BEIJING, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Origin Agritech Ltd. (NASDAQ: SEED) (“the Company” or “Origin”) an agricultural biotechnology trait and corn seed provider, today announced that Mr. Rong Chen and Mr. Aiyang Wang will join the Company’s Board of Directors as independent board members.

Mr. Rong Chen, founder of Elastos Foundation, is a technology industry veteran of over 30 years with 18 years of entrepreneurial experience and 8 years of operating system development experience at Microsoft. Mr. Chen launched Elastos Foundation in June, 2017 for cryto-tokens and developing Blockchain technologies. Mr. Chen founded Kortide in Beijing in 2000 to design and implement Elastos, an advanced operating system for a secure Internet, from scratch. Mr. Chen has a computer science B.Eng degree from Tsinghua University and a Master degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Rong Chen agreed to join Origin’s board as announced in the Company’s press release dated February 15, 2018 when the Company announced the cooperation with Elastos Foundation.

Mr. Aiyang Wang, one of the Founders and CEO of Shenzhen DB Investment Management Co., Ltd., has over 15 years of experience in multi-functional management, capital market operations and cross-border mergers & acquisitions. During 2000 and 2014, Mr. Wang held various positions, including the Secretary of Board, and General Manager of Office in Shum Yip Group Limited, which holds several public listed companies including Shenzhen Investment (00604.HK) and Pingan Insurance (02318.HK, 601318.SZ). Mr. Wang has an EMBA degree from China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) and a Master Degree of Economics from Sun Yat-Sen University and Shantou University.

“On behalf of the Board, I extend a warm welcome to Rong and Aiyang,” said Dr. Gengchen Han, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “As we’re moving forward with our new strategic directions, especially in the e-commerce business and blockchain technologies, our new board members could provide instrumental advices with their great experiences in the fields of technology and investment management. We believe they could add significant values to our organization and our shareholders.”

About Origin Agritech Limited

Origin Agritech Limited, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Zhong-Guan-Cun (ZGC) Life Science Park in Beijing, is China’s leading agricultural biotechnology company, specializing in crop seed breeding and genetic improvement. Leading the development of crop seed biotechnologies, Origin Agritech’s phytase corn was the first transgenic corn to receive the Bio-Safety Certificate from China’s Ministry of Agriculture. Over the years, Origin has established a robust biotechnology seed pipeline including products with glyphosate tolerance and pest resistance (Bt) traits. Origin operates breeding stations nationwide located in key crop-planting regions. Product lines are vertically integrated for corn. For further information, please visit the Company’s website at: http://www.originseed.com.cn or http://www.originseed.com.cn/en/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” as defined in the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and contain words like “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “will,” “would,” “target,” and similar expressions and variations. Forward-looking statements address matters that are uncertain. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on assumptions and expectations which may not be realized. They also involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company’s control. Some of the important factors that could cause the company’s actual results to differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements are: failure to develop and market new products and optimally manage product life cycles; ability to respond to market acceptance, rules, regulations and policies affecting our products; failure to appropriately manage process safety and product stewardship issues; changes in laws and regulations or political conditions; global economic and capital markets conditions, such as inflation, interest and currency exchange rates; business or supply disruptions; natural disasters and weather events and patterns; ability to protect and enforce the company’s intellectual property rights; and separation of underperforming or non-strategic assets or businesses. The company undertakes no duty to publicly revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of future developments, or new information or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/origin-agritech-further-strengthens-its-board-of-directors-300688301.html

• Produced 7 batches at 6,000L/12,000L bioreactor scale for three programs, the largest scale cell culture operations in China at 100% success rate in MFG2, the largest biologics manufacturing facility globally leveraging single-use technology
• Process validation in MFG2 is a key milestone of the innovative “scale-out”, instead of “scale-up” approach for large scale manufacturing 
• Combining multiple single-use bioreactors achieved competitive COGS to traditional stainless steel bioreactor facilities

WUXI, China, July 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — WuXi Biologics (2269.HK, WuXi Bio), a leading global open-access biotechnology platform company, offering end-to-end solutions for discovery, development and manufacturing, today announced that a process validation campaign at the 6,000L scale has been initiated to support global product registration and launch for a key partner in the fed-batch facility of MFG2, the 2^nd cGMP manufacturing facility of WuXi Biologics.

The 500,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art facility, the largest global operation of its kind deploying 14 x 2,000L single-use bioreactors, was completed in the record time of 18 months from the conceptual design to its inaugural cGMP campaign. It implements the pioneering approach of combining multiple 2,000L bioreactor harvests to enable production runs to reach either 6,000L or 12,000L (i.e. “scale-out” instead of “scale-up”), a strategy that was executed under an accelerated construction timeline, at significantly lower CAPEX, and with the elimination of bioreactor scale-up challenges. Since coming online in December 2017, a total of seven batches for three different programs at either the 6,000L or 12,000L scale have been produced. This facility also successfully passed the client’s pre-process validation audit, a critical step in the final stage of product development prior to its BLA filing.

“We are excited to achieve two memorable milestones for WuXi Biologics. The first is to attain definitive affirmation of our innovative approach to large scale commercial manufacturing. With this design concept, we will reach comparable COGS of commercial scale stainless steel bioreactor-based facilities, only much more expeditiously and with less capital investment. By this strategy, we will have approximately 220,000L of bioreactor capacity to provide our global partners with a robust supply chain of premier quality in 2021,” said Dr. Chris Chen, Chief Executive Officer of WuXi Biologics. “The 2^nd milestone is that we have successfully run multiple campaigns at both 6,000L and 12,000L scales, the largest scale operations in China. Possessing widely acclaimed technical capabilities and unparalleled capacities, we continue to transform how complex biologics are developed and manufactured globally.”

About WuXi Biologics

WuXi Biologics, a Hong Kong-listed company, is the only open-access biologics technology platform in the world, offering end-to-end solutions to empower organizations to discover, develop and manufacture biologics from concept to commercial manufacturing. Our company history and achievements demonstrate our commitment to providing a truly ONE-stop service offering and value proposition to our global clients. As of the end of 2017, there were a total of 161 integrated projects, including 90 projects in pre-clinical development stage, 62 projects in early-phase (phase I and II) clinical development, 8 projects in late-phase (phase III) development and 1 project in commercial manufacturing. With total estimated capacity of biopharmaceutical production planned in China, Ireland, Singapore and US reaching 220,000 liters by 2021, we will provide our biomanufacturing partners with a robust and premier-quality global supply chain network. For more information on WuXi Biologics, please visit www.wuxibiologics.com.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wuxi-biologics-commenced-process-validation-in-mfg2-300688502.html

SANTA BARBARA, California, July 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Direct Relief today launched a Facebook fundraiser to provide medical care to Rohingya mothers and children in the world’s largest refugee camp.

A Rohingya woman and her child walk towards Hope Field Hospital For Women in Madhuchara camp on January 18, 2018, in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. (Photo by Rajib Dhar for Direct Relief) (PRNewsfoto/Direct Relief)

Mass violence in Myanmar has forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people to flee their homes with only what they could carry, seeking refuge over the border in Bangladesh.

More than 600,000 Rohingya people are now living in the Kutupalong-Balukhali refugee camp. While striving to secure shelter and sustenance, their already precarious situation is compounded by extreme weather, including monsoon rains and cyclones that pound Bangladesh every year and have turned the refugee camps into mud fields.

Medical care for the Rohingya is extremely limited, with few places for women and children to receive medical treatment. Parents need health facilities to treat their children when they are sick and soon-to-be mothers need regular care and potential life-saving treatment when giving birth.

That is why Direct Relief is raising support for the Hope Foundation for Women & Children of Bangladesh, a local health organization providing critical care to the Rohingya.

From July 25 through August 10, Direct Relief will match every donation made to Hope Foundation on Facebook, up to a maximum of $100,000. Facebook has waived all processing fees for fundraisers hosted on the platform, meaning Hope Foundation will receive 100 percent of donations made through fundraiser.

The fundraiser page is available at this link: Rally for the Rohingya People

When Rohingya communities began fleeing into Bangladesh, Hope Foundation was already providing free health care at its established maternity hospital on the outskirts of Cox’s Bazar, more than an hour’s drive from the nearest refugee camp. Seeing the urgent medical needs among the newly arrived refugees, Hope Foundation rapidly scaled up its operation, establishing maternal health clinics across the camp and beginning work on a field hospital.

If the Hope Foundation receives the funds needed to complete construction and purchase medical equipment, the field hospital each month will be able to safely deliver more than 100 babies, provide prenatal care to 400 women, and serve more than 6,000 outpatients. The facility will be the first field hospital of its kind, providing critical care, reducing travel time to the nearest medical clinic, and increasing the overall health of refugees in the camp.

Because many patients find it difficult or impossible to travel, Hope also manages six to nine outreach clinics at any given time, making every effort to reach pregnant women and new mothers in the camps who cannot trek to health facilities. Hope also operates four ambulances and a fleet of 20 tomtoms (three-wheeled vehicles) to shuttle patients. As the rains worsen and walking becomes more treacherous, these transport options will become increasingly important.

For more information on the Hope Foundation, please see the following articles:

About Direct Relief

Established in 1948 with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies, Direct Relief delivers lifesaving medical resources throughout the world—without regard to politics, religion, ethnic identities, or ability to pay. With operations spanning more than 70 countries and all 50 states in the U.S., Direct Relief is the only charitable nonprofit to obtain Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor (VAWD) accreditation by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Among other distinctions, Direct Relief earns a perfect score of 100 from independent evaluator Charity Navigator, was listed among the world’s most innovative nonprofits by Fast Company, and has received the CECP Directors’ Award, the Drucker Prize for Nonprofit Innovation, and the President’s Award from Esri for excellence in GIS mapping. For more information, please visit https://www.DirectRelief.org.

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SUZHOU, China, July 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — CStone Pharmaceuticals (CStone) today announced that its IND application for CS3006, a small-molecule inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK), has been approved by the China National Drug Administration (CNDA) for clinical trials, just 3 months after the CNDA accepted the IND application.

“It’s a great honor for us that the CNDA has granted a special approval for CS3006, so that the clinical trials of CS3006 can be conducted in China soon,” noted Dr. Frank Jiang, Chief Executive Officer of CStone. “CS3006 is a highly selective MEK 1/2 inhibitor independently developed by CStone. It’s also the second candidate drug for clinical trials both in China and overseas following CS1003. Together, they laid a solid foundation for accelerating the global presence of CStone.”

“In a range of preclinical pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological experiments, we have already obtained abundant data about CS3006 to support the proposed clinical trials. In particular, CS3006 has demonstrated good pharmacokinetic properties as well as promising synergistic activity when combined with our anti-PD-1 antibody (CS1003),” said Dr. Jon Wang, Chief Scientific Officer of CStone. “All these data provided solid support for the quick CNDA approval of CS3006 clinical trial application. As next steps, we will accelerate the clinical trial process for CS3006 in China, work diligently to explore combination potentials of CS3006 with other drug candidates in our pipeline to develop novel and more effective therapies to benefit more patients.”

About the MEK pathway

The RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signal transduction pathway is among the most fundamental intracellular signaling pathways found in the majority of cells and is responsible for regulating key cellular activities such as cell growth, proliferation, survival, and apoptosis. MEK1 and MEK2 are serine/threonine protein kinases that act downstream of RAS and RAF to activate ERK. The inhibition of MEK can affect tumor cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Currently, three MEK inhibitors have been approved and marketed globally: Novartis’s MEKINIST® (trametinib), Roche’s COTELLIC® (cobimetinib) and Array’s Mektovi (binimetinib).

About CStone Pharmaceuticals

CStone Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company devoted to the development of innovative drugs. With a broad pipeline, the company engages in the development of cancer therapeutics with a special focus on immuno-oncology based combination therapies. All members of the management team are seasoned executives from top multinational pharmaceutical companies. CStone has successfully built up its core competency in clinical development and translational medicine. The company is backed by prestigious VC/PE funds via two financing rounds to date, raising $150 million in a Series A round in July 2016, followed by $260 million in a Series B round in May 2018. With an experienced team, a rich pipeline, a robust R&D model, and substantial funding, CStone is well positioned as the partner of choice for multinational pharmaceutical / biotech companies to develop drugs in China and the Asia-Pacific region.

For more information about CStone Pharmaceuticals, please visit: www.cstonepharma.com

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Source: Foresee Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

– Lactic acid bacteria, green onion and ginger in kimchi serve as natural antiviral agents, highly effective in preventing influenza.

– Kimchi has the greatest antiviral effect when it is the most delicious (best fermentation periods).

– When the SARS epidemic swept China, some argued that kimchi had safeguarded Koreans against the epidemic.

– A joint research team from the Korea Food Research Institute and the World Institute of Kimchi proved kimchi’s effectiveness against flu for the first time in the world.

SEOUL, South Korea, July 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Kimchi, a well-known traditional fermented Korean food, is highly effective in preventing influenza virus in winter, according to the results of cell·animal experiments.

A joint research team from the Korea Food Research Institute and the World Institute of Kimchi recently announced that lactic acid bacteria and fermentation metabolites in kimchi inhibit the growth of influenza virus — proving kimchi’s effectiveness against flu for the first time in the world, along with the genetic information of strains(metagenome), fermentation metabolites, and bioactive mechanism.

Flu viruses are pathogens that cause acute respiratory conditions in winter. Swine flu (influenza A), which struck the world in 2009, and avian influenza (AI), which recently infected poultry in some countries, are two strains of influenza viruses. Due to mutation of virus, the prevention of flu from these kinds of viruses is so difficult, and infections caused by them are difficult to treat as well.

The research team, which consists of Dr. Kim, In-Ho (Korea Food Research Institute), Dr. Choi, Hak-Jong (World Institute of Kimchi), Korea University College of Medicine, and Dr. Ryu, Byung Hee (Daesang Corp., one of the leading food producers in Korea), collected kimchi samples at each fermentation stage (less-fermented, well-fermented, and over-fermented) and injected them into flu virus-infected cells and animals.

In this study, extracts from the kimchi sample at the ‘well-fermented’ stage (about 3-7 days after kimchi is made, when kimchi tastes best) were administered to cells infected with the influenza virus (H1N1) and the avian influenza virus (H7N9). In all of the cells, plaque formation significantly reduced, which means that the growth of the flu virus had been inhibited.

In the animal experiment where flu virus-infected mice were fed kimchi extracts, the rate of suffering from weight loss due to the flu also declined. In addition, the survival rate of the mice who consumed kimchi extracts was 30% higher than those who did not.

Dr. Kim, In-Ho of Korea Food Research Institute said, “Lactobacillus plantarum, which is produced in large quantities during the fermentation of kimchi, and its sub-ingredients such as green onion and ginger are thought to hinder the growth of influenza virus. We concluded that bioactive compounds from lactic acid bacteria produced by kimchi fermentation serve as antiviral agents by affecting the virus membrane surface or promptly activating immune cells mobilization.” He added, “Our study is the world’s first that scientifically verified kimchi’s effectiveness against influenza viruses such as swine flu and AI viruses. In addition, we succeeded in isolating useful and safe lactic acid bacteria from kimchi, contributing to broadening its industrial applications. In other words, this can be applied not only to fermented foods including kimchi, paste, and liquors but also to animal feeds, and food and drug materials. It can also lay the milestone for the development of fermented foods and strains optimized for the constitution of Koreans, through analysis of microbial genome and metabolites in fermented foods as well as mechanism. As such, we have launched new food products in partnership with Daesang corp, aiming to contribute to safeguarding Koreans against virus threats of modern society and to strengthening Korea’s competitiveness as the birthplace of kimchi.”

In 2003, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) was pandemic in many parts of the world including Hong Kong and mainland China, except for Korea where very few people were infected with the virus. Regarding this, some argued that kimchi has an antiviral effect. The results of the study (Effects of heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum against influenza viruses in mice) were published in the February 2018 issue of the Journal of Microbiology.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kimchi-a-well-known-traditional-fermented-korean-food-has-proven-effective-against-influenza-virus-300687023.html

SHANGHAI, July 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — I-Mab Biopharma (“I-Mab”), a company focusing on innovative biologics in immuno-oncology and immuno-inflammation, and ABL Bio Corporation (“ABL Bio”), a South Korean biotechnology company, today jointly announced that two companies had entered into a strategic partnering agreement for ABL Bio to in-license the global rights excluding Greater China to I-Mab’s bispecific antibodies (BsAb) of undisclosed target with licensing payments of approximately US$100 million in total. The two companies also agreed on a collaboration to co-develop additional BsAbs as part of the partnership.

I-Mab Biopharma and ABL Bio Announce Global Collaboration on Innovative Bispecific Antibodies

Under the terms of the agreement, ABL Bio will pay US$2.5 million in upfront payment. I-Mab will also receive research & development, regulatory and sales-based milestone payments, which could result in aggregate payments of US$100 million from ABL Bio. In addition, ABL Bio will pay tiered royalties on net sales. The partnership also includes three more collaborative bi-specific antibody projects. I-Mab and ABL Bio will share the development cost as well as rights in China, South Korea and rest of the world in different configurations.

I-Mab Biopharma and ABL Bio Announce Global Collaboration on Innovative Bispecific Antibodies

“This partnership with ABL Bio is a latest addition to our growing portfolio of global partnerships spanning from early stage projects to clinical assets. We are very pleased to work with ABL Bio for their cutting-edge discovery and antibody engineering platform for novel therapeutic antibodies,” said Jingwu Zang, the founder and CEO of I-Mab. “Bi-specific antibody truly represents the next wave biologics in cancer immunotherapy for its unique modality to create target synergy,” Zang added.

“We are very excited about our partnership with I-Mab to develop First-in-Class and Best-in-Class BsAbs and our collaboration will accelerate the development of innovative immunotherapy,” said Sang Hoon Lee, the founder and CEO of ABL Bio. Lee also mentioned “We look forward to a productive and successful partnership since I-Mab is a leader in the immunology field. Because of the strong synergies between both companies, we believe this collaboration will provide a great example for our industry.”

I-Mab has successfully completed a string of in-licensing deals with global pharmaceutical companies such as MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX; OTC: MPSYY) and Genexine, Inc. (KOSDAQ: 095700) to enrich its China portfolio. This out-licensing and partnership is the second such transaction for I-Mab and marks the beginning of I-Mab’s ability to out-license or co-develop its own innovative biologics through global partnerships.

About I-Mab:

Facilitated by a merger between Third Venture Biotech and Tasgen Bio, which was followed by a Series B financing of USD 150 million in 2017, I-Mab has rapidly built a highly experienced team with world-class R&D capabilities. On June 29, 2018, I-Mab announced that it had successfully raised US$220 million in Series C financing with a group of reputable investors led by Hony Capital, representing one of the largest amount ever raised in Series C by an innovative biotech company in China.

I-Mab focuses on discovery and development of First-in-Class and Best-in-Class biologics in the areas of immuno-oncology and immuno-inflammation. The company has already initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial and is prepared to submit multiple IND applications for additional clinical trials in China and the US, including Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies. www.i-mabbiopharma.com

Contact:
Raven Lin, Vice President of Corporate Development
raven.lin@i-mabbiopharma.com

About ABL Bio:

ABL Bio is a privately held South Korean biotechnology company developing antibody therapeutics for immuno-oncology and neurodegenerative disease. ABL Bio was founded in 2016 and recently completed series C fund raising of USD 65 million in 2018 after successful series A and B financing in 2016 and 2017. ABL001, a bispecific antibody (BsAb) targeting VEGF and DLL4 is currently in Phase 1 clinical trial for oncology. In the neurodegenerative disorder space, ABL Bio is harnessing its BsAb expertise to develop next-generation BsAbs designed to maximize blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrance and therapeutic efficacy. The most advanced molecule is ABL301, an α-synuclein -targeting BsAb that penetrates the BBB via a receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT) and is in development for Parkinson’s disease (PD). ABL Bio is also actively developing immune-oncology therapies and has built strong R&D team to develop First-in-Class and Best-in-Class BsAbs. www.ablbio.com

Contact:
Sang Hoon Lee, CEO & Founder
sang.lee@ablbio.com

Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180726/2196876-1-a
Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180726/2196876-1-b

Source: China Biologic Products Holdings, Inc.