All Industries

Babson College to Launch C. Dean Metropoulos Institute for Entrepreneurship and Technology

Babson College

Institute Advances Babson’s Infusion of Technology and AI into Entrepreneurial Education Babson College announced today that C. Dean Metropoulos ’67, MBA’68 has made a transformational gift to launch the C. Dean Metropoulos Institute for Entrepreneurship and Technology. This marks a significant step forward in Babson’s strategic initiatives to advance and elevate the pivotal role of technology in entrepreneurial education. This generous gift reflects Metropoulos’ long-standing commitment to Babson and underscores the College’s commitment to innovation in the technology sector. The C. Dean Metropoulos Institute for Entrepreneurship and Technology will build on Babson’s history of success preparing the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders to change the world. This groundbreaking institute will bolster Babson’s leading entrepreneurial education into the leadership ranks of technology and AI. The Institute will support and expand curricular and cocurricular programs that amplify the importance of technological innovation in the entrepreneurial process. Thought leadership initiatives will explore the critical need for guardrails when navigating the benefits and risks of emerging technologies and AI and their adoption in industry, medicine, and the environment. This focus will serve as the cornerstone of the Metropoulos Institute’s contribution through its emerging leaders. “I am very proud to be part of Babson’s exciting new initiatives in this incredible frontier of technology and AI,” said C. Dean Metropoulos. “The past century has ushered in unprecedented scientific discoveries and innovation impacting humanity and our planet. It is very clear that these technologies are accelerating at a speed never before experienced. This tide clearly offers many opportunities that provide positive solutions to humanity in every aspect of life, from education, business, medicine, environment, and just day-to-day living.” “And yet,” continued Metropoulos, “with all this progress, we face major global challenges of social and economic inequality, sustainability, and fostering a healthy planet for healthy humans. It is crucial that young leaders and entrepreneurs, business, government, philanthropists, and researchers will need to work closely together to positively impact the challenges confronting us.” Metropoulos, a member of the undergraduate Class of 1967 and graduate Class of 1968, has long been a passionate supporter of Babson. He previously served as a trustee of the College and in 2017 was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs®. Dean and his sons, Evan and Daren, have specialized in the revival and reimagination of hundreds of historic, iconic and global brands and businesses in the food and beverage, consumer products, and other diversified sectors. Throughout their impressive career, Dean and his sons have transformed companies and accelerated revenue and earnings growth by restructuring the businesses and revitalizing and innovating iconic brands around the world. “Babson’s ability to embrace new technologies and rapidly integrate them into our academic and experiential endeavors will be critical to our continued success,” said President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD. “It is inspiring to have such an innovative alumnus like C. Dean Metropoulos support our work and advance our leadership in this space.” The C. Dean Metropoulos Institute for Entrepreneurship and Technology is expected to open in the fall of 2024. About Babson College Babson College prepares and empowers entrepreneurial leaders who create, grow, and steward sustainable economic and social value everywhere. We shape the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge, skills, and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in organizations of all types and sizes. An international leader in entrepreneurship education recognized globally by U.S. News & World Report, our undergraduate, graduate, executive programs, and partnership opportunities are tailored to the needs of our world.

May 22, 2024 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NAVEX Releases 2024 Regional Whistleblowing & Incident Management Benchmark Report

NAVEX Global

NAVEX, the global leader in integrated risk and compliance management software, has released its 2024 Regional Whistleblowing & Incident Management Benchmark Report. A deeper dive into the global data, it offers valuable insights into workplace culture by analysing 1.86 million global reports spanning 3,784 organisations that together employ more than 50 million employees. NAVEX analysed its global 2023 data by four main regions: Europe, North America, South America, and Asia Pacific (APAC). “Understanding how regional differences may impact the level and types of incident reporting is a key component of evaluating the effectiveness of a whistleblower program. Consistent analysis and benchmarking of whistleblowing hotline data empowers organisations to take action and evaluate their risk and compliance programs,” says Carrie Penman, Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at NAVEX. “NAVEX remains the gold standard in risk and compliance data analytics, continually innovating our benchmarks to enhance corporate compliance programs and offer insights into the trending risk areas. New this year, we analysed critical third-party reporting trends in our research to involve a group that represents a diverse and distinct view. In this way, business leaders will better understand how to nurture ethical culture throughout the business including the supply chain.” Europe-based organisations saw a larger share of reports from third parties In a first for this report, NAVEX analysed its database by both employees and third-party reporters. Europe-based organisations appear to have received a larger share of their reports from third parties than peers based elsewhere in 2023 (apart from South America, where some metrics in this analysis are subject to greater swings). This may be related to a greater focus on third-party due diligence in Europe driven by regulations such as the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (commonly referred to as LkSG), the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and sanctions regimes. Third-party reporters are less likely to be anonymous than employees across almost all measures, but some nuances remain. For example, organisations based in Europe and APAC have roughly the same anonymity rate for employees, but third parties were more likely to stay anonymous when reporting to an organisation based in APAC. The Substantiation Rate (the rate of reports that when investigated prove to be correct or partially correct) for third-party reports made to organisations based in Europe was actually better than the rate for employees in 2023 – a surprising finding given the decreased proximity third-party reporters have to the organisation, its policies, and training. European headquartered organisations received the greatest share of reports of Bribery and Corruption The greatest share of reports pertaining to Bribery and Corruption by headquarters were for those based in Europe, which also showed a 10% year-over-year increase; 1.78% of reports in 2023 compared to 1.62% in 2022. Conversely, when looking at this category by report origination, reports in North America and Europe were far less likely than in APAC and especially South America to involve this Risk Type. March and October are peak months Interestingly, report volume is typically lower in the summer months. This appears true when looking at reporting by company headquarter location and by the region in which a report originated. Reporting shows two peaks across regions and measures – March and October. Europe shows increase in reporting…except the UK There were expectations that the implementation of the European Union Whistleblower Protection Directive would increase internal reporting activity across Europe, given that the regulation requires a wide swath of organisations to implement internal reporting systems. Data shows median Reports per 100 Employees is indeed increasing across mainland Europe. However, for the UK – notably not an EU member state and thus not subject to the Directive – report volumes fell. Comparing 2022 to 2023, organisations based in Europe saw median Reports per 100 Employees increase from 0.53 to 0.63, while in the UK, those values decreased from 0.53 to 0.43. This trend may change as the nation considers updates to its own internal reporting regulations, a process still under discussion in Parliament. Workplace Civility reports for European-based organisations more than doubled Workplace Civility issues (bad behaviour, bullying or abuse of power) experienced a major increase in frequency for organisations based in Europe; reports jumped 123% (2022 versus 2023). This trend was also evident in Europe by region of report origination, which experienced an 83% increase. By both measures, all regions saw this Risk Type grow year-over-year, yet Europe was particularly notable. Retaliation reports still low but are on the rise Finally, although always relatively low, retaliation reports represented a greater share of reports made for all four geographies in 2023 than in 2022, both in terms of headquarters and report origination region. Among the greatest increases were for organisations based in Europe, which saw a noticeable rise in frequency. Individuals who experience retaliation are much less likely to report again to the same channel, and this is likely a factor in the low overall volume of these types of reports. When reporters feel they cannot safely speak up internally, they may turn to an external regulator, revealing the need to address misconduct directly and for organisational change. Noting the protections provided to whistleblowers in various regulatory regimes, and that the EU Directive places the burden of proof on the organisation - not the reporter - proactive retaliation prevention processes are becoming more important than ever. Join our webinar for more insights on the 2024 Regional Whistleblowing & Incident Management Benchmark Report. NAVEX is trusted by thousands of customers worldwide to help them achieve the business outcomes that matter most. As the global leader in integrated risk and compliance management software and services, we deliver solutions through the NAVEX One platform, the industry’s most comprehensive governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) information system. For more information, visit NAVEX.com and our blog. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Contact Details NAVEX anita.lo@navex.com Company Website https://navex.com

May 22, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

UnifyApps secures $11Mn to transform enterprise integrations with generative AI

UnifyApps

The average enterprise uses nearly 400 SaaS applications that are not connected to each other, leading to data silos and scattered insights across the organization. In a significant move to streamline this process, UnifyApps has announced an $11 million seed funding round to build a unified integration platform that will allow enterprises to create custom applications 10x faster, build workflow automations and sync data between applications in real-time. The funding, led by Elevation Capital, along with participation from the founders and angel investors, underscores the growing demand for real-time connectivity between applications in the enterprise technology landscape. UnifyApps was co-founded by Pavitar Singh (CEO), who served as the CTO at NYSE-listed enterprise software company Sprinklr, along with Sumeet Nandal (COO), Abhishek Kurana (CPO), Rachit Mittal (CTO), Abhinav Singi (VP Engineering), Rahul Anishetty (VP Engineering), Kavish Manubolu (VP Engineering) and Shivam Satrawal (VP Product Management). The idea for UnifyApps was born after the founders realized that enterprise companies lacked a solution for seamless app integration, leaving tremendous untapped value from cost optimizations and efficiency gains. Pavitar Singh, CEO of UnifyApps, said, "The rapid adoption of SaaS applications has led to building silos within the organization with each team using their own set of tools which are not connected to the rest of the organization. Our vision is to change this by making integration simple and accessible, enhancing experiences for both customers and employees". What sets UnifyApps apart is its comprehensive approach to integration, addressing four critical areas: data sync, workflow automation, no-code application development, and the creation of generative AI agents. While competitors may focus on individual areas, UnifyApps offers a holistic solution that delivers a better return on investment (ROI) and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for customers. Currently, UnifyApps is targeting large, forward-thinking enterprises globally. The platform is designed to be ready for enterprise scale and complexity. Looking ahead, UnifyApps plans to expand its platform to support over 5,000 applications and give organizations the flexibility to build their own custom integrations in less than a day. The company is also committed to advancing the capabilities of generative AI and building fine-tuned, purpose-built LLM-powered agents that will leverage these integrations. "Our goal is to deliver value first products and obsess over customer satisfaction. We want enterprises to truly unlock the full potential of their technology investments. By using UnifyApps, they can unlock a lot of hidden value from their current SaaS ecosystem and propel the next level of growth.” added Pavitar Singh. Mukul Arora, Co-managing Partner, Elevation Capital, said, “We are really excited to partner with Pavitar, who has deep experience in building a large enterprise-focused SaaS business, and was instrumental in growing Sprinklr to a multi-100mn dollar revenue company. With UnifyApps, he wants to build a future where seamless unification across applications and data can help large enterprises automate complex business processes and bring unparalleled efficiency. We believe this can be a massive opportunity and are thrilled to be a part of this journey.” The announcement of UnifyApps' seed funding marks a significant milestone in the company's journey to redefine the SaaS unification landscape. With a strong foundation and a clear vision, UnifyApps is poised to reduce fragmented systems & bridge data silos by enabling teams to build complex applications, automate workflows and unify data across multiple applications. About UnifyApps Unifyapps is a cutting-edge ‘Unified Integration Platform’ powered by generative AI, revolutionizing how enterprises connect disparate applications. Founded in 2023 by Pavitar Singh, along with a team of visionary Co-founders, Unifyapps operates globally with headquarters in India, Dubai, and the US. In its seed round, the company raised $11 million, with funding from Elevation Capital, co-founders, and angel investors. Unifyapps empowers enterprises to create sophisticated applications, automate business workflows, and construct robust data pipelines, catering to the needs of forward-thinking organizations worldwide. Designed for enterprise scalability and complexity, Unifyapps is at the forefront of innovation, transforming the digital landscape with its cutting-edge solutions. About Elevation Capital Elevation Capital is a leading venture capital firm that provides seed and early-stage capital for emerging companies in India. Having invested in India since 2002, Elevation has deployed over $2.6 Bn of capital in 190+ companies. The firm announced its eighth pool of capital of $670 million in April 2022. Co-led by Managing Partners Ravi Adusumalli and Mukul Arora, along with Partners Mridul Arora and Mayank Khanduja, the firm has invested across Consumer Internet, SaaS, Fintech, Consumer Brands, Edtech, Healthtech and Deeptech. Elevation Capital has offices in Bengaluru and Gurgaon. Contact Details UnifyApps Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.unifyapps.com/

May 22, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Exalate Achieves ISO 27001 Certification, Reinforcing Security Excellence

500NewsWire

Antwerp, Belgium, May 22, 2024 - ( 500NewsWire ) -- Exalate, a global integration solution provider, today announced its attainment of the ISO 27001 certification, the world's best-known standard for information security management systems (ISMS). This certification, achieved in partnership with NVISO, a leading Belgian cyber security services firm, validates Exalate’s dedication to safeguarding data and ensuring the highest standards of security for its clients. As businesses increasingly rely on integration solutions to streamline operations and enhance collaboration, the importance of robust security measures cannot be overstated. Exalate's ISO 27001 certification provides assurance to customers that their data is protected at every stage of the integration process. "At Exalate, we understand the critical importance of maintaining the highest standards of security, especially in integration scenarios where data integrity is crucial,” said Francis Martens, CEO of Exalate. “This certification reflects our dedicated efforts to provide customers with secure, reliable integration so they can focus on their core business with peace of mind.” Key benefits of Exalate’s ISO 27001 certification for the organization and its clients: Enhanced Security: Ensures clients' data is safeguarded against breaches and cyber threats. Risk Mitigation: Exalate proactively identifies and manages security risks, ensuring the highest level of data protection, cyber resilience, and operational excellence for clients. Global Recognition: Reinforces clients' confidence in Exalate's adherence to internationally recognized security standards. Exalate remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of security and will continue to invest in initiatives that strengthen its security posture and uphold the trust of its clients. For media inquiries, please contact: Dafina Hristova, PR pr@exalate.com About Exalate: Exalate is a leading integration solution provider, offering robust and flexible synchronization capabilities for teams across diverse platforms, environments, and company borders. With a focus on security, reliability, and seamless connectivity, Exalate empowers organizations to streamline their workflows and achieve greater efficiency at scale. About NVISO: NVISO is a pure-play cyber security consulting firm, focused mainly on the financial sector, the technology sector, and government and critical infrastructure. Contact Details Dafina Hristova, PR pr@exalate.com

May 22, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Revolutionizing Mental Healthcare With The Rise Of Ketamine And Psychedelic Therapies

Benzinga

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga In the world of mental healthcare, there has been growing criticism over traditional drugs that treat depression. Traditional drugs that treat depression, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), primarily target the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, specifically serotonin and norepinephrine, to alleviate symptoms of depression. These medications work by blocking the reuptake of these neurotransmitters, allowing them to accumulate in the brain and enhance mood regulation. However, SSRIs and SNRIs have received criticism for their potential side effects, such as sexual dysfunction, weight gain and withdrawal symptoms. More and more studies are coming out questioning their efficacy as well. As antidepressants are looking less shiny to consumers and scientists, it begs the question, what is the alternative? Is Ketamine The Answer To Hard To Treat Mental Illnesses? In recent years, alternative treatments for hard-to-treat mental illnesses like treatment-resistant depression (TRD), bipolar 2 and PTSD have become increasingly common and sought-after. Drugs like MDMA and ketamine have gotten attention for being often more effective and less dangerous than traditional medicine. Ketamine, which is a dissociative anesthetic, targets the glutamate system in the brain, specifically the NMDA receptors, and modulates the release of neurotransmitters like glutamate. By doing so, ketamine can rapidly improve depressive symptoms, often within hours or days, in contrast to the weeks or months that traditional antidepressants may require. Psychedelics, like ketamine, are emerging as a potential treatment option for mental health conditions by disrupting rigid neural pathways associated with depression, anxiety, and other disorders. Research indicates that these substances have the potential to promote neuroplasticity and restore neural circuits, ultimately leading to improved mental health outcomes. For patients who are struggling under the weight of a difficult-to-treat mental illness, these alternatives can be life-saving. Even high-profile celebrities like Elon Musk have opened up about their success with ketamine as a depression treatment. Companies like SiloPharma Inc. (NASDAQ: SILO) are at the forefront of developing alternative treatments for conditions such as depression. With a focus on underserved areas, including PTSD, stress-induced psychiatric disorders, chronic pain and central nervous system diseases, SiloPharma aims to provide novel therapeutics to address these unmet needs. They have built a growing pipeline of opportunities, leveraging the promising potential of psychedelic drugs and conventional formulations. The company recently conducted a study in partnership with Columbia University, which explored new pathways involved in mood regulation. This study yielded promising results, showing significant improvements in patient mood stability without the common side effects of existing antidepressants. As a result, Silo has successfully progressed SPC-15 through pre-clinical development and is now preparing to submit a pre-investigational New Drug Application (IND) to the FDA. This application will focus on SPC-15's use in treating PTSD, a lead indication for the drug. “The recently completed study demonstrated marked improvements in mood stability, which we see as a potentially significant development for combatting depression and preventing relapse,” said Silo CEO Eric Weisblum. “While advancing our SPC-15 program in PTSD to the clinic remains our top pipeline priority, we are excited about these encouraging new results and the additional potential for treating millions of people affected by depression which could ultimately expand our pipeline.” Silo has exercised its option to license SPC-15 from Columbia University, as outlined in its sponsored research and option agreement established in 2021. The license agreement, currently in the finalization stage, will grant Silo the exclusive rights to further develop, manufacture and distribute SPC-15 globally. Completion of the exclusive license agreement is expected by the first half of 2024. SiloPharma is not alone in the pursuit of alternative treatment for mental health; Atai Life Sciences (NASDAQ: ATAI) and Field Trip Health Ltd (NASDAQ: FTRP) are both exploring R-ketamine and MDMA treatments, respectively. For patients who are in desperate need of alternative treatment, ketamine is looking like a viable option, and companies like SiloPharma are helping to make that more possible. Featured photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

May 22, 2024 08:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Tokenization Gains Momentum With Collaborative Effort By Financial Giants And The European Central Bank – Diamond Lake Minerals (OTCPK: DLMI) Stays Ahead Of The Curve

Benzinga

By Gerelyn Terzo, Benzinga The tokenization of financial assets has been a game changer for investors and business owners alike. This technological innovation has paved the way for both individual investors and entrepreneurs to go further than they could before the advent of blockchain. Tokenization includes a type of fractional ownership in which investors hold a piece of an asset rather than needing to be able to afford the entire cost of a high-priced asset, like a piece of land. As a result, investors share the costs and rewards with other members. Additionally, tokenization represents a tool for businesses to enter the digital age and create new opportunities for stakeholders. In this growing space, companies like Diamond Lake Minerals (OTCPK: DLMI) are at the forefront of innovation and the digital revolution. Tokenization Overview While tokenization and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are often associated, they’re not synonymous. Bitcoin, the maiden cryptocurrency, is a decentralized digital asset that can be exchanged for payments on a peer-to-peer network without the need for a third party like a bank. Bitcoin is the digital currency underpinning the blockchain that bears its name. While tokenized assets similarly transact on the blockchain, they serve a different purpose than Bitcoin. They’re representations of physical assets – including anything from real estate to gold to fiat money like the dollar or euro – that are converted into digital form. Tokenized assets are disrupting financial services across securities settlements, investments and payments. As big as Bitcoin is, with a market cap of $1.3 trillion, tokenization has the potential to be 100 times bigger, according to Larry Fink, CEO of the world’s biggest asset manager, BlackRock. Banks Embrace Tokenized Assets While major financial institutions were slow to warm up to the idea of digital assets and the blockchain, they’re starting to come around. They’re drawn to the features of a decentralized ledger, including cost efficiency, speedy transaction settlement times and security, thanks to the immutable nature of the blockchain. In hindsight, it was only a matter of time before they came on board. In addition to Wall Street banks, central banks have taken notice, too. Most recently, a trio of major firms, JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM), Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB) and BNP Paribas, have partnered with the European Central Bank (ECB) to test the mettle of blockchain technology for settling security transactions in the financial markets. This groundbreaking experiment not only has the potential to disrupt securities settlement when assets like stocks and bonds are traded, but it could also help bring clarity to the role of digital assets in the global financial system. The bank project remains in the early stages and is expected to unfold through Q4 2024. In the meantime, it sends a message to other banks and central banks that it won’t be long before blockchain technology is more fully integrated into the financial markets. Payments aren’t too far behind, either. Mastercard (NYSE: MA) has been making strides in tokenizing fiat payments on the blockchain. The card giant, along with partner Standard Chartered in Hong Kong, completed an experiment for tokenized bank deposits on the blockchain using the Mastercard Multitoken Network (MTN), which comprises a set of tools designed to support this process. As part of the test program, Standard Chartered’s digital arm, Mox Bank, purchased a carbon credit, in turn requesting its tokenization by yet another subsidiary, Libeara. The tokenization of the carbon credit was fulfilled through MTN via an atomic swap between the two instruments, the carbon credit and digital asset. The deposit, which was overseen by the Hong Kong Fintech Supervisory Sandbox, was successfully completed. It is a step toward “the tokenization of real-world assets,” according to Standard Chartered CEO Mary Huen, ranging from carbon credits to the transfer of loans. The involvement of the Hong Kong regulator demonstrates both the need for oversight in the tokenization of the monetary system and the role that gatekeepers will play. Diamond Lake Minerals Pioneers Tokenization While banks and card networks might only now be dipping their toes into the tokenized waters, companies like Diamond Lake Minerals (OTCMKTS: DLMI) are already making strides. Diamond Lake Minerals has been extremely focused on tokenization since August of 2023, when Brian J. Esposito took over as CEO and transformed the company’s vision and strategy. Esposito has been pioneering this approach over the last decade, bridging traditional finance and digital assets. In Salt Lake City, Utah, Diamond Lake Minerals, led by Esposito, is heavily involved in the regulated digital asset space, bringing opportunities like registered security token offerings to investors. DLMI stock is one way for investors to potentially gain exposure to the blockchain without having to go too far down the rabbit hole on digital wallets and security. Importantly, the blockchain space remains a nascent playground in which the rules are still being written. Diamond Lake prioritizes the regulatory guardrails that exist, erring on the side of caution so there’s no gray area. “We look at everything as a security because we want it to have value. We want it to be backed by real assets and we want it to create a return,” said Esposito in a recent podcast. Most recently, Diamond Lake Minerals has teamed up with modular home developer BOXABL in an alliance through which entire communities – BOXABL Villages, as they’re called – are being developed and financed. They’re using a combination of security tokens and traditional means, a technology-fueled balance of liquidity that the company believes is especially valuable in the current high-interest rate environment. This confluence of modular homes and digitalization accelerates the homebuying process while providing much-needed affordable housing supply to the market. Investors who are looking to add diversification to their portfolios or business owners interested in pursuing tokenization for their real-world assets may want to look at Diamond Lake Minerals to see if it matches their goals and risk-reward profile. Featured photo by HoAnneLo on Pixabay. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

May 22, 2024 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

MAIA Biotechnology's Unique Telomere Targeting Agent Currently In Clinical Development Shows Promise For The Multi-Billion Dollar Cancer Therapy Market

Benzinga

By Kyle Anthony, Benzinga MAIA Biotechnology (AMEX: MAIA) is a cutting-edge biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative therapies for cancer treatment. The company’s mission is to discover, develop and deliver transformative cancer therapies that improve patients' lives worldwide. MAIA Biotechnology envisions a future where cancer is manageable and patients can live longer, healthier lives. The firm is at the forefront of revolutionizing oncology, leveraging advanced scientific research and technological advancements to drive its progress, with the goal of bringing treatments that target cancer's replication mechanism in a more efficacious and less harmful manner than traditional therapies. Company Background Founded in August 2018 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, MAIA Biotechnology is led by an experienced management team and supported by scientific advisors with extensive drug development experience who are committed to advancing promising agents into human clinical trials. MAIA Biotechnology specializes in telomere-targeting therapies for cancer treatment. As such, the firm’s current product focus is the development of first-in-class drugs that target proteins that control how cancer cells grow, divide and spread. MAIA Biotechnology's pipeline includes several promising candidates in various stages of development, but its premier product offering is THIO (6-thio-2′-deoxyguanosine), a first-in-class telomere-targeting agent designed to selectively kill telomerase-positive cancer cells, which are present in most human cancers. The Role Of Telomeres In Cancer Telomeres play a crucial role in cellular aging and cancer development. Research published by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute explains that cancer cells often avoid senescence or cell death by rebuilding and maintaining their telomeres despite repeated cell divisions. This is possible because the cancer cells activate an enzyme called telomerase, which adds genetic units to the telomeres to prevent them from shortening to the point of causing cell death. As a result, cancer cells essentially become immortal. Telomerase is silenced in most normal cells but is active in an estimated 85% to 95% of human cancer cells. Since telomerase is active in cancer cells but not normal cells, it is seen as a promising target for cancer therapy. Due to telomerase inhibition, activity or expression, telomere-targeting drugs might kill tumor cells by allowing telomeres to shrink or by provoking apoptosis, the process of programmed cell death. By incorporating into telomeres, THIO disrupts their function, leading to cancer cell death. This approach has shown promising preclinical results and has been undergoing clinical trials. Product Development Pipeline THIO is MAIA Biotechnology’s most advanced product offering, which has shown positive efficacy findings in treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in clinical trials. The ongoing clinical trial is testing the hypothesis that lower doses of THIO administered before immune checkpoint inhibitor Libtayo® treatment (i.e., stimulation of the immune system to attack cancer cells) would enhance and prolong responses in subjects with advanced NSCLC who did not respond or progress after first-line treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor, a type of drug that blocks proteins called checkpoints that are made by some types of immune system cells such as T cells and some cancer cells. These checkpoints help keep immune responses from being too strong and sometimes can keep T cells from killing cancer cells. The clinical trial's positive results support THIO's tolerability and safety as an anticancer therapy and a priming immune activator. Treatment with THIO sequenced with Libtayo® treatment was found to be well-tolerated in a heavily pre-treated population thus far. MAIA Biotechnology is also researching other drug treatments, using its expertise in telomere-targeting agents as a foundation. The company’s second-generation program aims to discover new compounds with potentially improved specificity toward cancer cells relative to normal cells and potentially increased anticancer activity. This program will allow MAIA Biotechnology to strengthen its patent portfolio over time, which already has five issued patents and 29 applications pending worldwide. Market Potential and Industry Impact Research published by Coherent Market Insights estimates the cancer therapy market will be worth $205.10 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $466.21 billion by 2031. The driving factors behind this growth are the rising occurrence of cancer worldwide and the increasing demand for cancer treatment. As such, MAIA Biotechnology‘s THIO addresses a large and growing market. As outlined in their most recent corporate presentation, lung and colon cancer are the first and second most prevalent cancer types globally, respectively, and treating them specifically would generate billions in sales. Given the current opportunity, MAIA Biotechnology will continue to protect its intellectual property while expanding its patent portfolio. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted a third orphan drug designation (ODD) to THIO as a treatment for glioblastoma; the drug also holds ODDs for hepatocellular carcinoma and small-cell lung cancer. The glioblastoma market is expected to grow from $2.2 billion to $3.2 billion globally in the next three years. The FDA’s ODD program provides multiple incentives to make orphan drug development more financially feasible for companies. These include up to seven years of market exclusivity for the approved orphan drug, up to 20 years of 25% federal tax credit for expenses incurred in conducting clinical research within the U.S., and waiver of Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) fees for orphan drugs, a value of approximately $2.9 million in 2021. Conclusion MAIA Biotechnology’s approach to cancer treatment differentiates it from its peers, potentially placing the company in a unique market position. As incidences of cancer continue to rise globally, drug treatment options, such as THIO, will likely rise in demand. As such, the benefit that MAIA Biotechnology provides and the value proposition the firm espouses will likely continue to have industry resonance. Featured photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash. Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders. This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

May 22, 2024 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

JustiFi Raises New Capital to Help Platforms Reach Their Fintech Potential

Rally Ventures

JustiFi, the fintech platform for platforms, today announced it raised $10 Million in a funding round co-led by existing investors Rally Ventures, Emergence Capital and Crosslink Capital and a debt facility from Silicon Valley Bank. This infusion of capital underscores JustiFi's dedication to enhancing the fintech capabilities of its expanding roster of platform customers. By seamlessly integrating payments, insurance, and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions into a single, user-friendly Unified Fintech Checkout, JustiFi empowers its clients to streamline their operations and unlock their full fintech potential. With the Unified Fintech Checkout (UFC), platform companies gain access to a comprehensive suite of white-label fintech products ready for deployment to their existing customer base. This empowers platforms to tap into new revenue streams while offering essential fintech solutions to both their customers and the businesses they serve. The UFC's implementation is seamless, utilizing a web component that enables platforms to launch embedded payments, insurance, and BNPL in a single sprint, significantly reducing deployment time from months or even years to just a few weeks. According to a recent Goldman Sachs report, achieving transformative fintech results hinges not only on cutting-edge technology but also on widespread adoption. While an embedded fintech infrastructure lays a solid foundation, for platforms, true success and customer satisfaction stem from comprehensive fintech integration. Recognizing this, JustiFi's Engage™ fintech team works closely with its platform customers to drive fintech activation from onboarding and beyond. Offering a range of services including fintech goal setting, UI and UX design, technical implementation, and go-to-market strategy, JustiFi aims for nothing short of 100% payments adoption for each and every one of their customers. "This new investment underlines the confidence of our investors in JustiFi and our belief that vertical platforms should not only facilitate seamless financial transactions for their customers but also retain the majority of the benefits derived from them," said JustiFi Co-Founder and CEO Joe Keeley. "In a world where fintech integration is a strategic imperative for platforms, JustiFi makes it easy to seamlessly integrate payments and other valuable fintech products." “JustiFi has made huge strides since our initial investment in 2021,” said Justin Kaufenberg, Managing Director at Rally Ventures. “They’ve built an unparalleled fintech platform, put together a world-class team of fintech and SaaS+ veterans and onboarded over 40 platform customers who bring more than $10.6 Billion in annual processing volume. We believe JustiFi represents the future of fintech for platforms and we look forward to the journey ahead.” In other recent news, JustiFi announced the release of 11 cutting-edge web components, providing platforms with an even easier and more customizable method to embed fintech products into their existing ecosystems. Additionally, in November of 2023, JustiFi entered into a new partnership with Sezzle, enabling hundreds of platform companies to offer Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services easier than ever before. For more information about the JustiFi platform, please visit www.justifi.tech. About JustiFi: JustiFi, the fintech platform for platforms, enables software companies to monetize white-label fintech products like embedded payments, Buy Now, Pay Later, lending, and insurance faster than ever before. As a registered payment facilitator, JustiFi offers world-class support, assisting our platform partners in achieving 100% customer activation, while guaranteeing seamless fintech experiences for their end users. Contact Details Rachel Subasic rachel@rallyventures.com Company Website https://justifi.tech/

May 22, 2024 08:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

AGC Biologics and BioConnection Partner to Offer new End-to-End Biopharmaceutical Drug Substance and Drug Product Development and Manufacturing Offering

AGC Biologics

AGC Biologics, a leading global Biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), and BioConnection, a specialized contract manufacturing organization (CMO) focusing on aseptic filling of vials and syringes for clinical and commercial production, today announced a new strategic partnership. The companies are partnering to provide end-to-end biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing capabilities for drug substance and drug product using the development and manufacturing expertise of AGC Biologics and the specialized aseptic filling capabilities of BioConnection. The new partnership offers a seamless, full-service clinical-stage development and manufacturing solution that accelerates timelines and brings life-saving therapies to market more efficiently. By combining world-class drug substance and drug product services, AGC Biologics together with BioConnection now offer one convenient “gene to vial” value chain service with a single contract and project management team for the project lifecycle. Further, developers will save time and resources by avoiding long, complex processes associated with negotiating a separate drug substance and drug product contract and be able to conveniently plan drug filling activities for as soon as their substance release is scheduled – all through this new offering. New Solution for Companies Potentially Impacted by U.S. BIOSECURE Act This new strategic partnership addresses the ongoing needs of the industry in the wake of the proposed U.S. BIOSECURE Act. By having a combined end-to-end solution that uses facilities in Japan, the United States and Europe, developers now have a reliable and secure supply of services for development, manufacturing (including freeze-drying) and aseptic filling for their drug product’s needs. AGC Biologics is especially well-positioned to support the needs of developers that may be impacted by this legislation, as it is one of the largest CDMO networks in the world offering single-use bioreactor technology. Developers seeking alternatives from their current outsourcing partner benefit from access to AGC Biologics’ single-use network utilizing ubiquitous bioreactor technology, enabling an easier transfer of platform processes and reduction in process changes associated with changing outsourcing partners. Combined Expertise and Resources Through this new joint offering AGC Biologics and BioConnection are providing comprehensive solutions to meet the increasing demand for high-quality biopharmaceutical manufacturing services, while also continuing to offer their services independently. AGC Biologics offers a broad range of protein-biologics services spanning from cell line development to commercial-scale manufacturing across its global network of facilities on three continents, supporting drug substances for microbial and mammalian-based systems, plasmid DNA (pDNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA). With a proven track record of delivering innovative biopharmaceutical solutions to clients worldwide, including supporting more than a dozen commercial products since 2018, AGC Biologics is renowned for its teams with deep technical and scientific expertise at its global facilities, and a commitment to quality, reliability, meeting product timelines and collaborating with developers to meet their needs. BioConnection specializes in aseptic filling of vials and syringes, providing clients with tailored solutions for both clinical and commercial production of either liquid or freeze-dried products. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and a highly skilled team, BioConnection is dedicated to ensuring the highest standards of product quality and safety. Clients have valued BioConnection since 2005 for this and for its unmatched customer-oriented approach. “Now more than ever global pharmaceutical companies and developers need reliable facilities to produce and fill their drug products, and by combining our resources with BioConnection we are offering a new end-to-end solution for them under one contract with AGC Biologics,” said Patricio Massera, CEO of AGC Biologics. “We believe BioConnection has a strong acumen, and this partnership will enhance our biopharmaceutical manufacturing offering by providing drug product services for protein biologics, allowing us to create deeper relationships with developers to help get their products to patients in need.” Similarly, Alexander Willemse, CEO of BioConnection, commented, "We are excited to join forces with AGC Biologics to offer integrated manufacturing solutions that address the complexities of biopharmaceutical development. Together, we are well-positioned to support our clients at every stage." For more information about AGC Biologics please visit www.agcbio.com. Visit www.bioconnection.eu to learn more about BioConnection. About BioConnection: BioConnection is a specialized contract manufacturing organization (CMO) focusing on aseptic filling and lyophilization of vials and syringes for clinical and commercial production. With state-of-the-art facilities, a proven successful EMA and FDA track record and a team of experienced professionals in Oss, The Netherlands, BioConnection provides tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of clients in the biopharmaceutical industry. BioConnection is specialized in fill & finish and lyophilization of small and large molecules, orphan drugs, personalized medicine and controlled substances. Its customers value BioConnection for its reliability. BioConnection is renowned for its reliability, with customers appreciating the certainty of delivery made possible by its extensive capacity. The company combines this reliability with a personalized approach to client relations. Discover more at www.bioconnection.eu. About AGC Biologics: AGC Biologics is a leading global biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a strong commitment to delivering the highest standard of service as we work side-by-side with our clients and partners, every step of the way. We provide world-class development and manufacture of mammalian and microbial-based therapeutic proteins, plasmid DNA (pDNA), messenger RNA (mRNA), viral vectors, and genetically engineered cells. Our global network spans the U.S., Europe, and Asia, with cGMP-compliant facilities in Seattle, Washington; Boulder and Longmont, Colorado; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; Milan, Italy; and Chiba, Japan. We currently employ more than 2,500 Team Members worldwide. Our commitment to continuous innovation fosters the technical creativity to solve our clients’ most complex challenges, including specialization in fast-track projects and rare diseases. AGC Biologics is a part of AGC Inc.’s Life Science Company. The Life Science company runs more than 10 global facilities focused on biopharmaceuticals, advanced therapies, small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients, and agrochemicals. To learn more, visit www.agcbio.com. Contact Details AGC Biologics Nick McDonald +1 425-419-3555 nmcdonald@agcbio.com BioConnection Dennis Link +31 412 846 036 Company Website https://www.agcbio.com/

May 22, 2024 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

1 2 3 4 5 ... 3515