Author: jezzabellemente

New technology and capacity help CDMO’s advanced-therapies campus meet growing market demand

SEATTLE, May 18 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AGC Biologics, a leading global Biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), today announced it is adding viral vector suspension technology and capacity for the development and manufacturing of gene therapies at its commercial-grade campus in Longmont, Col., USA. These new capabilities, which begin coming online in the third quarter of 2022, complement the campus’ adherent viral vector and cell therapy offerings – enabling AGC Biologics to provide an in-depth variety of end-to-end cell and gene therapy services at this site. 

North America has historically been home to more advanced therapy and regenerative medicine developers than any other region worldwide. Further, the 2021 Q3 Cell & Gene Therapies Market Outlook report from industry standard research (ISR) revealed viral vectors are the most common thing a drug developer needs from a CDMO. This expansion more than doubles the site’s viral vector capacity, and helps AGC Biologics meet these market demands.

“This investment helps AGC Biologics address the needs of gene therapy developers at our new central location in North America,” said Patricio Massera, CEO of AGC Biologics. “When you combine these new capabilities and the technical expertise at our Longmont campus, with our Milan facility’s lentiviral vector platform and its extensive gene therapy CDMO experience, we can now support virtually any viral vector program being developed anywhere in the world.”

The viral vector suspension expansion is a part of a more than $30 million investment by AGC Biologics in its new Longmont campus. The new suspension capabilities include a full complement of bioreactor sizes for product development (AMBR, 10L and 50L), and a complete range of commercial manufacturing capacities (50L, 200L, 500L and 2000L), enabling the site to provide support for the entire lifecycle of a product.

“The suspension expansion helps us offer the most impactful, efficient and scalable technologies for bringing viral vector-based gene therapy products to market,” said Tony Fraij, General Manager, AGC Biologics Longmont. “This latest investment helps us round out the services we offer at this campus. Now, with a full suite of capabilities and the extensive expertise of our scientists, we can support virtually any type of viral vector or cell therapy development and manufacturing project.” 

AGC Biologics acquired the Longmont campus in August of 2021 and quickly appointed Fraij, a 20-year veteran with experience leading operations at several global life science organizations. The company previously acquired a cell and gene therapy site in Milan, Italy from MolMed S.p.A.  in 2020. The AGC Biologics Milan team’s technical expertise will play an important informative role in launching the new viral vector capabilities in Longmont. In just a few short years the company built a strong global cell and gene therapy network of services, capabilities and scientists. AGC Biologics is one of only a few CDMOs with end-to-end cell advanced therapies on two continents.

To learn more about the companies viral vector services visit www.agcbio.com/capabilities/viral-vector; visit www.agcbio.com/capabilities/cell-therapy to learn more about AGC Biologics’ cell therapy offerings.

About AGC Biologics

AGC Biologics is a leading global biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a strong commitment to delivering the highest standard of service as we work side-by-side with our clients and partners, every step of the way. We provide world-class development and manufacture of mammalian and microbial-based therapeutic proteins, plasmid DNA (pDNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), viral vectors, and genetically engineered cells. Our global network spans the U.S., Europe, and Asia, with cGMP-compliant facilities in Seattle, Washington; Boulder and Longmont, Colorado; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; Milan, Italy; and Chiba, Japan and we currently employ more than 2,000 employees worldwide. Our commitment to continuous innovation fosters the technical creativity to solve our clients’ most complex challenges, including specialization in fast-track projects and rare diseases. AGC Biologics is the partner of choice. To learn more, visit www.agcbio.com. 

Attachments

• AGC Biologics Longmont Cell and Gene Therapy Campus
• AGC Biologics Longmont Cell and Gene Therapy Campus Aerial View

Nick McDonald
AGC Biologics
4254193555
nmcdonald@agc.com

SOURCE : AGC Biologics

KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 (Bernama) — In March 2022, OMRON Group announced a new long-term vision, ‘Shaping the Future 2030’ (SF2030).

In its commitment to achieving this vision for the healthcare business domain, OMRON Healthcare Co Ltd (the Company), has established a long-term vision, ‘Going for ZERO, Preventive Care for the Health of Society’ and promises to develop new devices and services to meet the expectations of consumers, healthcare professionals and society at large.

By leveraging the sensing technologies and valuable insights developed in medical fields up to now, the Company will be focusing on the development of solutions for: cardiovascular diseases; respiratory diseases; and pain management.

Focus and commitment to these efforts will allow the Company to realise the long-term vision, according to a statement.

Firstly, Cardiovascular business: Zero cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events. Since the release of the first blood pressure monitor in 1973, the Company has always been focusing on developing easy-to-use and accurate blood pressure monitors as well as conducting educational activities for promoting blood pressure monitoring at home.

To accomplish the business vision of the cardiovascular domain, the Company will expand the target fields from monitoring cardiac dysfunction for the early detection, to the development of an upper-arm blood pressure monitor with built-in ECG technology, and the global launch of ECG analysis service.

Secondly, Respiratory business: Zero aggravation of respiratory diseases. Respiratory business will expand target diseases by adding COPD to the former asthma target.

The Company will distribute devices to support treatments and diagnosis in emerging nations lacking fully established medical systems. And for general households, especially in developed countries, the Company will be promoting symptom control and care services to alleviate soaring medical expenditures to relieve the burden of patients and their families.

Thirdly, Pain management: Zero restrictions on daily activities due to chronic pain. Within the pain management domain, the Company will focus on the development of devices incorporating new transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) technology, as well as providing an exercise therapy support service.

To accomplish the new vision of ‘Going for ZERO, Preventive Care for the Health of Society’, the Company aims to be indispensable within the chronic disease prevention and treatment fields, and then tries to challenge itself to provide society with solutions.

More details at https://healthcare.omron.com/

— BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) — CMR Surgical – the global surgical robotics business – has announced the introduction of the Versius® Surgical Robotic System in Hong Kong at CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC) and Gleneagles Hospital Hong Kong (GHK).

Chief Executive Officer of CMR Surgical, Per Vegard Nerseth said in a statement: “We have eagerly awaited our launch in Hong Kong to offer the city’s world leading healthcare system access to pioneering new technology.

“I am thrilled that we have entered such a robust and innovative market. Hong Kong will be our springboard to the rest of APAC as we prepare for further developments in the region in due course and continue to set CMR Surgical on the global stage.”

CUHKMC was the first hospital in Hong Kong to introduce Versius where it is being used as part of a multidisciplinary robotic programme, including general surgery and urology.

Meanwhile at Gleneagles, Versius has been used first in gynaecologic surgery, with plans to expand into general surgery and others as part of a multispecialty programme.

With Versius, both CUHKMC and GHK are offering robotic assisted surgery directly to patients through state-of-the-art specialty centres, bringing accessible surgical care to more patients.

With one of the longest life expectancies in the world, Hong Kong’s healthcare sector is a global leader in utilising high tech equipment and surgical solutions for patients, presenting a significant opportunity for Versius to be widely adopted in private and public hospitals.

APAC will be a major growth engine for surgical robotics where rapid digitalisation, rising demand and access to healthcare innovation will drive further adoption of health technology and innovations like Versius.

CMR has designed an agile commercial and pricing model to suit all global markets, increasing access for many people to minimal access (keyhole) surgery.

The value of innovation Versius offers as a leading-edge robotic technology, fits well within an innovative and diverse healthcare ecosystem like Hong Kong’s and other markets in the APAC region.

The introduction of Versius in Hong Kong follows CMR Surgical’s expansion into a number of markets across Europe, Middle East, India and Australia where the system is being used to perform surgical procedures across a range of surgical specialities including gynaecology, colorectal surgery, thoracic, general surgery and urology.

— BERNAMA

XI’AN, China, Apr. 27, 2022 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/–

The Shaanxi Archaeological Museum, the first archaeological museum in China, was recently completed in Xi’an and will be open to the public on a trial basis from April 28. Prior to that, the Xi’an Museum also had officially unveiled its “new look” after five months of upgrading and renovation. The official debut of these two major museums this month further contributes to the image of Xi’an as a City of Museums.

Museums are part of a city’s cultural identity and a place for people to feel the history, understand the present and explore the future. Xi’an, China, has made great efforts to make itself into a City of Museums, devoting itself to transforming its advantages in cultural heritage resources, developing its urban culture in the style of Xi’an, and highlighting its unique charm as a thousand-year ancient capital. The Party Xi’an Municipal Committee and Municipal Government proposed to protect the city’s cultural treasures, develop the city’s cultural value, and make culture a bridge between Xi’an and the world.

Located in Chang’an District, Xi’an City, the upcoming Shaanxi Archaeological Museum is a museum that focuses on the development of archaeology as a discipline, and displays the process of archaeological work, techniques and research ideas. The museum has an indoor exhibition area of 5,800 square meters and an outdoor exhibition area of 10,000 square meters, boasting 5,215 cultural relics in 4,218 groups on display. The museum has a number of exhibits that have been restored for protection with new concepts and advanced technologies. The exhibits include a Tang Dynasty cameleer figurine that is still intact after thousands of years, and Western Zhou Dynasty horse and chariot pits and Yuan Dynasty fresco tomb that have been moved into the museum as “packages” as a whole.

Located in the south of Xi’an City, the Xi’an Museum consists of three parts: the Tang Small Wild Goose Pagoda (Xiaoyan Pagoda), the ancient architectural complex of Jianfu Temple and the museum area. It is a modern history museum integrating museums, historic sites and gardens. In early April, the renovated and upgraded Xi’an Museum welcomed its visitors with a “new look”. More than 1,100 pieces (groups) of cultural relics from the collection were unveiled in the 1,300-square-meter exhibition hall. Among them, more than 100 pieces (groups) will be presented to the public for the first time as regular exhibits of the museum, including the golden tiger ornament from the Warring States Period, the opera figures bronze paperweight from the Han Dynasty and the painted infantry figurine, better showing the historical and cultural heritage of the ancient capital of Xi’an.

With a city history of 3,100 years, Xi’an, along with Cairo, Athens and Rome, is known as one of the “Four Ancient Capitals of History”. Today, thousands of years of time and historical traces are concentrated in museums of all sizes in Xi’an. Xi’an has as many as 134 registered museums, covering more than 40 types such as history, art and natural science. The Overall Plan for the Construction of the City of Museums in Xi’an issued in 2019 set up the spatial framework for the construction of the City of Museums in Xi’an, making Xi’an truly an “everyday history museum” that can be heard anytime, seen anywhere and spoken about randomly.

In addition to collection, research and display, museums in Xi’an are exploring new opportunities for education, communication and even leisure. Xi’an has integrated museum resources and expanded the role of museums as “schools” so that museums can better integrate into and serve public life. Relying on the rapid development of digital museums and coping with challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Xi’an Museum has brought its collection to the “cloud”, giving lectures through live streaming, and holding concerts for the public. This ubiquitous museum experience in new forms makes classical and serious museums accessible to more ordinary people.

Source: The Party Xi’an Municipal Committee and Municipal Government

Image Attachments Links:

Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=419906

Caption: A tomb mural of Yuan dynasty in the Shaanxi Archaeological Museum

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KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) — The Republic of the Marshall Islands has committed to sharing its vessel monitoring data on Global Fishing Watch’s public map, bolstering ocean governance and promoting compliance throughout some of the world’s richest fishing grounds.

This momentous decision was announced on April 14, 2022 at the seventh Our Oceans Conference by John M. Silk, Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce for the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

The declaration marks the first Pacific island nation to make its fishing activity visible to the world, according to a statement.

The partnership agreement was signed between the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority (MIMRA) and Global Fishing Watch, symbolising the two organisations’ dedication to advancing transparency of fishing activities in the Pacific Islands region, home to the world’s most productive tuna fisheries.

All vessels flying the Marshall Islands’ flag and foreign vessels fishing in its fishery waters will appear on Global Fishing Watch’s map through the integration of the government’s vessel monitoring system (VMS) data.

These vessels primarily target tropical tuna species of the Western and Central Pacific ocean, which hold environmental, economic and cultural significance across the region’s island nations—around half of the world’s tuna catch comes from these waters.

“Global Fishing Watch is honoured to be partnering with the Marshall Islands to build greater transparency of fishing activity in the Pacific,” said chief executive officer of Global Fishing Watch, Tony Long.

“This progressive decision will help facilitate accountability and good behaviour in the region and support a more sustainable future by strengthening fisheries monitoring.”

Global Fishing Watch uses publicly broadcast automatic identification system data to track close to 70,000 commercial fishing vessels operating globally. Adding VMS data, which is required by many governments, provides an even clearer view of global fishing activity.

The data can assist fishers abiding by the rules through faster, more efficient port entry and provide opportunities to implement regulatory and market incentives to reward them.

The Marshall Islands joins a growing group of countries that are already publicly sharing their VMS data through Global Fishing Watch, including Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and Peru.

— BERNAMA