Britishvolt and Bakrie’s VKTR team up for sustainable EV battery nickel

Published by
Reuters UK

By Nick Carey LONDON (Reuters) – Electric vehicle (EV) battery startup Britishvolt and VKTR, part of Bakrie & Brothers’ auto unit, said on Tuesday they would develop sustainable nickel refining capacity in Indonesia and look into building a battery plant there. The two companies will form a joint venture called Indovolt BV VKTR, to provide nickel sulphate, a crucial ingredient for high-performance EV batteries, which will eventually be produced using renewable energy in line with Britishvolt’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. “I am proud to be helping establish a secure suppl… Continue reading “Britishvolt and Bakrie’s VKTR team up for sustainable EV battery nickel”

Why Boeing pilot Forkner was acquitted in the 737 Max prosecution

Published by
The Seattle Times

The Department of Justice’s prosecution of Mark Forkner, the only Boeing employee charged with a crime after the two fatal crashes of the 737 Max, rested heavily on lengthy instant message exchanges with a Boeing colleague. His documented remarks were by turns profane and insulting, and deeply shocking when made public. The most damning suggested that he knew about a design change Boeing made late in the program to the jet’s new flight control system — a critical change that he was accused of hiding. Yet his trial ended swiftly after less than four days. With just one defense witness testifyin… Continue reading “Why Boeing pilot Forkner was acquitted in the 737 Max prosecution”

Graid Technology Announces Feature Rich Software Update Targeted at Expanding Global Enterprise Footprint

Tri-mode support of NVMe, SAS, and SATA drives offers enterprise customers a unique blend of flexibility coupled with superior performance.

GRAID Technology | Feature Rich Software Update with Tri-Mode Support

GRAID Technology | Feature Rich Software Update with Tri-Mode Support

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GRAID Technology, the award-winning data protection provider, and the developer of the only RAID card to offer customers access to the full performance of NVMe SSDs, is proud to announce their new software release (v1.2) for the SupremeRAID™ SR-1000 offering. With multiple new enhancements, this release contains features and software updates designed to give clients more flexibility, more functionality, and better overall performance. As GRAID prides itself as being responsive to its global client base, most of the enhancements are the result of users requests made over the past six months.

Among the enhanced features is Tri-mode data protection support for NVMe, SAS, and SATA drives coupled with the record-setting performance throughput that GRAID’s customers have come to expect. Tri-mode support for the SupremeRAID SR-1000 is available immediately on Linux operating systems and will be available for the MS Windows server environment in the summer of 2022.

“The ability for our customers to now protect their data across all types of drive media while realizing the same performance benefits and ease of use provides them with a key competitive advantage. GRAID SupremeRAID™ is quickly becoming the data protection solution of choice for Tier One OEM’s and data centers worldwide,” said Leander Yu, President, and CEO of GRAID Technology.

“The ability for our customers to now protect their data across all types of drive media while realizing the same performance benefits and ease of use provides them with a key competitive advantage. GRAID SupremeRAID™ is quickly becoming the data protection solution of choice for Tier One OEM’s and data centers worldwide,” said Leander Yu, President, and CEO of GRAID Technology.

The new V1.2 software release for SupremeRAID™ elevates the product that GRAID Technology brings to the global enterprise market. Along with Tri-mode support, V1.2 also brings support for Self-Encrypting Drive configurations on NVMe, exporting virtual drives using NVMeoF over TCP and RDMA, and the json format for GRAID command output, to name a few. As GRAID continues to expand their OEM, distribution, and integration partnerships, they will continue to work with customers and partners to explore options for additional functionality in future product and software enhancements.

GRAID Technology is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California with an office in Ontario, CA, and an R&D center in Taipei, Taiwan. Named one of the Ten Hottest Data Storage Startups of 2021 by CRN, GRAID SupremeRAID™ performance is breaking world records as the first NVMe and NVMeoF RAID card to unlock the full potential of your SSD performance: a single SupremeRAID™ card delivers 16 million IOPS and 110GB/s of throughput. For more information on GRAID Technology, visit www.graidtech.com or connect with us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Additional Resources:

Media Contact:

Andrea Eaken (PR/Marketing)
Email: andrea.eaken@graidtech.com
Tel: 1-800-GRAID-10

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Magnolia Digital Experience Platform Achieves SAP® Certification as Integrated With SAP Customer Experience Solutions

Magnolia logo

Magnolia logo

BASEL, Switzerland, March 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Magnolia International Ltd today announced its Magnolia Digital Experience Platform (DXP) 6.2 has achieved SAP® certification as integrated with SAP Customer Experience solutions to deliver increased flexibility for content management with SAP Commerce and the ability to create better customer engagement.

“Our forward-thinking customers are looking to create rich, engaging shopping experiences beyond simple storefronts,” said Tim Brown, CEO at Magnolia. “With Magnolia DXP, integrated with SAP Commerce solutions, content and commerce can now be easily merged into one rich, personalized experience across all touchpoints to gain a competitive edge.”

The SAP Integration and Certification Center (SAP ICC) has certified that the interface software for the product Magnolia Digital Experience Platform, version 6.2 integrates with SAP Customer Experience solutions including SAP Commerce solutions.

Magnolia DXP provides the following benefits to customers using SAP Commerce solutions:

  • Better editorial experience, through easy availability of product and catalogue data from SAP Commerce inside Magnolia’s Page Editor. Marketers, merchandisers, and other editors can easily create engaging customer experiences with stories based on real-time commerce data.
  • Faster time to market, as new end-user experiences can be developed without touching commerce functionality. Customers can even go further, choosing a headless integration approach and decouple user frontend from both commerce and content backends – without losing the effective editorial experience from Magnolia.
  • Flexible and future-proofed architecture. Magnolia’s DXP is built on the concept of composability, making it easy to integrate with any third-party system, frontend or storefront – in a headed, headless or hybrid approach.

Magnolia Digital Experience Platform is available on SAP® Store, the online marketplace for SAP and partner offerings.

About Magnolia

Founded in 1997 with a vision to create the first truly open content management system, Magnolia is now a world-leading composable Digital Experience Platform. With our open, headless architecture that works for developers and marketers alike and a track record of 100% project success, our customers know they can trust us to help them stay ahead of the pack. We operate globally with offices on five continents and more than 200 Magnolia-certified partners around the world.

# # #

Magnolia products and services mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Magnolia Integrational Ltd.

SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

For more information, press only:

Sorina Mone
Magnolia
+41 61 228 90 00

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Digihost Announces 2021 Audited Year End Financial Results and Provides Operational Update

Table: BTC mining operations

Table: BTC mining operations

This news release constitutes a “designated news release” for the purposes of the Company’s prospectus supplement dated March 4, 2022 to its short form base shelf prospectus dated February 23, 2022.

TORONTO, March 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Digihost Technology Inc. (“Digihost” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: DGHI; TSXV: DGHI), an innovative U.S. based Bitcoin (“BTC”) mining company, is pleased to provide a summary of the Company’s audited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2021 (all amounts in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated), and provide a 2022 year-to-date update on operations. The Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) for the year ended December 31, 2021 have been filed and made accessible under the Company’s continuous disclosure profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Michel Amar, Chairman and CEO of Digihost, commented: “We are very pleased to report that 2021 has been a transformative year for the Company. The record-breaking results achieved by our team clearly illustrate the growth trajectory of Digihost as measured by the significant improvement in 2021 operating performance relative to 2020. Digihost’s management team executed on the Board’s strategic growth plan through the acquisition of new high performance BTC miners, entering into strategic partnerships and securing access to clean and renewable sources of power consistent with Digihost’s stated objective of fostering environmentally and socially responsible growth. I am happy to report that the momentum generated in 2021 has continued into 2022 as we work towards meeting our goal of being a leading blockchain technology company.”

Highlights for Fiscal 2021 are as follows:

  • Revenue of $24.95 million, an increase of 602% over 2020;
  • Net income of $0.3 million, compared to a net loss of $5.19 million for the year ended December 31, 2020;
  • EBITDA* of $14.01 million, adjusted for share-based compensation, an increase of 1,601% over 2020;
  • Total assets of $80.03 million, an increase of 384% over December 31, 2020;
  • Cash and cash equivalents of $34.41 million as at December 31, 2021 an increase of 658% compared to December 31, 2020;
  • Working capital of $30.70 million, an increase of 1,760% over December 31, 2020;
  • Property, plant and equipment consisting primarily of the Company’s BTC miners (73%) and mining infrastructure (27%) of $38.14 million, an increase of 487% compared to December 31, 2020;
  • Net book value per weighted average share (diluted): $3.13, an increase of 251% compared to December 31, 2020.

* EBITDA is a non-IFRS financial measure and should be read in conjunction with, and should not be viewed as an alternative to or replacement of, measures of operating results and liquidity presented in accordance with IFRS and refer readers to reconciliations of non-IFRS measures included in the Company’s MD&A.

(U.S.$ in thousands except per share data) Year Ended
December 31
2021
December 31
2020
Revenue from digital currency mining 24,952 3,553
Cost of sales (10,542 ) (4,163 )
Depreciation and amortization (3,281 ) (3,387 )
Gross profit (loss) 11,129 (3,997 )
General and administrative and other expenses (10,646 ) (1,788 )
Gain on sale of property, plant and equipment 1,552
Loss on settlement of debt (390 )
Foreign exchange 359
Gain on disposition of cryptocurrencies 291 63
Other Income 98 44
Change in fair value – Miner Lease Agreement 529
Insurance Proceeds 110
Operating income (loss) 2,923 (5,568 )
Net financial expenses (333 ) (258 )
Net income (loss) before income taxes 2,590 (5,826 )
Income tax expense (127 )
Deferred tax (expense) recovery (2,173 ) 635
Net income (loss) for the year 289 (5,191 )
Foreign currency translation adjustment (385 ) 118
Revaluation of digital currency, net of tax 1,724 1,983
Total comprehensive income (loss) for the year 1,629 (3,090 )
Basic and diluted loss per share
Weighted average number of subordinate voting shares outstanding – diluted
0.01
22,420,720
(0.44
11,715,524
)

The Company met significant milestones during 2021, highlighted by the following achievements:

  • Closed approximately CAD$70,000,000 in equity financings;
  • Uplisted the Company’s exchange listing from the TSXV to the Nasdaq Capital Market;
  • Entered into a binding agreement to purchase a 60MW power plant in upstate New York (news release – March 24, 2021);
  • Executed a purchase agreement for 10,600 high performance BTC miners and accepted delivery of 7,200 of those miners by December 31, 2021;
  • Engaged international audit firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP;
  • Increased the Company’s BTC holdings by 478 BTC during 2021 to a total balance of 632 BTC as at December 31, 2021.

The momentum generated by Digihost during 2021 has continued into the first quarter of 2022. Since the beginning of 2022, to-date, operational achievements of the Company are as follows:

  • The Company has mined 172.77 BTC, compared to 101.69 BTC mined during the same period in 2021, an increase of 70% year-over-year;
  • Digihost acquired 100 BTC on March 10, 2022, for investment purposes, at a cost of $39,320 per BTC;
  • Accepted delivery of the balance of all 10,600 high performance BTC miners acquired during 2021;
  • Steadily increased the Company’s hashrate as new BTC miners were deployed. The Company’s hashrate increased to approximately 415PH at December 31, 2021 from approximately 215PH at September 30, 2021, and has continued to grow to the current hashrate of approximately 720PH;
  • The Company is currently mining at a rate of approximately 3.35 BTC per day;
  • Closed a $10,000,000 committed, collateralized revolving credit facility;
  • Raised CAD$13,300,000 of institutional equity financing in a private placement at a premium to market price;
  • Secured premises in Houston, Texas to expand business operations.

Michel Amar commented: “Digihost continues to be very active in both debt and equity capital markets in order to optimize the Company’s capital structure, fund both existing operations and future growth and to allow the Company to continue to increase its BTC holdings. With existing cash and cash equivalents on hand of approximately $50 million the Company is currently well capitalized to fund all aspects of its business.”

Outlook

In 2021, the Company had adjusted EBITDA of $14.01 million and operated at an average hashrate of approximately 275PH. Upon full deployment of the 10,600 BTC miners now delivered and received, the Company anticipates increasing its hashrate to approximately 1.5EH in 2022, approximately 5.5 times the Company’s average hashrate of 275PH in 2021. At its current computing power of 720PH, the Company is generating approximately 3.35 BTC per day which would result in a production rate of approximately 6.7 BTC per day at an anticipated computing power of 1.5EH, based upon current network difficulty. Digihost is currently able to leverage its existing workforce to reach increased production levels without incurring additional costs, thereby decreasing the Company’s SG&A expenses as a percentage of total revenue.

Another critical success factor in Digihost’s strategic growth plan is access to clean sources of energy and on-demand program, interruptible power with utilities which will allow Digihost the ability to provide urgent power needs for local communities during extreme weather conditions. During 2021, the Company launched its DigiGreen initiative (news release: June 7, 2021), an industry-leading plan to reduce the Company’s already low carbon footprint by operating its business in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Currently, over 90% of the energy consumed by the Company in its BTC mining operations is from sources that create zero carbon emissions.

The following table provides a breakdown of the sources of energy consumed by Digihost in its BTC mining operations:

Table: BTC mining operations
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d07154f-f605-4140-85dd-577170fa23bf

During 2021, the Company entered into a binding agreement for the purchase of a 60MW independent power project in upstate New York (news release: March 14, 2021). The power facility has the capacity to accommodate approximately 17,000 new BTC miners. To-date, all required permits from the city of North Tonawanda, NY have been received and the Company is currently awaiting receipt of Public Service Commission approval to close the acquisition. The Company has completed significant infrastructure installation work on site at the facility and is currently running uninterrupted mining operations as it works toward completing the deployment of additional miners. The Company continues to pursue opportunities for expansion and vertical integration of clean sources of energy and has several initiatives it is currently pursuing.

Equity Financing

The Company also announces that it has closed its previously announced private placement of equity securities (the “Offering”). The offering was for gross proceeds of approximately CAD$13.3 million in a private placement of its equity securities and consisted of the sale of 3,029,748 subordinate voting shares of the Company (“Shares”) (or common share equivalents) and warrants to purchase up to 3,029,748 subordinate voting shares (“Warrants”), at a purchase price of CAD$4.40 per Share and associated Warrant. The Warrants have an exercise price of CAD$6.25 per Share and exercise period of three and one-half years from the issuance date.

The net proceeds of the Offering will be used by the Company primarily to acquire additional BTC miners, expand infrastructure and for general working capital purposes. In connection with the Offering, the investor and the Company canceled existing warrants to purchase up to 1,248,440 subordinate voting shares of the Company at an exercise price of CAD$9.42 per share issued in March 2021 and existing warrants to purchase up to 1,781,308 subordinate voting shares of the Company at an exercise price of CAD$7.11 issued in April 2021.

H.C. Wainwright & Co. acted as the exclusive placement agent for the Offering. H.C. Wainwright & Co. received (i) a cash commission equal to 8.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering and (ii) 242,380 non-transferable broker warrants (the “Broker Warrants”). Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase subordinate voting shares at an exercise price of CAD$6.25 per subordinate voting share at any time for a period of three and one-half years from the issuance date.

The securities issued in the Offering are subject to customary resale restrictions in the United States with no resale restrictions in Canada. No securities were offered or sold to Canadian residents in the Offering.

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This news release shall not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent registration under U.S. federal and state securities laws or an applicable exemption from such U.S. registration requirements.

At-the-Market Financing Update

On March 4, 2022, the Company entered into and commenced an offering agreement with H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (the “Agent”) as agent, pursuant to which the Company established an at-the-market equity program (the “ATM Program”). From the commencement of the ATM Program through the date hereof, the Company has not issued any securities pursuant to the ATM Program.

About Digihost

Digihost is a growth-oriented blockchain technology company primarily focused on BTC mining. Through its self-mining operations and joint venture agreements, the Company is currently hashing at a rate of approximately 720PH.

For further information, please contact:

Digihost Technology Inc.
www.digihost.ca
Michel Amar, Chief Executive Officer
T: 1-818-280-9758
Email: michel@digihost.ca

Cautionary Statement

Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the statements of historical fact, this news release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “forward-looking information”) that are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release and are covered by safe harbors under Canadian and United States securities laws. Forward-looking information in this news release includes information about potential further improvements to profitability and efficiency across mining operations including, as a result of the Company’s expansion efforts, acquisitions of equipment and infrastructure, potential for the Company’s long-term growth, and the business goals and objectives of the Company. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the ability to obtain regulatory approval for and complete acquisitions of equipment and infrastructure on the terms as announced or at all; the ability to successfully integrate the acquisitions of equipment and infrastructure on an economic basis or at all; future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing, including the Company’s ability to utilize the Company’s at-the-market offering (the “ATM Program”) and the prices at which the Company may sell securities in the ATM Program, as well as capital market conditions in general; risks relating to the strategy of maintaining and increasing Bitcoin holdings and the impact of depreciating Bitcoin prices on working capital; continued effects of the COVID19 pandemic may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s performance as supply chains are disrupted and prevent the Company from operating its assets; a decrease in cryptocurrency pricing, volume of transaction activity or generally, the profitability of cryptocurrency mining; further improvements to profitability and efficiency may not be realized; the digital currency market; the Company’s ability to successfully mine digital currency on the cloud; the Company may not be able to profitably liquidate its current digital currency inventory, or at all; a decline in digital currency prices may have a significant negative impact on the Company’s operations; the volatility of digital currency prices; and other related risks as more fully set out in the Annual Information Form of the Company and other documents disclosed under the Company’s filings at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made assumptions about: the current profitability in mining cryptocurrency (including pricing and volume of current transaction activity); profitable use of the Company’s assets going forward; the Company’s ability to profitably liquidate its digital currency inventory as required; historical prices of digital currencies and the ability of the Company to mine digital currencies on the cloud will be consistent with historical prices; and there will be no regulation or law that will prevent the Company from operating its business. The Company has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of the Company’s normal course of business. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainties therein.

Philips expands network of clinical partners to set new standard of care for the early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer

March 28, 2022

  • New installs of Philips Lung Suite real-time 3D imaging solution in Belgium, France, Israel, and the UK highlight rapidly-growing global clinical interest in the company’s integrated all-in-one lung cancer diagnosis and treatment imaging solution
  • Solution supports precision diagnosis and minimally-invasive therapy in one room
  • Clinical trials for minimally invasive therapy procedures using advanced imaging from Philips Lung Suite start with successful first cases

Amsterdam, the Netherlands Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today provided an update on the growing global clinical interest in its innovative lung cancer diagnosis and treatment solution – Philips Lung Suite – which is underlined by its rapid roll-out with new clinical partners. Some of the new innovating partner sites are: Royal Brompton Hospital – London UK; Hôpital Erasme – Brussels, Belgium; Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg (ZOL), Genk Medical Center – Genk, Belgium; Carmel Medical Center – Haifa, Israel. Rouen University Hospital – Rouen, France is also planning to start using the innovation. Several healthcare providers have already successfully diagnosed their first patients using Lung Suite, which works in combination with the company’s Image Guided Therapy System – Azurion.

Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death worldwide, claiming the lives of 1.8 million people per year [1]. More than 60% of lung cancer patients are diagnosed at a late stage, reducing their odds of survival [2]. Philips Lung Suite is a revolutionary 3D real-time imaging platform that addresses the need for earlier precision diagnosis and minimally-invasive treatment with an all-in-one platform that enables doctors to perform biopsy, ablation, marking of lesions, and/or thoracic surgery procedures in the same room, allowing patients to be both diagnosed and treated. Its ability to locate and characterize small-sized lesions could significantly enhance future lung cancer care.

“Philips Lung Suite has been shown to increase the accuracy of lung cancer biopsy procedures, improving results for patients and offering the potential to immediately treat early-stage lung cancer patients,” said Karim Boussebaa, General Manager, Image Guided Therapy Systems at Philips. “These new partners add to our rapidly expanding global ecosystem of clinical partners who are pushing innovation forward, with of the goal of offering patients diagnosis and minimally-invasive treatment in a single procedure, improving patient outcomes and their quality of life.”

No nodule can hide
Philips Lung Suite provides advanced real-time 3D imaging with augmented fluoroscopy on the company’s Image Guided Therapy Systems – such as Azurion, combined with dedicated software. With Philips’ Cone Beam CT imaging, the X-ray detector rotates around the patient to generate a CT-like image in around five seconds, providing clinicians with a high-resolution 3D view of the target lesion and other anatomical structures. This allows the clinician performing the biopsy procedure to be continually guided by high-quality real-time imaging to advance a catheter towards the lesion through a bronchoscope. Once done, its position can be confirmed in real-time using the same imaging modality, and a biopsy sample can be taken.

“In the fast-growing world of intraoperative imaging, cone-beam CT remains the gold standard for augmented fluoroscopy and lesion confirmation. Using Lung Suite, no nodule can hide, regardless of anatomical position or radiologic characteristic, making it a valuable tool for both diagnosis and future ablation procedures,” said Dr. Amir Abramovich, MD., Director of Interventional Pulmonology at the Carmel Medical Center in Haifa, Israel.

“Cone-beam CT is the critical step towards targeting sub-20 mm nodules and an essential tool for the transition towards bronchoscopic microwave ablation of peripheral lung lesions,” said Professor Shah Pallav, MD., consultant respiratory physician at Royal Brompton Hospital in London, UK.

“The advanced cone beam CT imaging combined with augmented fluoroscopy of Philips Lung Suite gives us the confidence to safely reach and biopsy difficult-to-access peripheral lung nodules,” said Maarten Criel, MD., Pulmonologist at ZOL Genk Medical Center, Belgium.

Dr. Kelvin Lau, consultant and lead thoracic surgeon at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, successfully diagnosed and treated lung cancer patients using cone beam CT for biopsy, bronchoscopic microwave ablation and for precision image-guided surgery, all in one procedure, during initial clinical trial. Advanced imaging with Philips Lung suite is used during procedures for real-time 3D image guidance and confirmation. Additional clinical trials at various hospitals are expected to start soon.

An October 2021 paper in the Journal of Bronchology & Interventional Pulmonology authored by researchers at Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands, demonstrated the diagnostic potential of Lung Suite. The researchers were able to raise the diagnostic accuracy of navigation bronchoscopy from 72% to 90%. In addition, the average total effective radiation dose per procedure was reduced by more than half [3].

[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
[2] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/lung-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html
[3] Journal of Bronchology & Interventional Pulmonology: October 2021 – Volume 28 – Issue 4 – p 262-271 doi: 10.1097/LBR.0000000000000783

For further information, please contact:

Joost Maltha
Philips Global Press Office
Tel: +31 6 10 55 8116
E-mail: 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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Legal pacts between Hong Kong and Russia expected to be brought to legislature this year

Published by
Hong Kong Free Press

Two bilateral agreements between Hong Kong and Russia that would allow the jurisdictions to cooperate in criminal investigations and transfer convicts are expected to be tabled to lawmakers this year, bringing them a step closer to enforcement. Hong Kong security chief Chris Tang and Russian Minister of Justice Konstantin Chuychenko signed a mutual legal assistance agreement and a transfer of sentenced persons agreement via video conference last September. Neither has been enacted. Ming Pao reported on Monday that the agreements would be brought to the Legislative Council this year. HKFP has r… Continue reading “Legal pacts between Hong Kong and Russia expected to be brought to legislature this year”

Taiho Pharmaceutical Obtains Approval to Manufacture and Market NK1 Receptor Antagonist Arokaris® I.V. Infusion 235mg in Japan


Taiho Pharmaceutical Obtains Approval to Manufacture and Market NK1 Receptor Antagonist Arokaris® I.V. Infusion 235mg in Japan

Tokyo, Japan, and Lugano, Switzerland March 28, 2022 Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Taiho”) and Helsinn Group (hereinafter “Helsinn”), announced today that Taiho has been granted approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to manufacture and market the NK1 receptor antagonist antiemetic drug “Arokaris® I.V. Infusion 235mg” (generic name: fosnetupitant chloride hydrochloride) for gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea and vomiting, including delayed phase) associated with cancer chemotherapy (cisplatin, etc.).

Arokaris® is an NK1 receptor antagonist antiemetic drug and is a phosphorylated pro-drug preparation (injection) which is converted to netupitant, the active component. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting can have deleterious effects on patients’ quality-of-life, and may also interfere with chemotherapy administration, therefore guidelines1-4 recommend adequate prophylaxis.

Taiho, which acquired exclusive development and marketing rights for Arokaris® in Japan under a license agreement with Helsinn in April 2011, has conducted clinical trials in Japan since then, and submitted a new drug application in March 2021.5

This approval is based on the results of a Phase III clinical study (CONSOLE6) comparing the efficacy and safety of Arokaris® versus fosaprepitant in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy in combination with palonosetron and dexamethasone. The results of this study were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.7

Within Taiho’s mainstay field of oncology, the company is also focusing on cancer supportive care. Under a former distribution and license agreement with Helsinn, effective as of January 2004, Taiho has been marketing the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist Aloxi® (generic name: palonosetron hydrochloride) in Japan since April 2010.

Helsinn is pleased to be able to bring this new treatment option for supportive care in cancer to patients in Japan. Taiho will promote the proper use of Arokaris® to ensure that it can make further contributions to patients and healthcare professionals.

Product Information

Product name Arokaris® I.V. Infusion 235mg
Generic name Fosnetupitant chloride hydrochloride
Indications Gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea and vomiting, including delayed

phase) associated with cancer chemotherapy (cisplatin, etc.)

Dosage and

administration

For intravenous infusion use, the usual dosage of fosnetupitant is

235mg for adults, once on the first day of cancer chemotherapy,

combined with other antiemetic drugs.

The press release has been prepared in compliance with the Japanese regulations.

References

1 MASCC/ESMO Antiemetic Guideline 2016

2 NCCN clinical practice guidelines in oncology: antiemesis. 2018; Ver.3

3 Hesketh PJ, Kris MG, Basch E, Bohlke K, Barbour SY, Clark-Snow RA, et al. Antiemetics: American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update. J Clin Oncol. 2017; 35: 3240-3261

4 Aogi K, Takeuchi H, Saeki T, Aiba K, Tamura K, Iino K, et al. Optimizing antiemetic treatment for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in Japan: Update summary of the 2015 Japan Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guidelines for Antiemesis. Int J Clin Oncol. 2021;26:1-17

5 Taiho Pharmaceutical Submits New Drug Application for NK1 Receptor Antagonist Fosnetupitant for Prevention of Gastrointestinal Symptoms (Nausea and Vomiting) Associated with Cancer Chemotherapy (March 23, 2021, News Release)
https://www.taiho.co.jp/en/release/2021/20210323.html

6 A phase III, randomized, double-blind, multicenter, active control study of Pro-NETU for the prevention of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in patients receiving Cisplatin based highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) (JapicCTI-194611)

7 Hata A, Okamoto I, Inui N, Okada M, Morise M, Akiyoshi K, et al. Randomized, Double-Blind, Phase III Study of Fosnetupitant Versus Fosaprepitant for Prevention of Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: CONSOLE. J Clin Oncol. 2022;40:180-188

About Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Taiho Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd., is an R&D-driven specialty pharma focusing on the three fields of oncology, allergy and immunology, and urology. Its corporate philosophy takes the form of a pledge: “We strive to improve human health and contribute to a society enriched by smiles.” In the field of oncology in particular, Taiho Pharmaceutical is known as a leading company in Japan for developing innovative medicines for the treatment of cancer, a reputation that is rapidly expanding through its extensive global R&D efforts. In areas other than oncology, as well, the company creates and markets quality products that effectively treat medical conditions and can help improve people’s quality of life. Always putting customers first, Taiho Pharmaceutical also offers consumer healthcare products that support people’s efforts to lead fulfilling and rewarding lives. For more information about Taiho Pharmaceutical, please visit: https://www.taiho.co.jp/en/.

About the Helsinn Group
Helsinn is a fully integrated, global biopharma company headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland. It is focused on improving the lives of cancer patients all over the world with a leading position in cancer supportive care and an innovative pipeline of cancer therapeutics.

Helsinn is a third-generation family-owned company, that since 1976 has been focused on improving the lives of patients, guided by core values of respect, integrity and quality. It operates a unique licensing business model with integrated drug development and manufacturing capabilities. Helsinn has a commercial presence in 190 countries either directly, with operating subsidiaries in the U.S. and China, or via its network of long-standing trusted partners. Helsinn also has a fully integrated supply chain and product development through its subsidiary in Ireland, Helsinn Birex Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Helsinn Group plays an active and central role in promoting social transformation in favor of people and the environment. Corporate social responsibility is at the heart of everything we do, which is reinforced in the company’s strategic plan by a commitment to sustainable growth.

To learn more about Helsinn Group please visit www.helsinn.com

For more information:

Taiho Pharmaceutical Media Contact

Yuji Kawahara

Strategic Communications
Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81-3-3293-2878
Email: th-koho@taiho.co.jp

Helsinn Group Media Contact:
Paola Bonvicini
Group Head of Communication
Lugano, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0) 91 985 21 21
Email: Info-hhc@helsinn.com
For more information, please visit www.helsinn.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn