DARMSTADT, Germany, March 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ —

Not intended for US, Canada and UK-based media

• Collaboration agreement enables Merck access to Iktos AI technology across three drug discovery projects
• Generative modelling AI technology enables rapid and cost-effective design of novel drugs
• Agreement is part of Merck’s R&D strategy to advance drug discovery with strategic technology-focused collaborations

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced a collaboration agreement with Iktos, for the use of its generative modelling artificial intelligence (AI) technology, in order to facilitate the rapid and cost-effective discovery and design of promising new compounds.

“This agreement is another illustration of how we aim to enrich our discovery engine with strategic technology-focused collaborations,” said Belen Garijo, Member of the Executive Board and CEO Healthcare, Merck. “Artificial intelligence is emerging as a pillar in the biopharmaceutical R&D model, giving us exponential opportunity to complement our existing expertise with further speed and better precision. For patients, this could mean faster access to novel treatment options.”

Iktos’ AI technology, which is based on deep generative models, helps bring speed and efficiency to the drug discovery process, by automatically designing virtual novel molecules that have desired activities for treating a given disease. This tackles one of the key challenges in drug design: rapid identification of molecules which simultaneously satisfy multiple drug-like criteria for clinical testing. The technology is already successfully established in other fields, such as image processing and automatic translation, but has only recently been applied to chemistry. 

“We are thrilled that Merck is collaborating with Iktos to further accelerate its drug discovery capabilities,” commented Yann Gaston-Mathe, President and CEO of Iktos. “In a short space of time, our technology has successfully enabled huge progress and we are eager to apply the enormous possibilities it holds to help Merck with the successful design of new therapeutic options.”

Merck continues to leverage machine learning and artificial intelligence to drive transformative approaches. This follows the announcement, in December 2018, of a year-long licencing agreement with Cyclica Inc. for the use of its AI-augmented proteome screening platform, Ligand Express^®. Merck also recently announced that it has been granted a U.S. Patent for a novel combination of AI and Blockchain Technology, aimed at providing a solution for the secure integration of physical products into the digital world.

About Iktos

Incorporated in October 2016, Iktos is a French start-up company specialized in the development of artificial intelligence solutions applied to chemical research, more specifically medicinal chemistry and new drug design. Iktos is developing a proprietary and innovative solution based on deep learning generative models, which enables, using existing data, to design molecules that are optimized in silico to meet all the success criteria of a small molecule discovery project. The use of Iktos technology enables major productivity gains in upstream pharmaceutical R&D. Iktos offers its technology both as professional services and as a SaaS software platform, Makya™.

More information on: www.iktos.ai 

All Merck Press Releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.

About Merck

Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 52,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2018, Merck generated sales of € 14.8 billion in 66 countries.

Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Performance Materials.

Your Contacts
Media Relations
gangolf.schrimpf@merckgroup.com  
Phone: +49-6151-72-9591

Investor Relations
investor.relations@merckgroup.com
Phone: +49-6151-72-3321

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A new scientific paper calls for strict adherence to the scientific definition, ensuring improper use of the term doesn’t mislead consumers or limit advancements in the emerging field of microbiome science.

Authored by Dr. Gregor Reid, Raja Dhir, and Dr. Azza A. Gadir

LOS ANGELES, March 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Dr. Gregor Reid, the scientist who chaired the United Nations/World Health Organization Expert Panel that authored the definition of ‘probiotics’ in 2001¹, published a new paper in Frontiers in Microbiology: “Probiotics: Reiterating What They Are and What They Are Not”, to reestablish and clarify the term.

Section of the human small intestine (jejunum). H&E stain. When assessing probiotics, the functional impact on the human gut is as important as metagenomic sequencing to establish definitive clinical outcomes. Photo credit is: Visuals Unlimited, Inc./Dr. Gladden Willis

Marketing and media misuse of the term ‘probiotics’, and even misunderstanding within the scientific community, has contributed to growing global skepticism about the legitimacy of microbial therapies and the associated probiotic applications to improve human health.

Reid authored this paper in an effort to ensure hype doesn’t limit scientific and medical advancements. “Too many microbiome studies oversell limited findings or make broad generalizations that attribute the results of a single study on a single product across our entire field. Adherence by scientists, publications, and reporters to precise definitions and guidelines will ensure more accurate communications,” said Reid. “Stewardship of the term ‘probiotic’ is critical to curb its misuse and misattribution and to protect the future of a field that has incredible promise.”

Summary of Paper

Within the field of microbiome science, the rate of discovery of novel organisms with potentially therapeutic benefit is progressing rapidly and gaining prominence. More than ever, it is imperative that guidelines are followed to determine the validity of a probiotic. As indicated in the original FAO/WHO (2002) report¹, there are certain expectations required to call an organism ‘probiotic’. These have been further clarified in 2014², and must include:

• That microbes be alive in an adequate number when administered.
• Strains must be identified genetically, classified using the latest terminology, and designated by numbers, letters, or names.
• Appropriately sized and designed studies must be performed to designate a strain as probiotic and use the strain(s) on the host to which the probiotics are intended (human, livestock, companion animal, etc).
• Strains shown to confer a benefit for one condition may not be probiotic for another application.
• Strains that are probiotic for humans but are being used in animal studies should be clearly designated as human probiotics under experimental testing.

For the complete paper, visit https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00424/full 

As part of the authors’ commitment to further transparency and accountability in science communication, they have included their conflict of interest statement below. They encourage the scientific community to do the same on press releases.

Raja Dhir is a Co-Founder of Seed Health, Inc., a biotechnology company developing microbial therapies not discussed in this paper. Gregor Reid is a scientific advisor to Seed. Azza A.Gadir is involved in research and development at Seed, and is developing intellectual property related to microbial regulation of immune mechanisms underlying food allergies, which is not discussed in this paper.

____________

References

¹ FAO/WHO. (2002). Guidelines for the evaluation of probiotics in food. http://www.fao.org/food/food-safety-quality/a-z-index/probiotics/en/

² Hill, C., Guarner, F., Reid, G., Gibson, G. R., Merenstein, D., Pot, B., and Morelli, L. et al. (2014). The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotics. Nat. Reviews Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 11(8):506-14.

Authors

Dr. Gregor Reid, BSc (Hons), PhD, MBA, ARM CCM, Dr HS, FCAHS, FRSC is the Director of the Canadian R&D Centre for Human Microbiome and Probiotics at Lawson Health Research Institute, an inductee into the Royal Society of Canada, and previously served as the President of the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). He is perhaps best known as the Chair of the United Nations World Health Organization Expert Panel on Probiotics, leading the group that authored the globally accepted definition of ‘probiotics’. Dr. Reid has authored over 520 peer-reviewed papers published in scientific and medical journals, has been a reviewer for 48 international agencies (including the National Institute of Health) and 112 scientific journals; he has been awarded 28 patents and cited over 27,000 times. He also serves as Chief Scientist to Seed.

*

Dr. Azza A. Gadir, PhD completed her postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Talal Chatila at Harvard Medical School/Boston Children’s Hospital, where her published research focuses on the immunological mechanisms that underlie food allergy. She is specifically interested in understanding the role of the gut microbiome in conferring protection to diseases early in life. For this work, she is co-inventor of a patent for microbial consortia that can reduce and/or eliminate food allergy and has collaborated with industry partners to accelerate the discovery of microbiome-related immunotherapies for food allergy. She is Director of R+D at Seed.

*

Raja Dhir is a life sciences entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Seed, where he leads R+D, academic collaborations, technology development, clinical trial design, supply chain, and intellectual property strategy. Raja serves on the Editorial Board for the scientific journal, Microbiome. He is a member of the Microbiome Think Tank at Mass. General Hospital (MGH) and is a member of the Advisory Committee for the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP).

About Seed^®
Seed is a life science and consumer health company pioneering the inquiry and application of microbiome science to improve human and planetary health. In collaboration with leading scientists and a global network of partners and experts in biofermentation, stabilization and testing, Seed is setting a new standard in bacteria. Its environmental R+D arm, SeedLabs, also develops novel applications for bacteria to solve some of our biggest ecological challenges.

Contact:
Erin Allweiss
seed@thenumber29.com   
202-446-8265

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• The Two Companies Will Apply BPU International’s Artificial Emotional Intelligence (AEI) Technologies to Treat Delirium and Dementia Patients

LAS VEGAS, March 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — BPU Holdings’ entity in the US, BPU International, has partnered with SEVA Technology to collaborate on research and implementation of AEI Framework — an Artificial Emotional Intelligent (AEI) platform. 

The project will focus on creating an Artificial Intelligent (AI) mobile application to aid hospital patients with the detection and potential treatment of Delirium and Dementia. Both companies are collaborating to effectively apply AEI Framework technology within hospitals; starting in Arizona.

Seva Technology is an American company founded in 2018 in Tucson, Arizona. It was founded by Dr. Salim Hariri, Full Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the College of Engineering at the University of Arizona, and Dr. Nimit Agarwal, Division Chief of Geriatrics at The University of Arizona-College of Medicine Phoenix and Banner University Medical Center-Phoenix.  Seva’s Mission is to devise innovative and intelligent software solutions for improving patient outcomes. 

The project includes building an AEI-based chatbot, framework and interactive applications using human conversational scripts, developed by BPU. The application will be designed to track patient’s moods as well as interact and engage with patients on emotional levels, which are intrinsically tied to their physical status. AEI Framework will be able to track and learn their routine patterns and set reminders for medication and assess both psychological and physical symptoms outside the doctor’s office. Using IoT devices, the technology has the ability to detect unwanted falls and high distress levels that will immediately alert hospitals and the patient’s doctor. Medical experts expect the application to be particularly beneficial for long-term care and for seniors who show early signs of delirium and dementia.

Dr. Nimit Agarwal explains, “Amid the rising demographics of the aging population, the growing number of patients who require special care is rising. We are finding smart ways to assist already taxed nursing care services through the use of AEI. There is a direct correlation between a patient’s emotional status and their well-being. Dr. Agarwal further notes, “With AEI and AEI Framework, we can cater to this growing patient population through the whole spectrum of healthcare, including acute, post-acute and long-term care facilities”. 

From BPU Holdings, CEO Oh SangGyoon states, “We are thrilled to bring AEI Framework to life. SEVA is a perfect partner for us as we both have the same vision to bring AEI technology into hospitals.  This is just the beginning of what AEI can do for improved healthcare, self-care, and betterment of life.”

The prototype will be single-user based, while eventually expanding to a multi-user system. Patient privacy will be HIPAA compliant as all patient records and data will be made private and accessible only to the patient and medical personnel. Records will be cloud-based and encrypted — accessible only by authorization. The application will be built as a commercially viable prototype to be deployed to hospitals as part of the research. Clinical trials are in motion and the project is expected to be ready within two to three years.

About BPU International

BPU International is a subsidiary of BPU Holdings located in Las Vegas, Nevada. BPU International is dedicated to generating the most advanced, usable, secure and innovative Artificial Emotional Intelligence (AEI) technology in the world. Artificial Intelligence (AI) emulates how people think — AEI emulates how people feel. AEI technology advances the human condition by providing rigorous tools to improve emotional intelligence.

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Groundbreaking Technology Delivers Accurate Results Clinicians Rely On and Trust While Simplifying Workflow and Improving Turnaround Time

RARITAN, New Jersey, March 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ —  Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, a global leader of in vitro diagnostics, announced it has received CE Mark for Ortho’s VITROS^® XT MicroSlide, a new multi-test technology that allows labs to run two tests simultaneously.

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics’ VITROS® XT MicroSlide (right) is a new multi-test technology that allows labs to run two tests simultaneously.

Ortho’s VITROS^® XT MicroSlide is powered by DIGITAL CHEMISTRY™, an optics technology that gleans significantly more information from each test than before, improving performance, saving time and space in the lab, and increasing productivity, with less patient sample required for testing. This is an important advantage for vulnerable patients or those with venous access issues.

“Groundbreaking VITROS XT MicroSlides harness the power of our proprietary MicroSlide technology, delivering high-quality test results and higher throughput, all within the lab’s existing physical footprint,” said Jennifer Paine, Head of Business Fields at Ortho. “Performing two tests per slide reduces the sample volume over current technology. This approach allows timely reporting – especially important for complex, challenging or delicate patients.”

Key features and benefits of Ortho’s VITROS^® XT MicroSlide include:

• DIGITAL CHEMISTRY™: Advanced digital imaging optics technology that gleans significantly more information from each test than before, improving performance and enabling powerful data analysis.  
• Reliably high-quality results: Enable labs to consistently and efficiently deliver accurate and reliable results you trust.
• Increased productivity and efficiency: Simultaneously perform two tests that are commonly ordered together from a single small blood sample. This improves lab productivity and turnaround time, while simplifying inventory management and optimizing storage space.

“The Ortho VITROS XT MicroSlide is a great technological leap, with DIGITAL CHEMISTRY signifying a true revolution in the pursuit of consistently reliable and accurate clinical diagnoses,” said Dr. Jorge Aldunate Ortega, Clinical Laboratory Manager of RedSalud in Chile. “This technology reinforces Ortho as the trusted leader in the field of chemistry and immunodiagnostics.”  

Ortho’s VITROS^® XT MicroSlides, which include VITROS^® UREA-CREA, TRIG-CHOL and GLU-Ca slides, have received CE Mark signifying conformance to applicable European Union regulatory requirements. These products are available on the VITROS^® XT 7600 Integrated System for purchase in March 2019. The product is currently available for purchase in numerous countries, including Chile, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, Australia, Liechtenstein, Norway and New Zealand.

For more information, follow Ortho on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Ortho’s VITROS^® Systems
The Ortho VITROS^® Chemistry, Immunodiagnostics and Integrated Systems from Ortho Clinical Diagnostics is a portfolio of products and patented enabling technologies which help clinical laboratories diagnose, monitor and treat disease. Ortho’s VITROS^® Products are engineered to help clinical laboratories with organizational, operational and economic challenges.

About Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics is a global leader of in vitro diagnostics serving the clinical laboratory and immunohematology communities. Across hospitals, hospital networks, blood banks and labs in more than 125 countries and territories, Ortho’s high-quality products and services enable health care professionals to make better-informed treatment decisions. For the immunohematology community, Ortho’s blood typing products help ensure every patient receives blood that is safe, the right type and the right unit. Ortho brings sophisticated testing technologies, automation, information management and interpretation tools to clinical laboratories around the world to help them run more efficiently and effectively and improve patient care. Ortho’s purpose is to improve and save lives with diagnostics, and it does that by reimagining what’s possible. This is what has defined Ortho for more than 75 years, and it’s what drives Ortho forward. For more information, visit www.orthoclinicaldiagnostics.com.

© Ortho Clinical Diagnostics 2019

PR-04864

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• Atos to support the transition and transformation of the Western Australian (WA) public health system’s ICT infrastructure into a fully managed Hybrid Digital Cloud Service.
• HealthNext transition and transformation program uses GovNext-ICT services including a fully managed Oracle Cloud Platform.
• Atos is the GovNext-ICT provider selected to enable Health Support Services (HSS) utilise public cloud services on demand.

PERTH, Australia, March 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, has signed an AUD124 million (approx. EUR78.2 million) five-year contract with the Western Australian Department of Health (WA Health) to transition and digitize its ICT systems to better support the WA public health system. Atos will work with the WA health system’s ICT service provider, Health Support Services (HSS), to transition the current legacy infrastructure from the incumbent provider to Atos Cloud platforms.

The digital transformation will utilize GovNext-ICT services to provide a Hybrid Cloud and a recurrent consumption model which scales and shrinks as required, providing WA Health with new agility that will enhance operational processes and reduce costs while improving the patient experience in the public health system. The scope of services is to provide Private Cloud, Managed Public Cloud, Hybrid Cloud Orchestration, co-location and managed services for 2,000 servers, over 1,000 applications, and a fully managed Oracle Cloud platform.

The Fully Managed Oracle customer environment will be supported by both Oracle and Exadata cloud machines orchestrated into an Atos Hybrid cloud environment hosted on an Extreme Performance Pod, Digital Private Cloud utilizing Atos’ powerful BullSequana computing platform and supported by a suite of fully managed services. These services include data center housing, capacity management, monitoring and reporting, backup, disaster recovery and OS management.

The Atos Managed Public Cloud (MPC) solution, leveraging an Atos-managed ServiceNow platform, provides a single “pane of glass” for cloud consumption. MPC provides additional virtual infrastructures and operating systems to facilitate the consumption of public cloud environments, removing the burden for HSS to operate these infrastructures as well as OS, backup, DR, routing, firewall and communications dependencies. In addition, WA Health will gain governance over cloud consumption, security and compliancy.

The transition will deliver the following benefits:

• The ability to scale on-demand operational costs based on changing demand in WA Health Infrastructure needs;
• The ability to provide services with a minimum amount of process overhead regarding both time and cost;
• The ability to adopt a “pay-as-you-go” framework and avoid capital expenditure models
• The ability to leverage new technology and innovation without undertaking large-scale upgrades to infrastructure platforms;
• The ability to transform WA Health applications to modern architectural frameworks that support greater levels of availability, capacity, performance and scalability.

Shirley Ngu, Head of Information and Data Management for Atos in Australia said: “WA Health is a highly valued and strategic client we are proud to work alongside. Over several years, Atos has developed a reputation within the Government marketplace for our success of transforming key services and infrastructure workloads into the cloud. We look forward to working with the government and WA Health on their new digital journey improving healthcare services.”

Holger Kaufmann, Chief Information Officer, Health Support Services said: “The HealthNext transition program represents an opportunity to improve the way WA Health utilises and delivers ICT services to support the provision of healthcare to the WA community. A modern and contemporary cloud-based ICT system will enable us to respond better to innovation that will help improve patient care and reduce unnecessary duplication.”

About Atos

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 120,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of EUR13 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions through its Digital Transformation Factory, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across all business sectors. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Syntel, Unify and Worldline. Atos is listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

About Health Support Services

Health Support Services (HSS) is WA Health’s shared services centre providing ICT, supply, workforce and financial services to support the WA public health system. This includes the provision of ICT services to health services including Child and Adolescent Health Service, North Metropolitan Health Service, South Metropolitan Health Service, East Metropolitan Health Service, Pathwest and WA Country Health Service.

About GovNext-ICT

GovNext-ICT is a WA State Government ICT Procurement Reform initiative that has established a competitive marketplace for agencies to procure managed ICT services including cloud and telecommunications.  The goals of GovNext-ICT are to simplify ICT procurement, increase competition and drive value through economies of scale, and to deliver a secure connected, stable and reliable Government ICT environment as the foundation for digital citizen services and data analytics.

Press contact:
Global: Laura Fau | laura.fau@atos.net | +33-6-73-64-04-18 | Twitter: @laurajanefau
Australia: Rhoda Dinesen | rhoda.dinesen@atos.net | +65 (0) 67308524

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ANYANG, South Korea and COLOGNE, Germany, March 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Vieworks, a global leader in x-ray imaging solution, presents the Dental Lineups at the International Dental Show (IDS) 2019 (hall 2.1 C-080) from 12 to 16 March 2019. IDS, the world’s biggest trade fair for dentistry and dental technology, takes place in Cologne, Germany every two years. More than 150,000 visitors from 156 countries visited IDS 2017.

VIVIX-D Series for Dental Radiography

At the show, Vieworks introduces VIVIX-D Series, TFT flat panel detectors for Dental Radiography. Based on the novel technology from Vieworks, VIVIX-D Series is a perfect solution for All-in-one Dental CBCT and One-shot Cephalometry System. Dentists can enhance the workflow in their daily practice through Vieworks’ solution to provide high-quality patient care. In addition, Vieworks’ network all around the world offers the immediate customer service on time.

“With great reputation that we have in medical x-ray imaging, we sold several hundred units last year. It is a remarkable accomplishment even in the first year we entered this market.” Jinwoo Nam, senior sales account manager, explains about VIVIX-D Series’ successful launch in dental application. “We will take this as an opportunity to understand the trends of the market and secure new customers around the world.”

VIVIX-D Series for Dental Radiography      

•     Available in two sizes ( 6″x6″ and 10″x12″)
•     Supreme image quality without compromising the speed
•     High frame rate and fast transmission using 2-port Gigabit Ethernet
•     Larger FOV(Field of View) to show clear definition of the dental anatomy
•     Reliable image acquisition and transfer powered by Safe™

About Vieworks Co., Ltd.

As a global leader in digital imaging in various applications from medical x-ray imaging to industrial x-ray inspection, Vieworks offers the most advanced flat panel detectors and software as a solution to the world. Vieworks creates new standards in imaging industry by providing professionals the most valued and high-quality images and offering innovative vision and insight for all. For more information, please visit www.vieworks.com

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Source: Vieworks Co., Ltd.

SHANGHAI, March 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Following the growth in its scale by 17% in 2018, Medtec China 2019 has continued its upward momentum in terms of the area for the exhibition booths, which has increased by 25%. The overall scale of the event, meanwhile, is up by 21%. So far, the number of new exhibitors has risen to 53. Further, 10 suppliers from New York, USA will make their first appearance at Medtec China 2019 in the form of an international pavilion, while the German and Singapore pavilions have confirmed their continued presence at a greater scale than last year. It is predicted that Medtec China 2019 will host 450+ premium brand suppliers from 23 countries around the world, to provide the Chinese medical device industry with raw materials for product development, manufacturing and registration, precision parts and components, manufacturing equipment, processing technology, contract customization, testing and certification, policies and regulations, design, and market consulting, among other services. The exhibition will be taking place at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center on September 25-27.

International and local exhibitors with premium exhibits to rejuvenate the industry with R&D creativity

At Medtec China 2019, a wealth of well-known domestic and overseas brands have been invited to exhibit their latest and most state-of-the-art products and solutions, such as Mikron Industrial Equipment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Nissei Plastic Industrial Co., Ltd., Hitachi Metals (China) Ltd., Guangdong Shunde HZ-Technology Co., Ltd., Branson Ultrasonics (Shanghai) CO., Ltd., Marposs (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd., and Shenzhen Ourway Packing Products Co., Ltd. Mikron’s Asian premiere product Ecoline Mini can fully meet the flexible production needs of medical devices; Nissei’s electric injection molding machine features high quality and stability; Hitachi ultra-fine diameter cable products provide solutions for ultra-fine diameter endoscopy and treatment to explore the confined spaces of the human body; HZ-Technology’s transparent plastic laser welding technology allows direct welding without the addition of absorbing materials; Branson’s GSX platform provides a mechanical and electronic control system boasting advanced control and precise positioning using pressure stepping; the Marposs Tecna leak detector series is widely applied in the medical and packaging test industry.

Visitors viewing automation equipment at Medtec China 2018

Conference to build the platform for industry education and research of medical device manufacturing

Three days of onsite conferences concerning “Regulations, quality and technology,” will provide participants with opportunities to expand their professional network resources. The meetings this year will introduce new content as follows: the Regulation Summit will remain focused on Chinese Regulatory Updates and Compliance; the Quality Track will focus on Risk Management of Medical Product Life Cycle and Key Points and Strategy for Inspection; as for the technology sector, in addition to the return of the 7th IIMD China Summit (Implantable and Interventional Medical Device) and the retention of such traditional hot topics as Dressing materials, Packaging & Sterilization hub, and medical device design. Additionally, Technology Theater and the 5th medical device market analysis report will also be present at the event.

The onsite conference of “China Medical Device Regulatory Updates” in 2018

Medtec China 2019 will be held September 25-27. There will be a grand 15th anniversary celebration and opening ceremony, business matchmaking service, and many more appealing events. The show is expected to attract more than 450 high-quality international and domestic exhibitors and 25,000 professional visitors from more than 5,000 medical manufacturing enterprises.

For more information, please visit Medtec China’s official website: www.medtecchina.com

Exhibitor registration, visit or media cooperation, please contact:

Carina Li
Tel.: +86 10 5730 6163
E-Mail: carina.li@ubm.com
Medtec China Organization Committee

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SHANGHAI, March 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Three of WuXi AppTec Laboratory Testing Division’s facilities, Drug Safety Testing, Bioanalytical Services and Medical Device Testing, recently completed regulatory inspections from the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration), OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), and CNAS (China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment), all with excellent results.

On February 23rd and 24th, CNAS regulatory inspectors conducted on-site inspections based on ISO/IEC 17025, CNAS-CL01:2018 and CNAS-CL-01-A023 in WuXi AppTec’s new facility in Guoxiang, Suzhou city. This inspection covered medical device testing, including biocompatibility labs, chemistry labs, microbiology labs, and large animal research labs. The inspections focused on facility quality systems and effectiveness, technical competency and capability with on-site experiments, and data comparison. The new Guoxiang facility passed the inspection and received the CNAS accreditation with combination of GLP principle and ISO 17025 system.

On February 25th and 26th, OECD inspectors conducted the 5th GLP inspection on bioanalytical service labs in Shanghai. This GLP inspection covered various aspects including GLP facility operations (including newly expanded immunochemistry labs), quality system management, and selected study audits. WuXi AppTec successfully passed the inspection, and will receive the GLP certificate for the 5th time.

On March 8th, the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) completed a directed study inspection at WuXi’s drug safety evaluation center in its Suzhou facility with two minor findings. This 5-day GLP inspection covered bioanalytical testing, in-life study, pathology, facility operation quality management system, and data integrity.

“We are pleased with the outcome of these three regulatory inspections. Not only does WuXi AppTec provide comprehensive services globally, but we strive to deliver the highest quality in everything we do. Our GLP drug safety and medical device testing services meet global regulatory requirements to support our global clients on regulatory submissions in the United States, OECD countries and China,” said Dr. Steve Yang, Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer of WuXi AppTec.

About WuXi AppTec

WuXi AppTec is a leading global pharmaceutical and medical device open-access capability and technology platform company with global operations. As an innovation-driven and customer-focused company, WuXi AppTec provides a broad and integrated portfolio of services to help our worldwide customers and partners shorten the discovery and development time and lower the cost of drug and medical device R&D through cost-effective and efficient solutions. With its industry-leading capabilities such as small molecule drug R&D and manufacturing, cell therapy and gene therapy R&D and manufacturing, drug R&D and medical device testing, WuXi platform is enabling more than 3,000 innovative collaborators from more than 30 countries to bring innovative healthcare products to patients, and to fulfill WuXi’s dream that “every drug can be made and every disease can be treated.”  

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HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, March 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — AIA (Vietnam) Life Insurance Company Limited (AIA Vietnam) officially launched its new brand promise, Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. AIA’s new brand promise is purpose-led, placing a firm emphasis on AIA Vietnam’s commitment to take action to positively impact the lives of its customers.

AIA launches Healthier, Longer, Better Lives in Vietnam

David Beckham visited AIA Vietnam for the first time in his capacity as AIA’s Global Ambassador

Mr. Stuart Spencer, Group Chief Marketing Officer of AIA, shared: “Healthier, Longer, Better Lives is a single, powerful brand promise that is an accurate and up-to-date reflection of what AIA stands for and what we do as a company. Asia is getting wealthier but it is not getting healthier, given the rapid and prevalent rise of lifestyle-related diseases across our region. We are committed to helping address this disturbing trend by playing a proactive and positive role in the lives of our customers.”

To celebrate this special occasion, David Beckham visited AIA Vietnam for the first time in his capacity as AIA’s Global Ambassador. He joined more than 3,000 enthusiastic attendees at the “Song” Festival, AIA Vietnam’s large-scale public event designed to help launch Healthier, Longer, Better Lives in Vietnam.

David Beckham said: “I have been lucky enough to travel to many different places in my role as Brand Ambassador with AIA. Vietnam is a beautiful country, and to be here today with all of the AIA customers, agents, staff and members of the public celebrating Song festival is really exciting. I believe it is so important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and I am impressed by the positive and healthy living attitude here today.”

The “Song” Festival at 7^th Military Region Stadium generated an overwhelming response from the public with David Beckham’s presence and a wide variety of wellness, sports, cooking and art activities for the participants and their families. In addition to the super-star former footballer David Beckham, everyone was pleasantly surprised to have the chance to meet Vietnam U23 football star Duy Manh, Vietnamese former football star Cong Vinh and MasterChef Ngo Thanh Hoa. The highlight of “Song” Festival was a friendly football match with David Beckham versus Duy Manh and Cong Vinh. It was the very first time Vietnamese fans had the chance to watch David Beckham in person.

The “Song” Festival is just the kick-off for a series of exciting wellness events that AIA Vietnam has in store. At the Press Conference following “Song” Festival, David Beckham also had the honor to introduce the 10 winners of Son-Doong 100-hr expedition happening in mid-March — an initiative which is part of the AIA’s year-long program of special events and activities to mark its Centennial Celebration  across the Asia-Pacific region.

“Through AIA Vitality, which we look forward to launching in Vietnam, we can engage and empower all our stakeholders to make significant improvements in their health and reward them for doing so. Partnering with David as our Global Ambassador is also helping us to heighten public awareness as we look to create a movement, to change the way people across Asia take care of themselves,” Mr. Stuart Spencer added.

Mr. Wayne Besant, CEO of AIA Vietnam, expressed his delight: “AIA Vietnam is very excited to be part of AIA global initiatives to help people across Asia live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. I believe that everyone can change and adopt a healthier lifestyle by taking one small step at a time. AIA Vietnam commits to stand side by side with our customers and stakeholders every step of the way because we believe ‘What is good for our customers is good for Vietnam‘.”

About AIA

AIA Group and its subsidiaries (“AIA” or the Group) is the largest independent life insurer in the world. AIA is the market leader in Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$221 billion as of June 30, 2018.

AIA meets the protection and saving needs of individuals by providing comprehensive products and services including life insurance, retirement and savings plans, accident and health insurance as well as asset management solutions. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit insurance, and retirement services to corporate clients. Through a broad network of agents, partners and employees across Asia-Pacific, AIA serves the holders of 32 million individual policies and over 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes.

About AIA Vietnam

AIA (Vietnam) Life Insurance Company Limited (“AIA Vietnam”) is a member of AIA Group and is a 100% foreign-owned company. AIA Vietnam started operations in life insurance and financial investment in Vietnam.

After 19 years since its inception, AIA Vietnam has grown to be a trusted brand in Vietnam. AIA has an extensive network of more than 170 offices in over 50 provinces and cities across the country. Today, AIA Vietnam is serving more than 1 million customers (as of January 2019). Up to now, AIA Vietnam has paid insurance benefits to more than 400,000 cases with a total amount of over VND4,000 billion.

Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190311/2398704-1-a
Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190311/2398704-1-b

SHANGHAI, March 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — China-based high-tech firm P&P Biotech has been awarded a patent from the US for its hydrophilic, electro-spinning composite scaffold biomaterial and related methods and applications that are used in tissue regeneration, signalizing that China has moved into a leadership position in terms of biotechnology development. The patent, covering its platform technology rather than a single biological product or technology, opens up a market with an economic potential estimated at some 100 billion yuan (roughly USD 15 billion). The technology is projected to benefit the global community following commercialization.

Chinese biotechnology force taking shape

It is rare for an original biomaterial technology developed in China, and especially one that can serve as a platform technology, to be granted a US patent. China’s medical biomaterial industry, despite a late start, the uneven development and the amount of catching up that had to take place in order to establish a position in the global market, expanded to approximately 200 billion yuan in 2017, on the back of an annual growth rate of nearly 15%. The country was facing a situation where about 70% of the mature products in the category were imported. To change the status quo, China has enhanced support it offers to technical innovation and promoted efforts that have led to breakthroughs in the technology.

In the early 1990s, He Hongbin, current CEO of P&P Biotech and one of the earliest researchers committed to biomaterial in China, studied tissue engineering and biology surgery in Austria and Japan, countries where substantial progress in the field had already been made. In 1995, he successfully developed the world’s first first-generation animal-derived fibrin sealant for human use. He then returned to China to start up a business with the goal of commercializing what he had developed.

In 2002, he founded P&P Biotech. He and his R&D team have developed a number of high-tech products including fast-dissolution fibrin sealant (brand name: Chuangxufeng®) and soft-tissue inductive biomaterial (biologic surgery graft and regenerative artificial ligaments). Given the gaps between China and the world’s developed countries in terms of biotechnology, Dr. He, a veteran with years of experience in surgery, set as a mission the reduction of patient suffering by applying more advanced biotechnologies in operating rooms. Decades of efforts have brought him one step closer to the goal of making China one of the world’s biotechnology leaders. P&P Biotech’s new patent for its platform technology demonstrates not only the firm’s prowess at innovation, but also China’s strength when it comes to biomedical technology. It took P&P Biotech 15 years to obtain a patent from the US patent office, including some 6 years spent on the application process and the wait for approval. 

The patented platform technology developed by a Chinese firm is the first of its kind worldwide as well as the first to have been approved by the U.S. Patent Office. The resulting materials has induced tissue regeneration in animal experiments, including skeletal muscle, blood vessels and Achilles tendon, among other membranous, tubular and cord-like forms. They can regenerate corresponding tissue structures in different parts of the body and restore the normal functions of human tissue.

The first high-strength product has now been approved for clinical use while several other products are in clinical trials. Another important product used for rotator cuffs has shown extraordinary efficacy in animal experiments, marking another milestone in P&P Biotech’s clinical transformation.

Opening up a 100 billion yuan market

The fast-growing modern biotechnology sector has demonstrated significant progress and achieved a series of important breakthroughs, and is accelerating its real-life applications. In this strategic field, governments, especially those in developed countries, have established national strategies to quickly seize a leadership position and accelerate the revolutionary development of the industry. The US, Germany, Japan and South Korea have put in place relevant bioeconomy policies to promote in-country research and development.

According to Dr. He, the biotechnology market is huge and promising, and China has also been vigorously promoting the development of the sector over the past two years.

Obtaining the US patent for this platform technology means P&P Biotech can successfully meet world-class biomedicine standards, compete with international counterparts and enter the global biomaterial regeneration market. At the same time, the company has established a strong presence, opening up a 100 billion yuan market. Dr. He said that P&P Biotech will continue its efforts to expand into international markets and seek global cooperation in a move to advance this patented platform technology for the benefit of more people.

Taking a deep dive into the core technologies vertically while expanding applications horizontally

Biotech companies need both talent and technology to maintain their core competitiveness. Most of the core team members of P&P Biotech have international experience, having returned to China following stints in countries that have advanced the most in the field after studying abroad. In addition, P&P Biotech has established in-depth collaborations with senior experts, including Zhang Xingdong, an internationally renowned expert on regenerative biomaterials at the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and elected president of the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUSBSE)*.

Dr. He said “So many years of research and technical achievements combined with our talented teams are our core competitiveness. A world leading brand needs to build a professional core competition barrier.”

Last year, P&P Biotech scored several important clinical achievements in China. Its R&D project of high-strength implant systems that can induce ligament regeneration was selected at China’s National Key R&D Program in 2018, while another key project, “Research and Development of Biomedical Materials and Tissue and Organ Repair Replacement”, received financial support from the central government. The registered clinical trial for a surgical biological patch to be used in tandem with medical devices won the support of science and technology projects in the field of biomedicine associated with the 2018 Shanghai Action Plan for Scientific and Technological Innovation. In addition, the company has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration for the registration of a composite hernia patch, another innovative product.

Dr. He summed up by explaining that the next phase of growth for the company will focus on building a patent portfolio, saying “we will constantly strengthen the core competitiveness and form a ‘patent family’ based on the platform. We will rely not on a single patent, but rather on a number of patents, and apply for patents in each category in order to establish diversification across several fields. The strategy around the patent portfolio is key. Previously, it was all about a single product, but now it’s about protecting an entire technology with a patent and developing a business-oriented platform technology. Looking ahead, the overall growth and direction of the company will be focused on clinical achievements that lead to the transformation of technologies, based on developing core technologies vertically and expanding the resultant applications horizontally.”

Furthermore, Dr. He emphasized the importance of patent protection after obtaining the patent. In his view, China should strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights, in order set a scenario where products “made-in-China” can compete fairly, find a place in international markets as Chinese firms more generally move towards a broader market.

*The International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUSBSE) is a body that brings together national and multi-national groups dedicated to the advancement of biomaterials, surgical implants, prosthetics, artificial organs, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. It currently includes members from Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, South America and the United States of America.  

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