Universal Medical Announces 2021 Interim Results

HONG KONG, Aug 27, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – The board (the "Board") of directors (the "Directors") of Genertec Universal Medical Group Company Limited (the "Company" or "Universal Medical"; Stock code: 2666.HK) is pleased to announce the unaudited interim results of the Company and its subsidiaries (together, the "Group") for the six months ended 30 June 2021 (the "Reporting Period"). In the first half of 2021, facing the complex and everchanging economic circumstances at home and abroad, the Group continued to consolidate the foundation of finance business, steadily promoted the medical business development, and achieved steady progress in operating performance.

2021 INTERIM RESULTS HIGHLIGHTS

— For the six months ended 30 June 2021, the revenue amounted to approximately RMB5,007.5 million, representing an increase of 24.4% as compared with that of approximately RMB4,024.2 million for the corresponding period of 2020.
— For the six months ended 30 June 2021, the profit for the period amounted to approximately RMB1,125.5 million, representing an increase of 30.7% as compared with that of approximately RMB861.0 million for the corresponding period of 2020.
— For the six months ended 30 June 2021, the profit for the period attributable to owners of the parent amounted to approximately RMB1,050.0 million, representing an increase of 32.3% as compared with that of approximately RMB793.4 million for the corresponding period of 2020.
— As at 30 June 2021, the total assets amounted to approximately RMB69,894.9 million, representing an increase of 13.6% as compared with that of approximately RMB61,511.0 million as at 31 December 2020.
— As at 30 June 2021, the equity attributable to owners of the parent amounted to approximately RMB12,363.4 million, representing an increase of 14.8% as compared with that of approximately RMB10,770.5 million as at 31 December 2020.
— For the six months ended 30 June 2021, the return on equity was 18.15%, and the return on total assets was 3.43%.

In the Reporting Period, the Group recorded revenue of RMB5,007.5 million, representing an increase of 24.4% as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, as a result of more medical institutions being consolidated into the Group's financial statements and financial business growing steadily; recorded profit for the period of RMB1,125.5 million, representing an increase of 30.7% as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year; recorded profit for the period attributable to the owners of the parent of RMB1,050.0 million, representing an increase of 32.3% as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year; and recorded total assets of RMB69,894.9 million as of 30 June 2021, representing an increase of 13.6% as compared to the end of 2020, with a debt ratio of 75.18% and asset quality generally safe and controllable.

Hospital Group Expanded in Scale, with Operating Benefit Improved Steadily
Hospital group is the essential resources of building a healthcare conglomerate. In the first half of 2021, the Group continued to actively participate in integration and takeover of medical institutions of SOEs, and advanced the completion and consolidation of contracted projects in an orderly manner. As of 30 June 2021, the Group had entered into contracts in relation to the takeover of 56 medical institutions (including 5 Grade III Class A hospitals and 29 Grade II hospitals) with actual capacity of over 15,000 beds in total, and had consolidated 41 medical institutions (including 3 Grade III Class A hospitals and 19 Grade II hospitals), with actual capacity of 10,082 beds in total.

In terms of consolidated revenue, in the Reporting Period, the hospital group recorded revenue of RMB2,118.4 million during the consolidation period, representing an increase of 37.2% as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, mainly due to the consolidation of additional medical institutions. Revenue from integrated healthcare services reached RMB1,985.5 million, representing an increase of 35.2% as compared to the corresponding period of 2020; revenue from supply chain business reached RMB390.5 million, representing an increase of 76.1% as compared to the corresponding period of 2020.

In terms of operations, in the first half of 2021, the total number of medical treatments in the consolidated medical institutions of the Group was 2,937,210, representing an increase of approximately 38.5% as compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, and an increase of approximately 13.3% as compared with the corresponding period of 2019. The revenue of hospital operation for the first half of 2021 reached RMB2,004.0 million in total, representing an increase of approximately 19.1% as compared with the corresponding period of last year, and an increase of approximately 11.7% as compared with the corresponding period of 2019. The income per bed of the consolidated Grade III hospitals reached approximately RMB600,000 on an annualised basis, and the overall income per bed of the Group's medical institutions increased to nearly RMB400,000 on an annualised basis.

Upholding the philosophy of providing quality medical care, the Group promotes post-investment management of medical institutions in an orderly manner, establishes three core competence systems of "discipline", "operation" and "service" for its hospital management team, and builds the hospital group with the advantages of safe, effective, accessible and humanistic services. Moreover, relying on the development foundation of the hospital group, the Group expands business layout in various fields including equipment sales, equipment maintenance, medical inspection, health care and insurance, and actively expands external customers while efficiently serving the Group's member hospitals to gradually lay a foundation for development in scale.

Enhance the Foundation of Finance Sector, and Ensure Stable and Sound Development of Business
The Group's financial business mainly focuses on financial leasing business. The Group strives to build an innovative, high-quality and efficient finance service model, and to provide the Group with a base to achieve high-quality development. In the first half of this year, the Group continued to work meticulously in key niche market, accurately responded to customers' demands, and improved business development efficiency. Meanwhile, the Group continued to improve risk management and control to ensure the safe and healthy development of the Group's business; kept up with changes in the financial situation, and reasonably controlled financing costs to meet capital demand of the Group's business.

In the Reporting Period, the Group recorded interest income from finance services of RMB2,262.0 million, representing an increase of 10.4% as compared with the corresponding period of the previous year; and gross profit of interest margin of RMB1,399.3 million, representing an increase of 28.3% as compared with the corresponding period of the previous year. Various business indicators maintained a sound level, with an average yield of interest-earning assets of 7.79%, an average cost rate of interest-bearing liabilities of 3.84%, a net interest spread of 3.95%, and a net interest margin of 4.49%.

The Group continued to optimize the dynamic management of pre-rental, rental, and post-rental process, and enhanced accountability to make every effort to ensure the quality of assets. As of 30 June 2021, the net interest-earning assets of the Group reached RMB59,942.3 million, representing an increase of 12.0% from the beginning of the year. The non-performing asset ratio was 0.98%; the overdue ratio (30 days) was 0.85%; and the provision coverage ratio was 216.28%. The overall asset quality was safe and controllable, and continued to maintain its leading position in the industry.

Prospect for the Future
2021 is a crucial year for the Group to carry out its strategies and enhance its core capabilities. In the second half of the year, the Group will continue deploying business development in accordance to China's 14th Five-Year Plan and calmly coping with various risks and challenges to strictly control risks in the financial business and develop steadily. The Group will make the medical business better and stronger and give full play to its characteristics. The layout of the Group's health business will be improved to lay a solid foundation for future development. Committed to the mission of protecting life and health with quality medical care, the Group will strive for breakthroughs in the quality development of the Group as a whole, and make relentless efforts to build a trustworthy healthcare conglomerate, and create greater value and return for all shareholders.

About Genertec Universal Medical Group Company Limited
Genertec Universal Medical Group Co., Ltd ("Universal Medical") is a publicly listed state-owned enterprise committed to China's healthcare industry. China General Technology (Group) Holding Co Ltd., one of the backbone SOEs directly supervised by the central government is the controlling shareholder of the Company. Universal Medical focuses on the fast-developing healthcare industry in China, with medical services as the core and financial business as the foundation. The Company harvests modern management concepts, professionals, quality medical resources with solid financial strength, and an inclusive corporate culture. Altogether strives to build a reliable healthcare conglomerate and develop a healthcare ecosystem that all can mutually share and benefit. The Company owns 56 medical institutions, distributed in 14 provinces and municipalities such as Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Liaoning, Anhui, Hebei, Beijing, and Shanghai, including 5 Grade III Class A hospitals and 29 Grade II hospitals, with a total of more than 15,000 beds. In the future, Universal Medical will continue to grasp opportunities posed by China's healthcare sector, actively respond to the "Health China 2030" program and make contributions to China's public health industry.

This press release is issued by ICA Investor Relations (Asia) Limited on behalf of Genertec Universal Medical Group Company Limited.

For further information, please contact:
ICA Investor Relations (Asia) Limited
E-mail: unimedical@icaasia.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Azelis publishes its 2020 sustainability report, demonstrating progress against ambition to innovate and advance in sustainability

SINGAPORE, Aug 26, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Azelis, a leading innovative service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, is proud to publish its second sustainability report which covers the 2020 group-wide sustainability performance.

Highlights & rationale
– The report showcases Azelis' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments and reinforces its ambitions to become the world-leading provider of sustainable solutions and services
– Azelis sustainability strategy, Action 2025, is built upon four pillars: People, Products and Innovation, Governance and Environment
– Azelis was awarded a Platinum rating by EcoVadis, the highest distinction in the supplier sustainability rating scheme, a recognition of its sustainability commitments

Azelis' sustainability journey started in 2015 when the company defined the fundamentals of its sustainability program, following the Paris Agreement on climate change and the release of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations. Based on the United Nations Global Compact (UN GC) initiative, ISO 26000 and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the program consists of four pillars, each with goals and KPIs. Within each pillar, Azelis also contributes to a number of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

In 2020, Azelis laid the grounds for its new sustainability strategy, Action 2025. Rolled out in early 2021, the strategy captures the company's continued ambitions to innovate and to advance in sustainability. The main 2020 developments across all four pillars of the Azelis sustainability strategy include:

– People – Another edition of the company-wide employee satisfaction survey, which has been in place since 2014, was conducted. Thanks to the extensive improvement actions put in place across the entire organization following the 2018 survey, Azelis succeeded in already reaching the 2025 goals for loyalty and working conditions and is very close to the goal for engagement. As the company aims to continuously improve, it intends to raise the bar of the 2025 goals by the end of 2021.

– Products and Innovation – Azelis continued with the identification of sustainable products and intensified sustainable formulation work. For this, the company specifically focused on products that minimize or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Progress was also made on the sustainable sourcing due diligence procedure in 2020. This was reinforced by Azelis' membership to "Together for Sustainability" a joint initiative and global network of 31 chemical companies, which delivers the de facto global standard for environmental, social and governance performance of chemical supply chains.

– Governance – Azelis launched its SpeakUp! Policy and SpeakUp! Line, which are available to employees and any third-party stakeholder for reporting malpractices. This ensures a culture where employees are encouraged to speak up in a safe environment, and where they will not feel victimized or retaliated against.

– Environment – Azelis is committed to a carbon intensity reduction target of 25% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. Furthermore, the company has set targets of using 100% of electricity in its offices and sites from renewable sources as well as decarbonization in its operations and supply chain.

Dr. Hans Joachim Muller, Azelis Chief Executive Officer, comments: "Perhaps the most important lesson of 2020 was that we cannot and must not continue as before the Covid-19 pandemic. It is the responsibility of all of us, as businesses, as consumers, as human beings, to act more sustainably and responsibly. Despite the turmoil 2020 brought, it has been yet another pivotal year of progress for Azelis. More than ever, sustainability is a driver of innovation for Azelis and innovation is a driver of sustainability. Across all market segments, our formulation experts are helping customers reduce their environmental impact by developing innovations that minimize or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. They are also creating formulations and practices that deliver enhanced performance while protecting human health and the environment. Our innovations catalyze sustainability in the market segments we serve and their value chains, and will help realize concepts such as circular economy."

Maria J. Almenar Martin, Group Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) and Sustainability Director, adds: "As Group Sustainability Director I look back at our 2020 sustainability achievements proudly and with excitement and confidence to the years to come to reach our 2025 sustainability targets. With our recently awarded Platinum rating from EcoVadis and this latest edition of the sustainability report, we confirm to all our partners the proven track record of our sustainability efforts and commitments since we started our journey back in 2015. We are in a resolute course of action to be catalyst of change when it comes to sustainable business models and become the benchmark for the industry."

To become a world-leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients distribution industry, Azelis has identified digitalization, innovation and sustainability as its growth drivers. Through Azelis' connected solutions, the company is leading the way in customer engagement, whilst providing the digital insight that will drive new levels of chemical innovation. With its redefined sustainability strategy, Action 2025, Azelis is building a resilient, thriving and responsible business. Through these commitments, the company will meet the needs of its stakeholders, whilst also creating a positive and widespread impact on the environment and communities around the world.

Contact information
Azelis
Marina Kaptein
Group Communications Director
T: +32 3 613 0125
E: marina.kaptein@azelis.com

About Azelis

Azelis is a leading global innovation service provider in the specialty chemical and food ingredients industry present in over 50 countries across the globe with around 2,500 employees. Our knowledgeable teams of industry, market and technical experts are each dedicated to a specific market within Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals. We offer a lateral value chain of complementary products to more than 45,000 customers, supported by ~2,200 principal relationships, creating a turnover of EUR 2.22 billion (2020).

Across our extensive network of more than 60 application laboratories, our award-winning staff help develop formulations and provide technical guidance throughout the customers' product development process. We combine a global market reach with a local footprint to offer a reliable, integrated and unique digital service to local customers and attractive business opportunities to principals. EcoVadis Platinum rated, Azelis is a leader in sustainability. We believe in building and nurturing solid, honest and transparent relationships with our people and partners.

Impact through ideas. Innovation through formulation.

www.azelis.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Agilex Biolabs Partners with Endpoints News for the First Webinar on Rapid Vaccine Development in Australia

ADELAIDE, AUS, Aug 26, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Agilex Biolabs, the Australian specialist bioanalytical and toxicology laboratory facilities for clinical trials is partnering with Endpoints News to share the latest on "Non-clinical and clinical pathways for rapid vaccine development in Australia", in a webinar hosted by Endpoints News Editor Arsalan Arif.

Agilex Biolabs' Director, Immunoassay, Kurt J. Sales (B.Sc; B.Sc (MED) Hons; M.Sc, Ph.D, PGCM) said:

"The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the rapid development of a series of novel vaccines targeting SARS-CoV-2. Development of multiple COVID-19 vaccine candidates has been facilitated within Australia by the availability of high-quality contract research organizations such as Agilex Biolabs, and a favorable regulatory environment. This webinar will cover the pathways that biotech companies can take for rapid vaccine development, and why Australia is the ideal location. I am joined by my toxicology expert colleagues Dr Peter Tapley and Dr Drew Brockman for this detailed vaccine development webinar."

In this webinar Dr Sales and specialists from Agilex Biolabs' toxicology firm, TetraQ Toxicology will provide an overview of strategies to conduct vaccine development within Australia.

It will cover Australian research, and regulatory and clinical infrastructure, which provides a favorable environment for rapid vaccine development. It will also include discussion of a case study for rapid vaccine development based on non-clinical research conducted with a novel COVID-19 protein subunit vaccine.

This case study will review key aspects of non-clinical design required to facilitate approval for first-in-human studies.

Register Here: https://webinars.endpts.com/non-clinical-and-clinical-pathways-for-rapid-vaccine-development-in-australia/
September 7, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT
Speakers:
Dr Kurt Sales: Director, Immunoassay, Agilex Biolabs
Dr Peter Tapley: Director, TetraQ, an Agilex Biolabs company
Dr Drew Brockman: Head of Toxicology, TetraQ, an Agilex Biolabs company.

https://webinars.endpts.com/non-clinical-and-clinical-pathways-for-rapid-vaccine-development-in-australia/

Agilex Biolabs' world-class laboratories feature state-of-the-art equipment including Gyrolab Xplore, MSD Quickplex 120, Luminex Magpix, BD FACSymphony A3 flow cytometer and soon to be released, digital droplet quantitative real-time RT-PCR.

Latest News – new Immunobiology Lab – watch launch video. https://www.agilexbiolabs.com/launch-of-immunobiology-laboratory/

Agilex Biolabs CEO Jason Valentine said the new laboratory focusses on new and emerging areas of therapeutic interest, including RNA vaccines, siRNA/miRNA clinical targets and gene therapy studies.

"This new facility adds digital droplet quantitative RT-PCR analysis for RNA, siRNA and miRNA clinical trials, including vaccines and gene therapy trials," he said.

"We are also installing an EliSPOT/FluoroSPOT multi-spot reader for vaccine studies to enable extrapolation of recall immune responses, which coupled with our state-of-the-art BD FACSymphony 5 laser, 20 colour flow cytometer, offers unparalleled sensitivity for immunology and vaccine trials."

The company offers services for both small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity (PD) and biomarker bioanalysis utilising the two platforms of LC-MS/MS and Immunoassay.

Australian clinical trials have remained open for business and Agilex Biolabs is a designated essential service so clients can be assured of study continuity.

Agilex Biolabs has more than 130 staff which includes 85 dedicated laboratory staff, and supports client pharma and biotech companies from US, Europe and APAC.

Book a confidential briefing with our scientists before you start your next clinical trial. https://calendly.com/agilexbiolabs/30min

About Agilex Biolabs https://www.agilexbiolabs.com/

Agilex Biolabs, the Australian specialist bioanalytical and toxicology laboratory facilities for clinical trials, has more than 24 years' experience in performing regulated bioanalysis, including quality method development, method validation and sample analysis services. It has successfully supported hundreds of preclinical and clinical trials from around the world where customers choose Australia for the streamlined regulatory process and access to the world's most attractive R&D rebate of more than 40% on clinical trial work conducted in Australia.

Agilex Biolabs also offers toxicology services through its company TetraQ, an established GLP toxicology facility in Australia.

Agilex Biolabs has the leading certifications including OECD GLP Recognition with NATA (Australian Government OECD GLP Compliance monitoring authority) and ISO 17025 Accreditation for global recognition.

The company has recently expanded its main labs by more than 30% to accommodate biotech demand from APAC and the USA. In addition it has launched a new Immunobiology lab – watch the video here. https://www.agilexbiolabs.com/launch-of-immunobiology-laboratory/

Agilex Biolabs specialises in bioanalysis of small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity, biomarkers and immunological pharmacodynamics assessments utilising LC-MS/MS, immunoassay (Mesoscale, Gyrolab, Luminex) and flow cytometry (BD FACSymphony A3, 20 colour cell analyser).

Agilex offers pharmacodynamics services that include immunobiology services using the latest state-of-the-art technology to support immunology, cell biology and mode of action assays, including:
– Immunophenotyping
– Receptor occupancy
– Cytokine release assays (whole blood or PBMC stimulation assays) and cytokine/biomarker profiling
– PBMC assays and cellular mechanism of action assays

Agilex Biolabs Media Contact:
Kate Newton
Media@AgilexBiolabs.com

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Witness Twelve MedTech Startups showcasing latest HealthTech Innovations

TAIPEI, TW, Aug 23, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – SC Hospital (SCMH) and IRCAD Taiwan are collaborating with BE Accelerator, the largest healthcare accelerator in Asia, to present Batch 5, 'DemoDay 2021: Applied Technologies for Minimally Invasive Surgery'. It's the celebration of 12 brilliant startups x 24 intensive weeks, sharing their applied technologies and solutions for minimally invasive surgery, medical devices, and AI-based healthcare, shaping the future of the industry today.

Incubated for 24 weeks, the twelve startups and accelerator teams collaborated with mentors and partners to make this acceleration program remarkable. As the world marks a year and a half of intense disruption by the COVID pandemic, our teams demonstrated extraordinary resilience in coming up with significant innovative solutions through the digital transformation of our program.

We are excited to host this year's Demo Day, live and online August 28, celebrating the progress of our twelve startups as they graduate from our 24-week Proof of Concept (POC) program, to explore opportunities for new programs or offering Health-Tech and further MedTech collaboration. [https://reurl.cc/EnAG9m].

Our 12 accomplished startups from Taiwan, Thailand, and Canada :

– EPED, Inc., Taiwan
A leader in the field of minimally invasive surgery, developing real-time, adaptive medical and dental navigation systems and solutions, with augmented reality AR-based technologies for precision medicine and education.

– Meticuly Co., Ltd., Thailand
Thailand based startup, provider of personalized, cutting-edge 3D printing implant solutions for bone-related surgeries. The end-to-end platform produces personalized bone implants with SLM 3D printing technology.

– Asia PathoGenomics, Inc., Taiwan
Startup providing high throughput, precision pathogen detection services called Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS). The non-culture based, hypothesis-free precision diagnosis of infectious diseases provides early identification of pathogens and allows for rapid adjustment of therapies.

– Dot Space Biotechnology, Taiwan
Startup involved in measuring intra-abdominal pressure for the clinical prevention of Acute Compartment Syndrome. The system consists of an abdominal capsulized pressure detector/sensor that can be swallowed by patients for continuous measurement of intra-abdominal pressure.

– INOPASE, Japan
Entrepreneurial concept with wireless miniaturized implant neuromodulation for Overactive Bladder (OAB) and Fecal Incontinence (FI) treatment. Current implant neuromodulation requires multiple implantation surgeries and still has additional safety issues, INOPASE is closing the gap to improve the treatment efficacy.

– Medscope Biotech Co., Ltd., Taiwan
Brilliant startup that minimizes the risk during Minimally Invasive Surgery, or MIS. created a 15 degrees slope design for better visibility. Anti-drop jaw design helps ensure a surgeon won't drop e,tra clips during operations (which happens occasionally..).

– Protect Biotech Co. Ltd., Taiwan
Committed to the research and development of companion animal immunotherapy drugs, to become the leader in pet disease immunotherapy in the Pan-Asia region. Protect Biotech currently has the world's first broad-spectrum animal cancer treatment product PT001, ready to enter clinical trials.

– Wiseger Corp., Taiwan
Innovative concept that develops biochemical detecting systems with microfluidic technology. Wisergers is committed to supplying affordable, fast and convenient products for biochemical detection for food safety and blood tests.

– Smart Surgery Technology Co., Ltd., Taiwan
Startup that improves the quality of surgeries and records surgical procedures intensively. Smart Surgery's visual computing AI model includes a surgery simulation system, automatic medical image labelling and a surgery assistance system to better facilitate education in surgical operations.

– Point Robotics MedTech, Inc., Taiwan
Operating room innovations and minimally invasive solutions that reduce variability in surgery, lower surgery risks, reduce medical costs, shorten recovery times and improve precision in surgeries.

– AltumView Systems, Canada
Canada-based AI startup that focuses on the development of smart vision technology for elderly care, rehabilitation, behavioral and cognitive health solutions. Seminare is a revolutionary smart activity sensor for senior care.

– HemoCath, Canada
Another Canada-based startup that guides diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of inpatients and outpatients with heart failure (HF). HemoCath Intelligent HF Monitoring Platform reduces hospital length of stay and rehospitalization.

Registration
All participants of the virtual demo day will have access to the event live and the recorded video. Moreover, we will have an exclusive campaign for registered VIPs in our mailing list, including VIP booklets files and the opportunity to attend 1-1 facilitated introductions with the founders.

Please RSVP to be included in the VIP mailing list at https://pse.is/3m2uu9
When ticket purchases are completed, you are able to enter the live stream directly from the ticket page.

Show Chwan x BE Demo Day 2021 : Sat, Aug 28 14:00~16:30 P.M. UTC+8

Batch 5 Agenda
14:00 – 14:05 Opening
14:05 – 14:08 Opening Remarks
14:08 – 14:18 SCMH x BE Introduction
14:18 – 14:25 David & Thomas
14:25 – 15:10 Pitch Session
15:10 – 15:20 Break
15:20 – 16:20 Pitch Session
16:20 – 16:30 Dr. Lee panel

An event by IRCAD Taiwan and BE Accelerator:
– https://www.beaccelerator.com.tw/
– https://www.facebook.com/beaccelerator/
– https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-accelerator/
– https://www.instagram.com/be_accelerator_tw/

About BE Accelerator
BE Accelerator is the leading biomedical venture capital fund and venture accelerator in Taiwan, focused on early-stage biomedical start-ups entering the Asian market, has nurtured 72 biomedical start-ups thru 5 editions (8/2021) and assisted teams to raise over US$70 million. We leverage the unique strengths of our thriving ecosystem to position as the "Gateway to Asia for HealthTech and MedTech, Local+International."

BE Accelerator is expanding its local and international biomedical ecosystem, including hospitals, investors, R&D, manufacturing and government to help worthy startups, not only from Taiwan but from across the globe to break into the Asian market. Visit www.beaccelerator.com.tw.

About SCMH – Show Chwan Memorial Hospital
'Show Chwan' originated with the commemoration of President Huang Min-Ho's late father. It represents an aspiration to show concern for the elderly, love for the young, and care for everyone's health. Show Chwan is a hand-in-hand family healthcare system currently with eight hospitals. For medical and healthcare, President Huang advocates the spirit of Mayo Clinic in establishing a sound rural hospital system, allowing people in the most remote areas to enjoy the quality medical care found in cosmopolitan cities. Visit www.scmh.org.tw.

About IRCAD Taiwan
In 1994, IRCAD opened on the grounds of the University Hospital of Strasbourg, gaining renown over the years as a leading research, technology and surgical education institute. The Asian Institute of Telesurgery (AITS/IRCAD-Taiwan), created in 2008 under the guidance of IRCAD/EITS, is now an alliance with Show Chwan Health Care System, bringing 800 international experts affiliated with IRCAD/EITS into closer proximity with Asian surgeons, providing the same level of excellence in education while saving time and money in travelling. Tens of thousands of surgeons from the world over have come to IRCAD-Taiwan to obtain high-level skills, find cutting-edge technology and pioneering medical devices. Visit www.ircadtaiwan.com.

Contact:
BE Accelerator
Polly Chen
Polly@behealthventures.com
https://www.beaccelerator.com.tw

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

New Horizon Health Announces 2021 Interim Results: Revenue Increases 317% Year-on-year, Gross Profit Margin Climbs to 56.2%

HANGZHOU, Aug 21, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – New Horizon Health (6606.HK) (the "Company"), the first public listed cancer screening company in China, has today announced its financial report for the first half year ended 30 June 2021.

In the first half of 2021, the Company's total revenue was RMB43.9 million, a year-on-year increase of 317%. Gross profit was RMB24.7 million, up 1,000.2% from the same period of 2020. Gross profit margin also climbed from 21.3% in the same period of 2020 to 56.2%.

ColoClear, the first and only molecular cancer screening test approved by National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China, realized revenue of RMB14.2 million in the first half of 2021, an increase of 149% year-on-year. Its shipment volume was about 121,500 units in the first half of the year, a rise of 392% over the same period last year, and its gross profit margin increased from 33.9% in the same period of 2020 to 56.6%. Pupu Tube, the first and only self-conducted fecal immunochemical test (FIT) screening product approved by NMPA in China, recorded revenue of RMB29.6 million in the first half of 2021, representing year-on-year growth of 623.7%. The product's gross profit margin also increased from 26.4% in the same period of 2020 to 59.0%.

The latest report issued by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) predicts that new cases of breast cancer and colorectal cancer around the world will increase the most in the next 50 years. The penetration rate for colorectal cancer screening in China was only 16.4% in 2019, while that in the United States reached 60.1%. The social and economic value of early cancer screening has quickly received attention and recognition from various domestic sectors in 2021, and the market is entering the fast lane at full speed.

Mr. Yeqing Zhu, Executive Director and CEO of New Horizon Health, said, "The year 2021 marks the first year for the regulation, innovation and evolution of China's early cancer screening industry. As progress relies on strength, New Horizon Health has just opened a new chapter of growth. The strong sales growth of ColoClear and Pupu Tube proves that home-based cancer screening tests have successfully gained recognition from target groups and addressed the urgent needs of consumers in upgrading their health. The improvement in gross profit margin was driven by the rapid and determined execution of our diversified commercial layout in the first half of the year, which significantly increased the average selling price of both products. The higher sales volume has also enabled more efficient management of our operating facilities, further reducing our unit operating cost."

Mr. Zhu added, "The recognition from clinical experts and doctors is the cornerstone of our market expansion and product development. In January and April this year, the Company's proprietary multi-target stool-based FIT-DNA test technology was included within the first national 'Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer' and 'Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines' initiated by the National Cancer Center of China. The FIT-DNA test is the only molecular cancer screening and genetic testing technology presently included in national guidelines. Meanwhile, our marketing team has also expanded by 137% to 270 people in the first half of 2021. The launch of ColoClear to public hospitals across various provinces and cities has progressed smoothly. As a pioneer and leader in cancer screening in China, we are committed to investing in awareness and compliance education for cancer screening. Pupu Tube, an entry-level product for home-based self-testing for cancer detection costing less than RMB100 per unit, has become the vanguard of market education and sinking the vast grassroots. In the second half of the year, we will continue to build up our professional team structure and strengthen our cooperation and promotion with medical check-up centers, insurance organizations, online medical consultation platforms, pharmacies, and other authorized institutions. ColoClear will soon see an explosion of promotion".

Continues to promote early cancer screening compliance advantages and build a diversified business presence

The "First Certificate for Early Cancer Detection in China" approved by the NMPA of China on 9 November 2020 has set a benchmark for compliance in the cancer screening industry. Capitalizing on its advantageous position as the first cancer screening compliant company in China, after its successful listing in Hong Kong, New Horizon Health has quickly established in-depth strategic partnerships with leading brands across several sectors. Such cooperation accelerated the implementation of diversified business presence and promoted ColoClear and Pupu Tube to become the exclusive promotional products of various strategic cooperation platforms.

The cooperation with AstraZeneca China has strongly supported the Company's expansion into China's digestive disease prevention and treatment sector and consolidated its advantages in the in-hospital clinical market. The partnership with JD Health has realized the in-depth alignment of the platforms of New Horizon Health and JD.com and the Company's user service system, an important step forward for its conducting e-commerce marketing. While the cooperation with Ping An Healthcare has enabled the first closed-loop solution integrating Internet medical and healthcare in China, marking a major advance from online diagnosis and treatment to cancer prevention and screening. The cooperation with China Post has filled the gap in intestinal screening, and cancer prevention and treatment in China's grassroots market while educating the user in the vast township market. The partnership with PICA Health has empowered three million village doctors to promote intestinal health and prevent intestinal diseases in remote rural areas with severe deficiencies of diagnosis and treatment resources and shortage of colonoscopy equipment.

The only stool-based FIT test included in two medical guidelines and commercialized to clinical markets

Hospital market access and clinician education are the keys to the promotional efforts to hospitals for New Horizon Health. The multi-target stool-based FIT-DNA testing technology developed by New Horizon Health has become the sole colorectal cancer screening and DNA test technology recommended by two medical guidelines in January and April 2021: The "China Guidelines for the Screening, Early Detection and Early Treatment of Colorectal Cancer" was compiled by the National Health Commission and published by the National Cancer Center; and the latest edition of the "Guideline for Diagnosis and Treatment of Colorectal Cancer" was published by the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO).

With the implementation of colorectal cancer early screening standards and regulations, negative predictive value (NPV) and sensitivity have become the industry standards for the selection and performance evaluation of early cancer screening products. New Horizon Health's clinical team has aggressively conducted a series of academic seminars and clinical trials to continuously promote the multi-target stool-based FIT-DNA testing technology into the existing clinical segment and implement the technology into the practice and application of clinically-related fields.

Striving its utmost to invest in popular science education for early cancer screening in multiple formats across platforms and in pursuit of continuous innovation

As a leader in the early cancer screening industry, New Horizon Health has always adhered to spare relentless effort in investing in market education. In the first half of the year, New Horizon Health continued to promote early cancer screening education to the general public.

On 15 April 2021, the Committee of Colorectal Cancer of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association and the People's Daily Health App co-launched China's first-ever "Early Cancer Screening Day" during the "Nationwide Promotion Week for Popular Science Education on Oncology", making early cancer screening an important event in China's strategic public health campaign. Subsequently, New Horizon Health has organized its first branded health awareness day with the theme of "Changing Life Trajectory" inviting seven industry national clinical experts. The live streaming of the event recorded 5 million views. During the 618 Festival, New Horizon Health teamed with Kuaishou Health and Xiaohe Health to launch a popular science short video campaign featuring intestinal health, early screening, and cancer prevention. More than 80 million views were recorded by the two platforms. During the same period, New Horizon Health ranked No. 1 in industry sales in the DNA test category segment and in sales of a single product on JD.com as well as No. 1 in terms of spending in the healthcare product list on 18 June.

R&D pipeline progresses as planned, while overseas cooperation and business expansion focuses on building future pipeline capacity

The approval of the UU Tube is progressing on schedule, and preparations for the kickoff of the clinical trial of CerviClear is proceeding smoothly. New Horizon Health is accelerating its R&D in multiple product pipelines, and has heavily invested in the development of biomarker R&D capability for, and the building of, the next-generation sequencing technology platform. The Company continues to make additional investments, expand automated production lines, and enhance production and testing capabilities to meet the fast-growing demand.

Moreover, New Horizon Health has officially commenced overseas strategic cooperation, actively introducing advanced technologies and focusing on future new pipeline layout and capacity expansion. The listed company New Horizon Health contributed US$30 million to the establishment of NHH Venture Fund, L.P. Fundraising for the first phase of the Fund was completed on 20 August 2021. The Fund is to focus on investing in molecular diagnostic technology to promote disease screening and early testing for cancer and other serious diseases. In July 2021, New Horizon Health and Proteomedix have forged a partnership for R&D cooperation and investment in its convertible debt. In addition, in August 2021, New Horizon Health and Epigenomics AG have signed an asset purchase agreement.

About New Horizon Health
Founded in 2015, New Horizon Health is the pioneer and market leader in China's cancer screening sector focusing on early detection of high-incidence cancers at home. It aims to promote innovation in cancer screening technology and expedite the widespread take-up of cancer screening technology in China. On 18 February, 2021, New Horizon Health was successfully listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong under the stock code of 6606.HK, becoming the "first cancer screening stock in China".

New Horizon Health's two colorectal cancer screening products, ColoClear and Pupu Tube have been approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and have commercialized. ColoClear is the first and only cancer screening product approved by the NMPA in China. In addition, the Company also has two pipeline candidates for gastric and cervical cancer screening respectively. The Company holds global rights in all its marketed and pipeline products. New Horizon Health has a 100,000-grade clean production workshop accredited with ISO13485 international certification, and third-party medical laboratories in Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, that are certified and licensed to practice by the local Health Care Commission, with an annual testing capacity of 2 million samples, and extensive cooperation with hundreds of hospitals, medical check-up centers, insurance companies, pharmacies and online channels.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Hua Medicine Announces 2020 Interim Results

SHANGHAI, CHINA, Aug 19, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Hua Medicine (the "Company", Stock Code: 2552.HK), today announces the consolidated results of the Company and its subsidiaries for the six months ended June 30, 2021 (the "Reporting Period"). During the Reporting Period, the New Drug Application (NDA) of the first glucokinase activator (GKA) dorzagliatin, has been accepted by The Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and has become the first GKA globally to submit a NDA for the treatment of diabetes. During the Reporting Period, the Company incurred approximately RMB165.1 million in total expenditures, of which approximately RMB98 million was research and development expenses. As of June 30, 2021, the Company's cash position was approximately RMB846.9 million, to be used for the commercialization of dorzagliatin and innovative drug R&D.

In the first half of 2021, Hua Medicine reached a breakthrough milestone in preparing for dorzagliatin's commercialization. The Company submitted the NDA for dorzagliatin, the first-in-class oral drug for the T2DM in March 2021 and was accepted by NMPA on April 23, 2021. To accelerate the potential launch of dorzagliatin, the Company is actively preparing for the review and approval of the relevant clinical, production and R&D on-site inspection. In anticipation of dorzagliatin commercialization, subject to approval of its NDA, in addition to its CMO partnerships, Hua Medicine has also established Hua Medicine drug manufacture company at Shanghai Lingang Special Area for ensuring adequate dorzagliatin commercial supply.

Hua Medicine has also made remarkable achievements in clinical R&D. In June 2021, the Company presented the latest clinical research analysis data of dorzagliatin at the 81st American Diabetes Association (ADA) Annual Scientific Sessions. Clinical trial HMM0111, dorzagliatin in combination with sitagliptin (a DPP-4 inhibitor), demonstrated clear synergistic effects. Dorzagliatin regulates GLP-1 release and insulin secretion in T2D patients, and in combination with sitagliptin, increases circulating active GLP-1. The results strongly demonstrate the clinical value of dorzagliatin in combination with DPP-4 inhibitors.

During the research and development of dorzagliatin, Hua Medicine was the first to put forward the scientific concept of "repair the sensor, restore homeostasis, and treat the underlying cause of diabetes" globally, as well as realize the potential of this drug, new mechanism of action, new targets, new structures, new technology and new clinical benefits. Dorzagliatin sets out to target the fundamental cause of T2D, and through clinical trials, has demonstrated that dorzagliatin significantly improves beta-cell function and reduces insulin resistance by repairing the damaged glucokinase sensor function in diabetic patients with T2D. It is expected to potentially control the progression of T2D and has therapeutic prospects in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DKD).

In the second half of the year, the Company will initiate research on the combination of dorzagliatin with existing antidiabetic drugs, including dorzagliatin in combination with dapagliflozin (a SGLT-2 inhibitor), insulin and GLP-1, to explore new opportunities in the areas of diabetic nephropathy, metabolic syndrome diabetes, advanced diabetes, and diabetes cognitive impairment. The Company will also initiate clinical research in the United States for Type 1 diabetes patients. In the future, the Company plans to further advance its fixed-dose combination pipeline for dorzagliatin for the treatment of diabetes and related diseases.

"In the first half of 2021, Hua Medicine made important achievements in clinical research and development, while pushing forward on commercialization preparations. Hua Medicine's commercialization team is taking shape, and has established closer corporation with Bayer, which has strengthened Hua Medicine's confidence in curing diabetes in the future. With dorzagliatin as a cornerstone, in combination with existing drugs, Hua Medicine will systematically and precisely treat diabetes and control the occurrence and development of diabetic complications, contributing to Healthy China 2030." said Dr. Li Chen, founder, CEO and CSO of Hua Medicine.

Clinical and Commercialization Highlights:
— In March 2021, the Company submitted the NDA for dorzagliatin for the treatment of T2D to NMPA, which was accepted by the NMPA in April 2021.
— Presented the 52-week data of two Phase III registration clinical trials, the SEED trial (dorzagliatin monotherapy trial) and the DAWN trial (dorzagliatin combined with metformin) at the 2021 ADA Annual Scientific Sessions. The Company also reported data of the clinical trial HMM0112 (dorzagliatin in combination with empagliflozin).
— Presented data of clinical trial HMM0111 (dorzagliatin in combination with sitagliptin) at the 2021 ADA Annual Scientific Sessions, demonstrating that dorzagliatin regulates secretion of endogenous GLP-1.
— In anticipation of dorzagliatin commercialization, subject to approval of its NDA, in addition to its CMO partnerships, Hua Medicine has also established Hua Medicine drug manufacture company at Shanghai Lingang Special Area for ensuring adequate dorzagliatin commercial supply.

Financial Highlights:
For the year ended June 30, 2021
— Cash position was approximately RMB846.9 million as of June 30, 2021.
— Total expenditures incurred by the Company for the six months ended June 30, 2021 was approximately RMB165.1 million, of which approximately RMB98.0 million was attributable to research and development expenses. Research and development expenses decreased by approximately RMB14.3 million or approximately 12.7% to approximately RMB98.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021, compared with the six months ended June 30, 2020.
— Loss before tax decreased by approximately RMB8.2 million or approximately 4.7% to approximately RMB165.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021, compared with the six months ended June 30, 2020.
— Loss and other comprehensive expense for the period decreased by approximately RMB8.4 million or approximately 4.8% to approximately RMB165.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2021, compared with the six months ended June 30, 2020.

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 insulin and GLP-1 secretion of patients with Type 2 diabetes and serve as a cornerstone therapy targeting the root cause of the disease. Two Phase III registration trials for dorzagliatin monotherapy and the combination of dorzagliatin and metformin have been completed in China, as well as studies on drug mechanism synergy with sitagliptin (DPP-4 inhibitor) and empagliflozin (SGLT-2 inhibitor). The Company has obtained the "Drug Manufacturing Permit" of dorzagliatin issued by the Shanghai Municipal Drug Administrative Bureau, and has submitted its NDA to the National Medical Products Administration, so as to realize the "First in Global, Start from China" mission objective for the benefit of diabetic patients worldwide.

About Hua Medicine
Hua Medicine is a leading, innovative biotechnology company in China focused on developing novel therapies for diseases with unmet medical needs. Founded by an experienced group of entrepreneurs and international investment firms, Hua Medicine advanced a first-in-class oral drug for the treatment of T2DM into NDA stage and it has successfully completed two Phase III registration trials in China for dorzagliatin. 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.

Forward-looking Statement
This article contains the statements regarding the future expectation, plan and prospects for Hua Medicine and the investigational product. 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 as a result of various risks, uncertainties or other legal requirements.

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EC Healthcare Acquires Veterinary Hospital Chain

HONG KONG, Aug 16, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – EC Healthcare (the "Company", which together with its subsidiaries is referred to as the "Group", SEHK stock code: 2138), the largest non-hospital medical group in Hong Kong*, is pleased to announce that the Group enters into a sales and purchase agreement to acquire the entire issued share capital of a veterinary hospital chain (the "Target Companies") and the total consideration will be paid in cash. The Target Companies are principally engaged in provision of veterinary services in Hong Kong and operate five veterinary hospitals with 16 registered veterinary surgeons. According to the unaudited financial information for the year ended 31 March 2021, the profit after tax of the Target Companies amounted to approximately HK$8.3 million.

Pursuant to the agreement, the acquisition will be conducted in two tranches. The consideration for the first tranche of the equity interests, namely 51% of the issued share capital, in the veterinary hospital chain is HK$26.2 million. In the final tranche of the acquisition, EC Healthcare will acquire the remaining issued share capital of the veterinary hospital chain. The amount of the consideration depends on the level of net profit after tax to be achieved by the veterinary hospital chain and is subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement.

Mr. Levin Lee, Executive Director and Chief Finance Officer of EC Healthcare said, "The Group is delighted to further acquire veterinary hospital chain post the acquisition in mid-June this year. After completion of the two acquisitions, the Group will own 7 veterinary hospitals, 2 advanced veterinary imaging centers with 30 registered veterinary surgeons. In view of the pain points similar as the traditional medical industry such as lack of information transparency, lack of systematic business management, lost tracking record of the customer data. EC Healthcare target to apply the experience from the past successful medical asset consolidation to the pet medical market to improve the industry. The Group will increase the value of the pet medical asset and accelerate the process of corporatization through comprehensive digital technology system, mature brand management experience and professional services."

EC Healthcare is always committed to building up an enclosed ecosystem focusing on satisfaction of the Group's clients. The Group the Target Companies can expand the scope of the Group's services, diversify the Group's business portfolio, create synergies between different business sectors, become the new income source and enhance the loyalty of the Group's client.

About EC Healthcare
EC Healthcare is Hong Kong's largest non-hospital medical service provider*, leveraging its core businesses of preventive and precision medicine, and committed to developing medical artificial intelligence by integrating its multi-disciplinary medical services. The move, which is supported by the Group's high-end branding and quality customer services, is aimed at offering customers safe and effective healthcare and medical services with professionalism.

The Group principally engages in the provision of one-stop medical and health care services in Greater China. The Group provides a full range of services and products under its well-known brands, including those of its one-stop aesthetic medical solutions provider DR REBORN which has ranked first in Hong Kong by sales for years, primary care clinics jointly established with Tencent Doctorwork, chiropractic services centre SPINE Central, New York Spine and Physiotherapy Center NYMG, health management centre re:HEALTH, a vaccine centre Hong Kong Professional Vaccine HKPV, a comprehensive dental centre UMH DENTAL CARE, a diagnostic and imaging centre HKAI, an oncology treatment centre reVIVE, a day procedure centre HKMED, a specialty clinic SPECIALISTS CENTRAL and NEW MEDICAL CENTER, obstetrics and gynaecology specialist ZENITH MEDICAL CENTER AND PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS CENTRE, specialists central, a paediatric center PRIME CARE, cardiology center HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL CARDIOLOGY CENTER, PathLab Medical Laboratories and a professional hair care center HAIR FOREST.

*According to an independent research conducted by Frost and Sullivan in terms of revenue in 2019 and 2020

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TOT BIOPHARM 2021 Interim Revenue Surges 78% to RMB23.13 million

HONG KONG, Aug 13, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – TOT BIOPHARM International Company Limited ("TOT BIOPHARM" or the "Group"; stock code: 1875.HK), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative oncology drugs and therapies, announced today its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2021.

KEY MILESTONES IN 2021 1H
In the first half of 2021, on the back of by national policies and driven by innovative R&D, the oncology drug market in China boomed and continued to gather growth momentum. The Group continued to implement its strategic plans drawing on its own strengths and competitive advantages, striving to become a leading player in the domestic ADC market. The Group speeded up R&D of ADC drugs and industrial planning and grasped market opportunities, enabling it to achieve breakthroughs in the realm of innovative drug CDMO/CMO.

Approval for Two Products Launching in the Market:
— TOZ309 (temozolomide capsules) was approved for launch in China by the NMPA in May 2021. It is a first-line medication for newly diagnosed and recurrent glioma as well as recurrent anaplastic astrocytoma. TOZ309 is the first self-developed chemical drug of TOT BIOPHARM. Together with other pharmaceutical companies in China to hasten market penetration of the product. It will at the same time prepare for renewal of the fourth round of drugs for centralized procurement in China in 2022.
— TOM218 (Megaxia(R) – megestrol acetate oral suspension) is imported by the Group, it owns the exclusive agency of the drug in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The drug can alleviate the cachexia status of AIDS and cancer patients, including loss of appetite and body weight, and nausea and vomiting that sometimes occur. Compared to the solid dosage forms, oral suspensions can reduce the discomfort of patients in swallowing. Megaxia(R) had been approved for sale in the United States in 2014 and is the first high concentration megestrol acetate oral suspension approved for sale in China.

Major milestones of key products in clinical trial
— Core product TAB008 – Application for Marketing Approval Submitted and Being Processed: TAB008 is a bevacizumab biosimilar self-developed by TOT BIOPHARM for treating malignant tumors including advanced, metastatic and recurrent NSCLC and metastatic colorectal cancer. The new drug application (NDA) of TAB008 was filed in September 2020 and currently being processed by NMPA, which completed an on-site inspection and GMP-compliance inspection in January 2021. the Group expects to receive approval for marketing of the drug by end of 2021. As bevacizumab covers a number of cancers common in China, market demand would be huge.
— TAA013 – Smooth Progress of Phase III Clinical Trial: TAA013 is an ADC candidate containing trastuzumab and an emtansine derivative (Trastuzumab-MCC-DM1) for treating advance-stage or metastatic HER2+ breast cancer which could not be cured by trastuzumab and be surgically removed. In July 2020, the drug was given to the first patient in the Phase III clinical trial. To date, over 70 clinical research centers in the country are involved in the Phase III clinical trials making satisfactory progress.

Key milestones of commercial production planning
— In the first half of 2021, TOT BIOPHARM actively deployed for ADC pilot production and commercial production. It has put together highly competitive GMP-compliant pilot production facilities for mAb and ADC liquid formulation and drug substance, including the OEB-5 potency-level freeze-dried powder/liquid injection formulation (Capacity of ADC drug substance: 1g~300g/batch; Capacity of ADC formulation line: 500~5,000 vials/batch) and a GMP-compliant ADC commercial production workshop (Capacity of ADC drug substance: 1,000g-3,000g/batch; Capacity of ADC formulation line: 10,000~15,000 vials/batch).

Prominent Competitiveness of ADC Drugs
TOT BIOPHARM possesses core conjugation process technologies, a complete ADC analysis technology platform and independent analysis capabilities in respect of ADC critical metric attributes. Accordingly, we have achieved technical breakthroughs in the regulation of glycoforms, enabling precise control of the composition of each glycoform. It attributes to ensure the successful development of ADC processes and produce high quality of products.

TOT BIOPHARM has established an expert team for the R&D of conjugation process technologies of ADCs and an analysis team for complex ADC molecule structure. Boasting their extensive practical experience, successful exemplary cases and their comprehensive experience ranging from R&D, process development, clinical trials, registration and filing for approval to commercial production, and our products are at the leading position among ADCs in China.

CDMO/CMO BUSINESS ACHIEVES LEAPFROG BREAKTHROUGH
Devised One-stop Innovative Drug CDMO Solution
Despite the intense competition in the biomedical sector, TOT BIOPHARM has been able to effectively seize market opportunities and by giving full play to its open technological platform and commercial production capability, it has speeded up development of its "one-stop, localized" CDMO/CMO business, particularly in the ADC sector. It is able to capture first opportunities in the market and secure cooperation opportunities.
— TOT BIOPHARM owns core conjugation process technologies and has the ability to scale up technologies. With that advantage and capable of independent analysis of ADC critical metric attributes, the Group can guarantee the high quality of its product R&D work.
— It possesses "perfusion-batch hybrid technology" that can support commercial production of mAb drugs, including scaling up production from 25L to 2,000L directly, helping simplify the production process and shorten the production cycle, in turn enhance markedly the economic return of commercial CDMO/CMO projects.
— Priding long-term trusting relationship with partners, the Group took on various new CDMO/CMO projects in the first half of 2021, and saw substantial increase in terms of number of partners and business scale with the relevant revenue recording a substantial year-on-year growth of 330%.
— Being able to complete all the stages from R&D to putting out the end products in one plant and one place within the same production base at its Suzhou headquarter, TOT BIOPHARM managed to reduce much of the risks and difficulties in management, transportation and technological from outsourcing different procedures to different suppliers.

Strengthened Cooperation and Exchange
TOT BIOPHARM cherishes its long-term relationship and various kinds of cooperation with diverse partners and aiming to enhance core competitiveness of CDMO services.
— On 19 July, TOT BIOPHARM and BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (688166.SH) became strategic cooperation partners, which has seen its one-stop for ADC drug CDMO service platform strengthen in favor of R&D and commercialization of innovative drugs. Pursuant to the agreement, the two parties will work together to provide clients with services starting with development of production craftsmanship, moving on to scaling up production and eventually GMP-compliant production. The cooperation realized seamless connection of industrial chains, removing the risks from cross-regional regulation, and is a marriage of strengths in terms of technologies and resources, allowing further upgrade of the CDMO service platform for ADC drugs to provide one-stop solutions to innovative drug corporations to help them reduce R&D risks and make commercialization more efficient.

CORE BUSINESS ADVANTAGES
TOT BIOPHARM has developed three core business advantages, providing a solid foundation for development of and cooperation in relation to innovative drugs.
— Three Technology Platforms and Comprehensive Industrial Value Chain
TOT BIOPHARM has three integrated technology platforms and a proven international quality Management and Registration System and registration team, plus a comprehensive industrial value chain that covers from R&D, process development, clinical trials, registration and filing to commercial production, giving it a solid foundation to speed up R&D, lay out international market presence and for its for its CDMO/CMO business.
— A Packed Product Pipeline with Huge Market Potential
At present, the Group has 12 drug candidates in the pipeline, including monoclonal antibody drugs such as TAB008 (anti-VEGF mAb), TAB014 (anti-VEGF mAb) and TAY018 (anti-CD47 mAb), and ADCs such as TAA013 (anti-HER2 ADC), for indications involving various high incidence cancers, such as non-small-cell lung cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer, cerebral gliomas cancer and cervical cancer.
— Rare Capability of Commercially Producing mAb and ADC
Agreeing with the industrial upgrade of the Company and to meet market demand, the Group kicked off effort to expand production capacity in 2021, continuing to bolster the commercial production capacity of its antibody drugs and ADC products to prepare for the continuous expansion of the CDMO/CMO business. According to our strategic plan, we will keep on expanding our production capacity of mAb drugs to more than 16,000L.

Future Development
Dr. Liu Jun, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Science Officer and Executive Director of TOT BIOPHARM, said, "We expect TAB008, our first biological drug, to be approved for launch to market in 2021, hence we will corporate with sizable pharmaceutical plants to roll out our marketing plan. At the same time, we will push forward clinical procedures of ADC TAA013 to enrich the ADC product pipeline. With biological drug CDMO business in China at large booming, leverage on our advantage of "one-base" CDMO/CMO value chain, we will allocate our resources to optimize CDMO business in ADC field, strengthen our brand image as well as consolidate our market position.

"Looking ahead, we believe the competitive advantages of TOT BIOPHARM will become more and more obvious. We will keep presenting employees with ample room for development, and to our partners, with the best strategic solutions, and for shareholders, create value."

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (as at 30 June 2021)
Hong Kong Financial Reporting Standards Measures:
— Revenue was RMB23.132 million, representing a year-on-year growth of 78% thanks to the Group's proactive expansion of CDMO/CMO business heeding market changes, with relevant revenue up year-on-year growth by a substantial 330%.
— R&D expenses were RMB88.749 million, representing a year-on-year decrease of 11%, mainly attributable to the completion of Phase III clinical trials for the TAB008 project in the second half of 2020, which resulted in a year-on-year decrease in costs of clinical trials, also, R&D work completed for the TOZ309 project, there was a significant reduction of relevant expenses on R&D consumables.
— Selling expenses were RMB11.202 million, representing a year-on-year decrease of 18%, mainly attributable to the Company's sales strategy adjustments, resulting in reduction of relevant costs and expenses.
— General and administrative expenses were RMB26.823 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 11%, mainly attributable to the increase in operating and management expenses related to related to employee, administration and taxation, etc..
— The above mentioned all in account, net loss of the Group for the first half of 2021 reached RMB115.005 million, representing a year-on-year decrease of 11%.

Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Sihuan Pharmaceutical(0460.HK): Respond to the special directives to combat illegal medical aesthetics services, Advocate ‘Positive Energy’ of China’s Medical Aesthetics Industry

HONG KONG, Aug 11, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – On June 10, 2021, the National Health Commission, leading eight ministries and commissions, issued the "Notice on Distributing the Special Rectification Work Plan for Combating Illegal Medical Aesthetic Services." On August 9, 2021, 'The People's Daily' published an article entitled – 'Medical aesthetic sector needs to achieve best effects and prevent adverse consequences.' The article highlighted the current rectification plan in the medical aesthetic sector is to establish high industry standards, strengthen supervision, and crack down on illegal medical aesthetic services in order to create a clean and reliable medical aesthetic environment. This plan will foster new advances in medical aesthetic industry and encourage the sector's healthy development.

The imported product – Letybo (botulinum toxin type A for Injection) is a medical aesthetic product produced by South Korea's Hugel Inc. Bain Capital, a well-known international private equity fund, is the controlling shareholder of Hugel Inc in South Korea. Beijing Meiyan Space Biomedicine Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Sihuan Pharmaceutical, serves as the product's exclusive distributor across China, has long been committed to becoming a leading medical aesthetic player in China and obtained official product approval for Letybo from the China National Medical Products Administration in October 2020, becoming the first pharmaceutical company to obtain approval for this type of products from South Korea. As a 'positive energy' contributor for China's medical aesthetic industry, Sihuan Pharmaceutical has actively and dutifully responded to the special directives of the eight ministries and commissions to "combat illegal medical aesthetic services."

Sihuan Pharmaceutical, like many medical aesthetic product manufacturers, actively promotes 'positive energy' associated with China's medical aesthetic industry. However, the firm has been a victim of products imported through illegal channels, which not only cause physical and mental injuries to those who seek medical aesthetic services, but also seriously hinder the sustainable development of China's medical aesthetic industry. It also runs counter to the Communist Party's philosophy of – "People's aspiration for a better life is what we strive for."

Sihuan Pharmaceutical will actively cooperate with all relevant government departments to trace the root causes and provide strong evidence to aid in the firm crackdown of illegal product smuggling, illegal product manufacturing and sales, as well as illegal product transportation, while also work hard to urge all relevant Korean companies to respect and cooperate with the Chinese government's policies. This can be achieved by strictly monitoring export channels, jointly preventing and combating smuggling while ensuring the legitimacy of Korean medical aesthetic products, and protecting the interests of consumers in both countries.

Sihuan Pharmaceutical will also closely cooperate with the Industry Development and Self-discipline Committee of China Plastic Surgery Association, and actively participate in the 'China Medical Aesthetic' mini programme. We will also publish a list of compliant medical aesthetic institutions that purchase products, and update it regularly to jointly promote products while also applying code scanning to verify legal product status.

Sihuan Pharmaceutical, together with colleagues from all walks of life who are concerned about China's medical aesthetic sector will make untiring efforts to create a "true" and "positive" environment for China's medical aesthetic industry.

Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd.
Founded in 2001 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Limited in 2010, Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd. ("Sihuan Pharmaceutical" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries the "Group") (HKSE: 00460.HK) is an international pharmaceutical company led and driven by both innovation and generic, with an independent and leading independent research and development ("R&D") technology platform, a rich global product pipeline and a mature and excellent sales system. Focusing on high-growth therapeutic areas such as oncology, metabolic diseases, medical aesthetics, anti-infectives, digestive system, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular, Sihuan Pharmaceutical is building a leading medical aesthetic and biopharmaceutical leader in China with a two-wheel drive strategy of independent innovation and research and incubation to cultivate high growth new businesses.

For more information on Sihuan Pharmaceutical, please visit the company website https://www.sihuanpharm.com/

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Apollomics, Inc. Doses First Patient in A Phase I Clinical Trial of APL-102

Foster City, CA, Hangzhou and Shanghai, China, Aug 10, 2021 – (ACN Newswire) – Apollomics Inc., an innovative biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of mono- and combination oncology therapies, today announced the successful dosing of the first patient in a Phase I clinical study of APL-102 in patients with advanced solid tumors. The Phase I trial is designed to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of APL-102 delivered via an oral capsule.

"APL-102 is an internally discovered and developed tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting multiple oncogenic drivers, and we are excited about advancing it for clinical testing to explore its potential for treating a number of solid tumors;" said Guo-Liang Yu, PhD, Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "APL-102 is the first of several novel assets planned for clinical development to further expand Apollomics' clinical pipeline in oncology."

About APL-102
APL-102 is an oral, small molecule multi kinase inhibitor (MTKi) targeting several key oncogenic drivers. APL-102 inhibits several receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), including: angiogenesis via vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway via B-RAF and C-RAF; and colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R).

Preclinical studies have demonstrated broad and potent antitumor activity in patient-derived xenograft mouse models of liver, breast, colorectal, gastric, esophageal and lung cancers. APL-102 has also shown favorable preclinical pharmacokinetic (PK) and safety profiles with no serious off-target activity observed. APL-102 has the potential to be used as a single agent or in combination with other oncology agents.

Apollomics retains worldwide rights to APL-102.

About Apollomics Inc.
Apollomics Inc. is an innovative biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of monotherapies and combination therapies of tumor-targeting agents and immuno-oncology agents. The Company's product pipeline has several programs at different stages of development, including novel, humanized monoclonal antibodies that restore the body's immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells, and targeted therapies against uncontrolled growth signaling pathways. Apollomics has operating entities in Foster City, California, USA, Hangzhou and Shanghai, China. For more information, please visit www.apollomicsinc.com.

Contact information of Apollomics:
Investor Contact:
Wilson W. Cheung
Chief Financial Officer
(650) 209-4436
wcheung@apollomicsinc.com

U.S. Media Contact:
Remy Bernarda
Corporate Communications
(415) 203-6386
remy.bernarda@apollomicsinc.com

China Media Contact:
Porda Havas International Finance Communications Group

Kelly Fung
General Manager
(852) 3150 6763
kelly.fung@pordahavas.com

Phoenix Fung
Vice President
(852) 3150 6773
phoenix.fung@pordahavas.com

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