD-WAN solution with Expereo SD-WAN Gateways, to optimise the end-user application experience and reduce operational costs.

The new service leverages Expereo’s managed SD-WAN service offerings complemented with proprietary smart BGP routing optimisation technology, optimising SaaS reach and access to public and private cloud, overcoming internet limitations.

With SD-WAN Gateways, Expereo expands its managed services offering, taking a new step towards simplifying global cloud connectivity.

-- BERNAMA

REDDOORZ SELECTS HAPTIK TO ENHANCE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- Jio Haptik Technologies Limited, one of the world's largest conversational AI companies, has announced that RedDoorz, Southeast Asia's largest hotel management and booking platform, has selected Haptik to enhance its customer experience.

RedDoorz aims to provide personalised customer support to its Southeast Asian customers by launching Haptik's multilingual AI Chatbot across its website, mobile apps, and the latest messaging channels such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

“RedDoorz has been a pioneer in Southeast Asia’s hospitality sector. Haptik will be utilising its vast expertise and experience of working with global hospitality brands to create a world-class chatbot for RedDoorz to achieve its goal of enhancing customer experience,” says Anila Rao, VP-APAC, Haptik.

According to a statement, Haptik powers conversations that ignite user engagement and provide on-demand support.

With Haptik, RedDoorz plans to improve customer query resolution by increasing First Time Resolution and reducing average customer handling time for support queries in English, Bahasa Indonesia, and Tagalog.

Shanketh Ragunath, Product Manager for CX, RedDoorz, adds: “We have been looking for an AI chatbot vendor to provide faster response to our customers and keep up with our rapidly expanding business.

“Haptik has demonstrated good natural-language understanding and swift responses across our languages of interest. Their pricing is affordable and transparent, and their team is very amiable. We are hoping to build a successful partnership with Haptik.”

Haptik's leading clients and partners include StarHub, MyRepublic, Zurich Insurance, Vantage FX, Disney+ Hotstar, JioMart, CEAT, Upstox, and Whirlpool, among others.

-- BERNAMA

ADAGENE EXPANDS SCIENTIFIC AND STRATEGIC ADVISORY BOARD WITH APPOINTMENT OF DAVID GANDARA, M.D.

- Dr. Gandara, Professor and Senior Advisor to the Thoracic Oncology Program at University of California Davis, brings deep expertise and strategic vision in cancer drug and biomarker development-

SAN DIEGO and SUZHOU, China, Jan 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adagene Inc. (“Adagene”) (Nasdaq: ADAG), a biotech company committed to transforming the discovery and development of novel antibody-based immunotherapies, today announced the appointment of David Gandara, M.D., to its Scientific and Strategic Advisory Board (the “SAB”). Dr. Gandara, Professor Emeritus and Senior Advisor of the Thoracic Oncology Program at University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCDCCC), brings deep knowledge and understanding to the immuno-oncology field, and he is recognized for his translational research and clinical work in cancer drug and biomarker development.

Dr. Gandara commented, "I am delighted to join Adagene’s SAB at such an exciting time in the company's evolution. Adagene’s innovative antibody-based technology platform has the potential to advance the next generation of immuno-oncology treatments. I look forward to working alongside the impressive team to execute on the company’s mission to bring transformative new cancer therapeutics to patients around the world.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Gandara to our SAB as a leading researcher and physician, as well as a thought leader in biomarker-driven strategies for lung cancer therapies,” said Peter Luo, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Adagene. “We look forward to Dr. Gandara’s insights, especially on the heels of the recently initiated trial in Singapore evaluating ADG106 in combination with Nivolumab in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. More broadly, we value his inputs as we accelerate the global clinical development of our rapidly expanding pipeline, including novel combination therapies. Together we look forward to maximizing the potential of our platform to transform immunotherapy for cancer patients across the world.”

Dr. Gandara has received numerous awards, authored over 450 publications, and presented his work at meetings nationally and internationally. He is a co-leader at Lung MAP, a precision medicine umbrella clinical trial for the development of biomarker-driven strategies for new therapies in lung cancer. His current research includes the development of preclinical modeling and clinical research in lung cancer. Recently, he was appointed Chief Medical Officer of the International Society for Liquid Biopsy. Prior to his present roles, he was president of the International Association for Study of Lung Cancer, as well as treasurer and BOD member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). He has previously served as chair of the Lung Committee for the Southwest oncology group (SWOG) and is founding co-chair of the NCI Investigational Drug Steering Committee (IDSC). Dr. Gandara obtained his M.D. from University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and he completed his clinical training as a resident at Madigan Army Medical Center, and as a Fellow in hematology and oncology at Letterman Army Medical Center. He received his B.A. at the University of Texas, Austin.

For more information about members of the Adagene Scientific and Strategic Advisory Board, visit: https://www.adagene.com/about/key-advisors/

About Adagene
Adagene Inc. (Nasdaq: ADAG) is a platform-driven, clinical-stage biotech company committed to transforming the discovery and development of novel antibody-based cancer immunotherapies. Adagene combines computational biology and artificial intelligence to design novel antibodies that address unmet patient needs. Powered by its proprietary Dynamic Precision Library (DPL) platform, composed of NEObody™, SAFEbody®, and POWERbody™ technologies, Adagene’s highly differentiated pipeline features novel immunotherapy programs. Adagene has forged strategic collaborations with reputable global partners that leverage its technology in multiple approaches at the vanguard of science.

For more information, please visit: https://investor.adagene.com.

SAFEbody® is a registered trademark in the United States, China, Australia, Japan, Singapore, and the European Union.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the potential implications of clinical data for patients, and Adagene’s advancement of, and anticipated clinical activities, clinical development, regulatory milestones, and commercialization of its product candidates. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including but not limited to Adagene’s ability to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its drug candidates; the clinical results for its drug candidates, which may not support further development or regulatory approval; the content and timing of decisions made by the relevant regulatory authorities regarding regulatory approval of Adagene’s drug candidates; Adagene’s ability to achieve commercial success for its drug candidates, if approved; Adagene’s ability to obtain and maintain protection of intellectual property for its technology and drugs; Adagene’s reliance on third parties to conduct drug development, manufacturing and other services; Adagene’s limited operating history and Adagene’s ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development and commercialization of its drug candidates; Adagene’s ability to enter into additional collaboration agreements beyond its existing strategic partnerships or collaborations, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Adagene’s clinical development, commercial and other operations, as well as those risks more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors” section in Adagene’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Adagene, and Adagene undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. 

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NIPPON EXPRESS (BELGIUM) ACQUIRES GDP CERTIFICATION FOR FACILITY IN BRUSSELS AIRPORT'S CARGO AREA

TOKYO, Jan. 20, 2022 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/--

Nippon Express (Belgium) N.V./S.A. (hereinafter "NX Belgium"), a company of the Nippon Express Holdings, Inc. Group, has obtained Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification, effective December 21, 2021, for air and ground forwarding operations, inclusive of inventory control, at a facility in the cargo area of Brussels Airport, evidencing its compliance with GDP standards for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals.   Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202201176158-O3-bvsjuUa0   Photo1: Warehouse interior https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202201176158/_prw_PI2fl_P21bPD7U.jpg     Belgium has become a hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing and development, hosting numerous global pharmaceutical companies as well as contract manufacturing organizations, vaccine manufacturers and biotechnology research laboratories.   NX Belgium has signed a business partnership agreement with Medexi, which specializes in pharmaceutical transport, and obtained GDP certification for operations at a Medexi-owned temperature-controlled 2,000 m2 facility dedicated to pharmaceutical products and capable of both refrigerated (2C - 8C) and constant-temperature (15C - 25C) storage. Medexi's pharmaceutical knowledge and advanced operational quality will be combined with the NX Group's international temperature-controlled transport services and warehouse storage functions to provide customers with a pharmaceutical logistics platform.   The NX Group will continue stepping up its initiatives in the pharmaceutical industry, identified as a priority industry in the Group's Business Plan, and globally enhancing and expanding its services to meet the increasingly sophisticated and diversified pharmaceutical transport needs of its customers.   Name and address of company Name: Nippon Express (Belgium) N.V./S.A. Address: Bedrijvenzone Machelen Cargo 738/1, Machelen Belgium   Nippon Express website: https://www.nipponexpress.com/   Official LinkedIn account: NX GROUP https://www.linkedin.com/company/nippon-express-group/     Source: Nippon Express Holdings, Inc.    http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=42200

GTJAI SCORES RECORD HIGH IN GREEN BOND BUSINESS FOR 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- Guotai Junan International Holdings Limited (Guotai Junan International, GTJAI, the Company or the Group) has announced the Company participated in the underwriting of 29 Green Bonds and Sustainability Bonds in 2021, representing an increase of 164 per cent Year-over-Year (YOY), while the total fundraising amounted to HK$70.1 billion, representing an increase of nearly 271 per cent YOY. 

Leveraging on its quality and diversified financial services, Guotai Junan International guided the global capital into green industries, meeting clients’ need of transforming to a low-carbon and sustainable development as well as managing their potential ESG risks.

In 2021, GTJAI maintained its leading position in the Green Bond issuance market among China-based securities firms in Hong Kong, according to a statement.

In September 2021, GTJAI, as joint green structuring adviser, joint global coordinator, joint bookrunner and joint lead manager, assisted Guangzhou Metro successfully in issuing US$200 million five-year senior fixed-rate green bonds. (US$1 = RM4.185)

This set the record of the lowest interest rate for US dollar bonds issued by China-based local state-owned enterprises during the same period, and was also the first green overseas bond issued by a state-owned enterprise in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area) in 2021. 

In November 2021, Guotai Junan International, as the joint global coordinator, joint bookrunner and joint lead manager, assisted Shangyu Urban Construction Group Co Ltd successfully issuing a five-year US$240 million senior unsecured sustainable bond. 

This is the first sustainable overseas bond issued by a state-owned enterprise in the Yangtze River Delta region. The proceeds will refinance the group's overseas debt under a sustainable financial framework.

GTJAI has been sizing up the situation in its business development strategy, upholding the concept of green investment, prioritising to environmental protection investment and financing projects, and fully implementing the ESG and sustainability concept with actions.

In the future, the Company will actively embrace new opportunities in green finance, continue to fulfill its corporate social responsibility, consolidate its strategic layout in ESG and carbon neutrality with practical actions, and join hands with all sectors of the society to develop a more inclusive low-carbon economy.

More details at https://www.gtjai.com.

-- BERNAMA

BIOMEBANK APPOINTS EX-ELLERSTON CAPITAL CIO AND BLACKROCK NORTH ASIA DIRECTOR AS CHAIR TO ACCELERATE COMMERCIALISATION STRATEGY

ADELAIDE, Jan. 20/Medianet International-AsiaNet/--

- BiomeBank appoints Mr Chris Hall as Chair, effective 17 January 2022. - Mr Hall brings over 30 years' experience and impressive track record of investment management across both public and private markets within APAC. - BiomeBank's Series A funding round anticipated to close in early 2022.  - Formal Therapeutic Goods Association ("TGA") approval of Company's first-generation microbial therapy anticipated in 2022.   BiomeBank today announces Mr Chris Hall as the new Chair for the clinical stage biotechnology company, having recently served as Chief Investment Officer of Ellerston Capital. Prior to this, Mr Hall served as Managing Director of BlackRock Asset Management (North-Asia Ltd). The appointment is effective as of 17 January 2022.   Mr Hall succeeds Dr Stephen Rodda, who recently retired having served as the BiomeBank Chair since 2019.   BiomeBank Chief Executive Officer, Mr Thomas Mitchell said: "We're thrilled to welcome Mr Hall as the new Chair of BiomeBank. He brings with him over 30 years' experience and an impressive track record of investment management across both public and private markets within the APAC region.   "As we move towards closing our Series A funding round in early 2022 and formal TGA approval of our first-generation product, Mr Hall's experience in global markets will support our growth ambition into the Asia Pacific and European region. He also brings strong expertise in governance, holding a number of previous and current Board positions including Chair of the ESG Committee at Ellerston Capital, Chair of Perks Private Wealth and Non-Executive Director of Funds SA."   BiomeBank Chief Medical Officer and co-founder, Dr Sam Costello added: "I'd like to acknowledge and thank Dr Rodda for his dedication and support of the Company during its early stages of development and his role in the CEO recruitment. His expertise in commercialisation and building start-up and scale-up companies was an important driver of the business during this time."   The newly elected BiomeBank Chair, Mr Chris Hall said: "I'm excited to join BiomeBank as we move into the next stage of expansion and progress our promising pipeline of second-generation products.   "Having observed the Company's expertise in developing microbial therapies to treat unmet need, I believe we're in a strong position to improve the quality of life for people and continue to build our business into a global biotechnology leader.   "I'd like to acknowledge Dr Rodda for laying the foundations for the Company's early growth. I'm delighted to be working alongside such an experienced Board and Executive team at BiomeBank, as we deliver on our development pipeline, commercialise new therapies and increase shareholder value."     About BiomeBank   BiomeBank is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of microbiome therapies to treat unmet medical need. BiomeBank's mission is to treat and prevent disease by restoring gut microbial ecology.   Backed by a world-leading team of translational microbiome experts, BiomeBank's platform uses a unique combination of machine learning and microbiology to identify bacterial strains which influence disease, leading to the discovery and development of new therapies.     SOURCE: BiomeBank  http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=42189

PARSE BIOSCIENCES ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS GROUP TO OFFER RNA-SEQ KITS IN SINGAPORE AND SOUTHEAST ASIA REGION

Previously available in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, partnership to further accelerate single cell genomics research in the APAC region

SEATTLE, Jan 19 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Parse Biosciences, a company providing researchers with single-cell sequencing solutions, today announced a partnership with Research Instruments Pte Ltd to provide Parse’s Evercode Whole Transcriptome Kits (WTKs), Cell Fixation Kits and Nuclei Fixation Kits to markets in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Under an agreement between the two parties, Research Instruments has been appointed a distributor of the Parse product portfolio for Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Research Instruments will provide customer service, technical support, sales and marketing, distribution, and related logistical efforts for the Parse Bioscience portfolio of single-cell genomics research.

Research Instruments is the premier distributor for genomic and life science research products in Southeast Asia, with multiple technical teams and established customer support relationships throughout the region. Their core mission is to introduce and accelerate the adoption of groundbreaking life science research tools to their markets.

In early 2021, Parse Biosciences introduced their Whole Transcriptome Kits to the market which features Evercode: their patented technique of combinatorial barcoding. In October 2021, they expanded that offering to include the Evercode Whole Transcriptome Mega, which allows researchers to profile up to 1,000,000 cells in parallel, and the Evercode Whole Transcriptome Mini, a kit used to profile up to 10,000 cells in parallel for smaller-scale studies at an entry-level price point.

“A significant priority for the Parse team is accessibility–not only in how readily customers can start using the technology, but also with a fully supportive team backing their efforts,” said Alex Rosenberg, CEO and Co-founder of Parse Biosciences. “We’re thrilled that Research Instruments shares our vision of offering scalable and easily adaptable single-cell RNA-seq technology to a wide market.”

“At RI, we’re committed to providing access to innovative technologies,” said Greg Kent, CEO of Research Instruments. “The sequencing solutions of Parse Biosciences simplify workflows without sacrificing resolution, and with our technical sales and applications support teams who are trained and experienced in single cell genomics applications, the Parse Bioscience platform now becomes readily accessible to any scientist in the region.”

Parse Biosciences and Research Instruments will be hosting a technical introductory webinar for Southeast Asia on January 20, 2022 at 10:00 AM SGT. Discover more about Parse Biosciences and the capabilities of its platform at https://www.parsebiosciences.com/, or contact Research Instruments at https://www.ri.com.sg/.

About Parse Biosciences

Parse Biosciences is a Seattle-based company with the mission of accelerating progress in human health and scientific research.

At the core of our company is our pioneering approach for single cell sequencing. Single-cell sequencing has already enabled groundbreaking discoveries which have led to new understandings of cancer treatment, tissue repair, stem cell therapy, kidney and liver disease, brain development, and the immune system. At Parse Biosciences, we are providing researchers with the ability to perform single cell sequencing with unprecedented scale and ease.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.parsebiosciences.com/.

About Research Instruments

Research Instruments Pte Ltd is a leading distributor of scientific instruments and bio-reagents for life science research, with a focus providing next-generation tools and technologies with best-in-class support for applications, maintenance services and training. Established in 1989 with offices throughout Southeast Asia, Research Instruments Pte Ltd is GDP-MDS certified for Dx and Medical device distribution, bizSAFE for engineering services, and offers GMP compliant and ISO 9001 Certified warehousing and cold-chain logistics for our customers.

For more information, please visit https://www.ri.com.sg/. 

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