Tag Archives: MTC

PR Newswire

Telehealth to Experience Massive Growth with COVID-19 Pandemic, Says Frost & Sullivan

Leave a comment

Demand for telehealth will soar by 64.3% in the US in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts the practice of medicine and the delivery of healthcare

SANTA CLARA, California, May 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, Telehealth—A Technology-Based Weapon in the War Against the Coronavirus, 2020, finds that the demand for telehealth technology is expected to rise dramatically as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the practice of medicine and the delivery of healthcare worldwide. The telehealth market in the United States (US) is estimated to display staggering seven-fold growth by 2025, resulting in a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38.2%. In 2020, the telehealth market is likely to experience a tsunami of growth, resulting in a year-over-year increase of 64.3%.

Telehealth to Experience Massive Growth with COVID-19 Pandemic, Says Frost & Sullivan
Telehealth to Experience Massive Growth with COVID-19 Pandemic, Says Frost & Sullivan

For further information on this analysis, please visit: http://frost.ly/43e.

“The critical need for social distancing among physicians and patients will drive unprecedented demand for telehealth, which involves the use of communication systems and networks to enable either a synchronous or asynchronous session between the patient and provider,” said Victor Camlek, Healthcare Principal Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “However, all stakeholders need to remember that many people use the terms ‘telehealth’ or ‘telemedicine’ without understanding the ecosystem that is involved. This study will clarify the many components that are needed in order to implement telehealth.”

Camlek added: “Across the market segments, virtual visits and remote patient monitoring (RPM) will propel the overall market of telehealth, followed by mHealth and personal emergency response systems (PERS). Further, patients will benefit if data from RPM is fully available to virtual visit providers. This trend will demonstrate the benefit of integrated services. The trauma resulting from the COVID-19 crisis will lead to a clear growth opportunity for one-stop virtual visit and RPM solutions.”

The opportunity for telehealth products and services to become a standard of care is growing. The challenge facing these technology and healthcare providers will focus on their ability to scale-up to this unprecedented demand. Growth in the telehealth space will be sustained beyond the COVID-19 pandemic for the vendors who can deliver:

  • User-friendly sensors and remote diagnostic equipment that yield a high rate of successful patient outcomes following the telehealth experience.
  • Practical applications of artificial intelligence (AI), Interactive Virtual Assistants (IVAs), and robotics that expand the telehealth deployment model.
  • Deployment of big data analytics that can help researchers learn more about the way COVID-19 progresses among diverse patient populations.
  • Adherence to cybersecurity and privacy regulations that avoid data breaches following the use of telehealth services.
  • Measurable data that confirms the value of telehealth and influences regulatory agencies at the federal and state levels to extend all emergency waivers beyond the pandemic.

Telehealth—A Technology-Based Weapon in the War Against the Coronavirus, 2020 is the latest addition to Frost & Sullivan’s Transformational Health research and analyses available through the Frost & Sullivan Leadership Council, which helps organizations identify a continuous flow of growth opportunities to succeed in an unpredictable future.

About Frost & Sullivan

For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Telehealth—A Technology-Based Weapon in the War Against the Coronavirus, 2020
K488

Contact:
Mariana Fernandez
Corporate Communications
P: +1 (210) 348.1012
E: mariana.fernandez@frost.com 
https://www.frost.com

Photo – https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/telehealth-to-experience-massive-growth-with-covid-19-pandemic-says-frost-sullivan.jpg

PR Newswire

Leica Biosystems launches Aperio GT 450 DX in Asia enabling high volume clinical labs to scale up digital pathology operations

Leave a comment

VISTA, California, May 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Leica Biosystems, the global leader in pathology workflow solutions, announced today that it has launched the Aperio GT 450 DX, its next generation digital pathology scanner, in the APAC region. With continuous loading, no-touch operation, and 32 second scan time at 40x magnification, the Aperio GT 450 DX, registered as CE IVD and TGA, allows healthcare organizations to scale up digital pathology so they can meet ever-increasing demands without sacrificing quality.

Leica Biosystems launches Aperio GT 450 DX in Asia enabling high volume clinical labs to scale up digital pathology operations
Leica Biosystems launches Aperio GT 450 DX in Asia enabling high volume clinical labs to scale up digital pathology operations

The Aperio GT 450 DX System was rigorously tested by technicians and pathologists in Asia, including at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), a leading digital pathology hospital in South Korea, to determine the workflow impact.

“The Aperio GT 450 DX next generation imaging solution innovatively reduces the pre-scan process and scanner technician time, while maintaining sharp image quality and color for the pathologist. We expect that these workflow time savings will allow us to scale up our digital pathology operations instead of using the current conventional glass slide-based diagnosis,” said Prof. Kyoungbun Lee, Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, who led the beta testing of the Aperio GT 450 DX.

“We are excited about this innovative product as it delivers the benefit of improved throughputs, reduced turnaround time and high-quality images for our healthcare professionals,” said Colin White, Global Vice President, Advanced Staining and Imaging at Leica Biosystems.

For In Vitro Diagnostic Use. The clinical use claims described for the products in the information supplied have not been cleared or approved by the U.S. FDA or are not available in the US.

Aperio GT 450 at Leica Biosystems Virtual Digital Pathology Summit
On May 19th and 20th, 2020, thought leaders from around the globe will gather to showcase talks on the latest topics and advances in digital pathology whilst providing a collaborative and interactive experience in a virtual environment. Learn more about the Aperio GT450 DX during this virtual summit.

About Leica Biosystems
Leica Biosystems is a global leader in workflow solutions and automation, integrating each step in the workflow. As the only company to own the workflow from biopsy to diagnosis, we are uniquely positioned to break down the barriers between each of these steps.  Our mission of “Advancing Cancer Diagnostics, Improving Lives” is at the heart of our corporate culture.  Our easy-to-use and consistently reliable offerings help improve workflow efficiency and diagnostic confidence. The company is represented in over 100 countries and is headquartered in Nussloch, Germany.

Media Contact: Melissa Crothers, Global Marketing Communications Manager
Phone: 760-539-1193
Email: LBS-GlobalMarketing@leicabiosystems.com 

Photo – https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/leica-biosystems-launches-aperio-gt-450-dx-in-asia-enabling-high-volume-clinical-labs-to-scale-up-digital-pathology-operations.jpg

PR Newswire

Creality, a Global 3D Printer Manufacturer, Printed Medical Supplies for Hospitals Amid Supply Chain Challenge During COVID-19

Leave a comment

SHENZHEN, China, May 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Creality, a global 3D printer manufacturer based in Shenzhen, China, was providing 3D printed medical supplies for hospitals. According to Jack Chen, the CEO and co-founder of the company, Creality was utilizing 100 3D printers and TPU filaments to produce 3D printed face mask buckles, achieving a daily output of 1600 pieces. By March, the company donated 43,000 pieces of buckles to hospitals.

“The COVID-19 has taught us a lesson that 3D printing is so helpful to strategically address manufacturing risk by optimizing the agility of the supply chain. It carries out production at a lower economic scale and any point of need. We are glad that 3D printing is unleashing great potential during this crisis, and Creality is taking the lead to contribute more,” said Jack Chen. Creality has achieved a monthly shipment of over 50,000 pieces in March, which means that more makers are getting involved in making PPE on 3D printers.

The COVID-19 is becoming such a challenge for countries across the world as the situation is getting more severe. During the time, 3D printing has played an important role in mitigating personal protective equipment (PPE) shortage. Enterprises and civil communities are united to make 3D printed medical supplies for hospitals and clinics.

The Supply Chain Challenge During COVID-19

The rapid development of globalization enables developed countries to relocate production into other countries with lower labor costs or sufficient raw materials, which is so-called offshore manufacturing. However, the present global crisis is exposing the vulnerabilities concerning this-type supply chain. The lockdowns have multiplied the problems of the slowdown in production and suspensions in transportation. Therefore, countries that highly rely on offshore manufacturing are facing problems of improper resource allocation and incomplete manufacturing chain, and countries in less developed areas such as Africa are encountering plight of insufficient production capacity and technology limit.

Many manufacturers are finding temporary alternative solutions to ride out this worldwide challenge. Thanks to the advanced technologies such as IoT, AI, robotics, and Additive manufacturing, enterprises can effectively avoid negative effects caused by “black swan” events like COVID-19.

3D Printing is Making a Difference

Recently, positive reports about 3D printed PPE to help combat COVID-19 have unveiled great advantages of 3D printing.

During the pandemic, researchers made 3D printed COVID-19 infected lung model to perform studies, enterprises made 3D printed isolation wards to accommodate patients, and civil communities made 3D printed face shields to mitigate the PPE shortage.

David Sims, the BBC news reported 3D printing enthusiast in Wales, UK, worked on making 3D printed face shields on Creality Ender-3 together with local volunteers to protect local NHS doctors fighting at the epidemic frontline. The team has donated thousand pieces of face shields to the local NHS.

It is proven that 3D printing is an extremely helpful stopgap in rapid design and manufacturing tools for both organizations and individuals, making it possible to produce large batches of equipment in a short period. During the COVID-19, 3D printing has unleashed great power in providing self-made daily supplies such as door handles, toys, or gifts.

Long-run Benefits of 3D Printing

Expect for the known-to-all advantages like cost-saving, time-saving, rapid-prototyping, 3D printing also accelerates digitalizing the traditional mass manufacturing and infrastructure construction. 3D printing breaks the limits of time and space to improve production capacity and reduce risks to fluctuations in demand. With the advantages of distributive manufacturing, 3D printing can realize customizable production and ensure production safety at the same time. As an additive in mass manufacturing, it will greatly improve business flexibility, allowing manufacturers to increase their ability to quickly respond to the possible crises. 

In April, Creality announced to make a big investment to Wuhan to build the world’s largest 3D printer production facility in recent years, aiming to achieve a total output of 2 million pieces of 3D printers within the next three years. Now the company is holding a Kickstarter campaign for its latest product CR-6 SE featuring an innovative leveling-free tech, which will be priced lower than 300$ at its super early bird price. Bearing the spirit of 3D printing industry evangelist, Creality has always devoted to spreading the convenience of 3D printing technology with the most affordable and accessible 3D printing solutions.

About Creality

Creality has accumulated more than 5 years of experience in 3D printing industry since its establishment in 2014. The company dedicates to providing customers the most affordable 3D printing solutions in high quality. Creality achieves an annual shipment of 800,000 units, and exports the products to over 100 countries.

For more information, please access to CRAELITY official website: http://www.creality.com

Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/creality-a-global-3d-printer-manufacturer-printed-medical-supplies-for-hospitals-amid-supply-chain-challenge-during-covid-19-301049433.html

PR Newswire

Berkeley Lights Launches Two New Capabilities in the Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 Workflow to Accelerate the Creation Of Effective Cancer Immunotherapies

Leave a comment

The new multiplex cytokine and cytotoxicity assays as a part of the Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow will help users of the Berkeley Lights’ platform develop cancer immunotherapies faster

EMERYVILLE, Calif., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Berkeley Lights, Inc., a leader in Digital Cell Biology, launched new capabilities to empower the Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow. The workflow consists of a collection of software capabilities, reagents, and protocols to be run on the Beacon® and LightningTM systems. With the new capabilities researchers can now perform multiple functional assays on thousands of individual T cells in just days, allowing them to recover live cells for downstream genomic analysis. This ultimately enables Berkeley Lights’ customers to link T cell phenotype and function to genotype on individual cells, consolidating the T cell functional analytic process into one innovative platform.

T cell-based therapies have shown great promise for cancer treatment, but developing these therapies is challenging because the process of killing cancerous tumors by T cells relies on studying and screening multiple cell-to-cell interactions—a time-consuming and complex procedure. Current techniques to assess T cell function don’t allow scientists to collect all of the required data from the same cell. The new multiplex cytokine assay and the cytotoxicity assay, along with the recently launched TCRseq Well Plate Kit allow scientists to define and test the function of individual T cells. These applications enable simultaneous functional interrogation of thousands of individual T cells as they interact with antigen-presenting cells or tumors. Live, individual clones can be recovered for downstream expansion or genomic analysis. The Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow enables CAR-T cell phenotypic and functional screening, and the discovery of T cell receptors (TCRs) associated with specific T cell behaviors.

“With the Opto Cell Therapy Development 1.0 workflow, users of Berkeley Lights’ platform can now tailor the development of cell therapies that mediate the rapid destruction of multiple tumor cells to the few T cells that really do all the work,” said John Proctor, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Marketing at Berkeley Lights. “The cytotoxicity assay visualizes killing activity from single T cells, such as multiplexed and serial killing, followed by live cell recovery for genomic analysis. This new assay avoids common problems associated with traditional killing assays, which measure average target cell lysis at fixed time points, obscuring kinetic details and ignoring the heterogeneity present in T cell subsets.”

Berkeley Lights will continue to release more cell therapy related capabilities to the Berkeley Lights platform in the coming months. Email info@berkeleylights.com for more info.

About Berkeley Lights
 Here at Berkeley Lights, we think cells are awesome! Cells are capable of manufacturing cures for diseases, fibers for clothing, energy in the form of biofuels, and food proteins for nutrition. So the question is, if nature is capable of manufacturing the products we need in a scalable way, why aren’t we doing more of this? Well, the answer is that with the solutions available today, it is hard. It takes a long time to find the right cell for a specific job, costs lots of money, and if you have picked a suboptimal cell line, has a very low process yield. The Berkeley Lights Platform delivers and links deep phenotypic, functional, and genotypic information at the single cell level. This is a new way to capture and interpret the qualitative language of biology and translate it into single cell specific digital information, which we call Digital Cell Biology. Using our platform, customers have the complete solution to find the best cells by functionally screening and recovering individual cells for antibody discovery, cell line development, cell therapy development, and synthetic biology. Using our systems and solutions, scientists can find the best cells, the first time they look. For more information, visit www.berkeleylights.com.

Berkeley Lights’ Beacon and Lightning systems and Culture Station instrument are for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Logo – https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/berkeley-lights-launches-two-new-capabilities-in-the-opto-cell-therapy-development-1-0-workflow-to-accelerate-the-creation-of-effective-cancer-immunotherapies.jpg  

Source: Berkeley Lights, Inc.

PR Newswire

Icelandic Genomes Elucidate Neanderthal Heritage of Europeans

Leave a comment

Archaic genetic fragments comprising nearly half the Neanderthal genome are circulating in the European gene pool today

The average European carries more than 500 such archaic fragments, including SNPs linked to prostate cancer risk, iron retention, blood clotting speed, and height

REYKJAVIK, Iceland, April 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Scientists at deCODE genetics and colleagues from the Max Planck Institute and universities in Denmark and Iceland today publish in Nature the first study to use whole-genome sequence data from across a population to shed light on the present-day legacy of interbreeding between modern and archaic humans more than 50,000 years ago. In general terms, the findings support previous estimates that most people outside of Africa have approximately 2% archaic ancestry, predominantly the result of repeated contact and interbreeding between groups of Homo sapiens and multiple Neanderthal individuals. The results also show more significant than expected genomic fragments from Denisovans, another archaic human species that interbred with both Neanderthal and Homo sapiens.

Yet the principal significance of this study lies in the unprecedented magnitude of data that was used to understand the nature and impact of this archaic legacy. In its first phase, the study utilizes whole genome sequence (WGS) data from 28,000 Icelanders, nearly ten percent of the entire population, and 286 sub-Saharan Africans in the 1000 Genomes project. A limiting factor in previous studies has been an overreliance on searching modern genomes for sequence fragments derived from just three archaic individuals for whom we have good quality sequence data: two Neanderthals and one Denisovan. The authors here turn this approach on its head, using the African sequences as a baseline for Homo sapiens with no introgression from Neanderthals, and against which they compared the Icelandic sequence data. The resulting chromosomal fragments found in Icelanders but not shared by Africans comprise a vast catalogue of 15 million putative archaic fragments.

After combining identical and overlapping fragments, the authors identified more than 50,000 distinct archaic fragments covering 38-48% of the readable genome. These contain nearly 400,000 single-letter sequence variants, that are absent from the African samples. Intriguingly, in the Icelandic samples the authors identify nearly 300 “archaic deserts” where there are no archaic fragments; these cover nearly 25% of the genome, including the entire X chromosome.

To better understand the phenotypic impact of the archaic variants, the deCODE team examined them for association with 271 phenotypes in whole-genome data on 210,000 Icelanders. After winnowing suggestive associations in order to eliminate those driven be nearby non-archaic variants, they identified five archaic variants with genome-wide significant associations. One has previously been linked to decreased levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and risk of prostate cancer, but was not known to be of archaic origin; two decrease levels and mass of hemoglobin; a fourth increases the time it takes for blood to clot; and the fifth decreases height.

“Whether individually or collectively, our genome enables us to learn more about who we are by telling us where we come from. This paper is a kind of ancestry report for one branch of our species, and it’s telling us that in this particular neighborhood we are not just Homo sapiens but also the descendants of ancient archaic humans – cousin species whose lineage is thus not entirely extinct,” said Kari Stefansson, CEO of deCODE and a senior author on the paper. “We are scratching the surface of what this hybrid legacy means. What we know is that in the 50,000 years from their time to this, our adaptability and diversity have enabled us to mix and move, settle and thrive in every corner of the planet as they did not. In these dark days we would do well to remember that our differences are literally the mark of our success, and so to help each other as best we can.”

Based in Reykjavik, Iceland, deCODE is a global leader in analyzing and understanding the human genome. Using its unique expertise in human genetics combined with growing expertise in transcriptomics and population proteomics and vast amount of phenotypic data, deCODE has discovered risk factors for dozens of common diseases and provided key insights into their pathogenesis. The purpose of understanding the genetics of disease is to use that information to create new means of diagnosing, treating and preventing disease. deCODE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN).

Contact:
Thora Kristin Asgeirsdottir
+354-894-1909
Thora.Asgeirsdottir@decode.is

The Neanderthal In All Of Us - Dr. Kari Stefansson and Dr. Agnar Helgason
The Neanderthal In All Of Us – Dr. Kari Stefansson and Dr. Agnar Helgason
PR Newswire

Vela Diagnostics receives BARDA funding to develop COVID-19 tests

Leave a comment

FAIRFIELD, N.J., April 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Vela Diagnostics has been awarded a $225,000 contract by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) part of the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop manual and automated tests to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The ViroKey™ SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test is a probe-based reverse transcription PCR test that detects the virus by targeting conserved regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome.

Under the agreement, Vela Diagnostics will perform verification and clinical validation of the ViroKey™ SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test to be used on automated and manual workflows for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Support from BARDA is expected to accelerate the progress toward EUA submission.

The automated ViroKey™ SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Test is performed on a workflow consisting of the Sentosa™ SX101 instrument, in conjunction with the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Dx Real-Time (ABI 7500 Fast Dx) PCR instrument or the Sentosa™ SA201 instrument.

Up to 48 samples (including positive and negative controls) can be processed per run on the automated workflow. The manual assay was developed to enable flexible sample processing and quick adoption of the test by laboratories with existing ABI 7500 Fast Dx instruments.

High volume testing of SARS-CoV-2 is also critical in mitigating the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC recommends COVID-19 testing for individuals with symptoms associated with COVID-19 such as fever and acute respiratory illness.

“High throughput detection of SARS-CoV-2 using our automated workflow will provide rapid and valuable information to save lives,” said Sam Dajani, acting CEO and chairman of the Board. “The funding from BARDA will enable Vela Diagnostics to increase the domestic and global testing capacity for COVID-19 to curb further spread of the virus.”

“Rapid diagnostic tests put essential information into the hands of healthcare providers and patients to manage patient care safely and appropriately.  Data gathered from high-throughput testing aids public health officials in making decisions about community mitigation to combat the pandemic,” said BARDA Director Rick Bright, Ph.D.

To date, COVID-19 has affected 199 countries and territories around the world, with total cases exceeding a million in US, Europe and China combined and at least 100,000 fatalities worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic.

This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, Division of Research Innovation and Ventures under Contract No. 75A50120C00039.

About Vela Diagnostics

Vela Diagnostics is a leading provider of an automated IVD Next–Generation Sequencing (NGS) workflow in the global diagnostics market. VELA’s real-time PCR and NGS applications are available on an integrated Sentosa™ platform; this provides a unique ability to leverage one system for two workflows, while carrying out tests for various targets in order to answer current clinical and research questions, as well as to drive laboratory operational efficiency.

All Sentosa™ products listed above are by Vela Diagnostics. For more information, visit www.veladx.com.

Cision View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vela-diagnostics-receives-barda-funding-to-develop-covid-19-tests-301043313.html

PR Newswire

Charoen Pokphand Group Launches Surgical Mask Factory along with Multi-Pronged Initiatives against COVID-19

Leave a comment
  • Production starts today at surgical mask factory in Bangkok, producing 100,000 masks per day
  • Pledged to save jobs across the Group, along with medical, food and education support for employees
  • Donated USD 29.14 Million in Thailand to tackle COVID-19

BANGKOK, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — To tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, Charoen Pokphand Group (C.P. Group) announces a series of measures focused on supporting its employees, consumers, and the local community, especially healthcare workers. The multi-pronged initiatives include building a surgical mask factory to provide essential medical supplies, preserving jobs across the Group, delivering food and essential supplies to frontline healthcare workers and enhancing digital infrastructure to enable more efficient e-learning and remote working. To date, the Group has contributed donations worldwide to tackle COVID-19, with donations to Thailand totaling USD 29.14 Million, including for the procurement of medical supplies and protective equipment for hospitals.

The Group’s initiatives include the following key areas in Thailand:

  • Launched Surgical Mask Factory: C.P. Group invested USD 3 million (100 million baht) to build a factory just outside Bangkok to produce medical-grade surgical masks in Thailand. The factory was built in 5 weeks during COVID-19 and has obtained regulatory approval from Thai authorities to start producing surgical masks today, with production reaching 100,000 masks per day which totals to 3 million masks per month. The masks will be donated for free to medical professionals and healthcare workers throughout Thailand’s hospitals. When the COVID-19 crisis subsides, the ownership of the factory will be transferred to one of Bangkok’s public hospitals.
  • Support to employees: Mr. Suphachai Chearavanont, the CEO of C.P. Group announced on April 8th, 2020 to staff that the Group is committed to not making layoffs as a result of COVID-19 across the Group worldwide, and will work together with its subsidiaries in accordance with local laws and regulations. In addition, the Group will cover medical expenses to treat COVID-19, provide education loans for their employees’ children, and provide food to quarantined employees who are negatively impacted by COVID-19 in Thailand. The Group also announced plans to create new jobs, including hiring 20,000 new employees for food delivery services across Thailand.
  • Free delivery of food and essentials supplies to hospitals: In response to COVID-19, Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CPF) has provided free food delivery to 88 hospitals across Thailand. To cope with rising demand for food supply throughout Thailand, CPF has increased production capacity of certain essential food such as eggs and will ensure sufficient supplies without an increase in food prices.
  • Upgrade digital infrastructure for remote working and e-learning: C.P. Group’s telecommunications arm, True Corporation Public Company Limited (True Corporation), tripled domestic and international bandwidth capacity to provide customers with enhanced services on digital platforms for e-learning, remote working and e-payment services. To provide digital solutions that help with social distancing, True Corporation has offered free access to a cloud-based integrated solutions platform – “True Virtual World”- that was developed in less than a month during COVID-19 to support work from home arrangements and e-learning for students. True Corporation, in collaboration with CPF, is also providing free mobile phone SIM cards to suspected COVID-19 patients who register to receive free food delivery from CPF. In addition, through the Digital Council of Thailand (DCT), of which C.P. Group’s CEO Suphachai Chearavanont is President, True Corporation announced that they will work alongside other Council members to launch digital platforms and applications to help source medical supply donations as well as track, trace and contain the spread of COVID-19.

Mr. Suphachai Chearavanont, CEO of Charoen Pokphand Group, said, “During these dark times, we must unite and tackle COVID-19 together. Critical to our fight against this pandemic is to make sure our frontline medical workers have the essential medical equipment they need, and surgical masks are critical for them at this time. At this moment, we are also very focused on keeping people employed and do what we can to help our employees and their families, our customers and our local communities. With the mask factory now open along with all our other COVID-19 initiatives, we are using the best of our capability throughout the areas and sectors our Group operates in to contribute to the fight against COVID-19. Our Group was founded on the Three-Benefit Principle, which places the countries and communities in which we operate as well as our people before the company’s interest. This remains central to everything that we do, especially during difficult and challenging times.”

Mr. Soopakij Chearavanont, Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group, said, “We are committed to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic alongside Thailand until the very end. We strongly believe that through the global partnerships we have with our network of suppliers and most importantly employees, we can pool together skills and resources as we continue our joint efforts to tackle COVID-19. We recognize that this is a challenging time for us all, and as a Group, we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to help our local communities and to support all our stakeholders. This is the right thing to do at this time and I believe by working together, we can get through this unprecedented challenge that COVID-19 has presented to all of us both locally and globally.”

Suphachai Chearavanont (center), CEO of C.P. Group, visiting the production line inside the surgical face mask factory
Suphachai Chearavanont (center), CEO of C.P. Group, visiting the production line inside the surgical face mask factory
C.P. Group Senior Chairman Dhanin Chearavanont (sixth from left), Chairman Soopakij Chearavanont (fourth from left), and CEO Suphachai Chearavanont (third from left), handed 100,000 masks to the Chulalongkorn Hospital, Thai Red Cross
C.P. Group Senior Chairman Dhanin Chearavanont (sixth from left), Chairman Soopakij Chearavanont (fourth from left), and CEO Suphachai Chearavanont (third from left), handed 100,000 masks to the Chulalongkorn Hospital, Thai Red Cross

About Charoen Pokphand Group:

The Charoen Pokphand Group (C.P. Group) is a leading Thai multi-national conglomerate that operates 3 core businesses in agro-industry and food, marketing and distribution, and telecommunications. C.P. Group invests in 21 countries with over 200 companies and 300,000 employees located around the world. The organization operates under the ‘3-Benefits’ principle of ‘Benefiting the Country, the Society and then the Company’ where ever we operate, thereby enabling C.P. Group to play a role in the development of Thailand’s economic and social development as well as all countries we have invested in. Since September 2017, three of C.P. Group’s listed businesses have been admitted to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Emerging Markets, signalling C.P. Group’s long-term commitment to ensuring a sustainable future.

For more information, please visit: www.cpgroupglobal.com/en/

Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200417/2779767-1-a?lang=0
Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200417/2779767-1-b?lang=0