Tag Archives: HEA

PR Newswire

Happiness Development Announces $10 Million Private Placement to Support Its International Expansion

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NANPING, China, Jan. 21, 2022 — Happiness Development Group Limited ("HAPP" or the "Company"), (NASDAQ: HAPP) a China-based company engaging in the business of production of nutraceutical and dietary supplements, providing e-commerce sales and e-commerce marketing solutions, and the sales of automobile today announced it has entered into certain securities purchase agreement with several non-U.S. strategic investors to sell total 12,500,000 Class A ordinary shares at a per share purchase price of $0.80, with over 45% premium to the market price of its Class A ordinary shares.

The Company intends to use the gross proceeds to expand its international e-commerce sales for its current products and potential addition of new products overseas as well as for working capital and general corporate use.

"We are very grateful to these strategic investors for their support to our international expansion, especially with a premium price. We look forward the expertise and resources in the international market these investors will bring to our Company. We have successfully exported about US$2 million of Lucidum products in 2021, which gives us great confidence to expand our international sales. In 2022, we will further expand and seek development and breakthroughs in international business. At the same time, we will further increase the scope of export products and will not rule out the possibility of overseas acquisition or participation in planting and R&D of new products. As a NASDAQ listed company, we will seek to further internationalize the company and make our products accessible to people all over the world. We believe with the contribution of the strategic capital from investors, this process will be greatly accelerated," Mr. Xuezhu Wang, CEO of the Company, commented.

About Happiness Development Group Limited

Headquartered in Nanping, China, Happiness Development Group Limited currently has three business lines: nutraceutical and dietary supplements, e-commerce and automobile sales. The nutrition and dietary supplements business is focusing on the research, development, manufacture and marketing of various products made from Chinese herbal extracts and other ingredients. Over the past 17 years, we have established a product portfolio consisting of 23 PRC National Medical Products Administration registered "Blue-Cap" SKUs of nutraceutical and dietary supplements products. Our e-commerce business focuses on offering e-commerce solutions, including advertising and information technology services to small and medium-sized enterprises in China. We also run our online stores which carries our products of dietary supplements and other selected products sourced from the small and medium-sized enterprises in China. Our mission for the e-commerce business is to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to fully leverage the power of e-commerce to grow rapidly. Our automobile sales adopts the B2B business model and is committed to optimizing the auto supply chain by connecting car dealers on our online automobile sales platform and offering the overall services for purchasing automobiles. For more information, please visit: www.happ.org.cn

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as "may, "will, "intend," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate" or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the following:  the Company’s goals and strategies; the Company’s future business development; product and service demand and acceptance; changes in technology; economic conditions; reputation and brand; the impact of competition and pricing; government regulations; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China, the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on our operations and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing and other risks contained in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

PR Newswire

Leading E-commerce Logistics and Fulfillment Brand NextSmartShip Partners with B2B Medical E-commerce Giant LyncMed

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——NextSmartShip Solution for B2B E-commerce Platforms to Extend Global Reach

SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 13, 2022 — NextSmartShip, a world-leading fulfillment service provider for global e-commerce sellers, signed a strategic partnership agreement with LyncMed, a major global e-commerce platform for medical instruments.

Under this partnership, NextSmartShip will empower LyncMed during its global expansion with industry-leading logistics and fulfillment expertise and the next-gen proprietary SaaS platform – Fulfillship.

Global e-commerce has seen exceptional growth since the pandemic. Besides traditional industry giants like Amazon, new e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Walmart, and other vertical platforms were also propelled into a higher growth trajectory. Fulfillment companies played a fundamental role during this.

NextSmartShip has been the fulfillment partner for many of these platforms and is becoming the best and only option for more e-commerce, especially B2B platforms for their fulfillment solution, thanks to its comprehensive and innovative capabilities as a fully equipped provider throughout all supply chain stages and the in-depth experience serving 1000+ international DTC brands. Featuring:

  • 97% global coverage with 70+ top international carrier partners;
  • Next-gen SaaS platform offering smart functions like routes recommendation, fee estimation, smart inventory distribution, seamless tracking updates etc;
  • Open API kits that allow easy integration into B2B platforms;
  • Dedicated servers which ensure fast, stable, and secure data transmission;
  • Top of the line value-added services, e.g., product assembling and kitting;
  • One-stop experience: pick up at the door of your thousands of vendors (within China) and deliver globally;
  • A seamless payment experience supporting flexible billing models;
  • Highly-rated customer service.

As one of the leading B2B players in a vertical field, LyncMed is committed to bridging different sectors and improving the efficiency of the whole value chain for the medical device industry. Through this new partnership, LyncMed hopes to meet more global requirements with a stable, efficient, complete yet flexible logistic solution powered by NextSmartShip.

"Relying on our advantages in the global fulfillment industry, our innovative solution can help LyncMed build a robust platform that truly empowers global businesses in the medical device industry."

"We have been chosen and recommended as the overall fulfillment solution provider for nearly ten similar supply chain e-commerce platforms globally, including some industry giants. This proves the scarcity of the ‘NextSmartShip Solution’," said William Yu, CEO and founder of NextSmartShip.

"We are much grateful to all our partners for their trust and recognition of our services and solution. We hope to provide a much more seamless and comfortable logistics experience for both sellers and their buyers on these e-commerce platforms so that sellers can truly focus on scaling their business through product development and supply chain management, which are their core advantages."

To view more details, please visit: http://www.nextsmartship.com 

About NextSmartShip

NextSmartShip is a tech-centered GLOCAL logistics powerhouse that strives to help DTC brands of different sizes to elevate their e-commerce business into the next big thing.

With a short history from 2019, the company has been helping thousands of global DTC brands to gain exceptional growth via its professional, stable, and affordable fulfillment services. It now delivers over a million packages per year to international destinations.

***

For media inquiries, please contact: Jackie.Jiang@nextsmartship.com  

 

PR Newswire

ASUS Aims to Lead the New Digital Era with Launch of ASUS-NTU Joint Research Center

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New collaboration elevates the innovation capabilities of ASUS, advances its leadership in AIoT and smart healthcare, and provides a channel to foster incredible talent

KEY POINTS 

  • ASUS-NTU Joint Research Center advances brand’s strategy of building robust long-term innovation capabilities and expanding its partner ecosystem
  • Center positions ASUS as smart tech leader by enhancing cross-disciplinary, cross-sector R&D in fields such as AIoT, smart healthcare, and next-gen PCs
  • Partnership enables brand to foster top talent and cultivate a new generation of incredible R&D leaders

TAIPEI, Dec. 20, 2021 — ASUS today announced the establishment of the ASUS-National Taiwan University (NTU) Joint Research Center, inaugurating a collaboration with NTU to consolidate industry-academia development capabilities and foster smart technology for the future.

Announced today at the unveiling ceremony by ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih and NTU President Chung-Ming Kuan, the Center combines exceptional talent from the business and academic sectors and aims to cultivate future leaders in smart technology fields. Established with R&D investments totaling over US $3.5 million, the Center will focus on areas such as advanced electromagnetics, next-generation computers, IoT, and artificial intelligence, pooling resources from across sectors to attain research breakthroughs and propel smart technologies forward.

During the ceremony, several leaders from ASUS and NTU hailed the start of the partnership. "As a leading global brand in motherboards and computing, ASUS is actively expanding innovation in artificial intelligence and AIoT to harness the accelerating digitization trends in the industry," noted ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih. "Combining the innovation capabilities of ASUS with the solid academic research foundations of NTU, we are setting a new standard for industry-academia collaboration while bringing Taiwan’s R&D capabilities to greater heights on the international stage."

"ASUS encourages every BU to make use of industry-academia collaboration and strategic alliances to actively plan key technologies and develop new areas of business," ASUS co-CEO S.Y. Hsu elaborated. "Through the combined efforts of ASUS and NTU, the Center will further connect academic resources with industry applications to drive ASUS and the industry forward."

From National Taiwan University: "NTU and ASUS have built a long-term relationship, and we are taking this further with the establishment of the Center. NTU professors across diverse research fields, from electrical engineering and computer science to medicine, are committed to the future development of the Center," NTU President Chung-Ming Kuan remarked. "We look forward to seeing more interactions between our faculty members, students, and industry leaders, as well as to demonstrating the academic capabilities of NTU."

Envisioning the ASUS-NTU Joint Research Center as a world-leading smart tech incubator

ASUS endeavors to be an industry leader in artificial intelligence and applied AIoT fields, integrating robust innovation capabilities across hardware and software to roll out smart technologies with ecosystem partners. Aligning with these goals, the Center will place special focus on three major, advanced areas — terminal and edge device technology, internet and multimedia, and data science and smart healthcare — and is currently formulating plans for short, medium, and long-term research projects.

For this collaboration with NTU, ASUS will be consolidating R&D resources across departments, rallying the research and application capabilities of seven NTU departments plus the National Taiwan University Hospital. Aside from expanding cross-discipline innovation capabilities, ASUS will also be passing on its enterprise experience, giving back to academia, and cultivating a new generation of R&D talent — carrying out aspirations to advance the ASUS-NTU Joint Research Center firmly towards the No. 1 position in Asia and the top tier worldwide.

A collaboration between enterprise, academia and government with an industry-wide impact

In addition to investment from ASUS to support its development, the Center will also be subsidized by the Academia-Industry Research Center (AIR Center) from Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology. By acting as an innovation incubator, fostering R&D talent, and advancing smart technology development, ASUS aims to bring new vitality into the information and communications technology industry, thereby reinforcing international connections and increasing Taiwan’s visibility worldwide.

Press Contacts

Andrew Bavelock

Specialist, Global Communications

Andrew_Bavelock@asus.com

Nicole Lee        

Corporate Communications

Nicole1_Lee@asus.com 

Notes to Editors

ASUS Global News: https://www.asus.com/news

ASUS Global Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asus

ASUS Global Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/asus

About ASUS

ASUS is a global technology leader that provides the world’s most innovative and intuitive devices, components and solutions to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. With its team of 5,000 in-house R&D experts, ASUS is world-renowned for continuously reimagining today’s technologies for tomorrow, garners more than 11 awards every day for quality, innovation and design, and is ranked among Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies.

PR Newswire

VR Digital Therapeutics for depression developed in consultation with specialists from Boston, MA, U.S.A., introducing innovative clinical tool at CES2022

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-53 million additional cases of depression globally due to the pandemic; VR digital therapeutics helps meet this increasing demand with technology that can enhance treatment effectiveness –

TOKYO, Dec. 7, 2021 — Jolly Good Inc. ("Jolly Good"), a leading Japanese VR company which develops and provides medical VR and VR digital therapeutics, is expanding overseas and has developed an English version of its VR digital therapeutic tool that facilitates the treatment of depression ("VRDTx"). Jolly Good has invited Dr. Katharine "Kim" Larsson and Dr. Amaro Laria–behavioral medicine specialists based in Boston, MA, USA–to join Jolly Good as consultants for their VRDTx project. The VRDTx treatment approach is based on principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Dr. Larsson and Dr. Laria support the potential value of this innovative technology to facilitate in the treatment of depression, and have worked closely with Jolly Good to ensure that their product meets the demands of the USA audience. A demo version of this VRDTx technology will be exhibited for the first time at CES, the world’s largest technology event, which will be held in Las Vegas on January 5-8, 2022.

From left: Dr. Larsson and Dr. Laria of Boston Behavioral Medicine, LLC; and Kensuke Joji, CEO of Jolly Good.
From left: Dr. Larsson and Dr. Laria of Boston Behavioral Medicine, LLC; and Kensuke Joji, CEO of Jolly Good.

Exhibiting at CES, the world’s largest tech event

The VRDTx, developed by Jolly Good in consultation with Dr. Larsson and Dr. Laria, will be exhibited for the first time in the "health & wellness" category at CES, one of the world’s largest technology conferences. There’s a lot of excitement in anticipation of CES’s first in-person conference in two years, and they expect a very high number of attendants.

＜Information of CES＞

Date：Jan 5th (Wed) – Jan 8th (Sat), 2022
Place： North Hall, Las Vegas Convention and World Trade Center(LVCC), Las Vegas, NV, USA
（Booth number：8478）
https://www.ces.tech/

53 million additional cases of depression raises concern about gaps in healthcare delivery

According to a study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental disorders by Dr. Damian F. Santomauro and his colleagues at the University of Queensland, Australia, (published in online Lancet journal), the number of patients with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders increased by more than 53 million and 76 million, respectively, with higher rates among women and young people. According to the Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) MAP published by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), the availability of mental health services across the U.S. varies from region to region, with most regions meeting less than 50% of the demand for mental health services, which is inadequate.

Addressing regional disparities by enhancing treatment effectiveness with VR-facilitated treatment

Using VR technology in the treatment of depression can be a significant adjunct to enhance treatment effectiveness by allowing the patient to have a more realistic experience. Patients are able to immerse themselves almost "in vivo" in a VR environment and experience "first- hand" typical situations that are relevant to depressed patients. They identify with the characters in the scenes being able to take multiple subjective positions in the situations that are displayed. Watching the characters in the scenes express their thoughts and perspectives from a distanced position, can help patients reflect on their own thoughts and perspectives in similar situations in their lives. Enhancing the effectiveness of available treatments for depression can help alleviate the burden associated with the increasing demand for adequate mental health services worldwide.

＜Comments from the professional consultants＞

Dr. Kim Larsson and Dr. Amaro Laria joined the Jolly Good VRDTx project as professional consultants in 2021. They are the co-founders and co-directors of Boston Behavioral Medicine, LLC in Boston, MA, USA. Dr. Larsson is a graduate of Boston College School of Nursing, and a former supervisor at Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Laria is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston and a current Clinical Instructor in the Psychiatry Department of Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School. They have expertise in behavioral medicine and currently run a training program.

"VRDTx can help improve quality and effectiveness in treating depression, which in turn can alleviate some of the burden associated with regional disparities in the US."
Katharine "Kim" Larsson, PhD, RN, CS
Co-founder & Clinical Director
Boston Behavioral Medicine, LLC

"The COVID-19 pandemic has limited social interactions causing many to become isolated, which has significantly fueled levels of depression and anxiety. In turn, being depressed and anxious causes people to become more isolated, which impacts negatively on their functioning. VR technology can be an important adjunct for psychotherapists in the treatment of depression. "

"I foresee that VR technology will become more routine in the treatment of mental health conditions, and will represent an important clinical tool for psychotherapists to enhance the effectiveness of their treatments. Given the increasing demand for services and serious shortage of mental health clinicians, enhancing the effectiveness of our current treatments for depression will be essential in addressing this global mental health crisis."

＜Dr. Larsson’s Biography＞

Dr. Katherine "Kim" Larsson is a doctoral level licensed clinical specialist, who has practiced as a psychotherapist and psycho-pharmacologist for over 20 years. Dr. Larsson underwent clinical training at McLean Hospital and The Cambridge Hospital, both teaching hospitals of Harvard Medical School. She is former Assistant Director of the Behavioral Medicine Program at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates in Boston, and a former supervisor in the Behavioral Medicine Program at Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School. She has carried out international work in Japan as a lecturer and consultant, helping to promote the development of behavioral medicine approaches among nurses and mental health clinicians.

"VRDTx can allow depressed patients to immerse themselves in real life situations, which can significantly enhance the effectiveness of their treatments"
Amaro J. Laria, PhD
Co-founder & Training Director, Boston Behavioral Medicine, LLC
Faculty / Clinical Supervisor, Psychiatry Department, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School

"VR technology brings an experiential and interactive element into the therapy room. It’s an important complement to the ‘talking’ element in psychotherapy, and it results in a more balanced and comprehensive treatment. For example, if a patient is talking about their lack of motivation, the therapist can invite them to reflect on a scene they watched in a VR session, which provides a more vivid and concrete illustration of what the lack of motivation may look like in real life.

Moreover, watching a realistic scene in a VR environment may trigger a particular memory of a similar situation in their own lives, which will allow them to process this material in their talking therapy. VRDTx can also facilitate the process of learning strategies like self-monitoring and cognitive restructuring, which are core to cognitive-behavioral therapy, by providing a role play opportunity through a realistic illustration in VR. It can also be a good replacement for in-vivo exposure, especially in situations in which it’s difficult to recreate real life exposure situations.

＜Dr. Laria’s Biography＞

Dr. Amaro Laria is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience as a psychotherapist. He uses a patient-centered integrative approach that highlights the centrality of the therapeutic relationship and the role of emotions in treatment. Dr. Laria is director of the Boston Behavioral Medicine Training Program, and holds a faculty appointment as Clinical Instructor at Harvard Medical School through his affiliation with the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance. He obtained his PhD in clinical psychology at University of Massachusetts Boston in 1997, and was a NIMH post-doctoral research fellow in the Social Medicine Department at Harvard Medical School. He served as advisor on cultural issues to the DSM-5 workgroup on anxiety disorders.

VR therapeutics for depression （ https://jollygood.co.jp/vrdtx/en ）

VRDTx was developed by Jolly Good and is based on basic principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy ("CBT"), adapting CBT strategies to a VR environment. This treatment strategy allows patients to experience "realistic role play" situations that are typical of many individuals suffering from depression. The experiential quality of this treatment tool can make treatment more relevant to patients, which in turn can significantly enhance treatment effectiveness.

About Jolly Good（ https://jollygood.co.jp/ ）

Jolly Good is a medical technology company that develops high-precision VR solutions and AI-based medical and welfare services that analyze user behavior in the VR space. Using technologies such as VR and AI, the company is accelerating human growth and social rehabilitation in medical education, support for persons with disabilities, and treatment of mental illness. Through their collaboration with various research institutes and companies, Jolly Good is at the forefront in the evolution of health care by developing technological innovations that facilitate the provision of health care services. 

PR Newswire

Updated NCCN Distress Thermometer and Problem List Helps People Cope with Cancer Symptoms and Treatment

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Landmark tool for measuring the psycho-social impact of cancer gets an overhaul to reflect the latest research, helping patients receive better care by addressing their physical and emotional wellbeing.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Dec. 7, 2021 — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN®)—a nonprofit alliance of leading cancer centers—announces updates to its widely-used resource for enabling discussion and treatment of distress as part of routine care for people with cancer. The NCCN Distress Thermometer and Problem List is a free resource to help providers worldwide identify and address the unpleasant experiences that may make it harder to cope with having cancer, its symptoms, or treatment. The updated version includes the well-regarded thermometer tool alongside a revamped list of possible physical, mental, social, spiritual, and other practical concerns, to allow care teams to recommend specific resources that can provide support.

"Caring for cancer patients’ emotional wellbeing is just as important as addressing their physical symptoms," said Michelle Riba, MD, MS, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, Chair of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) Panel for Distress Management. "The NCCN Distress Thermometer makes it more viable to assess people’s distress during routine and unexpected doctors’ visits. With this update, we have made the tool even more streamlined and user-friendly while avoiding words that could be stigmatizing."

The NCCN Distress Thermometer was first launched in 1997 to normalize and encourage discussion of distress as a standard part of oncology patient visits. This free resource has been downloaded more than 25,000 times in 2021 throughout more than 100 countries. It has also been translated into more than 50 languages (with updated translations coming soon).

The updates feature an expanded section on spiritual or religious concerns, as well as revisions to the list of social concerns—including a new option for patients to indicate if they are having difficulties communicating with their healthcare team. The simple checklist also includes revisions to the list of practical concerns, specifically new items related to ability to take care of oneself and others.

"Everyone with cancer experiences some distress at some point; it’s normal to feel sad, fearful, and helpless," said Robert W. Carlson, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "The amount of distress can be very different from person to person, or in an individual at different points throughout diagnosis and treatment. Addressing the impact of cancer-related distress and various underlying causes can help patients achieve their best possible outcome. The NCCN Distress Thermometer opens up a necessary conversation, and the NCCN Guidelines for Distress Management provide evidence-based expert consensus recommendations for managing concerns."

The NCCN Distress Thermometer is included in the NCCN Guidelines® for Distress Management. It can also be found in the NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Distress During Cancer Care book intended for patients and caregivers, funded by the NCCN Foundation® and sponsored by Good Days. Both are available free-of-charge for non-commercial use at NCCN.org or via Virtual Library of NCCN Guidelines® App.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so all patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information and follow NCCN on Facebook @NCCNorg, Instagram @NCCNorg, and Twitter @NCCN.

Media Contact:
Rachel Darwin
267-622-6624
darwin@nccn.org

Related Links :

http://www.nccn.org

PR Newswire

OrigiMed announced its strategic partnership with Janssen to develop clinical innovative solutions driven by data science

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SHANGHAI, Dec. 3, 2021 — OrigiMed Co., Ltd. ("OrigiMed") announced that the company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on strategic collaboration with Janssen (China) Research and Development Center of Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Co., Ltd. ("Janssen"). Zili Li, M.D., M.P.H., Head of Asia Pacific R&D, Janssen Research & Development, Jenny Zheng，President of Janssen China, Yi Zheng, PhD, Head of Asia Pacific Center of Excellence in Translational Science, Janssen R&D，Dr. Kai Wang, CEO of OrigiMed and Ms. Ping Zhao, Senior Vice President of OrigiMed for Pharmaceutical Cooperation attended the Janssen – OrigiMed MoU on Strategic Collaboration Signing Ceremony. Najat Khan, PhD, Chief Data Science Officer, Janssen R&D, Zach Boyd, PhD, Head Oncology Diagnostics, Janssen R&D also expressed their sincere wishes and expectations to the audience by VCR.

MoU Signing Ceremony
MoU Signing Ceremony

Leveraging the power of real-world evidence, both parties will jointly explore to optimize clinical trials and patient enrollment, develop clinical innovative solutions, boost the development and commercialization processes of companion diagnostic products and anti-tumor drugs by virtue of their strong scientific research capabilities and extensive medical resources, thereby providing comprehensive health management solutions for patients.

According to the MoU, the two parties will cooperate with the following strategic focuses:

Establishment of real-world evidence database: Through the strong collection and analysis ability of OrigiMed in real-world study data and medical imaging, the two parties intend to improve on the translation of medical achievements, clinical diagnosis and new drug development for precision medicine under the principle of following national policies and regulations.

Optimization of clinical trial and whole-process management of patients: Utilizing OrigiMed’s innovative medical e-platform, the two parties aim to accelerate the localization of clinical trial enrollment and evaluation of clinical studies, optimize the follow-up of patients, and facilitate the full-cycle management of patients, through scientific analysis and innovative technologies.

Development of new indications and companion diagnostic products: The two parties plan to enhance their translational study capability through artificial intelligence, machine learning model and other scientific tools, actively exploring the development of new indications, and promoting the development and commercialization process of companion diagnostic products.

Exploration of the pilot program of innovative drugs: The two parties wish to actively explore the opportunities for diversified access to innovative drugs under China’s pilot policies regarding innovative drugs and medical devices for patient benefits.

As a leading anti-tumor precision medicine company in China, OrigiMed will establish a comprehensive digital service platform and optimize the marketing strategy for new anti-tumor drugs and companion diagnostic products based on its excellent next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and cutting-edge technologies such as gene database, patient follow-up database, and real-world study and evidence.

PR Newswire

Tang Prize Laureates Reflect on the Breakthroughs Made Possible by Cytokine Research

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TAIPEI, Nov. 27, 2021 — Following the inspiring opening speech, "Future Perspective of Cancer Immunotherapy," delivered by Nobel Prize and Tang Prize laureate Prof. Tasuku Honjo at the 14th Asia Pacific Federation of Pharmacologist Conference (APFP) on November 26, the 2020 Tang Prize Laureate’s Lecture for Biopharmaceutical Science, co-organized by the Tang Prize Foundation and The Pharmacological Society in Taiwan, took place at the 14th APFP at 1:30 p.m. (GMT+8) on November 27. Co-hosted by Dr. Wen-Chang Chang, chair of Taipei Medical University’s board of directors, and Dr. Yun Yen, chair professor at Taipei Medical University, this special session featured lectures delivered by three winners for the 2020 Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science, Drs. Charles Dinarello, Marc Feldmann, and Tadamitsu Kishimoto, providing valuable informaiton on the role cytokines play in inflammation and the COVID-19 disease as well as possible treatments.

The first lecture by Dr. Dinarello, titled "Interleukin-1: The Prime Mediator of Systemic and Local Inflammation," began with his purification of leukocytic pryogen from human white blood cells in 1971. It then took him six years to identify two fever-producing molecules, later named IL-1αand IL-1β. In 1977, the research outcomes were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and for Dr. Dinarello, "that was an important step in the history of cytokine biology," because many people in the field of life science were encouraged to study the immune system’s influence on human physiology. As a result, cytokine biology expanded rapidly. He also talked about how after the early experiments in humans, "the history of cytokines being used as a treatment changed dramatically," and the focus was shifted to "inhibiting cytokines, such as IL-1, such as TNF, such as IL-6." To help the audience understand the complicated network constituted by the pro-inflammatory molecules of the IL-1 family, Dr. Dinarello elaborated on the signal transduction of IL-1 family members, their pro- and anti-inflammatory characteristics, and the symptoms of different inflammatory diseases, so as to ease the way for the audience to get a proper grasp of the second half of the lecture which centered on "the clinical application of Il-1 blockade." IL-1 overproduction, as Dr. Dinarello remarked, is a common cause of many diseases. IL-1Ra, on the other hand, can inhibit Il-1αandβ, and block the IL-1R signaling. Anakinra, a recombinant human IL-1Ra has been produced. It is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and can also prevent glycemic disorders in type 2 diabetes. Moreover, canakinumab, an anti-IL-1βmonoclonal antibody successfully developed by Novartis, has been approved in a variety of diseases, ranging from rare hereditary diseases, rheumatic diseases, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, to cardiovascular diseases. The most exciting news involving canakinumab is the clinical trial, CANTOS, which unexpectedly proved that canakinumab has an important role in treating cancer. Therefore, Dr. Dinarello believes that blocking IL-1 can usher in the dawn of a new cancer treatment.

The second speaker, Dr. Feldmann, shared his views on "Translating Molecular Insights in Autoimmunity into Effective Therapy." The emphasis of the first half of his lecture was on how he discovered that anti-TNF can be effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis. Administrating either high or low doses of this drug can block TNF while also rapidly reducing the production of other inflammatory mediators. In their earlier experiments, Dr. Feldmann and his team demonstrated that around 50% of people with rheumatoid arthritis responded to the combination therapy using anti-TNF and the cancer drug methotrexate. That led him to believe that "we’ve got a long way to go before every patient is cured." During the second half of the talk, Dr. Feldmann informed us that "TNF is a very unusual meditator, because it has two different targets: TNF receptor-1(TNFR1), which drives inflammation, and TNF receptor 2, which does the very opposite. So if you block all of TNF, you block of receptors. You block inflammation, but you also prevent the body’s attempt to dampen down the inflammation." Therefore, he and his colleagues are "in the process of generating tools" and has already blocked TNFR1 without change the function of regulatory T cells. In addition, Dr. Feldmann mentioned the potential of anti-TNF for addressing many unmet medical needs, such as treating fibrosis of the hand by injecting anti-TNF into the palm. However, he pointed out the two obvious disadvantages of the anti-TNF he first developed: it was cost-prohibitive and "it was an injectable drug." Thus, to develop "cheaper drugs that could be delivered by mouth" would bring greater benefit to the society. Throughout the lecture, Dr. Feldmann kept bringing up many people with whom he was or is collaborating for different projects and experiments, as he tried to drive home the message that what he had learned from these experiences was "how to work effectively with others" to ensure continuous breakthroughs in their research. It has been the hallmark of his career to find "talented people to work with," and, "together with them," to achieve much more "than we could alone."

Presenting the third lecture on the topic "Interleukin-6: From Arthritis to CAR-T and COVID-19," Dr. Kishimoto drew the audience’s attention to how IL-6 was discovered, why IL-6 is a pleiotropic molecule, and why IL-6 "is responsible for both antibody production as well as inflammation induction." He also shed light on IL-6’s effects on autoimmune diseases and how IL-6 can trigger cytokine storms. Early on in his talk, Dr. Kistimoto made clear that the overproduction of IL-6 has found to be associated with many diseases, such as cardiac myxoma, Castleman’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic onset of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). To tackle the inflammatory responses provoked by IL-6 overproduction, Dr. Kishimoto and his team tried to treat patients by blocking IL-6 signals. Subsequently, tocilizumab, a recombinant humanized anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, was successfully developed and has been approved for use in more than 100 countries for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and JIA. With regard to how the production of IL-6 is regulated and why IL-6 overproduction often occurs in chronic inflammatory diseases, Dr. Kishimoto explained that the stabilization of IL-6 strongly depended on its messenger RNA. To rescue patients suffering from CAR-T cell-induced cytokine storms, many in the medical profession now will use tocilizumab to cushion the side effects of this therapy. In view of this example, Dr. Kishimoto and his team speculated that tocilizumab can also be effective in helping seriously-ill COVID-19 patients combat cytokine storms. Several large-scale clinical trials proved that it can lower the possibility of requiring invasive ventilation or the risk of death. For this reason, the US Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization have both issued an Emergency Use Authorization for tocilizumab for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. In this lecture, Dr. Kishimoto gave us a comprehensive overview of the research on IL-6 he led his team in carrying out over the past 50 years. It was a journey that took them from basic research to drug development and clinical application.

These three lectures by the 2020 Tang Prize laureates in Biopharmaceutical Science will be premiered on the Tang Prize YouTube channel from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (GMT+8) on November 27. To watch the complete version of the "2020 Tang Prize Laureate’s Lectures for Biopharmaceutical Science," please consult the schedule below.

  • Dr. Charles Dinarello – Interleukin-1, the prime mediator of systemic and local inflammation
    11/27 16:00 Taipei time (GMT+8)：https://youtu.be/gVXKCkTKkcg  
  • Dr. Marc Feldmann – Translating Molecular Insights in Autoimmunity into Effective Therapy
    11/27 17:00 Taipei time (GMT+8)：https://youtu.be/_M3R9WFtDt4  
  • Dr. Tadamitsu Kishimoto – Interelukin-6: From Arthritis to CAR-T and COVID-19
    11/27 18:00 Taipei time (GMT+8)：https://youtu.be/93rNLo5QMQc
PR Newswire

ASUS and Medical Professionals Showcase Five Smart Healthcare Achievements

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SINGAPORE, Nov. 26, 2021 — ASUS Intelligent Cloud Services (AICS) today introduced five smart medical solutions during its AICS Medical Open House. The xHIS platform, the Lumos EMR search platform, the Drug Safety Service, the Miraico smart medical coding assistant and the Personal Healthcare App have the potential to make a transformative impact in the healthcare industry.


The event was graced by Dr. Jeng Wei, president of Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Dr. You-Chen Chao, superintendent of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Dr. Ching-Hsiung Lin, vice superintendent of Changhua Christian Hospital, and Dr. Chih-Jen Tseng and Dr. Cheng-Chung Wei, vice superintendents of Chung Shan Medical University Hospital.

AICS has a long-standing commitment to involving industry leaders, academia and research in its medical development. This year, AICS presented 10 publications at international academic conferences and implemented its technologies in 19 medical centers and hospitals across Taiwan. AICS has also partnered with US-based AI unicorn start-up Olive to introduce smart medical coding across 755 American hospitals.

"In the future, we will extend the reach of our innovative AI applications on xHIS, Lumos and Personal Healthcare platforms and collaborate with our global healthcare partners to create Blue Ocean opportunities." said Dr. Tai-Yi Huang, ASUS Corporate Vice President and head of AICS.

xHIS platform at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital

"The challenges of smart healthcare and digital transformation are even more pressing under the impact of the epidemic," noted by Dr. You-Chen Chao, superintendent of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital. "The Healthcare Information System co-developed with ASUS has opened up opportunities for transformation." 

The brand-new structure and microservices enhance clinical efficiency and patient experience. They further integrate AI services and optimize the quality of the CM (medical record writing) and PCS (auto) coding, Smart Doctor’s Order Issuing and claims process, smart SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan), ICD (International Classification of Diseases) and CPOE (Computerized Physician Order Entry) services.

The Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital has successfully implemented the mobile patient room rounding service and sepsis prediction system. When used alongside the clinical decision support system, they have enabled the hospital to optimize multidisciplinary collaboration and communication between doctors and patients, as well as improve the quality of healthcare.

Lumos EMR search platform at Chung Shan Medical University Hospital

"Clinical research is the cradle for promoting medical innovation and nurturing biomedical talent," said Dr. Cheng-Chung Wei of Chung Shan Medical University Hospital. "ASUS Lumos EMR (Electronic Medical Record) search platform is crucial to our medical research team and our university students. It analyzes medical records and examination reports, and instantaneously provides real-world data such as variation trends and disease factors to assist research and clinical treatment." 

The hospital also leveraged ASUS Oncor (Oncology Care Management Platform) to assist auto-fill of cancer and chronic disease patient cases, significantly reducing the time to search and organize information. This enables the medical team to focus more on clinical care, patient healthcare education, and the development of personalized treatment.

Drug Safety Service at Cheng Hsin General Hospital

"The large amount of medication consumed by the general Taiwanese population has increased the likelihood of adverse drug reactions," noted Dr. Jeng Wei of Cheng Hsin General Hospital. "The hospital therefore collaborated with ASUS to develop an AI-assisted drug safety system that analyses over 10 million medical records."

Before a prescription is issued, the AI of the Drug Safety Service reviews the patient’s family and personal health records, including allergies, medical history, lifestyle habits and information based on previous medical visits, tests and physical examinations. It then recommends a list of medications and tests to be conducted beforehand. It warns if any abnormal dosage of medicine is prescribed. This approach puts patient safety first and reduces human error, disputes and medical waste.

ASUS is also actively deploying AI technology to develop drug management for chronic diseases, medical complications and cancer. It enables more accurate predictions of the efficacy, safety and risk of new drugs entering preclinical settings, along with accelerating clinical trials and precision drug development. 

Personal Healthcare App at Chung Shan Medical University Hospital

In response to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, a rapidly aging society and low birth rates, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital (CSMUH) has been actively promoting disease prevention and health management. The hospital is working with ASUS to develop a 100% structured medical database that integrates AI, mobile and telematics technologies to establish a personal health management platform.

The CSMUH eServices App offers a smart mobile clinic, chronic-care disease management and long-term personalized care.

Dr. Chih-Jen Tseng further explains, "The app connects patients with medical and care institutions to strengthen long-term doctor-patient relationships and shared decision-making (SDM) models. It reduces waste of medical resources, shortens the gap in healthcare services between urban and rural areas, and establishes a holistic health care system." 

Connect with ASUS at Singapore Healthcare AI Expo from November 27 to December 5  

AICS will be presenting at the Singapore Healthcare AI Expo organized by the National University Health System (NUHS), National University of Singapore (NUS), and MIT Critical Data, taking place from November 27 to December 5, 2021. ASUS would like to invite attendees to discover ASUS medical solutions including the Miraico smart medical coding assistant and Lumos EMR search platform. Register at https://www.nus-datathon.com/asus to attend the seminars. For those interested in connecting directly with ASUS at SG Healthcare AI Expo, please contact Lyon Chen at Lyon_Chen@asus.com.

About AICS

The mission of ASUS Intelligent Cloud Services (AICS) is to build revolutionary healthcare solutions with natural language processing, computer vision, and big data analytics. We provide Software as a Service (SaaS) applications to accelerate the effective use of medical data and improve the efficiency of hospital operations, unleashing the power of data for precision healthcare and bringing transformative impact to the industry. Please visit us at https://aics.asus.com/home/ 

About ASUS

ASUS is a global technology leader that provides the world’s most innovative and intuitive devices, components and solutions to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. With its team of 5,000 in-house R&D experts, ASUS is world-renowned for continuously reimagining today’s technologies for tomorrow, garners more than 11 awards every day for quality, innovation and design, and is ranked among Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies.

PR Newswire

Waterdrop Inc. to Report Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results on November 30, 2021

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BEIJING, Nov. 24, 2021 — Waterdrop Inc. (NYSE: WDH) ("Waterdrop" or the "Company"), a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare service with a positive social impact, today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021, before U.S. markets open on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

Waterdrop’s management team will hold a conference call on November 30, 2021 at 7:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on the same day) to discuss the financial results. Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

United States:

1-323-794-2093

Hong Kong:

852-3008-1527

Mainland China:

400-120-9101

Elite Entry Number:

1432784 #

Please dial in 15 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the Elite Entry Number to join the call.

A telephone replay will be accessible through 10:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time, December 7, 2021 by dialing the following numbers:

United States:

1-719-457-0820

International:

1-888-203-1112

Hong Kong:

852-5808-3200

Mainland China:

400-120-1651

Access Code:

1432784 #

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at the Company’s investor relations website at http://ir.waterdrop-inc.com/.

About Waterdrop Inc.

Waterdrop Inc. (NYSE: WDH) is a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare service with a positive social impact. Founded in 2016, with the comprehensive coverage of Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace and Medical Crowdfunding, Waterdrop aims to bring insurance and healthcare service to billions through technology. For more information, please visit www.waterdrop-inc.com.

For investor inquiries, please contact

Waterdrop Inc.
Xiaojiao CUI
IR@shuidi-inc.com

Christensen

In China
Mr. Eric Yuan
Phone: +86-1380-111-0739
E-mail: Eyuan@christensenir.com

In US
Ms. Linda Bergkamp
Phone: +1-480-614-3004
Email: lbergkamp@christensenir.com

Related Links :

http://www.waterdrop-inc.com

PR Newswire

Nestle Health Science Partners with Healint to Initiate a Fully Virtual Study on Ketogenic Treatment for Migraines

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SINGAPORE, Nov. 21, 2021 — Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) has initiated a study looking into the effectiveness of a ketogenic nutritional supplement in reducing migraine attacks. The fully virtual study, taking place in Quebec, Canada, is investigating the effectiveness of a ketogenic nutritional supplement developed by Nestlé in reducing the number, intensity, and duration of migraines in people with episodic migraines.

This fully virtual study has been approved for conduct in the Canadian province of Quebec, with scientific and regulatory support from the Food & Nutrition Group within Intertek Assuris and is powered by a dedicated module within the Migraine Buddy app developed by Healint. The Clinical Research Unit at Nestlé Research is managing the trial and the clinical operations activities are being executed by DIEX Recherche. This represents for Nestlé the first randomized clinical trial for central nervous system conditions to be conducted fully remotely, with no visits at the clinical site. 1

The digital platform allows participants in the province of Quebec to be screened, recruited, and tracked in real-time across the five-month study, all from a single, easy-to-use, virtual interface. Moreover, the digital aspect reduces the risk of human errors associated with traditional paper-based records and increases the speed of data capture and cleaning.

"Migraines can be seriously incapacitating for sufferers, affecting every aspect of their lives," said Stephanie Blum, Global Head of Translation Research for Nestlé Health Science. "We have seen promising evidence that by improving brain energy metabolism, for example with the use of ketones, the impact of migraines can be lessened." Nestlé Health Science is using a fully virtual study to improve patient experience, making trial participation more accessible and convenient, paving the way to future end-to-end digital clinical studies in medical nutrition.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need and benefit for clinical trials to go fully virtual; there are multiple cost efficiencies and benefits to a fully remote clinical trial which technology platforms like Migraine Buddy can facilitate," said François Cadiou, CEO of Healint.

"We firmly believe that mobile health has the potential to revolutionize the way clinical studies are delivered" said Cadiou. "We are delighted that this partnership with Nestlé Health Science will allow clinical trials to proceed remotely and promote inclusion by extending the range of participants to beyond those residing near physical trial sites."

Migraine is the sixth most disabling illness in the world, which affects around a billion people worldwide. More than half of all migraine sufferers are never diagnosed, while 15% of those diagnosed with migraine experience more than five attacks per month. Considering that 75% of the migraine population is female and that prevalence peaks between the ages for 18 and 44, the burden of migraine falls most heavily on women of childbearing age. Migraine is characterized by moderate to severe   headache   and   is   often   accompanied by nausea, vomiting and photophobia.2 It has detrimental effects on daily activities, it reduces quality of life and impairs productivity with limited participation in professional, academic, and social settings.

About Nestlé Health Science

Nestlé Health Science is a leader in the science of nutrition and a globally managed business unit of Nestlé. We believe in empowering healthier lives through nutrition and are committed to redefining the management of health, offering an extensive portfolio of science-based active lifestyle nutrition, medical nutrition and pharmaceutical solutions. Our extensive research network, both within Nestlé’s R&D centers as well as with external partners, provides the foundation for products that can help people to live their healthiest lives. Headquartered in Switzerland, we have more than 11,000 employees around the world, with products available in more than 140 countries. www.nestlehealthscience.com.

About DIEX Recherche

DIEX Recherche is a rapidly growing clinical research company with five sites in the province of Quebec. They have more than 50 ongoing studies and more than 40 studies to come in various therapeutic areas, such as memory loss, cardiovascular disease, vaccine, women’s health, dermatology, liver disease and many more. For more information about the company, visit www.diex.ca.

About Healint

Healint Pte Ltd is a leading healthcare technology company that is transforming how patients manage chronic central nervous system (CNS) conditions and how companies conduct clinical trials. Leveraging the latest innovations in software, data science and user experience design, Healint puts healthcare in the hands of patients and empowers them to be active participants in the discovery of new treatments. Healint helps companies to conduct virtual studies, to increase the quality of the data collected by lowering the barriers of entry for qualified patients. The company’s first global program—the Migraine Buddy platform and its apps—has over three million engaged users. Find out more at www.healint.com

About Intertek Assuris

The Food & Nutrition Group within Intertek Assuris is a global leader in delivering expert scientific, toxicological, and regulatory consulting services. Our multi-disciplinary team of scientific and regulatory experts helps companies achieve regulatory approvals for their food and dietary supplement ingredients, as well as their health claims, globally.