Novavax says COVID vaccine triggers immune response to Omicron variant

Published by
Reuters UK

By Carl O’Donnell (Reuters) – Novavax Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine is effective in generating an immune response against the Omicron variant, according to early data published on Wednesday, suggesting that the U.S. drugmaker’s existing COVID-19 vaccine can help combat the new Omicron variant. Novavax’s two-dose, protein-based vaccine was authorized for use this week by European Union regulators and the World Health Organization. [L1N2T50VX] It has previously been approved by countries including Indonesia and the Philippines but not the United States. Novavax said that receiving an additional booster… Continue reading “Novavax says COVID vaccine triggers immune response to Omicron variant”

DTI renews push for RCEP approval

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Philippine Star

Louella Desiderio – The Philippine Star December 23, 2021 | 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has renewed its call for the immediate Senate concurrence of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement as it warned the country’s delayed participation could lead to forgone investment opportunities. In a statement, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez emphasized the imperative need to immediately act on the concurrence of the RCEP, a mega trade deal set to take effect on Jan.1 next year for countries that have completed the ratification process. He… Continue reading “DTI renews push for RCEP approval”

Hitachi Energy wins major contract for the first-of-its-kind sub-sea power transmission network in the MENA region advancing a sustainable energy future for Abu Dhabi

HVDC Light® will connect low-carbon power from the mainland grid to ADNOC’s production operations as a strategic project to enable a sustainable, flexible and secure power supply.

Zurich, Switzerland, Dec. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy today announced it has won a major order from Samsung C&T Corporation, one of the world’s largest engineering and construction companies, to connect ADNOC’s offshore operations to the onshore power grid in the United Arab Emirates owned and operated by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA).

Hitachi Energy’s HVDC Light® technology and MACHTM digital control platform1 will enable the transfer of cleaner and more efficient power from the mainland to power ADNOC’s offshore production operations, enabling a carbon footprint reduction of ADNOC’s offshore operations by more than thirty percent.

This innovative solution reinforces Hitachi Energy’s commitment to helping customers and countries to transition towards a carbon-neutral future and help enable the ‘2050 Net-Zero  Initiative’ of the UAE.

With a capacity of 3,200 megawatts (MW), the two HVDC links will be by far the most powerful power-from-shore solution in the Middle East and North America (MENA) region to date. It is also the first HVDC power-from-shore solution outside Norwegian waters. This innovative solution reflects how Hitachi Energy continues to pioneer technology to address the growing interest from national and independent oil and gas companies to power their offshore production facilities with carbon-free energy from onshore power grids.

“We are proud to be enabling Abu Dhabi and ADNOC to make significant progress on their pathway toward achieving the United Arab Emirates’ ambition to be carbon-neutral by 2050,” said Claudio Facchin, CEO of Hitachi Energy. He continued, “At Hitachi Energy we are championing the urgency of the clean energy transition, and this major order is further evidence that we are a ‘go to’ partner for developing and deploying technologies and solutions that are advancing the world’s energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure.”

Mr. SH Kim, Procurement Manager at Samsung C&T Corporation, commented, “In Hitachi Energy, we have selected a trusted partner who brings deep global competence and a strong mindset of collaboration and innovation.” SH Kim continued, “Together, we will serve ADNOC with pioneering technologies that are proven to deliver for such a large HVDC project.”

The entire power-from-shore project will comprise two HVDC power links, which will connect two clusters of offshore oil and gas production facilities to the mainland power grid, a distance of up to 140 kilometers for each cluster.

Hitachi Energy is supplying four converter stations, which convert AC power to DC for transmission in the subsea cables, then reconvert it to AC from DC for use in the offshore power systems. The HVDC technology will be supplied from Hitachi Energy’s global competence centers. Also included in the order are system studies, design and engineering, supply, installation supervision and commissioning. Hitachi Energy will support the customers with a long-term life-cycle service agreement leveraging digital technologies to ensure system availability and reliability over the HVDC links’ long operating life.

HVDC Light is a voltage source converter technology that was pioneered by Hitachi Energy. It is the preferred technology for many grid applications, including interconnecting national power grids, integrating offshore wind parks with mainland transmission systems, feeding more power into congested city centers, interconnecting asynchronous networks that operate at different frequencies, and power from shore.

HVDC Light’s defining features include uniquely compact converter stations (which is extremely important in space-critical applications like offshore wind, offshore production facilities and city-center infeeds), exceptionally low electrical losses, and black-start capability to restore power after a grid outage.

Hitachi Energy pioneered commercial HVDC technology almost 70 years ago and has delivered more than half of the world’s HVDC Classic projects and more than 70 percent of the world’s voltage source conversion HVDC projects.

Notes:

  1. Modular Advanced Control for HVDC (MACH™)
  2. The estimated reduction in carbon footprint is based on Hitachi Energy’s own calculations.

About Hitachi Energy

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD.

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Rebecca Bleasdale
Hitachi Energy Ltd.
+41 78643 2613
rebecca.bleasdale@hitachienergy.com

Philips receives FDA De Novo Clearance for IVC Filter Removal Laser Sheath – CavaClear – with Breakthrough Device Designation

December 22, 2021

  • Philips IVC Filter Removal Laser Sheath – CavaClear – is intended to safely ablate tissue to remove embedded IVC filters
  • CavaClear is a first-in-class FDA-cleared solution for advanced IVC filter removal
  • It is estimated that in the United States more than one million patients with IVC filters would benefit from filter removal to reduce the risk of long-term complications [1,2]
  • Two independent and prospective clinical studies demonstrated that laser-assisted retrieval was 96-99.4% effective with a major adverse event rate of 0.7-2% [3,4]

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology today announced the FDA has granted De Novo Clearance for Philips IVC Filter Removal Laser Sheath – CavaClear – to remove an IVC filter when previous methods of removal have failed. CavaClear is the first and only FDA-cleared solution for advanced IVC filter removal. Earlier in 2021, the FDA granted the device Breakthrough Device Designation. Laser has been clinically proven to provide a success rate over 99%, with low complication rates [3].

IVC filters are used to treat patients with venous thromboembolism, in which blood clots form in the deep veins of the leg and groin, and can travel through the circulatory system. They are placed in the inferior vena cava to capture blood clots from moving to the lungs. However, research has shown that IVC filters may have long-term complications [5]. The filters can fracture and travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body. Other identified long-term risks associated with IVC filters include lower limb deep vein thrombosis and IVC occlusion. The FDA recommends that implanting physicians consider removing retrievable IVC filters as soon as they are no longer indicated [2].

Failure rates for IVC filter removal can be high and prior to CavaClear, limited options for removal existed if the filter became difficult to remove. Advanced retrieval tools and techniques are required if the IVC filter becomes embedded in the vasculature. Physicians previously had very few tools to remove the filter when complications occurred and until now there were no FDA-approved devices for this type of advanced removal.

“Today is a historic day. With the approval of CavaClear, physicians now have a device specifically geared remove chronically embedded IVC filters,” said Kush R. Desai MD, FSIR, Associate Professor of Radiology, Surgery, and Medicine, and Director of Deep Venous Interventions at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA. “Backed by evidence, this technology can be applied to retrieve IVC filters that are no longer indicated, reducing potential clinical risk for patients and satisfying the FDA’s guidance to retrieve filters when they are no longer indicated.”

Clinical research supports laser-assisted removal

Two independent and prospective clinical studies demonstrated that laser-assisted retrieval was 96-99.4% effective with a major adverse event rate of 0.7-2% [3,4]. Philips CavaClear uses circumferential tissue ablation that can aid in capturing the filter within seconds of laser activation, which can help increase physician efficiency during removal, and may help lower costs by reducing the number of retrieval attempts needed to remove an embedded filter. In addition, the simple and safe design is easy for physicians to integrate into their workflow.

“With the FDA’s clearance of our IVC Filter Removal Laser Sheath – CavaClear – more than one million patients and their physicians now have access to a safe, effective and efficient option for advanced IVC filter removal,” said Chris Landon, Senior Vice President and General Manager Image Guided Therapy Devices at Philips. “This clearance demonstrates the commitment of Philips to innovating procedures with physician collaboration to meet unmet needs that can have a critical impact on the lives of patients and their families.”

[1] Philips internal market research data calculation.
[2] Health, C. for D. and R. Safety Communications – Removing Retrievable Inferior Vena Cava Filters: FDA Safety Communication. (2014).
[3] Kuo, W. et al. Laser‐Assisted Removal of Embedded Vena Cava Filters: A First‐In‐Human Escalation Trial in 500 Patients Refractory to High‐Force Retrieval. Journal of the American Heart Association 9:24, 1-9 (2020).
[4] Desai, K. et al. Excimer Laser Sheath-Assisted Retrieval of “Closed-Cell” Design Inferior Vena Cava Filters. J Am Heart Assoc; 9: e017240 (2020).
[5] Van Ha, T. G. Complications of inferior vena caval filters. Semin. Interv. Radiol. 23, 150–155 (2006).

For further information, please contact:

Joost Maltha
Philips Global Press Office
Tel: +31 6 10 55 8116
Email: joost.maltha@philips.com

Fabienne van der Feer
Philips Image Guided Therapy
Tel: + 31 622 698 001
E-mail: fabienne.van.der.feer@philips.com

About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2020 sales of EUR 17.3 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

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Teen pilot Rutherford takes a step closer to circumnavigating globe

Published by
Reuters UK

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Teenager Zara Rutherford, bidding to become the youngest woman to fly solo around the globe, recalled the challenges involved in crossing a deserted and icebound Siberia on Wednesday after landing in Jakarta. The 19-year-old Belgian-British pilot, who left Belgium in August, hopes to complete her 51,000-kilometre (32,000 mile) trip across five continents and 52 countries by mid-January 2022. The toughest leg so far was flying across northern Russia, she told reporters in the Indonesian capital, because if anything went wrong, help in sub-zero temperatures would likely be ho… Continue reading “Teen pilot Rutherford takes a step closer to circumnavigating globe”

Insurtech Market 2021-26: Share, Size, Trends & Report

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Newstrail

The global insurtech market exhibited strong growth during 2015-2020 and expected to grew at a CAGR of around 15% during the next five years. Report Metric Historical: 2015-2020 Base Year: 2020 Forecast Year: 2021-2026 Insurtech, or insurance technology, refers to the use of technological innovations to garner savings and efficiency in the insurance industry. It is utilized to increase the efficiency in the operations of the insurance company by identifying the risks related to the business operations, market, liquidity, counterparty, and credit. Insurtech also simplifies financial transaction… Continue reading “Insurtech Market 2021-26: Share, Size, Trends & Report”

Sales Performance Management Market Size 2021-26

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Newstrail

According to the latest report by IMARC Group, titled, “Sales Performance Management Market Size: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2021-2026“, The global sales performance management market exhibited strong growth during 2015-2020. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to grow at a CAGR of around 15% during 2021-2026 Sales performance management (SPM) refers to a data-informed operational approach, which is extensively employed for planning, managing, and evaluating overall sales performance at scale. SPM offers various other services, such as for… Continue reading “Sales Performance Management Market Size 2021-26”

Control Towers Market Size | Industry Report, 2021-2026

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Newstrail

According to the latest report by IMARC Group, titled “Control Towers Market Size; Global Industry Trends, Share, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2021-2026” the global control towers market grew at a CAGR of around 15% during 2015-2020 and expects the market to exhibit strong growth during the next five years. Control towers are a centralized hub for an active cloud platform, aiming at end-to-end distribution chain control and visibility. They offer a detailed insight into incoming and outgoing shipment services, like advanced shipping notice (ASN) and on-time delivery. Control towers are int… Continue reading “Control Towers Market Size | Industry Report, 2021-2026”