Antengene Corporation Closes US$97 Million Series C Financing to Support Ongoing Drug Development and Preparations for Potential Commercialization

SHANGHAI, CHINA, Jul 20, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Antengene Corporation, a leading innovative hematology and oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing global first-in-class and best-in-class therapies, today announced that it has successfully closed US$97 million in Series C financing.

The financing was led by Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC with additional support from new investors including GL Ventures (an affiliate of Hillhouse Capital), GIC, and a large, reputable long-term investor. Existing investors including Qiming Venture Partners and Boyu Capital also participated.

"We appreciate the recognition and trust from these prestigious investment institutions. This round of financing has drawn support from among the world's largest asset managers, top-tier healthcare investors widely recognized in the capital markets, and strong continuous support from our existing investors. This is an important milestone to reinforce Antengene's capabilities to bring cutting-edge therapies to help patients with life-threatening diseases in the Asia Pacific regions and around the world." said Dr. Jay Mei, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Antengene.

Proceeds from the Series C financing will be primarily used to fund the continuing clinical development of Antengene's robust pipeline of hematology and oncology therapies, expanding in-house research and development capabilities and strengthening the commercial infrastructures in APAC markets. To date, Antengene has made significant progress with its broad pipeline of six clinical-stage programs and six pre-clinical stage oncology assets:

– ATG-010 (selinexor) is the first and only oral selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) compound in the world. In July 2019, the U.S. FDA approved selinexor in combination with low-dose dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). In June 2020, selinexor was approved by the U.S. FDA as a treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL). Currently, the registration clinical trials of ATG-010 in RRMM and R/R DLBCL are ongoing in China. The compound is also in late clinical development for various other hematologic malignancies and solid tumors (including KRAS mutant tumors). Pre-clinical studies demonstrated that inhibition of nuclear protein export through XPO1 can effectively treat tumors with such mutation.

– ATG-008 (onatasertib) is a second-generation dual mTORC1/2 inhibitor presently studied in multi-regional clinical trials for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), gynecological malignancies and other cancers as a single agent or in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody.

– ATG-016 (eltanexor) is a second-generation oral selective inhibitor of nuclear export protein XPO1 presently studied in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) as well as various types of solid tumors, such as colorectal cancer (CRC) and prostate cancer (PrC).

– ATG-019 is a first-in-class PAK4/NAMPT dual-target inhibitor presently studied in a number of clinical trials including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), colorectal cancer, NSCLC, and melanoma. In addition, pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that ATG-019 in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies can effectively improve the anti-tumor activity and is effective in treating patients that become resistant to anti-PD-1 therapy.

– ATG-527 (verdinexor) is an innovative compound in clinical studies as a potential treatment for anti-viral infection and autoimmune diseases – such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Phase I healthy volunteer study of the compound has been completed.

– ATG-017 is a potent and selective small molecule extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) inhibitor in clinical development for the treatment of various solid tumors, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and multiple myeloma.

In addition, the Antengene drug discovery team is focused on the research and pre-clinical development of innovative small molecules, monoclonal and bi-specific antibodies to treat cancer.

About Antengene

Antengene is a biopharmaceutical company with integrated drug discovery, clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization anchored in the Asia Pacific regions and with a global layout, aiming to provide the most advanced first-in-class/best-in-class anti-cancer drugs and other treatments for patients in China, the rest of Asia and around the world. In April 2017, Celgene (now officially acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb, and become the world's top ten pharmaceutical company after the merger), a global leading innovative biopharmaceutical company became a founding partner and obtained an equity position as an investor in Antengene. Over the past 3 years, Antengene has built a product pipeline of 12 clinical and pre-clinical stage programs, obtained 7 IND approvals with 10 ongoing cross-regional clinical trials in the Asia Pacific regions. The vision of Antengene, "Treating Patients Beyond Borders", is to meet the unmet medical needs of patients in the Asia Pacific regions and around the world through research & development and commercialization of first-in-class/best-in-class drugs. For more information, please visit www.antengene.com.

About Fidelity

Fidelity's mission is to inspire better futures and deliver better outcomes for the customers and businesses we serve. With assets under administration of $8.1 trillion, including discretionary assets of $3.3 trillion as of May 31, 2020, we focus on meeting the unique needs of a diverse set of customers: helping more than 32 million people invest their own life savings, 22,000 businesses manage employee benefit programs, as well as providing more than 13,500 institutions with investment and technology solutions to invest their own clients' money. Privately held for more than 70 years, Fidelity employs more than 40,000 associates who are focused on the long-term success of our customers. For more information about Fidelity Investments, visit https://www.fidelity.com/about-fidelity/our-company.

About GL Ventures (an affiliate of Hillhouse Capital)

GL Ventures focuses on innovative companies in healthcare, software services, consumer Internet, emerging consumer brands and services. The GL Ventures team is passionate about partnering with visionary entrepreneurs to create industry leaders that stand the test of time. GL Ventures is an affiliate of Hillhouse Capital, and we have been investing with innovators across the world since 2005. We were one of the earliest investors into some of the largest global companies today, including Beigene, Zoom, Meituan, JD, Woowa Brothers and many more.

About GIC

GIC is a leading global investment firm established in 1981 to manage Singapore's foreign reserves. A disciplined long-term value investor, GIC is uniquely positioned for investments across a wide range of asset classes, including real estate, private equity, equities and fixed income. GIC has investments in over 40 countries and has been investing in emerging markets for more than two decades. Headquartered in Singapore, GIC employs over 1,500 people across 10 offices in key financial cities worldwide. For more information about GIC, please visit www.gic.com.sg.

About Qiming Venture Partners

Founded in 2006, Qiming Venture Partners is a leading China venture capital firm with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Seattle, Boston and San Francisco Bay Area. Currently Qiming Venture Partners manages nine US Dollar funds and five RMB funds with $5.3 billion assets under management. Since our establishment, we have invested in outstanding companies in the TMT and healthcare industries at the early and growing stages.

Since our debut, we have backed over 350 fast-growing and innovative companies. Over 110 companies are already listed on NYSE, NASDAQ, HKEx, Gretai Securities Market, Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange, or achieved exit through M&A and other means. There are also over 30 portfolio companies that have achieved unicorn status. Many of our portfolio companies are today's most influential firms in their respective sectors, including Xiaomi (SEHK:1810), Meituan Dianping (SEHK:3690), Bilibili (NASDAQ:BILI), Roborock (SHSE:688169), Gan & Lee (SHSE: 603087), Tigermed (SZSE:300347), Zai Lab (NASDAQ:ZLAB), Venus MedTech (SEHK:2500), CanSino (SEHK:6185), Schrodinger (NASDAQ:SDGR), Sanyou Medical (SHSE:688085), AmoyDx (SZSE:300685), Berry Genomics (SZSE:000710), SinocellTech (SHSE: 688520), WeDoctor Group, UBTech among many others.

About Boyu Capital

Boyu Capital is one of the largest private investment firms in China. With offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, Boyu has provided long-term capital and operational expertise to some of the best-managed and most innovative companies across the media/technology, healthcare, consumer/retail, and financial services industries.

Forward-looking Statement

The forward-looking statements made in this article relate only to the events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this article. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this article completely and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. In this article, statements of, or references to, our intentions or those of any of our Directors or our Company are made as of the date of this article. Any of these intentions may alter in light of future development.



Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Hao Tian Development Plans to form Joint Venture to Conduct Research and Develop Cell-based and Biological Therapies for the Treatment of Liver Diseases

HONG KONG, Jul 14, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Hao Tian Development Group Limited (HKEX Stock Code: 0474, "Hao Tian Development" or "the Group") a diversified investment holding company, through its subsidiary Aceso Life Sciences Holding Limited ("Aceso"), and Promethera Biosciences S.A./N.V. ("Promethera") today announced that the companies have entered into an agreement to form a joint venture ("Joint Venture Company").

Aceso and Promethera hold 60% and 40% of the equity in the Joint Venture Company, respectively. The Joint Venture Company is vested with the exclusive right to develop, register, distribute and commercialise Promethera's therapeutic products in China and Southeast Asia. Indications in which the products will be deployed include; Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF), Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), Urea Cycle Disorder (UCD), liver cirrhosis and various autoimmune diseases and cancers. Promethera will manufacture and supply the therapeutic products, and provide ongoing technical support during development and commercialisation. The Joint Venture Company will investigate opportunities for cooperation with Itochu Corporation.

The Asia-Pacific region is home to some of the world's highest liver disease incidence and mortality rates. The number of deaths from liver cirrhosis reached 1.32 million globally in 2017, with China contributing 100,000 deaths and 7 million new patients annually. In addition, in 2018 there were 390,000 new cases of liver cancer in China, along with 370,000 liver cancer deaths, accounting for 47% of global liver cancer deaths. Hao Tian Development has been actively seeking opportunities to expand into the Life Science industry. The formation of the Joint Venture Company and the subsequent introduction of leading global cell therapy and antibody assets for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases in China and Southeast Asia marks a major milestone for the Group

About Promethera Biosciences S.A./N.V.
Promethera Biosciences S.A./N.V. was jointly founded in 2009 by Etienne Sokal, a member of the Belgian Royal Academy of Medicine and a professor at Universite catholique de Louvain (Belgium), and Sopartec S.A., the technology transfer and investment company of Universite catholique de Louvain. Promethera is an innovative biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on developing liver disease cell therapies with the potential to reduce the need for liver transplantation. Promethera's lead product candidate is HepaStem, a patented cell technology with immunomodulatory and anti-fibrotic properties. In addition to cell therapies (HepaStem and H2Stem), Promethera is actively developing an array of antibody-based therapeutics to provide patients with a complete suite of treatments for inflammatory disease and liver disease.

HepaStem is a stem cell biopharmaceutical, derived from healthy, ethically donated livers. The active ingredients of HepaStem are isolated and expanded at Promethera's current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) manufacturing plant. HepaStem's lead indications are Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF), Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and Urea Cycle Disorder (UCD). In 2019, HepaStem completed a European Phase 2a trial for use in ACLF, which was selected as a breakthrough discovery at the 2019 European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). HepaStem is currently being assessed in a potentially pivotal European Phase 2b trial for use in ACLF. Additionally, Promethera is preparing to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in order to initiate European clinical trials assessing HepaStem's efficacy in Covid-19 associated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

Promethera's other assets include; (1) H2Stem, a next-generation regenerative medicine derived from hepatobiliary mesenchymal progenitor cells, (2) Novotarg, a pre-clinical stage CD95/CD20 bispecific antibody for the treatment of cancer, and (3) Atrosimab, a pre-clinical stage TNF Receptor 1 monovalent antagonist antibody which will be deployed for the treatment of inflammatory disease and liver disease.

About Aceso Life Science Holding Limited
Aceso Life Science Holding Limited is a joint venture company established by Hao Tian Development Group Limited and Co-High Investment Management Company Limited, who hold 51% and 49% of the joint venture equity, respectively. Aceso Life Science's primary business goal is to introduce leading global life science assets to Greater China and Southeast Asia by acquiring intellectual property and undertaking R&D, distribution and commercialisation.



Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Novotech Webinar: Why the Asia-Pacific is Attracting 10,000 Oncology Trials and How Biotechs Can Tap the Region

SYDNEY, Jul 13, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – The leading Asia-Pacific biotech specialist CRO Novotech is again collaborating with the prestigious biotech and pharma news platform Endpoints News. This webinar focusses on how to advance oncology clinical trials in the Asia-Pacific which is currently attracting 10,000 oncology studies (GlobalData).

The webinar will be led by Endpoints News Publisher Arsalan Arif. Participants will include leading experts from the Asia-Pacific region and a US biotech sponsor.

Webinar title: Advancing Oncology Trials in Asia-Pacific
Broadcast time: July 14th 2PM EST
Click to register: https://www2.novotech-cro.com/l/223242/2020-06-30/mttpv

There are currently about 10,000 oncology clinical trials, either ongoing or planned, in Asia-Pacific and about 50% of all industry-sponsored oncology trials in 2019 globally have an Asia-Pacific component (GlobalData).

Meanwhile, the number of industry-sponsored oncology trials initiated in Asia-Pacific has grown by over 10% on average annually between 2017 and 2019 (GlobalData).
Novotech has completed over 200 oncology trials.

According to Novotech:

"A growing number of biotechnology companies are looking at the Asia-Pacific region to run their clinical trials in oncology. While Australia and New Zealand are preferred locations to run early phase trials, sponsors often look at Asia for large late phase clinical studies. Moreover, clinical trials are often the only channel through which patients can get access to new oncology treatments in Asia which ultimately stimulates patient recruitment rates."

The webinar will also cover:
– The latest research and trends of oncology clinical trials globally and in Asia-Pacific
– The reasons why oncology clinical research sites in Asia have been less affected by the COVID-19 crisis than in other regions
– The benefit for biotechnology companies to involve sites in Asia-Pacific for oncology trials
– Feedback from sponsors and investigators

Novotech has teams on the ground in the key Asia-Pacific countries and has just signed its 30th Partnership agreement which is a program with leading medical institutions throughout the Asia-Pacific giving Novotech clients unique access to some of the top researchers, investigators and key opinion leaders.

About Novotech – https://novotech-cro.com

Novotech is internationally recognized as the leading regional full-service contract research organization (CRO) in Asia-Pacific. Novotech has been instrumental in the success of over a thousand Phase I – IV clinical trials for biotechnology companies. Novotech was established in 1996, with offices in 11 locations across the region, and site partnerships with major health institutions.

Novotech provides clinical development services across all clinical trial phases and therapeutic areas including: feasibility assessments; ethics committee and regulatory submissions, data management, statistical analysis, medical monitoring, safety services, central lab services, report write-up to ICH requirements, project and vendor management. Novotech obtained the ISO 27001 certification which is the best-known standard in the ISO family providing requirements for an Information Security Management System. Together with the ISO 9001 Quality Management system, Novotech aims at the highest IT security and quality standards for patients and biotechnology companies.

For RFP enquiries: Please fill out the form available at https://novotech-cro.com/talk-to-an-expert

Media Contact
David James
communications@novotech-cro.com
AU: +61 2 8218 2144
USA: +1 415 951 3228
Asia: +65 3159 3427

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Avance Clinical Wins Frost & Sullivan 2020 Asia-Pacific CRO Market Leadership Award

Adelaide, AUS, Jul 9, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – The leading Australian CRO for biotechs, Avance Clinical, accepted the prestigious Frost & Sullivan 2020 Asia-Pacific CRO Market Leadership Award at a global virtual awards ceremony overnight. This is the first Frost & Sullivan award for the company which has seen rapid growth in the APAC region over the past year.



Avance Clinical CEO Yvonne Lungershausen



According to Frost & Sullivan:

"The Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards have honoured best-in-class companies that have demonstrated excellence in their respective industries. Award recipients were identified based on in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research conducted by Frost & Sullivan analysts and companies are typically studied on their revenues, market share, capabilities, and overall contribution to the industry to identify best practices."

Avance Clinical CEO Yvonne Lungershausen:

Commending her team of more than 100 clinical trial specialists throughout Australia and New Zealand, "We have shown, with our repeat business rate greater than 75%, that our consistent sponsor focussed culture and nimble proactive approach wins every time. This has been recognised by the research team at Frost & Sullivan and the entire Avance Clinical team are very proud.

"Australia, which has successfully managed the COVID-19 crisis, is open for business for clinical trials. This award further reinforces to the biotech community that this is an early phase specialist destination where they can turn around delayed trials. Avance Clinical are experts in facilitating fast study startup with trials typically approved and initiated in under 6 weeks."

Avance Clinical is an Australian owned Contract Research Organisation that has been providing high-quality clinical research services fit for global regulatory standards to the local and international drug development industry for 20 years.

Avance specialises in supporting biotech companies with their early phase clinical trials, having conducted over 150 early phase (Phase 1 and 2) trials in the past 4 years, involving treatment of over 8,300 participants across 95 therapeutic indications.

According to Nidhi Jalali, Analyst Best Practices, Frost & Sullivan:

"Within Asia-Pacific's highly competitive CRO market, Avance Clinical stands out as a leader in early phase biotech clinical trials. Avance's reputation for high-quality clinical trial outcomes has attracted an impressive 74% repeat business rate, underscoring the company's position as a market leader.

Avance Clinical offers a highly responsive and proactive service for biotechs wanting rapid and innovative clinical trial solutions, with the highest level of data compliance. The company has grown quickly over the past year doubling staff numbers, with plans to further expand. Avance Clinical offers a real size match for biotechs, meaning better mission understandings and stronger customer service compared to the larger CROs."

In addition to the impressive COVID-19 management in Australia, a key factor in sponsor demand is the speed, access to high-quality sites and attractive cost of running trials in Australia including:
– The Australian Government financial rebate of up to 43.5% on clinical trial spend
– No IND required for clinical trials and streamlined regulatory processes
– Advanced medical, research and scientific community, leading investigators & KOLs, modern medical facilities

Australia's reputation for FDA compliant scientific and research excellence, its advanced healthcare, and the opportunity to access patients in a less clinical trial competitive environment further reinforces its advantage as a destination for clinical trials.

Learn about running your next study with Avance Clinical: https://www.avancecro.com/.

About the Frost & Sullivan Awards

The Frost & Sullivan 2020 Best Practices Awards have honoured best-in-class companies that have demonstrated excellence in their respective industries. Award recipients were identified based on in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research conducted by Frost & Sullivan analysts and companies are typically studied on their revenues, market share, capabilities, and overall contribution to the industry in order to identify best practices.

With a strong overall performance, Avance Clinical earns the 2020 Asia-Pacific CRO Market Leadership Award. We also recognize that your receipt of this award is the result of many individuals (employees, customers and investors) making daily choices to believe in the organization and contribute in a meaningful way to its future.

About Avance Clinical

Australia's Avance Clinical Pty Ltd has more than 20-years of experience and is now one of Australia's leading Contract Research Organisations. Avance Clinical facilitates quality drug development by aligning people, skills, and expertise in the pursuit of drug development for a healthier world.

Avance Clinical is committed to providing high-quality clinical research services with its highly-experienced team. The collective pool of knowledge and experience at Avance Clinical continually grows through the careful selection of experts who also demonstrate passion in their chosen field.

Avance Clinical offers high-quality services in an established clinical trial ecosystem, that includes world-class Investigators and Sites able to access specialised patient groups. Other benefits include:
1. The Government R&D grant means up to 43.5% rebate on clinical trial spend
2. Telehealth pivot during COVID-19 pandemic – speed and continuity
3. Site Initiation Visit (SIV) and Study Start achieved in 5 – 6 weeks
4. No IND required for clinical trials
5. Full GMP material is not mandated for Phase I clinical trials
6. An established clinical trial environment with world-class Investigators and sites
7. Established healthy subject databases and specialised patient populations
8. Five independent Phase 1 facilities across Australia including hospital-based units for critical care
9. Major hospitals with world-class infrastructures and dedicated Clinical Trial Units with long track records in FDA compliant research
10. Seasonal studies: Northern hemisphere Sponsors can conduct their studies year-round taking advantage of Australia's counter-flu and allergy seasons

Media Contact:
media@avancecro.com
Chris Thompson


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Hua Medicine Announces Positive 24-Week Topline Results of Phase III Metformin Combination Trial of Dorzagliatin

SHANGHAI, CHINA, Jul 1, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Hua Medicine today announced the positive 24-week top-line results from HMM0302, a Phase III registration trial in China of its global first-in-class glucokinase activator dorzagliatin add-on to metformin, a first line oral antidiabetic therapy in Type 2 diabetes. All subjects are treated with metformin (Glucophage) at 1500mg/day as basic therapy throughout the entire 52-week treatment period. These patients are also given either twice-daily doses of dorzagliatin (75mg) or placebo, randomized on a 1:1 ratio. The clinical study evaluates the efficacy and safety of dorzagliatin during 24 weeks of double-blinded treatment, followed by a subsequent 28-week open-label treatment period when all patients will receive dorzagliatin 75mg twice daily. The primary efficacy endpoint is evaluated at the conclusion of the first 24 weeks. The subsequent 28-week treatment period is ongoing.

– Met the primary efficacy and safety endpoints in the double-blinded placebo-controlled and randomized 24-week trial
– Dorzagliatin again demonstrated fast onset, potent and sustained HbA1c reduction of 1.02% from baseline at 24-week, and is superior over placebo treated group by 0.66% with a p-value less than 0.0001, in T2D patients whose blood glucose cannot be controlled with the maximum dose of metformin (1500mg/day).
– High response rate was observed in the treatment group with 44.4% of patients having achieved HbA1c level below 7% at 24-week
– Statistically significant improvements in HbA1c response rate, HOMA2-beta and HOMA2-IR, 2hPPG and FPG, were observed in the dorzagliatin-treated group over the placebo group
– Clinically significant hypoglycemia incidence rate is less than 1% in the 24-week treatment period
– In the 24-week treatment period, dorzagliatin demonstrated a well-tolerated and good safety profile. There was no drug-related SAE, nor severe hypoglycemia reported

In 766 Type 2 diabetes patients whose blood glucose cannot be controlled with the maximum tolerated dose of equal or greater than 1500 mg/day of metformin, dorzagliatin demonstrated fast onset, potent and sustained HbA1c reduction of 1.02% (least squares mean) from baseline at 24-week, as compared to a reduction of 0.36% (least squares mean) from baseline for the placebo group (p-value less than 0.0001, 95% CI between -0.79 to -0.53).

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) treatment target of HbA1c below 7.0%was achieved by 44.4% of subjects on dorzagliatin and metformin, compared to 10.7% of subjects who received metformin only. Patients treated with dorzagliatin demonstrated statistically significant improvement of HOMA2-beta, HOMA2-IR, 2hPPG and FPG over those in the placebo group.

In the 24-week period, dorzagliatin continued to exhibit a safe and well-tolerated clinical profile. There was less than 1% hypoglycemia with blood glucose < 3 mmol/L during the 24-week treatment period. There was no drug-related SAE, nor severe hypoglycemia reported.

"I am very pleased to see dorzagliatin provided very good glycemic control in the metformin-failed Type 2 diabetes patients in China," said Dr. Wenying Yang of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and lead principal investigator of HMM0302 clinical study. "It offers a new solution to many patients whose blood glucose cannot be controlled with maximum tolerated dose of metformin, the first line therapy currently used for T2D treatment worldwide. I am very impressed by the determination and execution of Hua Medicine during the clinical trials, consistent with global standards, which leads to the high quality results in the 24-week period of HMM0302 trial."

"I am very excited to see the success in the HMM0302 clinical study. It will expand dorzagliatin into a very large patient population and help millions of T2D patients who failed in metformin treatment. It further supports our strategy to add dorzagliatin as a cornerstone therapy to current therapies including metformin, and DPP-IV inhibitors or SGLT-2 inhibitors, as well as GLP-1 and insulin. It will immediately expand our drug product pipeline based on the combination therapies," said Dr. Li Chen, CEO of Hua Medicine. "Through repairing the glucose sensor and improving the glucose sensitivity which addressed the underlying cause of T2D, dorzagliatin provides the synergy with existing antidiabetic medicines to better control diabetes. This is the first step to systematically address the heterogenic nature of T2D and provide a solution in personalized diabetes care."

Hua Medicine is planning to file an NDA in China after completing the second stage of the HMM0302 52-week study and developing one or more partnership to commercialize dorzagliatin in China and the rest of the world.

HMM0302 study design
HMM0302 Study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III study in 766 Type 2 diabetes patients inadequately glycemic controlled with metformin. Subjects are treated with metformin (Glucophage) at 1500mg/day as basic therapy throughout the whole 52-week treatment period. Patients are given twice-daily doses of dorzagliatin (75mg) or placebo, randomized on a 1:1 ratio. The clinical study evaluates the efficacy and safety of dorzagliatin during 24 weeks of double-blinded treatment, followed by a subsequent 28-week open-label treatment period receiving dorzagliatin 75mg twice daily. The primary efficacy endpoint is evaluated at the conclusion of the first 24 weeks. The trial is being conducted in 72 clinical sites across China led by Professor Wenying Yang at China-Japan Friendship Hospital. (NCT03141073).

About Dorzagliatin
Dorzagliatin is an investigational first-in-class, dual-acting glucokinase activator, designed to control the progressive degenerative nature of diabetes by restoring glucose homeostasis in patients with Type 2 diabetes. By addressing the defect of the glucose sensor function of glucokinase, dorzagliatin has the potential to restore the impaired glucose homeostasis state of patients with Type 2 diabetes and serve as a first-line standard-of-care therapy for the treatment of the disease, or as a cornerstone therapy when taken in combination with currently approved anti-diabetes drugs.

About Hua Medicine
Hua is a leading, clinical-stage innovative drug development company in China focused on developing novel therapies for the treatment of diabetes. Founded by an experienced group of entrepreneurs and international investment firms, Hua advanced a first-in-class oral drug for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes into NDA-enabling stage and is currently evaluating the therapy in adults with diabetes in two Phase III trials in China and various earlier stage clinical trials in China and the United States. Dorzagliatin has achieved its first primary endpoint in a Phase III monotherapy trial. The Company has initiated product life-cycle management studies of this novel diabetes therapy and advanced its use in personalized diabetes care. Hua Medicine is working closely with disease experts and regulatory agencies in China and across the world to advance diabetes care solutions for patients worldwide.

For more information
Hua Medicine
Website: www.huamedicine.com
Investors
Email: ir@huamedicine.com
Media
Email: pr@huamedicine.com


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Captiva Verde Land Corp Announces Solargram Farms Corporation Receives Health Canada Standard Cultivation Cannabis License for Renauds Mills, New Brunswick

Coquitlam, British Columbia, Jun 30, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Captiva Verde Land Corp. (CSE: PWR) (the "Company") is extremely pleased to announce that Solargram Farms Corporation ("Solargram"), a Canadian controlled private corporation, having corporate offices in Moncton, NB has officially received its Standard Cultivation Cannabis License from Health Canada. The license was issued in accordance with the Canadian Cannabis Act and Cannabis Regulations. 100% of the Solargrams shares are held in an escrow account ready to be transferred to Captiva Verde in exchange for 35 Million Captiva shares subject to a tight pooling agreement, subject to Health Canada approving the application by all the Captiva Verde officers and directors to pass a security clearance and CSE approval.

Under this Health Canada License, Solargram is now authorized at its site location to conduct the activities listed below:

– From its indoor-area special purpose, state of the art Greenhouse facility: cultivation, propagating, testing, harvesting, and selling cannabis,
– From its custom designed, massive outdoor farm grow area: cultivation, propagation, and harvesting cannabis.

It has taken Solargram eighteen (18) months to have achieved this major milestone while recently completing final installation of its New Brunswick 5.6 million square feet grow infrastructure build out located in Renauds Mills, New Brunswick in anticipation of receiving its Standard Cannabis Cultivation License.

The CEO of Captiva Verde Jeff Ciachurski states: "With this exciting news release I declare my intention to purchase 500,000 additional shares of Captive Verde on the open market and as CEO of Greenbriar Capital Corp (which already owns 10.7 million shares of Captiva Verde) declares its intention to seek Toronto Venture Exchange approval to purchase an addition 3 million shares of Captiva Verde on the open market.

Renauds Mills Site Infrastructure Buildout Results

Over the last six months through the best winter and spring conditions in the area in over a decade, the extremely dedicated and focused Solargram team led by Len Wood, Executive Vice President Captiva Verde and Vice President Solargram Farms, and Marc LeBlanc, President Solargram Farms, have amazingly achieved:

– Installation of over 8,000 feet of security perimeter fencing over approximately 50 acres,
– Implementation of one of Canada's top robust, lowest-cost outdoor farm grown cannabis cultivation facilities having significant, highly cost efficient, infrastructure assets,
– Purchasing and integrating an approximate 130 land acres package together with an onsite six million gallon water holding pond as well as high capacity water wells to self-serve our planned cannabis outdoor grow farm,
– Purchasing, renovating, and repurposing three onsite buildings totalling over 36,000 square feet, allowing for vertically integrated seed-to-sale, onsite propagating mothers and clones, de-bucking, milling, drying, and extraction operation capabilities for 2020 and beyond. Outdoor farm cannabis crop planting now underway to produce an expected year one 10,000+ kg's of dried cannabis over 25 acres (1,100,000 square feet) with combination hoop house crop coverage including specific designed additional micro climate grow areas to achieve for increased crop protection and maximization of cannabis grow cultivation yield.
– Site infrastructure buildout was fully funded, completed on time, and was completed 65% under original capital budget. We remain completely debt free, and are now funded for our 2020 grow season.

Len Wood states, "Marc and I wish to congratulate all of our team members for their immense effort and dedication in aiding Solargram to achieve this amazing Health Canada licensing milestone. We have truly created an operation that is built for success based on sound business practices including fiscal responsibility as well as planned positive sustainable operating cash-flows, which is a real business. We wish to thank all of our loyal stakeholders that have continued to support our vision while understanding our mission to create a unique Canadian Licenced Producer cannabis market leader that will show and demonstrate the business model required to produce sustainable positive annual cash flow profits, while providing enhanced returns for our shareholders."

Captiva Verde is proud that the company has now positioned Solargram's world class team of experienced operators and growers with a financially debt-free, fully developed set of land assets, growing assets, buildings, proprietary IP and technological expertise to successfully run and operate significantly planned, vertically integrated, cannabis outdoor grow farm land acreages at a planned and budgeted ultra-low sub $0.25 production grow cost per gram. Outdoor grow is a major market disruptor and differentiator and this will allow Solargram to sell its planned high cannabinoid full spectrum cannabis oil products at prices that are significantly below its competitors cost of production as well as below black market pricing. Outdoor is a game changer and will allow our company to become an effective leader in this market.

Solargram has a five year planned outdoor farm grown production capacity in excess of 130 farm acres at the Renaud Mills New Brunswick outdoor grow site alone representing over 65,000 kg's of dried cannabis targeted for end product full spectrum cannabis oil (THC, THCV, CBD, CBG, CBD-THC) concentrate for export as well as for end product, best in class unique cannabis and edible products.

According to The Guardian less than 10% of Canada's current legal cannabis products are derived from outdoor operations. Sun grown outdoor plants have the lowest cost with consistent high yields and potency, providing consumers with an opportunity to choose from a selection of natural and healthier products than what the market currently offers. Publicly released results from three (3) Canadian outdoor licensed grow facilities in 2019 reported cash costs of between eight (8) cents to twenty-four (24) cents per gram. The new successful companies like Solargram, can provide both a superior product and a price point, inclusive of taxes, that is well below the black market rates, which the latter currently outperforms the legal market at a rate of more than three to one.

Solargram embraces the experiences of long time growing veterans, scientist and proven business leaders whose collective experience together, puts cannabis where its intention is most valued, to the trusted consumer. Cannabis is an evolutionary business within a revolutionary change of politics. The torch is being handed back to veteran growers, scientist and proven business leaders who understand the original intent of legalization, which is to have the lowest cost, first in class products available to everyone.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
"Jeff Ciachurski"
Jeffrey Ciachurski
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Cell: (949) 903-5906
E-mail: westernwind@shaw.ca

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Mounting Allegations at Prolacta Biosciences

LOS ANGELES, CA., Jun 26, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Moms on Watch, a watchdog group dedicated to making mother's milk safe, affordable, and accessible is urging the board of Prolacta Biosciences Inc. to immediately engage an independent investigator to assess the mounting number of disturbing claims made about Prolacta's management and its business practices.

This demand comes after the most recent allegation was brought to light in the form of a lawsuit by former employees alleging they suffered preventable injuries after being forced to carry large bags in cold temperatures without sufficient protective equipment.

This latest lawsuit joins a slew of other controversies at Prolacta which has led many Moms on Watch members to highly doubt if large venture backed pharmaceutical companies should be in the business of selling mother's milk, which the group contends should be affordable and accessible.

Some of the other allegations include:

1. A lawsuit (LA Superior Court Docket 19STCV37738) filed in October of 2019 by a former Director of Human Resources, Jacqueline Roeder, points to a systemic culture of racist, sexist and homophobic comments. These include allegations that VP of Operations made fun of an employee for being a lesbian and, together with CEO Scott Elster, declined to hire a candidate due to his sexual orientation. The lawsuit also cites pay disparities between male and female employees and a culture of inappropriate remarks by top executives.

2. The lawsuit from that same former HR Director also alleges an even more disturbing and potentially fraudulent practice of using milk donors' DNA for research without their authorization. These allegations, if true, potentially amount to fraud.

3. Prolacta is currently in late stage litigation with a small Oregon based milk bank called Ni-Q LLC based on allegations that Prolacta fraudulently obtained bogus patents (US District Court of Oregon, Case No. 3:17-cv-934-SI).

4. Some of the reviews on job site Glassdoor again point to disturbing comments made by executives and a toxic good ol boy network where friends of Scott Elster are promoted over more qualified candidates. Accounts of inappropriate comments aren't even limited to Glassdoor. One former employee recalls Scott Elster telling her that her "pregnant belly was disgusting" and that she shouldn't have another baby.

5. Prolacta has sued Medolac, a Public Benefit corporation, in a case legal observers have called frivolous and predatory. This case appears like an attempt for Prolacta to silence competition and bury a smaller competitor in legal fees.

Moms on Watch had the following statement on the matter:

"Mother's Milk is essential for the proper development of preterm infants which means it is critical that companies providing mother's milk act as good citizens to make sure it reaches everyone who needs it, not just those who can afford it. Scott Elster and Mark Hannon are not taking this critical mission seriously when there are allegations of mistreatment of workers and crude comments by executives. Moreover, it is critical to acknowledge the systemic issues including allegations of misusing donors' DNA – a serious breach of trust, and discriminating against women at a company providing MOTHERS milk. Prolacta seems to embody everything people find most troubling about Big Pharma."

Moms on Watch called on Prolacta board members and top investors to immediately order an independent investigation and clean house if needed.

"David Brailer, Dan Janney, Braden Kelly, Martin Sutter, Andy Funk, Frank Foster and Tiffany Foster, Bill Draper and the rest of the board are ultimately responsible for the company and its actions. It is not acceptable for board members to claim this isn't their job – these mounting allegations call for decisive action. No more finger pointing, no more dodging responsibility. Bring in an independent investigation now or you will be seen like the rubber stamp boards that ok-ed the illicit conduct of other dubious names in this industry like Elizabeth Holmes and Martin Shkreli."

Contact Information:
Ciera Jefferson
Email: MomsonWatch2020@gmail.com
https://www.momsonwatch.org/
Phone: 310 862-2377

This news release was issued through EmailWire – the global newswire with press release distribution services: http://www.emailwire.com.


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Impact Biomedical Achieves COVID-19 Success with Equivir and 3F Biofragrance

SINGAPORE, Jun 24, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Singapore eDevelopment Limited's (SeD; SGX:40V) wholly owned subsidiary Impact Biomedical Inc. has announced proven in vitro success with Equivir and 3F Biofragrance against COVID-19 in independent laboratory testing. Impact Biomedical and Global Research and Discovery Group Sciences (GRDG), in the advanced Biosafety Level 3 containment facilities of an independent laboratory, challenged the compounds with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Equivir proved successful as a treatment, as well as a prophylactic protecting the cells from infection by the virus. Currently, there are no COVID-19 prophylactics.

3F Biofragrance proved successful as a surface disinfectant, killing the virus in concentrations as low as 1/5000 after 15 seconds. These in vitro results confirm the predictions of advanced computational molecular docking in which Equivir and Linebacker bind with a high affinity to the COVID-19 helicase and protease. Equivir and Linebacker also caused transformational change in the host ACE-2 receptor, interfering with the virus' ability to interact and infect the host cell. The binding affinity of components of 3F Biofragrance were also observed during molecular docking.

Equivir is designed and patented as a prophylactic to be deployed in a manner similar to a vitamin. It works by impeding virulence while also blocking multiple methods used by viruses to infect and replicate in host cells. Equivir treats and protects against diseases caused by not only SARS-CoV-2 but also other dangerous pathogens. Equivir has broad antiviral efficacy against multiple types of Influenza, Rhinovirus, Cholera, Ebola, and COVID-19.

Linebacker was created to shadow the Panacea Project, a US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program to provide novel, multi-target therapeutics for unmet physiological needs. Linebacker is under continuing research against COVID-19 as it showed efficacy against SARS and MERS in previous laboratory testing. Linebacker is a patented universal therapeutic medication with demonstrated effectiveness in neurological diseases including Parkinson's, many types of cancer, and multiple pathogens such as MRSA, E. coli, Cholera, A. baumannii, Influenza, SARS, MERS, Malaria, and Ebola.

3F Biofragrance was designed for the Open Air Defense Initiative, a strategy to protect large numbers of people where they gather such as containment areas, ports of entry, train stations, airports, convention centers, offices, schools, and hospitals. 3F Biofragrance technology also provides protection against mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika, Malaria and Dengue fever and is 10-fold more effective than DEET. 3F Antiviral Biofragrance is effective against E. coli, MRSA, Influenza, Rhinovirus, Tuberculosis, and COVID-19.

3F Biofragrance was developed in collaboration with Chemia Corporation (Chemia), world-renowned for the development of fragrances and flavors for personal, household, and industrial applications. The combination of GRDG's advanced scientific research and Chemia's expert formulation and global production infrastructure make this patent pending technology powerful and effective in protecting people from deadly pathogens and insects. "Chemia is proud to partner with GRDG to pioneer functional fragrances to not only enrich peoples' lives, but save them as well," said Thomas A. Meyer, Vice-President of Innovation and Sustainability at Chemia.

GRDG's Chief Scientific Advisor is Dr. Roscoe M. Moore, Jr., the former United States Assistant Surgeon General and former Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC. Dr. Moore said, "GRDG's novel strategy of attacking diseases in multiple different ways is the future of effective pandemic response."

GRDG's Chief Strategy Advisor is Lieutenant Colonel William H. Lyerly Jr., retired Career Senior Executive/Scientific Professional from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and retired U.S. Army Medical Service Corps Officer. Lieutenant Colonel Lyerly also served as a senior official in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Executive Office of the President (White House). Lieutenant Colonel Lyerly said, "The validation of these solutions demonstrates GRDG's skill in providing comprehensive solutions to global health threats."

Daryl Thompson, Director of Scientific Initiatives and founder of GRDG said, "I am happy to see that the 3F and Equivir biological countermeasures are performing as expected in independent efficacy testing. These positive results against the SARS-COV-2 virus now allow us to expeditiously move Equivir to clinical trials which we expect to be completed within the year. The 3F technology is ready for deployment in consumer products now."

Impact Biomedical's technology solutions have been developed in strategic partnership with GRDG. Mr. Chan Heng Fai. "I am greatly encouraged by the results and the team's contribution to this cause. We hope this will eventually prove to be beneficial for everyone, and we look forward to further exciting discoveries," said Mr. Chan.

GRDG is actively engaging with large global corporations to position the technologies for rapid integration into multiple distribution routes, to deploy these life-saving solutions worldwide. The intention in regards to the COVID-19 situation is to establish strong novel research data which can be further developed and licensed to a major pharmaceutical company for integration and eventual deployment as treatment for diseases. Shareholders and potential investors in SeD are advised to read this Press Release and any further announcements made by SeD carefully.

Shareholders and potential investors of SeD are advised to refrain from taking any action with respect to their securities in SeD which may be prejudicial to their interests, and to exercise caution when dealing in the securities of SeD. Shareholders and potential investors of SeD should consult their stockbrokers, bank managers, solicitors or other professional advisers if they have any doubt about the actions they should take.

About Singapore eDevelopment Limited
Incorporated on 9 September 2009 and listed on the Singapore Exchange in July 2010, Singapore eDevelopment Limited is involved in (i) property development and investments primarily in the United States and Western Australia; (ii) information technology-related businesses; (iii) development, research, testing, manufacturing, licensing and distribution of biomedical products; and (iv) investment activities. For more information, please visit: www.SeD.com.sg or email contact@sed.com.sg.

About Impact BioMedical, Inc.
Impact BioMedical, Inc. ("Impact BioMedical") is a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of Global BioMedical Pte. Ltd., which in turn is a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of Singapore eDevelopment Limited, a company listed on the Singapore Exchange.

Impact BioMedical strives to leverage its scientific know-how and intellectual property rights to provide solutions that have been plaguing the biomedical field for decades. By tapping into the scientific expertise of GRDG Sciences, LLC. and Australian Exchange-listed Holista CollTech Limited, Impact BioMedical pledges to undertake a concerted effort in the R&D, drug discovery and development for the prevention, inhibition, and treatment of neurological, oncological and immuno related diseases.

About GRDG Sciences, LLC.
GRDG Sciences, LLC is an advanced research team formed in Florida by natural products discovery drug research scientist, Daryl Thompson. For more information, please visit: http://www.globalrdg.com.


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Launch of EIU report showing lack of integrated follow up care can increase risk of subsequent heart attack or stroke in APAC economies

HONG KONG, Jun 23, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Rehabilitation services designed to keep patients well and prevent their hospital readmission is key to reducing the incidence and cost of recurring (secondary) heart attacks or strokes (2). However, these services across the region remain underdeveloped (1).





This is according to a white paper "The cost of inaction: Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Asia-Pacific", released today by leading public policy commentator The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and sponsored by Amgen. (https://tinyurl.com/y8xwmu4w).

The report included a Scorecard which assessed the policy response to cardiovascular disease (CVD) across eight Asia-Pacific markets, including Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. It follows the 2018 EIU report, "The cost of silence: Cardiovascular disease in Asia", which examined the prevalence and costs of the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVD across the same eight markets.

An estimated 80% of CVD, including heart disease and stroke, is preventable (3]. For example, lowering
LDL-C ('bad' cholesterol) reduces cardiovascular events (4), yet patients in Asia-Pacific are routinely not meeting guideline-defined LDL-C goals (5-8), due to lack of medication adherence (5).

Due to the high risk of recurrence of heart attacks and stroke (9), the two deadliest forms of CVD (10), secondary prevention through quality follow up care once patients leave hospital, is important to help to minimize the CVD economic burden (11).

"Patients who have experienced a heart attack or stroke carry a 30% higher risk of another event over the ensuing four year (9). Furthermore, two in three stroke survivors experience disabilities, such as paralysis or loss of vision (12). As a result, survivors may be unable to work or study, and may require the support of family members. This can pull family caregivers away from employment, training or education. As such, CVD-related disability can disrupt households and threaten family stability (13)," said Mr. Vernon Kang, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Heart Foundation. "CVD already accounts for approximately 18 million deaths each year worldwide (10). The findings from 'The cost of inaction: Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Asia-Pacific' confirms more can be done to ensure patients are supported to comply with their treatment and rehabilitation needs, and to reduce their risk of secondary disease, for which they are at high risk (4,5,14)."

Key findings from the report include (1):
– Heart attacks are rising among younger people across the Asia-Pacific markets examined.
– Heart disease is costing the Asia-Pacific markets USD 46.3 billion (estimated across Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand).
– CVD policies do exist in some form in all economies studied, however there is substantial room for improvement.
– Policies on modifiable risk factors exist, but the success of translating these into legislation and action, along with measuring impact, remains to be defined.
– Only one market (Australia) has implemented a comprehensive secondary prevention of CVD public health awareness campaign.
– Clinical practice guidelines for CVD secondary prevention, heart attack and stroke, vary substantially across economies.
– Government audits are lacking. Only two study economies have any form of audit in place.
– Integrated primary care systems are still emerging in many Asian economies, and in many cases, patient uptake of services remains low.

"Empowering patients through education and awareness may help to overcome the various barriers to attendance at, and participation in, cardiac rehabilitation across the region. Cardiac rehabilitation involves multidisciplinary CVD management plans combining exercise, education and behaviour modification. Although they have been shown to significantly improve patient outcomes (15,16), the white paper revealed participation rates across Asia-Pacific were as low as 6% in some economies," Mr Kang said.

Commenting on the findings, Amgen Vice President and regional General Manager, Penny Wan, said now more than ever, avoiding re-hospitalization from Cardiovascular disease, was imperative. "In many countries, good emergency care stops people dying from a heart attack or stroke. However, these patients are at higher risk of having another attack, which is compounded by lack of follow-up care, making future events more difficult to manage."

"Amgen is committed to working as part of a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach to shift healthcare models from 'Break It Fix It', to one that seeks to 'Predict and Prevent' to support patients and health care systems to become more resilient to health care shocks such as a pandemic," Ms. Wan said.

The Economist Intelligence Unit managing editor, Thought Leadership, Asia, Mr. Jesse Quigley Jones said "The cost of inaction: Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Asia-Pacific" white paper found that despite the availability of effective interventions and proven care models for CVD, these were inconsistently implemented across the eight economies studied. "For instance, although each had policies for controlling CVD risk factors, such as obesity and tobacco use, few make explicit provision for preventing recurrent cardiovascular events. Furthermore, lack of government audits against quality care standards and poor compatibility of electronic health and medical records, makes it difficult to track the application of guidelines, referral to rehabilitation services, treatment adherence and outcomes."

"Healthcare systems that integrate patient-centric intervention, education and empowerment, such as electronic reminders and health records, may help to increase adherence, and subsequently improve overall patient outcomes," Mr Quigley Jones said.

Available for interview
– Ms Penny Wan, Amgen Regional Vice-President and General Manager, JAPAC, HONG KONG
– Jesse Quigley Jones, The Economist Intelligence Unit, Managing Editor, Thought Leadership, Asia, HONG KONG
– Dr. Chan Ngai-Yin, President, Hong Kong College of Cardiology, HONG KONG
– Dr Saikiran Leekha, Amgen Regional Medical Director, JAPAC, HONG KONG
– Prof. Carolyn Lam, Senior Consultant, National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), Professor of Duke-NUS Cardiovascular Academic Clinical Programme, SINGAPORE
– Mr Vernon Kang, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Heart Foundation, SINGAPORE
– Edwin, 29, financial adviser & former hip-hop dancer who survived a heart attack last year, SINGAPORE

Media contacts:
Kirsten Bruce and Julia Slater, VIVA! Communications, AUSTRALIA
+61 401 717 566 / +61 422 074 354
kirstenbruce@vivacommunications.com.au / julia@vivacommunications.com.au

Eleanor Ng, Amgen, JAPAC, HONG KONG
+852 9469 3000 / eng03@amgen.com

About cardiovascular disease (CVD)
As the world's leading cause of premature death (10,17) CVD claims the lives of 26,000 people a day in Asia alone (18). In fact, Asia currently bears half the global CVD burden (19) as the world's fastest ageing region (20,21). The elderly are on track to cost the region* an estimated USD 20 trillion in healthcare expenses between 2015 and 2030 (20). Based on findings of the GBD Study 2016, ischemic heart disease and stroke are forecast to be the top two causes of early death in 2040, not only on a global basis, but also for the regions of East Asia and Southeast Asia. The rising incidence and CVD-related cost-of-illness will challenge the sustainability of health and financial systems worldwide. Therefore, health systems will need to apply primary and secondary prevention strategies to reduce healthcare costs, increase economic productivity, and improve quality of life.
* Includes the 14 economies of Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

About the research
The Amgen-sponsored "The Cost of Inaction: Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Asia-Pacific" is an Economist Intelligence Unit and EIU Healthcare report. The report describes the EIU Healthcare-created Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Asia-Pacific Scorecard findings, together with 11 in-depth interviews featuring global CVD experts. The scorecard was developed to assess the burden and health system response to secondary cardiovascular events in eight Asia-Pacific economies: Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. The report follows the 2018 EIU report, "The Cost of Silence: Cardiovascular disease in Asia", which examined the prevalence and costs arising from the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVDs across the same eight economies.

About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics, to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world, and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential. For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

References
1. Economist Intelligence Unit, "The cost of inaction: Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Asia-Pacific" 2020. https://tinyurl.com/y8xwmu4w.
2. Secondary prevention and rehabilitation after coronary events or stroke: a review of monitoring issues. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Editor. 2003, AIHW Cat. No. CVD 25: Canberra.
3. American Heart Association. CDC Prevention Programs. 2018 February 2020; Available from: https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/advocate/federal-priorities/ cdc-prevention-programs.
4. Chan, M.Y., et al., Acute coronary syndrome in the Asia-Pacific region. Int J Cardiol, 2016. 202: p. 861-9.
5. Poh, K.K., et al., Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol target attainment in patients with stable or acute coronary heart disease in the Asia-Pacific region: results from the Dyslipidemia International Study II. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 2018. 25(18): p. 1950-1963.
6. Mach, F., et al., 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias: lipid modification to reduce cardiovascular risk. Eur Heart J, 2020. 41(1): p. 111-188.
7. Kim, H.S., et al., Current status of cholesterol goal attainment after statin therapy among patients with hypercholesterolemia in Asian countries and region: the Return on Expenditure Achieved for Lipid Therapy in Asia (REALITY-Asia) study. Curr Med Res Opin, 2008. 24(7): p. 1951-63.
8. Park, J.E., et al., Lipid-lowering treatment in hypercholesterolaemic patients: the CEPHEUS Pan-Asian survey. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 2012. 19(4): p. 781-94.
9. Bhatt, D.L., et al., Comparative Determinants of 4-Year Cardiovascular Event Rates in Stable Outpatients at Risk of or With Atherothrombosis. JAMA, 2010. 304(12): p. 1350-1357.
10. G. B. D. Causes of Death Collaborators, Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet, 2018. 392(10159): p. 1736-1788.
11. Notara, V., D.B. Panagiotakos, and C.E. Pitsavos, Secondary prevention of acute coronary syndrome. Socio-economic and lifestyle determinants: a literature review. Cent Eur J Public Health, 2014. 22(3): p. 175-82.
12. Deloitte Access Economics, The economic impact of stroke in Australia. 2013, National Stroke Foundation.
13. Harikrishnan, S., et al., A race against time: The Challenge of Cardiovascular Diseases in Developing Economies. Centre for Chronic Disease Control, 2014.
14. Yusuf, S., et al., Cardiovascular risk and events in 17 low-, middle-, and high-income countries. N Engl J Med, 2014. 371(9): p. 818-27.
15. Piepoli, M.F., et al., Challenges in secondary prevention after acute myocardial infarction: A call for action. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 2016. 23(18): p. 1994-2006.
16. Briffa, T.G., et al., An integrated and coordinated approach to preventing recurrent coronary heart disease events in Australia. 2009. 190(12): p. 683-686.
17. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. 2018: Seattle.
18. Roth, G.A., et al., Global, Regional, and National Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases for 10 Causes, 1990 to 2015. J Am Coll Cardiol, 2017. 70(1): p. 1-25.
19. Ohira, T. and H. Iso, Cardiovascular disease epidemiology in Asia: an overview. Circ J, 2013. 77(7): p. 1646-52.
20. Asia Pacific Risk Centre, Advancing into the Golden Years: Cost of Healthcare for Asia Pacific's Elderly. 2016.
21. Deloitte, Voice of Asia. 2017: p. 25.


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

GFI APAC announces the “2020 Asia Alt 100” Industry Disruptors in Alternative Protein

HONG KONG, Jun 22, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – The Good Food Institute Asia-Pacific (GFI APAC) today reveals the "2020 Asia Alt 100" organizations, together with a list of major investors identified as the driving forces for Asia's rapidly growing alternative protein industry. The raw materials and food production segments present significant opportunities, especially for regional industry players, according to GFI APAC's analysis.



GFI APAC Elaine Siu



The inaugural "Asia Alt 100" list published by GFI APAC identifies the 100 top players in Asia's alternative protein industry, from five building block segments, namely raw materials and ingredients, food production, research and development, corporate partnership, to end products. The research covers players in major markets in Asia including mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and South Korea. (Please see the full list in Appendix I)

Investment in alternative protein has been a major trend in the food industry worldwide in recent years. While alternative protein may still be in its infancy stage in Asia, compared to more mature markets such as the U.S. where plant-based retail sales already reached US$5 billion in value , there are unique opportunities in the growing Asia market to be captured, and both corporates and start-ups are clearly keen to compete for a share in this growing segment. Out of the "2020 Asia Alt 100", over half (57%) are corporates, 29% are start-ups, while the remaining 14% are academic institutions.

"Coming from a background of very vibrant and diversified food cultures, Asian consumers have a discerning palate and demand for a great variety when it comes to food. For alternative protein to truly become a protein solution for Asia, the industry needs to move beyond importing technologies and brands from Silicon Valley. We need homegrown players who understand and can cater to the local markets' taste," says Elaine Siu, Managing Director of GFI Asia Pacific.

"We have already seen local innovators and companies starting to emerge in the past year with huge potential to lead the future growth of this sector. With the Asia Alt 100, we have identified the ones we see as the top disruptors in the industry which have demonstrated that they are seriously committed to, and invested into, growing the alternative protein industry."

The Asia Alt 100 is presented in GFI APAC's Asia Alternative Protein Industry Map, which shows who these key players are and how they work together, alongside a list of 35 key investors in the field. Investors are another very important building block propelling the developments of alternative protein in Asia. They come from around and outside of Asia, including Singapore (10), Hong Kong (6), Japan (5), mainland China (4), South Korea (1), other southeast Asian countries (2) and outside of Asia (7). Twenty-eight out of the 35 investors identified are venture capital firms, while the remaining seven are accelerators. (Please refer to Appendix II for the full list of investors).

According to Siu, "While major consumer brands and retailers launching the 'next plant-based burger' have been getting the spotlights, as the industry matures, we have seen investors showing increasing interests in raw materials and ingredients suppliers and B2B companies." Both raw materials and production are integral parts of the alternative protein value chain, but the market is only just catching up on discovering the opportunities that lie in the upper stream. For example, currently Asian countries such as China and Indonesia are heavily growing plant-based protein's raw materials such as soybean and peas, while approximately 50% of the global supply of soy protein is being processed in mainland China, mainly in the Shandong and Henan regions.

Currently, about half (58%) of the raw material and ingredient suppliers in the 2020 Asia Alt 100 list are originated in Asia. If more homegrown players from Asia will enter the market to leverage the proximity to raw materials and processing capabilities, the industry as a whole can potentially bring down production costs to make alternative protein more affordable to Asian consumers and accelerate the development of the alternative protein sector in Asia.

Siu concludes: "We are currently at an exciting phase of accelerating growth in the alternative protein in Asia. It is expected that more and more Asian companies will enter the industry as the local players start to realize the competitive advantage they have in growing raw materials, processing ingredients, local distribution network, supply chain infrastructure, and of course, in creating products that are tailored to the variety of Asian palate and culture."

Note:
The team at GFI APAC is in a unique position to have their finger to the pulse of the industry. Day in day out the team is consulted by startups (in many cases even before they formed their founding team), corporates, investors, scientists, and policymakers, free of charge. Being privy to and trusted with invaluable information, the GFI APAC team has the inside track to identify the top players that have demonstrated that they are seriously committed to, and invested into, growing the alternative protein industry, and deserve a place in the "Asia Alt 100" list.

Details of the scope of this study are as follows:

– Regions
Included: Major markets in Asia e.g. Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea.
Excluded: India

– Businesses
Included: Raw materials and ingredients, food production, research and development, and corporate partners. In line with our goal to increase transparency and awareness of the makers in the supply chain.
Excluded: Retailers and food service providers.

– Local Presence
Included: Companies incorporated in Asia, and companies incorporated outside of Asia but have built a local presence or otherwise invested significantly in Asia.
Excluded: Companies incorporated outside of Asia and without a local presence or significant investment in Asia, notwithstanding that their products may be available in Asia via distributors.

Mapping the Industry

This year, GFI APAC presents the 2020 Asia Alt 100 alongside 35 investors on the Asia Alternative Protein Industry Map to showcase not only the who's who of this sector but how they work together. Please view the full map at the following link: http://www.gfi-apac.org/asia-alt-100/

About The Good Food Institute (GFI)

The Good Food Institute is an international non-profit building a sustainable, healthy, and just global food system. With unique insight across the scientific, regulatory, industry, and investment landscape, we are accelerating the transition of the world's food system to alternative proteins using the power of food innovation and markets. For more information, please go to: http://www.gfi-apac.org/

Media Contact
Viola Chen
Direct: +852 5426 0552
Email: violac@gfi.org

Investor Contact
Elaine Siu
Direct: +852 9872 1690
Email: elaines@gfi.org

Appendix I: 2020 Asia Alt 100 – Full List (by alphabetical order)

1. AAK https://www.aak.com/
2. ADM https://www.adm.com/
3. Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) https://www.a-star.edu.sg/
4. Avant Meats http://www.avantmeats.com/
5. Avebe https://www.avebe.com/
6. Awano Food Group http://awanofood.com/
7. Axiom Foods http://axiomfoods.com/#
8. Baicaowei https://www.vipbcw.com/
9. Beijing Technology & Business University http://english.btbu.edu.cn/
10. Betagro Group http://www.betagro.com/intro
11. Beyond Meat https://www.beyondmeat.com/
12. Buhler https://www.buhlergroup.com/content/buhlergroup/global/en/homepage.html
13. Calysta http://calysta.com/
14. Cargill https://www.cargill.com/
15. Cellivate Technologies https://www.cellivate.xyz/
16. Charoen Pokphand Foods https://www.cpfworldwide.com/en/home
17. DAIZ https://www.daiz.inc/
18. Danisco (China) Investment https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/ACHDOZ:CH
19. DSM https://www.dsm.com/corporate/home.html
20. Duoning Biotech https://www.duoningbio.net/
21. DuPont https://www.dupont.com/
22. Fuji Oil https://www.fujioil.co.jp/en/index.html
23. Givaudan https://www.givaudan.com/
24. Glico Nutrition https://www.glico.com/nutrition/en/
25. Growthwell Group http://growthwellfoods.com/
26. Hey Maet http://heymaet.com/
27. Hongchang Biotech (Suzhou) http://en.hongchangfood.cn/
28. Impossible Foods https://impossiblefoods.com/
29. Ingredion https://www.ingredion.com/
30. Integriculture https://integriculture.jp/?locale=en
31. Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) https://www.jst.go.jp/EN/
32. Jiangnan University http://english.jiangnan.edu.cn/
33. Jinnong http://www.jinnongbio.com/html/en/
34. Jinzi Ham https://www.reuters.com/companies/002515.SZ
35. JUST https://www.ju.st/en-us
36. Kagoshima University https://www.kagoshima-u.ac.jp/en/
37. Karana https://eatkarana.com/
38. Kerry https://www.kerrygroup.com/
39. KosmodeHealth https://kosmodehealth.com/
40. Lesaffre https://www.lesaffre.com/
41. Let's Plant Meat https://www.letsplantmeat.co/
42. Life 3 Biotech https://www.life3.co/
43. Loma Linda https://atlanticnaturalfoods.com/loma-linda/
44. Marvelous Foods https://marvelousfoods.com/
45. Mitsui Co https://www.mitsui.com/jp/en/index.html
46. Monde Nissin https://www.mondenissin.com/
47. Nanjing Agricultural University http://english.njau.edu.cn/
48. Nanjing Zhouzi Future Food http://www.js.xinhuanet.com/2020-01/22/c_1125492974.htm
49. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) https://www.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/home.aspx
50. National University of Singapore (NUS) http://www.nus.edu.sg/
51. Nestle https://www.nestle.com/
52. NH Foods https://www.nipponham.co.jp/eng/
53. Ningbo Sulian Food https://tinyurl.com/yavte3nz
54. Nishimoto Co. https://www.wismettac.com/en/index.html
55. Nissin Foods https://www.nissin.com/en_jp/
56. Omni Foods https://omnipork.co/
57. Otsuka Food https://www.otsuka.com/en/rd/consumer/
58. Pepsico https://www.pepsico.com/
59. PFI Foods http://www.pfifoods.com/
60. Phuture Foods http://phuturemeat.com/
61. Phyto Corporation https://www.phytoco.com/
62. Pulmuone https://www.pulmuonefoodsusa.com/
63. Quorn https://www.quorn.co.uk/about-quorn/protein
64. Robobank https://www.rabobank.com/en/home/index.html?languageDoesNotExists=zh
65. Roquette https://www.roquette.com/
66. Shanxi Nutranovo http://www.nutranovo.com/
67. Shinshu University https://www.shinshu-u.ac.jp/english/
68. Shiok Meats https://shiokmeats.com/
69. Shuangta Food http://en.shuangtafood.com/
70. SiCell https://tinyurl.com/y7wav6nj
71. Sophie's BioNutrients https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugene-wang-2957b86/
72. South China University of Technology https://www.scut.edu.cn/en/
73. SPC Samlip http://www.spc.co.kr/spc/eng/group/GF_samlip.spc
74. Starfield https://www.starfieldcn.com/
75. Sumitomo Corporation https://www.sumitomocorp.com/en/jp
76. Supersun http://supersunvegefood.lk/
77. Tereos https://tereos.com/en/#
78. TerViva https://www.terviva.com/
79. The Chinese University of Hong Kong https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/english/index.html
80. The PlantEat https://theplanteat.github.io/
81. Tianjin Norland http://www.norlandbiotech.com/
82. Tokyo Medical and Dental University http://www.tmd.ac.jp/english/
83. Tokyo Women's Medical University http://www.twmu.ac.jp/english/
84. Toriyama Chikusan Shokuhin https://umami-wagyu.com/
85. Triton Algae Innovation https://www.tritonai.com/
86. Tupac.Bio https://tupac.bio/index.html
87. Turtletree Labs https://turtletreelabs.com/
88. UCDI https://www.co2.co.jp/english/
89. University of Tokyo https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/
90. Unlimeat https://tinyurl.com/yap9cygn
91. Veego https://tinyurl.com/ycz8f6ody
92. Vegetari Healthy Bites https://www.vegetari.ph/
93. Vesta http://www.vestafoodlab.com/
94. Whole Perfect Food / Qishan http://www.qishanfoods.com/index.html
95. Wilmar International https://www.wilmar-international.com/
96. Worth The Health Foods https://www.wthfoods.ph/
97. Z-Rou http://www.z-roumeat.com/
98. Zero Meat https://zeromeat.jp/
99. Zhen Meat https://zhenmeat.com/en
100. Zikooin https://zikooin-market.com/

Appendix II: Key investors – Full List (by region)

1. Brinc Hong Kong https://www.brinc.io/
2. Green Monday Ventures Hong Kong https://greenmonday.org/en/ventures/
3. Horizons Ventures Hong Kong https://www.horizonsventures.com/
4. Lever VC Hong Kong https://www.levervc.com/
5. Vectr Ventures Hong Kong https://vectr.co/
6. VU Venture Partners Hong Kong https://www.vuventurepartners.com/
7. Bits X Bites. Mainland China http://www.bitsxbites.com/
8. Dao Foods Mainland China https://www.daofoods.com/
9. Joy Capital Mainland China http://www.joycapital.com.cn/en
10. Matrix Partners China Mainland China https://www.matrixpartners.com/
11. Beyond Next Ventures Japan http://beyondnextventures.com/en/
12. Glocalink Japan https://en.glocalink.com/
13. Hiroshima Venture Capital Japan https://www.h-vc.co.jp/
14. RealTech Fund Japan https://www.realtech.fund/en/
15. Yakumi Investment Japan https://www.yakumi.co/
16. Big Idea Ventures Singapore https://bigideaventures.com/
17. DSG Consumer Partners Singapore https://dsgcp.com/
18. Germi8 Singapore https://www.germi8.com/
19. GROW Singapore https://www.gogrow.co/
20. Hatch Singapore https://www.hatch.blue/
21. ID Capital Singapore https://www.idcapital.com.sg/
22. Innovate 360 Singapore http://innovate360.sg/
23. Makana Ventures Singapore https://www.makanaventures.com/
24. Temasek Singapore https://www.temasek.com.sg/en/index
25. VisVires New Protein Singapore https://www.visviresnewprotein.com/
26. Mirae Asset Global Investments South Korea https://www.am.miraeasset.com/
27. Space-F Other SEA https://www.space-f.co/
28. Thai Union Other SEA https://www.thaiunion.com/en/home
29. Agfunder Out of Asia https://agfunder.com/
30. Artesian Capital Out of Asia https://www.artesianinvest.com/overview-vc
31. Blue Horizon Out of Asia https://www.bluehorizon.com/
32. New Crop Capital (NCC) Out of Asia https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-crop-capital/
33. Tyson Ventures Out of Asia https://www.tysonfoods.com/innovation/food-innovation/tyson-ventures
34. Unovis Partners Out of Asia https://www.unovis.vc/
35. VegInvest Out of Asia https://www.veginvesttrust.com/


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com