Market Newsdesk

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) will host a virtual immunology strategic update for investors on Monday, December 14, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. Central time. Richard A. Gonzalez, chairman of the board and chief executive officer, and members of the executive leadership team will present on AbbVie’s immunology business and pipeline.

A live audio webcast of the presentation will be accessible through AbbVie’s Investor Relations website at investors.abbvie.com. An archived edition of the webcast will be available later that day.

About AbbVie
AbbVie’s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women’s health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE AbbVie

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Heralding the arrival of the all-new 2021 Sorento, Kia Motors America is accelerating the countdown to the New Year with a coast-to-coast tour of the U.S. The fourth generation Sorento, Kia’s newest SUV will haul the “2021” New Year’s Eve numerals from the brand’s headquarters in Irvine, CA, to Times Square in New York City for installation at the top of One Times Square. At select points along the route, National Geographic will document the Sorento’s journey as well as bring the stories from these locations to life through photography and video.

“New Year’s Eve is typically seen as a fresh start and a new beginning, and that holds true this year more than ever. With its rugged capability, the Kia Sorento will bring a little piece of the energy and fun of New Year’s Eve in Times Square to people nationwide. This will also be a reminder that we’re all in this together and that the New Year brings new opportunities and excitement,” said Russell Wager, director, marketing operations, Kia Motors America.

The road trip will culminate in Times Square, where for three days after arriving, the “2021” numerals will be part of a larger vehicle display before being installed at the top of One Times Square for the iconic New Year’s Eve Ball Drop, with Kia as the Official Countdown Sponsor. On December 31, a new creative campaign featuring the all-new Sorento will debut during

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021, on ABC. And to recognize and thank them for their hard work and dedication, Kia will host frontline workers and their families in Times Square so they can ring in the New Year. The frontline workers will be shuttled to and from the festivities by a fleet of Sorento SUVs.

With the “2021” numbers in tow, the Sorento departed Kia’s Orange County headquarters with arrival in Times Square set for December 21. Along the way, the Sorento will stop at Kia dealerships in Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

Throughout the road trip and including all activities in Times Square, Kia will adhere to CDC recommended protocols regarding face masks and social distancing guidelines.

About Kia Motors America

Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia Motors America continues to top quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands. Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of more than 750 dealers in the U.S., including cars and SUVs proudly assembled in West Point, Georgia.*

For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.

*The Telluride, Sorento and K5 are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.

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SOURCE Kia Motors America

BOTHELL, Wash., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — BioLife Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLFS) (“BioLife” or the “Company”), a leading developer and supplier of a portfolio of class-defining bioproduction products and services for cell and gene therapies, today announced two new co-investments with innovation accelerator partner Casdin Capital. The first is a re-investment in iVexSol, a vector manufacturing company founded on a proprietary, next-generation, stable lentiviral vector production process. BioLife Solutions invested $1 million and Casdin invested $4 million in a $15.2 million Series A financing round which was led by a third undisclosed strategic investor. BioLife and Casdin also each converted their respective previous $1.1 million debt into equity in this round.

In a new joint investment, BioLife and Casdin also each agreed to invest $1 million in privately held PanTHERA CryoSolutions, a Canadian startup company that is developing next generation cryopreservation solutions incorporating ice recrystallization inhibitor (IRI) intellectual property. Subject to closing conditions, BioLife will execute a development and license agreement with PanTHERA, under which, BioLife will make milestone development payments up to $2 million over the next 24 months in exchange for exclusive, perpetual, worldwide marketing and distribution rights to the technology for use in cell and gene therapy applications.

Mike Rice, BioLife’s CEO, remarked, “Drs. Rod Rietze and Michael Greene and the iVexSol team continue to make progress scaling iVexSol’s proprietary manufacturing process. iVexSol has the real potential to disrupt the current viral vector manufacturing process which today results in lower yield and high cost, helping to accelerate the development of novel, life-saving cell and gene therapies. We also secured access to PanTHERA’s novel and potentially disruptive IRI technology, which may form the basis of a next generation freeze media product line. We’ve known Drs. Jason Acker and Robert Ben of PanTHERA for many years and respect the rigor of their work.”

“Crossing the early stage chasm with next generation technology is particularly difficult in this field.” Eli Casdin, Managing Director at Casdin Capital, commented, “It’s exciting to see the innovation accelerator build momentum, connecting entrepreneurs with investment capital, operational experience and commercial distribution. We look forward to making more investments in the months and years ahead.”

Aby J. Mathew, PhD, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at BioLife and Shaun Rodriguez, Director of Life Science Research at Casdin will join the PanTHERA board of directors at closing. Casdin also has a board observer seat at iVexSol.

About iVexSol

iVexSol is a startup vector manufacturing company founded on a proprietary, next-generation, stable lentiviral vector production process that transforms the way these essential gene-delivery vehicles are made. Its technology will greatly reduce the complexity, cost and development time of these critical reagents, thereby accelerating the development and enabling greater access to life-changing cell and gene therapies. For more information visit www.ivexsol.com.

About PanTHERA CryoSolutions

PanTHERA CryoSolutions is a Canadian corporation that designs and manufactures patented ice recrystallization inhibitors for use in the cryopreservation of cells, tissues and organs.  Launched out of a scientific collaboration between Dr. Robert Ben (University of Ottawa) and Dr. Jason Acker (University of Alberta), PanTHERA aims to enhance the cryopreservation process to improve both research tools and clinical therapy products.  For more information visit www.pantheracryo.com.

About Casdin Capital

Casdin Capital, LLC is an investment firm focused on disruptive businesses. The firm is positioned to capitalize off an underappreciated, disruptive technology shift now unfolding in the life sciences and healthcare industry. Investment opportunities stretch the entire healthcare continuum and into sectors such as agriculture, industrial manufacturing and traditional information technology. For more information please visit www.casdincapital.com.

About BioLife Solutions

BioLife Solutions is a leading supplier of class-defining cell and gene therapy bioproduction tools and services. Our tools portfolio includes our proprietary CryoStor^® freeze media and HypoThermosol^® shipping and storage media, ThawSTAR^® family of automated, water-free thawing products, evo^® cold chain management system, Custom Biogenic Systems high capacity storage freezers and SciSafe biologic storage services. For more information, please visit www.biolifesolutions.com, and follow BioLife on Twitter.

Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Except for historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company’s expectations regarding the success of iVexSol or Panthera products or processes. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties related to market conditions, and those other factors described in our risk factors set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. We undertake no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained herein or to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof, other than as may be required by applicable law.

Media & Investor Relations

Roderick de Greef

Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer
(425) 686-6002
[email protected]

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SOURCE BioLife Solutions, Inc.

Jessica Federer brings extensive experience as international digital health expert;

Joins other board members and leaders in healthcare, logistics, capital markets and innovation

VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ – Maitri Health Technologies Corp. (“Maitri” or the “Company”) (CSE: MTEC), a global platform for healthcare supply security, has appointed Jessica J. Federer to its Board of Directors, replacing Mr. Gavin Cooper, who will continue as a strategic advisor, in each case, effective November 30, 2020.

Federer is currently the US CEO of Huma Health, a global digital health company and an affiliate partner at Boston Millennia Partners, a venture capital firm focused on healthcare and technology. 

“Jessica has been recognized as a leading health tech influencer and one of the world’s top 100 Chief Digital Officers,” said Andrew Morton, CEO of Maitri. “She brings extensive international experience and a keen understanding of the intersection between business, healthcare and technology. Jessica’s insights will be tremendous assets as Maitri looks to grow our integrated PPE and digital solutions strategy. I’d like to thank Gavin for his contribution and I’m pleased he’s agreed to remain as a strategic advisor to the Company.”

A former Chief Digital Officer of Bayer A.G., Federer led the worldwide digital transformation across Bayer’s consumer health, pharmaceuticals, animal health and agriculture divisions.

She joins Maitri’s board of directors and advisors, which includes a former Canadian Minister of Health, one of the leading specialists in infectious diseases and an internationally recognized expert in healthcare supply systems.

Maitri’s unique business model provides a comprehensive offering of on-shore manufactured personal protective equipment (PPE), testing and technology. The Maitri platform is designed to deliver long-term, reliable, stable healthcare solutions to healthcare, governments and companies around the world.

The Board of Directors has approved the grant of 1,325,000 incentive stock options to certain directors, officers, and consultants of the Company. The options vest over 36 months and are exercisable at a price of $0.80 for a period of 60 months.

About Maitri Health

Maitri Health Technologies Corp. (CSE:MTEC) is a global platform for healthcare supply security. Our mission is to enhance safety and quality of life, and keep organizations and economies running. Maitri provides a reliable source of innovative, certified personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing solutions through an onshore manufacturing model. Our stable, scalable supply chain is integrated with unique digital technology to deliver a comprehensive healthcare supply platform. https://maitrihealth.ca/

“Andrew Morton”
Chief Executive Officer
(604) 288-4431

For more information: [email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking.  Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties.  We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

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SOURCE Maitri Health Technologies Corp.

LISHUI, China, Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Tantech Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: TANH) (“Tantech” or the “Company”), a clean energy company in China, today announced the launch by its subsidiary, Shangchi Automobile Co., Ltd. (“Shangchi Automobile”), of its newest highly innovative driverless and autonomous street sweeper. The Shangchi SC-100A follows the launch last month of the SC-120A model featuring unmanned, automatic sweeping.

Shangchi Automobile’s innovative driverless and autonomous street sweepers are designed for quieter operation and improved cleaning performance, with the ability to reduce or eliminate the 7 to 8 humans required for typical sweeper vehicle operation. Lidar-based, machine vision technology provides long-distance detection and obstacle identification, with sensors for short-distance obstacle detection and avoidance. This enables the driverless model to safely and accurately operate in common environments. The sweepers have two primary operating modes, cleaning and litter-collecting, and can be used for 10 hours at a time or until full. The multi-patented vehicles will come with 1 year warranties.

Mr. Wangfeng Yan, Chief Executive Officer of Tantech, said, “We believe there is considerable market opportunity and unmet demand for driverless and autonomous street sweepers. We are seeing an acceleration of the market evolution as government organizations, cleaning services and businesses adjust to the new COVID-19 environment, which emphasizes cleanliness and automation, as means of reducing potential human exposure. Our commitment to R&D and innovation has directly aligned Tantech and our product roadmap with our target customers.”

“Our latest driverless and autonomous street sweeper, the Shangchi SC-100A, was successfully developed by our newly established R&D team on electronic vehicles in Lishui, with real-world testing to validate effectiveness, machine operations and safety. We are particularly excited about this model given the integration of AI/deep learning for route learning and satellite positioning, with advanced sensor processing technologies for human and object anticipation and avoidance. Customer response has been very good and we expect this to become a strong addition to our growing product line.”

About Tantech Holdings Ltd.

Established in 2001 and headquartered in Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, China, Tantech, together with its subsidiaries, is now, in addition to be a developer and manufacturer of bamboo-based charcoal, an innovative leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of electric vehicles. The Company has also invested in mining business in 2018 and 2019.

For more information please visit: http://ir.tantech.cn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, government regulations, and other risks contained in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, and whether made by or on behalf of the Company, are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. In addition, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

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SOURCE Tantech Holdings Ltd.

MOORESVILLE, N.C., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — From financial hardships to the upheaval of traditional gatherings, the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the way thousands of Americans celebrate the holidays this year. In an effort to spread holiday joy to those who need it most, Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) announced today it will be donating and delivering $1 million worth of pre-lit Christmas trees to families and organizations impacted by the pandemic. Over the next two weeks, Lowe’s will partner with the NFL and nonprofits nationwide to deliver more than 13,000 Christmas trees to homes and facilities in need of extra cheer, from childcare and youth centers to first responder stations and nonprofit housing organizations.  

“This has been a tough year for so many people who deserve nothing but joy and festivity this holiday season. I was so touched by what Lowe’s is doing to make the holidays a little brighter for these special families and organizations, and just knew I had to get involved,” said Dak Prescott, quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. “Giving back is what the holidays are all about, and it’s an honor to be a part of these tree deliveries alongside so many other incredible NFL players and organizations.”

Through Prescott’s Faith Fight Finish Foundation, Prescott will partner with six Dallas-area organizations and nonprofits to donate more than 100 pre-lit Christmas trees to deserving families.

In addition to participation from Prescott, NFL players including Jared Goff, Adam Thielen and Andy Dalton are joining Lowe’s to deliver Christmas trees to families through organizations they’ve personally selected within their local communities. Select players from the Lowe’s Home Team, a group giving back to their NFL hometowns throughout the season, such as Kelvin Beachum, C.J. Ham, Calvin Ridley and Robert Woods, are also supporting the initiative different ways, with more details surrounding player involvement to follow.

“At a time when holiday moments at home are more important than ever, we wanted to spread a little joy to those who have been impacted most by the pandemic this year,” said Marisa Thalberg, Lowe’s executive vice president, chief brand and marketing officer. “With the holidays upon us, this initiative is one way we are giving back to ensure even more people can brighten their homes this season.”

With national and local tree lightings cancelled this year, Lowe’s is also encouraging consumers to spread joy by sharing on social media their own tree lighting experience using #HomeUnitesUs on Giving Tuesday and throughout the holiday season. Participating organizations and families receiving trees will also participate on social media, spreading light one community at a time.  

To read about some of the families receiving deliveries, visit Lowe’s Newsroom and follow Lowe’s on social media.

About Lowe’s
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving approximately 18 million customers a week in the United States and Canada. With fiscal year 2019 sales of $72.1 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,200 home improvement and hardware stores and employ approximately 300,000 associates. Based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs focused on creating safe, affordable housing and helping to develop the next generation of skilled trade experts. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

Contact:

Amy Allison

Lowe’s Companies Inc.
[email protected]

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SOURCE Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

BEIJING, Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Luokung Technology Corp. (NASDAQ: LKCO) (“Luokung” or the “Company”), one of the global leading spatial-temporal big-data processing technology companies, a leading interactive location-based services company in China, today announced that eMapgo Technologies (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (“EMG”) and Beijing Sinotrans Transportation Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Sinotrans”), a subsidiary of Sinotrans, which is China’s largest comprehensive logistics company, engaged in a cooperation agreement that EMG will build an urban distribution service platform for Beijing Sinotrans to improve the management of its logistics operations and optimize the efficiency of its enterprise operations with intelligent geographic location services. Luokung has engaged in a share purchase agreement to acquire 100% of EMG and announced that the two parties are currently in the process of closing the transaction.

EMG will undertake the development of Beijing Sinotrans Urban Distribution Service Platform, provide intelligent logistics GIS services and corresponding technical services for the platform’s customer applications and management components based on location and map services, operation, and management.

This cooperation between EMG and Sinotrans is an auspicious beginning of future collaborations. The two parties will jointly build innovative applications in the logistics field and lay a solid foundation for a smart logistics platform.

About Luokung Technology Corp.

Luokung Technology Corp. is one of the global leading spatial-temporal big-data processing technology companies and a leading interactive location-based services company in China. It provides integrated DaaS, SaaS, and PaaS services for Internet and Internet of Things of Spatial-Temporal big data based on its patented technology. Based on geographic information systems and intelligent Spatial-Temporal big data, it establishes city-level and industry-level digital twin holographic data models to actively serve smart cities, intelligent transportation, smart industry, LBS. http://www.luokung.com

Business Risks and Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “future”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “estimates”, “target”, “going forward”, “outlook” and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management’s current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control, which may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law.

CONTACT:

The Company:
Mr. Jay Yu 
Chief Financial Officer
Tel:  +86-10-5327-4727
Email: [email protected]

INVESTOR RELATIONS
PureRock Communications Limited
Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Luokung Technology Corp.

NOVI, Mich., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Shyft Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SHYF) (“Shyft” or the “Company”), the North American leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing, assembly and upfit for the commercial, retail, and service specialty vehicle markets, today announced that Michael Dinkins has been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors, effective December 1, 2020. Dinkins was also appointed to the Board’s Audit Committee.

Dinkins brings nearly three decades of executive financial experience, serving as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer at a number of publicly traded companies, including Integer Holdings Corp and Hilb, Rogal, & Hobbs Co.  Dinkins currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Dinkins Financial, which assists private equity firms in building portfolios through acquisitions. Dinkins began his career at General Electric, where he spent 17 years and held multiple financial roles across the company. 

“We welcome Michael and very much look forward to his contributions to the Shyft Group’s Board of Directors,” said James Sharman, Chairman of the Board. “His vast financial expertise, diverse career experience and unique perspectives will be a valuable addition to our Board, as our entire team continues to pursue future growth opportunities to add value for our shareholders.”

Dinkins is National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Directorship Certified™ and has served on the board of directors for several publicly traded companies.  He currently serves on the boards of Crane Co., a manufacturer of highly engineered industrial products and Community Health Systems, operators of general acute care hospitals.  Dinkins also serves on the board of National Council on Compensation Insurance, a non-profit insurance rating and data collection bureau specializing in workers’ compensation.

“I am pleased to join The Shyft Group team during this exciting time of strategic growth,” said Dinkins. “Working with my fellow directors, I look forward to actively participating in the Company’s continued growth momentum, both organic and acquisitive.”

The Company’s Board of Directors now consists of Chairman James Sharman, Daryl Adams, Thomas Clevinger, Richard Dauch, Michael Dinkins, Angie Freeman, Ron Harbour, and Paul Mascarenas.

About The Shyft Group


The Shyft Group is the North American leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing, assembly, and upfit for the commercial, retail, and service specialty vehicle markets. Our customers include first-to-last mile delivery companies across vocations, federal, state, and local government entities; the trades; and utility and infrastructure segments. The Shyft Group is organized into two core business units: Shyft Fleet Vehicles & Services and Shyft Specialty Vehicles. Today, its family of brands include Utilimaster, Royal Truck Body, Strobes-R-Us, Spartan RV Chassis, Builtmore Contract manufacturing, and corresponding aftermarket provisions. The Shyft Group and its go-to-market brands are well known in their respective industries for quality, durability, and first-to-market innovation. The Company employs approximately 2,900 associates across campuses, and operates facilities in Michigan, Indiana, Maine, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, Missouri, California, Arizona, Texas, and Saltillo, Mexico. The Company reported sales from continuing operations of $757 million in 2019. Learn more about The Shyft Group at www.TheShyftGroup.com.

CONTACT: 

Investors:
Juris Pagrabs
Group Treasurer, Director of Investor Relations
The Shyft Group
[email protected]
(517) 997-3862

Media:
Samara Hamilton                           
Vice President of Marketing and Communications                         
The Shyft Group            
[email protected]
(517) 997-3860

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SOURCE The Shyft Group

SANTA FE, N.M., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Specifica, a company revolutionizing antibody discovery, today announced that it has delivered an exclusive antibody library platform to UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for people suffering from severe diseases of the immune system and the central nervous system.

“Specifica’s Generation 3 Library Platform has quality built-in by design. Antibodies from our Generation 3 Platform have few liabilities, and over 80% behave as well as, or better, than the best therapeutic antibodies,” said Kenneth Sharples, CEO and co-founder of Specifica. “We’re pleased to arm UCB with a high-quality discovery platform and the training and support to ensure its value to drug discovery for years to come.”

Daniel Lightwood, UCB’s Head of Antibody Discovery, said, “The Specifica Generation 3 Library provides a new tool, to use alongside our existing platforms and technologies, which enhances our therapeutic antibody discovery capabilities. We expect that the platform will provide a more reliable and rapid source of therapeutic antibody molecules than previous in vitro display technologies and complements our existing powerful immunization-based single B cell screening platform.”

Dr. Lightwood continued, “Our decision to acquire this library comes after extensive testing and evaluation of its potential to provide molecules with desired properties and forms part of UCB’s ongoing commitment to remain at the forefront of antibody drug discovery.”

Specifica offers antibody library platforms in both Fab and scFv formats, each of which have their advantages in antibody discovery. The Fab format recapitulates more closely the full-length IgG molecule, containing both variable regions and constant regions, while the scFv is a single-gene construct comprising only the variable regions, which tend to be easier to use.

Specifica specializes in the creation of exceptional antibody libraries, using next-generation sequencing for quality control at all steps of construction and validation. The company ensures high diversity standards by counting the number of different antibodies in each Specifica library. Libraries with high guaranteed diversities mean more antibodies, recognizing more epitopes, with better affinities against targets.

Each Generation 3 Library Platform Specifica provides to its partners is exclusive to that partner, created from unique donor sets not used for any other library, guaranteeing each supplied Generation 3 Library Platform is one of a kind.

In addition to providing unique libraries for platform transfers, Specifica also uses its in-house library to carry out discovery services for partners.

To learn more about Specifica, visit the company’s website at www.specifica.bio.

About Specifica
Specifica’s mission is to empower companies that create cures with visionary antibody technologies. Specifica’s Generation 3 Antibody Library Platform is available on an exclusive basis, in multiple formats, under straightforward business terms. Drug-like antibodies, with broad diversity, high affinities and few biophysical liabilities, can be selected directly from the platform without the need for downstream improvement. In addition to in-house antibody library designs, Specifica also collaborates closely with partners to create custom libraries in which essential elements are optimized according to partner needs. Specifica also uses its Generation 3 Platform to carry out antibody discovery. Specifica is headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For more information, please visit www.specifica.bio and follow Specifica on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About UCB
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With 7,500 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of € 4.9 billion in 2019. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB).

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SOURCE Specifica

SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — 

News Summary:

• Security teams who proactively refresh their technology have the most success across the board, highlighting the importance of cloud and software as a service (SaaS) solutions
• Implementing well-integrated security technologies is inextricably linked to attracting and retaining the best talent
• Trainings alone are not the most effective way to establish a successful company-wide security culture

Cisco today published its 2021 Security Outcomes Study, offering actionable insights for practitioners deciding where to focus their efforts in the year ahead. The double-blind, independently analyzed survey of 4,800 security, IT and privacy professionals across 25 countries pulls back the curtain on what specific practices foster greater security. The results offer security teams a blueprint for success beyond managing risk, but also enabling the business and operating efficiently.

The survey revealed that change is a primary factor in cybersecurity success. On average, programs that include a proactive, best-of-breed tech refresh strategy are 12.7% more likely to report overall security success – the highest of any practice. Unfortunately, not all organizations have the budget or expertise to make this happen, also known as the “Security Bottom Line.” A strategy to migrate to cloud and SaaS security solutions can help close this gap. Subscription-based solutions are affordable, easy to deploy and integrate, while automatic updates ensure the technology is continually modernized without additional cost or effort.

Other key findings from the report include:

• A well-integrated technology stack is the second most important factor for cybersecurity success
  . It has a positive impact on nearly every outcome evaluated, increasing the probability of overall success by an average of 10.5%. Interestingly, integrations also benefit the recruitment and retention of talent, as security teams want to work with the best technology and avoid burnout.
• Integration is also the most significant factor in establishing a security culture that the entire organization embraces. Instead of traditional security training programs, which did not correlate with positive culture, invest in technology that is flexible and frictionless.
• As a standalone practice, simply knowing potential cyber risks appears to correlate the least with overall success. This seems surprising, but points to the importance of a comprehensive threat intelligence and incident management program with the ability to both mitigate and remediate. In fact, practices such as timely incident response and accurate threat detection correlate much more strongly with overall security success.

“Security practitioners need to make fast, informed decisions. Yet they are often armed with dozens of tools from multiple vendors, requiring a fair amount of duct tape to get them to work together. This creates complexity, cost, and overhead,” said Mike Hanley, Chief Information Security Officer at Cisco. “Cisco’s 2021 Security Outcomes Study helps teams prioritize practices that not only secure the business, but also play a significant role in enabling its growth and success. Even in the face of an ever-changing threat landscape and shrinking budgets, successful security outcomes are possible.”

To learn more, visit cisco.com/go/securityoutcomes. Join the conversation using #SecurityOutcomes.

Additional Resources:

• Blog: Introducing the New “Cisco Security Outcomes Study” – A Roadmap Forward for 2021
• Cisco Security Report Series 
• Integrate your security with Cisco SecureX

About Cisco 

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SOURCE Cisco Systems, Inc.