June 13, 2022 – Indonesia News Gazette

June 13, 2022

Republic of South Africa Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Acquisitions LLC (RSAMMDA.LLC) Completes Acquisition of Protext Mobility, Inc. (TXTM)

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, June 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Republic of South Africa Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Acquisitions LLC (“RSAMMDA.LLC”) is pleased to announce it has closed on the acquisition of Protext Mobility, Inc (OTC PINK: TXTM) (A.K.A. Protext Pharma) in a share exchange whereby 100% of capital stock in RSAMMDA.LLC will be exchanged for Preferred Stock in Protext. RSAMMDA.LLC. is a jointly owned company focused on acquistions with two principals, Mr. Dylon Du Plooy and Dr. Ahmed Jamaloodeen (“Dr. J”) who represent the South African business entities of RSAMMD and Leeds Boerdery. RSAMMD is a South African pioneer in the research, cultivation, production and distribution of medical cannabis and cannabinoids. Leeds Boerdery, controlled by Dr. J, owns the 5000 Hectacre New Castle Farm as well as federally issued cannabis and hemp licenses issued by the Government of South Africa. RSAMMD management have taken over the daily operations of Protext headed by Mr. Du Plooy as CEO and Director, and Dr. Jamaloodeen as President and Chairman of the Board.

Mr. Dylon Du Plooy, Protext CEO and Principal of RSAMMD.LLC, commented, “This transaction has been a long time in the making. For the past couple years we have been focused on building our operations in South Africa and globally, where have built an extensive infrastructure and global cannabis/hemp business. During this period of time, we have invested heavily in building a significant cannabis/hemp operation to facilitate complete seed to sale, R&D, global off-take agreements for end product as well as all the extraction infrastructure needed to create what we believe to be some of the highest quality hemp and cannabis on the planet. In South Africa right now, we have just completed our semi-annual grow. RSAMMD in Joint Venture with Leeds Boerdery, cultivated hemp and cannabis crops this past season on a combined 1000+ hectacres. All of this is done under federally issued permits and licenses to grow, import/export hemp and cannabis, as well as research permits for conducting testing of final products for human consumption and medicinal benefits.”

Dr. Jamaloodeen, Protext President and Chairman, commented, “We are excited about this transaction and taking Protext to the next level. We believe there to be numerous synergies to incorporate the Protext proprietary live plant extraction technology and processes into our existing infrastructure. We envision adding other assets into the operations of Protext, including our off-take agreements and present sales, with the goal of uplifting exchanges in the future. As previously announced, Protext and RSAMMD jointly worked together and conducted a series of tests on live cannabis to prove out that the Kettle system and extraction technologies did what they were supposed to do. We look forward to discussing this further as well as our upcoming operational plans.”

“Over the coming days and weeks, we will be sharing our immediate term road map and long-term plans we are developing for Protext which should translate into increasing shareholder value. These plans include adding other valuable assets to the company which complement the core business, and executing on commercializing the proprietary live plant extraction technology as well as deploying our crypto platform, with a TXTM token which we are excited to rollout very soon,” concluded Mr. Du Plooy.

CONTACT INFORMATION
For all media inquiries or for further information, please contact
Dylon Du Plooy at: dylon@rsammd.co.za
Dr.J at: exportintl@aol.com

About RSAMMD
RSAMMD Acquisitions LLC is a jointly owned business of RSAMMD, a South African pioneer in the research, cultivation, production and distribution of medical cannabis and cannabinoids, and Dr. J, who operates the 5000 Hectacre New Castle Farm as well as the federally issued cannabis and hemp licenses. Together, we partner with leading hospitals and universities globally to advance the clinical benefits and applications of cannabinoids.

RSAMMD’s founders are a group of medical doctors and pharmacists, and cannabis activists who have been at the forefront of medical cannabis legislation and South African cannabis legalization, which took place in September 2018. We are committed to the advancement of technology and scientific research that leads to an improved quality of life for patients around the world.
Please visit www.rsammd.co.za for further information.

About Protext (OTC PINK: TXTM)
Through previously disclosed acquisitions, Protext has engaged in the research, testing and commercialization of highly bioavailable botanical products all-natural ingredients formulated for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications through the use of proprietary live plant extraction technology.

Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance or guarantee that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of words like “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “intend,” or “project” or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to: adverse economic conditions, competition, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, international governmental regulation, inadequate capital, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and other specific risks. To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. The company disclaims any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement. This press release shall not be deemed a general solicitation.

June 13, 2022

Philips to repurchase up to 3.2 million shares to cover long-term incentive and employee stock purchase plans

June 13, 2022

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) today announced that it will repurchase up to 3.2 million shares to cover certain of its obligations arising from its long-term incentive and employee stock purchase plans. At the current share price, the shares represent an amount of up to approximately EUR 68 million.

The repurchases will be executed through one or more individual forward transactions, expected to be entered into in the second and/or the third quarter of 2022, in accordance with the Market Abuse Regulation and within the limits of the authorization granted by the company’s General Meeting of Shareholders on May 10, 2022. Philips expects to take delivery of the shares in 2024. Further details will be available via this link.

For further information, please contact:

Ben Zwirs
Philips Global Press Office
Tel.: +31 6 1521 3446
E-mail: ben.zwirs@philips.com

Derya Guzel
Philips Investor Relations
Tel.: +31 20 59 77055
E-mail: derya.guzel@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 2021 sales of EUR 17.2 billion and employs approximately 79,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Forward-looking statements
This release contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Philips and certain of the plans and objectives of Philips with respect to these items. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements made about the strategy, estimates of sales growth, future EBITA, future developments in Philips’ organic business and the completion of acquisitions and divestments. By their nature, these statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements.

June 13, 2022

Philips announces positive three-year clinical research results from its Tack Optimized Balloon Angioplasty (TOBA) II below-the-knee (BTK) clinical trial

June 13, 2022

For below-the-knee arterial dissection repair following balloon angioplasty, innovative medical technology shows sustained treatment effect and positive impact on quality of life for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI)
First and only FDA-approved device of its kind demonstrates consistently high rates of target limb salvage (93.9%) and freedom from clinically-driven target lesion revascularization (69.6%)

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the latest results from the Tack Optimized Balloon Angioplasty (TOBA) II below-the-knee (BTK) clinical trial, demonstrating that the Philips endovascular system – Tack (4F) – the first and only device of its kind approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), provides a sustained treatment effect and positive impact on quality of life for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI), a severe stage of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), out to three years of clinical follow-up.

CLI occurs when an obstruction in an artery severely reduces blood flow, causing painful wounds, debilitating rest pain, recurring ulcers and life-threatening infection. If left untreated, 50% of patients with CLI will undergo an amputation or die within the first year [1].

The TOBA II BTK trial studied the safety and efficacy of post-angioplasty dissection repair using the Philips Tack endovascular system in patients with CLI and infrapopliteal disease. The Tack endovascular system is a unique specialized implantable device to optimize the treatment of dissections in patients with CLI. Endpoints included rates of major adverse events, target lesion revascularization (TLR), target limb salvage (TLS) and quality of life (QoL) metrics.

“Based on 36-month follow-up in the TOBA II BTK trial, which is following 233 patients at 41 sites internationally, the Tack endovascular system offers a new standard in repairing below-the-knee arterial dissections,” said co-principal investigator George Adams, M.D., director of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular research at UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh, N.C., and clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who presented the results to hundreds of interventional cardiologists, interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons at the New Cardiovascular Horizons (NCVH) conference in New Orleans, USA, on June 2.

Adams added: “The device stands to significantly benefit patients with CLI whose treatment with balloon angioplasty often leads to this particular complication, which typically goes untreated and unaddressed, to the detriment of long-term clinical outcomes.”

The three-year analysis of TOBA II BTK results includes the following clinical insights on the Tack endovascular system:

93.9% target limb salvage in CLI patients at three years
69.6% freedom from clinically-driven target lesion revascularization across all patients at three years
Sustained improvement in established clinical classification systems including the Rutherford clinical category and hemodynamics in ankle- and toe-brachial indices
Sustained improvement in patient-reported quality-of-life and mobility measures

“In treating peripheral arterial disease below the knee with balloon angioplasty, dissections of the popliteal, tibial and peroneal arteries occur with considerable frequency,” explained Chris Landon, business leader of Image Guided Therapy Devices at Philips. “With the Tack endovascular system from Philips, interventionists can reliably repair below-the-knee arterial dissections – and in doing so, improve major amputation rates and quality of life.”

Philips has previously reported data from the TOBA II and III studies, which evaluated the Tack endovascular system for superficial femoral and proximal popliteal artery dissection repair following uncoated balloon angioplasty and/or drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty. These multicenter, global and European studies demonstrated that the use of the Tack endovascular system resulted in overwhelming dissection resolution following uncoated or DCB angioplasty.

In TOBA II, which involved uncoated and drug-coated balloons, dissection repair with the Tack System resulted in 89.6% and 86.5% 12-month primary patency (uncoated balloon group) and freedom from CD-TLR
In TOBA III, which involved drug-coated balloons, dissection repair with the Tack endovascular system resulted in 95.0% and 97.5% 12-month primary patency and freedom from CD-TLR

There were no major adverse events reported through 30 days in either study.

Together, the TOBA II, TOBA III and TOBA II BTK trials support the safety and efficacy of the Tack endovascular system for post-PTA dissection repair in above- and below-the-knee arterial disease. The 36-month TOBA II BTK data reported at NCVH adds to the robust body of clinical evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness of the Tack Endovascular System in both vessel beds.

Philips Tack endovascular system is currently available for sale in the USA and some EU countries. Further information, including safety information, is available here. The system is part of the company’s peripheral vascular portfolio, which includes advanced interventional imaging systems for precision guidance including Vascular Suite on its Image Guided Therapy System – Azurion; intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheters to assess the location of the disease and lesion morphology and guide and confirm the treatment; peripheral atherectomy devices to remove blockages; sculpting balloons to prep the vessel; and peripheral therapy devices, such as Philips’ Stellarex drug-coated balloon, to treat lesions.

[1] Hirsh AT, Jaskal ZJ, Hertzer, et al. ACC/AHA 2005 guidelines for the management of patients with peripheral arterial disease (lower extremity, renal, mesenteric, and abdominal aortic): executive summary a collaborative report from the American Association for Vascular Surgery/Society for Vascular Surgery, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology, Society of Interventional Radiology, and the ACC/AHA Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Develop Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease) endorsed by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Society for Vascular Nursing; TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus; and Vascular Disease Foundation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006 Mar 21;113(11):e463-654.

For further information, please contact:

Joost Maltha
Philips Global Press Office
Tel: +31 610 558 116
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 2021 sales of EUR 17.2 billion and employs approximately 79,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Attachments

June 13, 2022

Indonesian doctors still lack skills to utilize medical tech: IDI

The skills of Indonesian doctors to utilize high-tech medical devices are still inferior as compared to their peers in developed nations, according to the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI).

“We see here that there is a gap between Indonesia and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) countries,” IDI Chairman for the 2015-2018 period Ilham Oetama Marsis stated during a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR RI) on the Medical Education Bill here on Monday.

According to Marsis, as compared to Singaporean doctors’ capabilities, Indonesia’s doctors still lag behind in terms of robotic technology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and so on.

He explained that some top universities in Indonesia, such as the University of Indonesia (UI) and Gadjah Mada University (UGM), still ranked 254th and 290th respectively out of the 1,300 varsities in the Southeast Asian region.

“(This does not include) the rating given by the AEC Forum that puts the Indonesian medical service system in a very backward spot. The AEC ranked UI at the 1,618th position and UGM, at the 1,955th ranking,” he pointed out.

There has been a change in the concept of medical education in several western countries, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, from traditional to virtual clerkship, Marsis noted.

“Western countries have made educational conversions by prioritizing high technology, but this requires telehealth and telemedicine. Until now, Indonesia has only been able to implement telemedicine surgery with two-way communication skills,” he explained.

Marsis cited as an example that in Indonesia, medical robotics for surgical purposes had only been used in Bunda Hospital with limited technology 2.5.

“While the United States, Japan, and European countries are already using technology 5.0,” he pointed out.

By adopting technology 5.0, surgical robots can be controlled from a distance of 1,250 km from the operator’s location, Marsis highlighted.

At the meeting, Marsis expressed optimism that the Medical Education Bill would accommodate the need for a legal basis for the fulfillment of medical competencies in advanced technology.

Source: Antara News

June 13, 2022

Jakarta gov’t urges public to immediately complete booster vaccination

Deputy Governor of Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria urged the public to immediately complete the COVID-19 vaccination, including the third dose or booster, as a precautionary measure against the impact of new variants of Omicron.

“We will also increase the booster vaccine in the public to ensure that everyone will receive it,” Patria stated here, Monday.

The deputy governor later reported that the Jakarta provincial government was readying facilities and infrastructure, including health workers, as well as disseminating information about the booster vaccination.

Patria also expressed optimism that the public would be more aware of protecting themselves by taking vaccinations and diligently following health protocols.

“Prevention efforts have been made along with the Ministry of Health. The Jakarta provincial government has prepared facilities and infrastructure for disseminating information to health workers, but the important aspect is the public’s awareness,” he affirmed.

Earlier, the Health Ministry had reported four cases of new variants of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 in Bali Province.

“Currently, Variants under Monitoring (VuM), such as Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, have been emerging. This has triggered an increase in cases in Europe, America, and Asia. It was found in Bali as well, with four people affected,” Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated on June 10.

Sadikin remarked that the BA.4 and BA.5 variants had characteristics that enabled them to evade the immunity developed by the human body by vaccination and could spread rapidly.

Meanwhile, based on the Jakarta provincial government’s data on June 12, vaccination achievement in Jakarta for the first dose had reached 12.5 million people, or 124.4 percent of the target of 10 million people.

The second dose of vaccination was administered to 10.7 million people, while the third dose of vaccination was given to 3.94 million people.

On June 12, the regional government noted that vaccinations were still ongoing, with 310 people in Jakarta administered the first dose of vaccination.

The second dose of vaccination was given to 240 people, and the third dose vaccination was administered to 1,340 people.

Source: Antara News

June 13, 2022

8 BA.4, BA.5 cases recorded in Indonesia so far: Health Minister

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has confirmed that eight cases of the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants of COVID-19 have been recorded in Indonesia as of Monday.

“There are already 8 cases in Indonesia; 3 of them are imported cases,” he informed at a press conference held at the President’s Office here on Monday.

The three imported cases were from Mauritius, the US, and Brazil, and were detected in delegates attending the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) event in Bali from May 23–28, 2022, Sadikin informed.

Meanwhile, the other five cases involved local transmission. Four of the cases were detected in Jakarta, while one case was detected in Bali. The patient in Bali is a health worker who came from Jakarta.

“Indeed, local transmission has occurred in Jakarta,” the minister said.

Of the eight people who have contracted the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, only one person has experienced moderate symptoms and has not received the booster vaccination against COVID-19, he added.

The other seven patients have received the booster shot and experienced mild to no symptoms at all, he said.

Therefore, the government is encouraging people to get fully vaccinated and get the booster dose without delay as well as continue complying with the health protocols, Sadikin added.

He further noted that several countries have experienced an uptick in COVID-19 cases caused by the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

Based on his observations regarding the development of similar cases in the world, he said that the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants have caused an increase in cases, but the peak of the increase in cases, hospitalization rates, and mortality rates has been much lower compared to the previous Omicron subvariant.

The first case of COVID-19 in Indonesia was confirmed in March 2020. According to data from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of June 13, the nation has recorded 6,061,079 COVID-19 cases, 5,889,501 recoveries, and 156,652 deaths.

Source: Antara News

June 13, 2022

Make COVID booster easier to access, President tells officials

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has asked officials to improve the accessibility of the COVID-19 booster vaccine to prevent an increase in cases, particularly following the emergence of the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants.

The message was reiterated by Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin after a limited meeting led by President Widodo at the Merdeka Palace here on Monday.

“Mr. President also gave directions to make this booster (vaccine) easier to (access). Every big event, if possible, is required to use a booster, so that it can ensure that those who participate in the big events are relatively safe,” he said.

Through booster vaccination, the community’s immunity could be extended by six months, he added.

“With the booster, the people’s immune system will last another six months, until February–March next year. If we can take care of that, then Indonesia can be the first country in 12 months without a spike in cases, because usually every six months, the spike in cases occurs, right,” he said.

The minister further said he expects that through booster vaccinations, a significant increase in COVID-19 cases can be prevented ahead of Eid al-Adha in early July 2022 and Independence Day on August 17.

“So, if the public can be advised, let’s (take the) booster vaccination to improve the immune system for the next 6 months. Hopefully, on Eid al-Adha and August 17, we can celebrate the holidays and Independence Day in a good condition,” he added.

As of Monday, an increase has been recorded in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia, particularly in Jakarta, West Java, Banten, and Bali, he pointed out.

However, COVID-19 transmission is still under control, Minister Sadikin said. The indicators of COVID-19 transmission in Indonesia are still below the standard set by the World Health Organization.

“The WHO set a standard, yes. For level 1 cases, a maximum of 20 cases per week per 100 thousand inhabitants; (thus) Indonesia’s condition is still at (level) one, so even though there is an increase, the condition, it is still at level one,” he said.

The transmission rate in Indonesia currently stands at 1.36 percent, or far below the WHO standard of 5 percent.

“As for the reproduction rate or effective reproduction, the set standard is above 1, which relatively needs to be monitored, we are still at 1. Thus, from the three transmission indicators, Indonesia’s condition is still good,” he added.

Source: Antara News

June 13, 2022

Maternal, child welfare bill to create good human resources: DPR

The draft Law on Maternal and Child Welfare (KIA) aims to create superior human resources in Indonesia, House Speaker Puan Maharani has said.

“We expect that the Bill on Maternal and Child Welfare, which is included in the list of the National Legislation Program Priority 2022, will be completed soon. This bill is important to (develop) Indonesia’s (great) generation,” Maharani said in a statement here on Monday.

She issued the statement in response to a decision reached by the Legislative Body at the House of Representatives (DPR) on June 9, 2022, on holding further discussions on the bill with the government.

The Maternal and Child Welfare Bill focuses on the golden age of a child, a crucial period in a child’s growth and development, which is often associated with the first 1,000 days of life as a determinant of the child’s future, she opined.

Thus, the bill emphasizes the importance of managing the well-being of mothers and children in a directed, integrated, and sustainable manner.

“This must be a collective effort by the central government, regional governments, and the community to meet the basic needs of mothers and children,” she added.

The House Speaker then listed a number of basic rights of mothers, including the right to obtain health services, avail health insurance during pregnancy, and receive special treatment and facilities in public facilities and infrastructure.

They also need to be provided a sense of security and comfort as well as protection from all forms of violence and discrimination, including in the workplace.

If anything goes wrong in the first 1,000 days of life, it would have an impact on children, Maharani highlighted. If those crucial days are not filled with proper care, it is feared that children may fail to grow and develop well, and their intelligence would not be optimal.

“This MCH bill is here as a hope that our children, as the nation’s successors, can get an optimal growth and development process. It is the state’s duty to ensure that the next generation grows into (capable) human resources who can make this nation even greater,” she said.

She stressed that mothers, including the ones who work, must have sufficient time to provide breast milk for their children.

“Working mothers must have sufficient time to produce (provide) breast milk during working hours,” she added.

“The MCH Bill also stipulates at least six months of maternity leave, and (mothers) cannot be dismissed from work. In addition, mothers who are on maternity leave must continue to receive salaries from corporate social security and corporate social responsibility funds,” she added.

She said that maternity leave was previously regulated by Law No. 13 of 2003 about Manpower, which set its duration at only three months. However, in the MCH Bill, the maternity leave period has been extended to six months, with a 1.5-month rest period for working mothers who experience a miscarriage.

Maharani also said that the bill stipulates the wages for mothers who are on maternity leave. For the first three months of the leave period, they will receive a full salary, and starting from the fourth month, they will get 70 percent of their salary.

The rearrangement of the maternity leave period is important to ensure children’s growth and development as well as the recovery of mothers after delivery.

Maharani said she expects the government will be committed to supporting the regulations in the bill for the future of the nation’s new generation.

Source: Antara News