Market Newsdesk

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FibroGen, Inc. (NASDAQ: FGEN) today announced the retirement of K. Peony Yu, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, and appointment of Mark Eisner, M.D., M.P.H. in that role. Dr. Yu will continue as Chief Medical Officer through December 20, 2020, the roxadustat PDUFA date, and will remain with FibroGen through March 15, 2021 serving as Executive Advisor to the CEO to support the transition.

Dr. Yu joined FibroGen in 2008 and has provided key leadership for global clinical development across the company, leading the development of roxadustat in multiple indications and advancement of the overall portfolio.

“On behalf of the board, shareholders, and our employees, I want to thank Peony for her tremendous contributions as Chief Medical Officer of FibroGen,” said Enrique Conterno, Chief Executive Officer, FibroGen. “With her considerable expertise and leadership, roxadustat was approved in China and Japan for the treatment of CKD anemia with pending regulatory decisions in the US, EU, and additional countries, to potentially serve millions of patients worldwide.”

“It has been my privilege to work with many talented colleagues at FibroGen to make a difference in the lives of many,” said Dr. Yu. “I look forward to our upcoming roxadustat U.S. PDUFA date, and expect FibroGen will continue to advance important new medicines.”

Mark Eisner, M.D., M.P.H. has joined FibroGen as of today, and will become Chief Medical Officer effective December 21, 2020, overseeing all global clinical development and regulatory affairs for FibroGen. Dr. Eisner has nearly 30 years of academic, biopharmaceutical, and drug development experience, from early clinical phase through post-commercialization.

“Mark’s extensive leadership, clinical development, and regulatory expertise come at a critical time for the company as we accelerate our development and look ahead to multiple significant clinical milestones. The depth and breadth of his therapeutic development experience is an ideal fit, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the FibroGen team,” said Enrique Conterno, Chief Executive Officer, FibroGen. “We look forward to Mark’s contributions as a proven business leader, clinician, and researcher in our continued evolution toward becoming a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company with a maturing clinical pipeline.”

“I am excited to lead the clinical development organization during this important time at FibroGen, when the company is rapidly advancing its robust late-stage pipeline,” said Dr. Eisner. “I look forward to progressing the current clinical studies to bring valuable medicines to patients.”

Dr. Eisner, who brings more than 10 years of experience in clinical drug development and 20 years as a practicing physician, has held leadership positions in academic medicine, clinical research, and pharmaceutical development. In 2010, he joined Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, and was most recently Senior Vice President and Global Head of Product Development Immunology, Infectious Disease, and Ophthalmology where he led clinical development for areas including respiratory medicine, rheumatology, nephrology, inflammatory bowel disease, virology, and retinal disease.

Prior to Genentech, Mark was Professor of Medicine and Anesthesia at the University of California San Francisco where he was an internationally recognized expert on clinical research in acute and chronic lung disease. He served as a steering committee member and ultimately UCSF Principal Investigator for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ARDS Clinical Trials Network which conducted several clinical landmark trials. Mark also built a world-class NIH-funded clinical research program focusing on the epidemiology and long-term health outcomes of obstructive lung disease. He was also an investigator in the UCSF Cardiovascular Research Institute. Mark published ~200 peer-reviewed articles, served on multiple NIH study sections, and was a member of the American Thoracic Society Board of Directors.

Mark graduated from Stanford University with an A.B. degree in Human Biology and then received his M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed residency training in internal medicine, served as Chief Medical Resident, and pursued advanced fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He also received a M.P.H. degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.

About FibroGen

FibroGen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing a pipeline of first-in-class therapeutics. The company applies its pioneering expertise in hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) biology to advance innovative medicines for the treatment of unmet needs. The Company is currently developing and commercializing roxadustat, an oral small molecule inhibitor of HIF prolyl hydroxylase activity, for anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Roxadustat is also in clinical development for anemia associated with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and for chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA). Pamrevlumab, an anti-CTGF human monoclonal antibody, is in clinical development for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer (LAPC), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and coronavirus (COVID-19). For more information, please visit www.fibrogen.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements regarding our strategy, future plans and prospects, including statements regarding the development and commercialization of the company’s product candidates, our clinical programs and regulatory events and those of our partners, and the commercial prospects of roxadustat. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, representations and contentions and are not historical facts and typically are identified by use of terms such as “may,” “will”, “should,” “on track,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties related to the continued progress and timing of our various programs, including the enrollment and results from ongoing and potential future clinical trials, and other matters that are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for quarter ended September 30, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the risk factors set forth therein. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by law.

Contacts:
FibroGen, Inc.

Investors:
Michael Tung, M.D.
Investor Relations
+1.415.978.1434
[email protected]

Media:
Jennifer Harrington
+1.610.574.9196
[email protected]

LOWELL, MA, USA, Dec. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NetNumber announced today it continues to expand its industry leadership role by participating in those associations driving industry collaboration around critical 5G Security and Roaming concerns. NetNumber has taken leadership of the GSMA 5G Mobile Roaming Revisited (5GMRR) task force whose mission is to define a scalable, usable and secure 5G roaming solution that meets business and technical needs and is backed by the industry.

NetNumber is continuing to take a contributory role in fraud and security prevention for CSPs, across a number of solutions, which includes the holding of a number of leadership positions in recognized associations. Mr. Pieter Veenstra, who is Senior Manager Product Development – Security and Routing at NetNumber, is chairman of the GSMA Roaming and Interconnect Fraud and Security (RIFS) working group, leading the ongoing work on the GSMA 5G Security Guide and an active member in the GSMA Networks Group (NG) on security matters for 5G. 

 

This combination of activities in different GSMA groups will be beneficial to his new role as chair of the 5GMRR (5G Mobile Roaming Revisited) task force given the diversity of the 5G roaming problem where a solution needs to be found that is working for the three different stakeholders: Business, Operations and Security.

 

The present 3GPP standards describe two technical solutions for 5G roaming. The solutions were partly included as a last-minute effort in the standards based on the practices for 2G/3G/LTE roaming without broad involvement of IPX carriers. Begin this year IPX carriers started to realize that the 5G roaming solutions were far more complex to operate than what they are used to for 2G/3G/LTE roaming. Subsequent discussions across different GSMA groups found other limitations and issues that not fully would resolve the existing vulnerabilities with 2G/3G/LTE roaming via the existing SS7 and Diameter signaling connections.

 

As a result, the GSMA established the 5G Mobile Roaming Revisited (5GMRR) Task Force with the mission to define a scalable, usable and secure solution for 5G mobile roaming. 5GMRR brings together experts from the Networks Group (NG), the Wholesale Agreements and Solutions Group (WAS) and the Fraud and Security Group (FASG) to ensure the technical, business and security requirements are identified and that these are reflected in the solution that are ultimately defined.

 

5G Security is the priority theme for the GSMA Fraud and Security Group (FASG) in 2020 and the work this Task Force will undertake not only maps to that theme but is, perhaps, one of the most important activities to be undertaken by GSMA Working Groups for quite some time. Clearly, agreeing the enablers for 5G roaming is essential and selecting options that meet the future needs of our industry is a critically important task. 

 

“Taking leadership of the GSMA 5GMRR task force underlines the commitment of NetNumber to all the work within the GSMA, with the aim to provide simple operational security solutions to the mobile industry,” said Steve Legge, NetNumber Chief Operating Officer.  “In doing so, NetNumber are endeavouring to maintain trust in mobile services for all subscribers worldwide, considering the growing importance and dependency of these services in our daily lives and for business processes.”

NetNumber has been instrumental in delivering industry-leading security for next-generation systems while maintaining support and innovations for legacy technology. NetNumber security solutions and firewall provide comprehensive InterGENerational security and fraud protection with real-time threat detection, delivering internetworking encryption, eliminating attack vectors within the network, while their signalling firewall protects against malicious attacks on inbound traffic and data.

For more detail please read Pieter Veenstra’s detailed blog “Reasons for the GSMA to reconsider the solutions for 5G Roaming” – https://bit.ly/37c1xvn

Learn more about NetNumber Security and Fraud Solutions at www.NetNumber.com or by contacting [email protected].

About NetNumber

NetNumber, Inc. brings 20 years of experience delivering platforms that power global telecom and enterprise networks.  Our software-based signaling-control solutions accelerate delivery of new services like Private LTE and IoT/M2M solutions across multi-gen networks, dramatically simplifying the core and reducing opex.  These solutions span a range of network types from 2G-3G-4G-5G to future G delivered on the industry’s most robust signaling platform. NetNumber Data Services are essential for global inter-carrier routing, roaming, voice and messaging. Data powers fraud detection and prevention solutions and enables enterprise B2B and B2C communications platforms.  NetNumber multi-protocol signaling firewall, fraud-detection, and robocalling solutions help secure networks against current/emerging threats.

 

Attachment

• Screenshot 2020-11-27 at 11.26.59

Kim Gibbons, CMO
NetNumber
+1 408 398 5223
[email protected]

WOONSOCKET, R.I., Dec. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SUMR Brands (“SUMR Brands” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: SUMR), a global leader in premium infant and juvenile products, today announced that its Board of Directors has named Stuart Noyes of Winter Harbor, LLC as Chief Executive Officer and appointed him to the Company’s Board of Directors. Noyes has served as the Company’s Interim Chief Executive Officer since December 16, 2019.

“We are delighted to announce that Stuart has accepted the position of CEO, and we welcome him to the Board of Directors,” said Robin Marino, Chairwoman. “As Interim CEO, Stuart demonstrated the ability to act with a keen sense of urgency to implement swift change and transformation. He is a decisive leader who has reshaped our culture and mobilized our team to strive for operational excellence. We look forward to seeing him continue to drive value for all of our stakeholders.”

Stuart Noyes added, “I am honored to accept the position of CEO and join SUMR’s Board of Directors. Over the past year, our ability to reposition the business for success, while navigating an unprecedented global environment, is a testament to the tremendous work and dedication of all SUMR’s employees. I am proud of the team’s achievements and grateful to the Board for its support and engagement. We will continue to work with passion and focus to enhance SUMR’s financial and operational performance.”

About S


UMR Brands


, Inc.

Based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the Company is a global leader of premium juvenile brands driven by a commitment to people, products, and purpose. The Company is made up of a diverse group of experts with a passion to make family life better by selling proprietary, innovative products across several core categories. For more information about the Company, please visit www.sumrbrands.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release that are not historical fact may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbor created thereby. These statements are accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “project,” “will,” “believes,” “estimate” and similar expressions, and include statements regarding the Company’s expectations for performance in the fourth quarter of 2020, including Adjusted EBITDA and revenue expectations and softening demand, its efforts to mitigate the impact of supply chain challenges, its efforts to mitigate tariffs, the expected annualized interest savings on its refinanced debt, and the Company’s actions to position the Company for future growth, including de-levering the balance sheet and investing in core categories. The Company cautions that these statements are qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s supply chain and consumer demand, U.S. operations and sales in the U.S; increased tariffs, additional tariffs or import or export taxes on the cost of its products and therefore demand for its products; the Company’s ability to meet its liquidity requirements; the Company’s ability to comply with the covenants in its loan agreement and to maintain availability under its loan agreement; the Company’s ability to implement and to achieve the expected benefits and savings of its restructuring initiatives; the concentration of the Company’s business with retail customers; the ability of the Company to compete in its industry; the Company’s ability to continue to control costs and expenses; the Company’s reliance on foreign suppliers; the Company’s ability to develop, market and launch new products; the Company’s ability to manage inventory levels and meet customer demand; the Company’s ability to grow sales with existing and new customers and in new channels; and other risks as detailed in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information contained in this release.

Company Contact:

Chris Witty
Investor Relations
646-438-9385
[email protected]

Former CEO and Antios co-founder, Abel De La Rosa, Ph.D., appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors

Mayes to lead continued development of ATI-2173 as a potential backbone of a curative regimen for Hepatitis B (“HBV”)

ATLANTA, Dec. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Antios Therapeutics, Inc. (“Antios”) today announced the appointment of Gregory T. Mayes as Chief Executive Officer and Director. Mr. Mayes succeeds Abel De La Rosa, Ph.D., who co-founded Antios in 2018 and has served as CEO and Director since its inception. Dr. De La Rosa, who is retiring from his full-time role, will remain with Antios as an advisor and will assume the role of Chairman of its Board of Directors.

“On behalf of our Board of Directors, we are thrilled to have Greg join Antios as our new CEO and lead the company to its next stage of development,” said Dr. De La Rosa. “Greg is an accomplished biopharma executive with a sterling track record of success at both building startups and managing established organizations. He has led companies through early- and late-stage clinical development programs as well as commercial launches. Our lead clinical candidate, ATI-2173, is approaching an important inflection point in its development with the upcoming readout from our Phase 1 study in both healthy volunteers and HBV-infected subjects and the commencement of our Phase 2 program in early 2021.”

“Having led Antios from preclinical development to the well capitalized, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company it is today, I feel this is the opportune time for a leadership change. I truly believe that we are well positioned for continued success and I am confident that Antios will flourish under Greg’s leadership. As a co-inventor of ATI-2173, I am deeply committed to its success, and look forward to remaining actively involved, both as Chairman of the Board and in my new role as Senior Scientific and Strategic Advisor.”

Mr. Mayes joins Antios following the acquisition of Engage Therapeutics (“Engage”) by UCB in June 2020. He co-founded Engage and served as CEO from 2017 until its acquisition, which came following positive data from a large, randomized Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead product candidate in development for a new product category called REST (Rapid Epileptic Seizure Termination). Prior to founding Engage, he was Chief Operating Officer and a Board member at Advaxis Immunotherapies, where he developed the Phase 3 registration strategy and clinical development plan for its lead product candidate and established multiple major pharma partnerships. Previously, he was President, General Counsel and Board member at Unigene Laboratories, where he led out-licensing efforts for a novel oral peptide delivery platform. He was also Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer at ImClone Systems (“ImClone”), where he was actively involved in the clinical development and commercial launch plans for ERBITUX® (cetuximab) and was instrumental in ImClone’s sale to Eli Lilly in 2008. He began his career as Senior Counsel at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, where he provided legal services related to the development and commercialization of multiple oncology products. He earned his J.D. degree from Temple University School of Law, where he was Articles Editor on the Temple Law Review and holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University. Mayes currently sits on the Boards of AVEO Oncology and Receptor Life Sciences.

“I am extremely grateful to the Board for this opportunity and excited to build upon the solid foundation that Abel and his team have established over the last several years,” said Mr. Mayes. “In ATI-2173, we have a promising clinical candidate and compelling scientific rationale to position it as the potential backbone of a functional cure regimen for HBV, a significant unmet need. I look forward to leading its continued clinical development and to the many opportunities that lie ahead for Antios.”

About ATI-2173

ATI-2173 is a novel liver-targeted molecule designed to deliver the 5’-monophosphate of clevudine. This L-nucleoside’s active 5’-triphosphate has unique antiviral properties as a non-competitive, non-chain terminating HBV polymerase inhibitor. By selectively delivering the 5’-monophosphate to the liver, while retaining the unique anti-HBV activity of the active 5’- triphosphate, ATI-2173 could become an integral part of a curative combination regimen for chronic hepatitis B.

About
Antios
Therapeutics Inc.

Antios Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative therapies to treat and cure viral diseases. Antios is currently developing ATI-2173, aiming to provide chronic hepatitis B infected patients with a curative combination regimen.

CONTACTS

Investors:
Idean Marvasty
[email protected]

Media:
Antios Public Relations
[email protected]

Boston, Dec. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and intellectual property management solutions, today announced that France’s Legrand, a global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures, will enhance its overall IP management by moving to Anaqua’s AQX platform.

Legrand, an innovator and manufacturer of electrical and digital solutions for commercial, industrial, and residential markets, opted for Anaqua when replacing its previous IP management system. The company will leverage Anaqua’s latest version of AQX software to streamline the entire IP management lifecycle – from idea capture through prosecution to portfolio management and monetization. The platform’s fully integrated software and services will support Legrand in patent and trademark management processes globally, notably through real-time IP data analytics and forecasting capabilities.

“Legrand has found in Anaqua a customers-oriented team focused in providing adapted solutions, meeting our strategy and organization model,” said Laurent Costecalde, Head of IP for Legrand Group.

“We are excited to be working closely with Legrand to provide them with an integrated IP management system that will support and enhance their global innovation and operational excellence,” said Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua. “Anaqua is honored to welcome Legrand to our client community. Their joining reflects our continued growth as a global IP management provider and our industry expertise in the European region.”

 

About Anaqua

Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated, end-to-end innovation and intellectual property (IP) management solutions, serving more than 50% of the top 20 U.S. patent filers, top 20 global brands, and a growing number of the most prestigious, forward-looking law firms. The company’s global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Anaqua’s IP platform is used by over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators globally. Its solution suite merges best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech-enabled services to create one intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision-making, and streamline IP operations. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com.

About Legrand

Legrand is the global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures. Its comprehensive offering of solutions for commercial, industrial, and residential markets makes it a benchmark for customers worldwide. The Group harnesses technological and societal trends with lasting impacts on buildings with the purpose of improving life by transforming the spaces where people live, work and meet with electrical, digital infrastructures and connected solutions that are simple, innovative and sustainable. Drawing on an approach that involves all teams and stakeholders, Legrand is pursuing its strategy of profitable and sustainable growth driven by acquisitions and innovation, with a steady flow of new offerings—including Eliot (Electricity IOT) connected products with enhanced value in use. Legrand reported sales of close to €6.6 billion in 2019. The company is listed on Euronext Paris and is notably a component stock of the CAC 40 and Euronext ESG 80 indexes. (code ISIN FR0010307819). visit: legrandgroup.com/en.

###

Attachment

• English PDF

Amanda Hollis
Anaqua
6173752626
[email protected]

WESTON, Fla., Dec. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Just months into a tumultuous business relationship, on Oct 23, 2020 Bang Energy gave PepsiCo notice of termination as their exclusive distributor for Bang Energy.

A
lleging that
PepsiCo
failed
to
meet
contractual and joint business plan
commitments
and requirements
under
the
distribut
ion
agreement
,
Bang
Energy
has filed suit
today
further
alleging
that Pepsi
Co
has
engaged and continues to engage
in
gross
misconduct
.
“
Unfortunately, we were blindsided and bamboozled.” –Jack
Owoc

As previously stated, PepsiCo has been legally terminated by Bang Energy over a month ago. Bang® Energy also alleges in the lawsuit that since being terminated, PepsiCo has falsely represented to independent distributors and retailers that PepsiCo is Bang’s exclusive distributor.

The lawsuit also alleges that PepsiCo has resorted to intimidation tactics with independent distributors and major retailers like Walmart threatening lawsuits against anyone who fails to purchase Bang Energy exclusively from Pepsi.

Bang® Energy further alleges in the lawsuit that PepsiCo, has repeatedly and intentionally sabotaged Bang Energy in the vast retail market.

Make no mistake – PepsiCo has been legally terminated! PepsiCo is no longer Bang Energy’s exclusive distributor. All retailers and third parties are legally free to purchase direct from Bang Energy and its extensive network of authorized distributors. Again, PepsiCo is no longer legally Bang Energy’s exclusive distributor.

Any retailers and distributors who have experienced harassment and tortious business interference and need indemnification, or for more information please contact: [email protected].

For daily trendsetting updates stay connected by following Jack Owoc on Instagram @BangEnergy.CEO & @BangEnergy and/or visit Bang Energy’s website, www.bangenergy.com

LEXINGTON, Mass., Dec. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ: AGEN), an immuno-oncology company with a broad pipeline which includes checkpoint antibodies, cell therapies, adjuvants, and vaccines designed to activate immune response to cancers and infections, today announced the expansion of a Phase 2 trial into colon cancer based on a new objective clinical response in a colorectal cancer patient in addition to a significant tumor reduction of 27% and biomarker reduction observed in a patient with MSS colon cancer.

With this recent response in colon cancer, AGEN1181 +/- balstilimab (anti-PD-1) has reported 4 clinical responses plus a significant tumor reduction of more than 27% in a fifth patient. In addition, 19 patients have achieved disease stabilization out of 41 patients treated in what was designed as a dose escalation study.

Recently, Agenus also presented on the first-ever report of intratumoral Treg depletion with a CTLA-4 antibody in clinical trials. The summary of responses achieved with AGEN1181 alone or in combination with balstilimab are as follows:

• CR in PD-L1(-) MSS endometrial cancer patient (1181 monotherapy)
• CR in PD-L1(-) MSS endometrial cancer patient (1181 + bali)
• P
  R in a colorectal cancer patient (1181 + bali)
• PR in PD-L1(-) refractory ovarian cancer patient (rescued with 1181 + bali) – previous stable disease for 66 weeks with 1181 monotherapy
• Major t
  umor reduction (27%) in MSS colorectal cancer with remarkable CEA biomarker reduction from 298 to 2 (1181 + bali)

In the phase 1 trial of AGEN1181, clinical benefit and responses have been seen in patients with polymorphism in FcyRIIIA alleles who are not responsive to first-generation CTLA-4 antibodies.

The Phase 2, open-label, multicenter study will focus primarily on colorectal cancer and select solid tumors, such as lung cancer and melanoma.

“These early data are very exciting, particularly in aggressive tumors that have traditionally been unresponsive to immune therapies, like colorectal cancer,” said Dr. Joseph Grossman, expert in gastrointestinal cancers and the Head of Exploratory Medicine at Agenus. “AGEN1181 has potential to not only broaden the population of responders to CPIs, but also to reach tumors traditionally considered “cold” or unresponsive to immune therapies. I am excited to see the potential broadened benefit of our next-generation anti-CTLA-4’s design, particularly its Fc-enhancement, and the validation of Agenus’ incredible R&D capabilities.”

Dr. Joseph Grossman recently joined Agenus as head of exploratory medicine from Harvard Medical School, where he was an instructor in medicine, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he served as an attending physician in GI oncology. He completed his residency and fellowship in hematology oncology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He holds a postbaccalaureate certificate in premedical sciences from Columbia University in the City of New York and an MD from Brown Medical School.

About Agenus


Agenus is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focused on the discovery and development of therapies that engage the body’s immune system to fight cancer. The Company’s vision is to expand the patient populations benefiting from cancer immunotherapy by pursuing combination approaches that leverage a broad repertoire of antibody therapeutics, adoptive cell therapies (through its AgenTus Therapeutics subsidiary), and proprietary cancer vaccine platforms. The Company is equipped with a suite of antibody discovery platforms and a state-of-the-art GMP manufacturing facility with the capacity to support clinical programs. Agenus is headquartered in Lexington, MA. For more information, please visit www.agenusbio.com and our Twitter handle @agenus_bio. Information that may be important to investors will be routinely posted on our website and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements


This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the therapeutic and curative potential of AGEN1181. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the factors described under the Risk Factors section of our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Agenus cautions investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Agenus undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements, other than to the extent required by law. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Contact:


Agenus Inc. 

Caroline Bafundo
212-994-8209
[email protected]

 

QUEBEC CITY, Dec. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSXV: HEO) – H₂O Innovation Inc. (“H₂O Innovation” or the “Corporation”) is pleased to announce that its three business lines dedicated to operation and maintenance services (“O&M”), Utility Partners, LLC (“UP”), Hays Utility South Corporation (“Hays”) and Gulf Utility Service, inc. (“GUS”) are merging to become H₂O Innovation. To watch the launch video of the new entity, please follow this link: https://youtu.be/v24nDrrpfPI.

To continue growing the O&M business pillar and keep acquiring similar companies, the management determined it would be best to bring everything under one roof. The services offered by the three companies will not change and the teams will remain intact. It is more about creating a united team with a collective vision and a common goal in mind.

“We have decided to merge these companies to enhance the vertical integration of our product and service offering to our customers. By operating under a single brand, we believe it should also facilitate the generation of cross-selling synergies between the Corporation’s different business lines. Moreover, this single brand identity will contribute to elevate H₂O Innovation profile and awareness within the different geographies where we are established in North America. In other words, it is an important financial and commercial milestone that will allow us to generate additional savings, to streamline our business processes and to solidify our O&M platform for future acquisitions and other organic growth opportunities. Finally, we took the opportunity to facilitate navigation on our website by highlighting the three business pillars”, stated Frédéric Dugré, president and CEO of H₂O Innovation.

“Since we have acquired several operation and maintenance companies in recent years and will continue to do so, we wanted to consolidate the image and position of these O&M companies. The slogan, Trusted Utility Partners, reassures our customers that we will certainly maintain the same quality of service offered for all these years”, addedBill Douglass, Vice President of the Operation and Maintenance Business Pillar of H₂O Innovation.

About
Operation and maintenance
activities

H₂O Innovation – Trusted Utility Partners operates, maintains, and repairs water and wastewater treatment plants, distribution equipment and other water utilities for its municipal customers. It currently employs 435 employees for the operation of more than 275 utilities in two (2) Canadian provinces and twelve (12) US states, mainly on the US Gulf coast, Southeast, Northeast (New England) and the West Coast. For more information, visit www.h2oinnovation.com/operation-maintenance.

About
H

₂

O Innovation 
H₂O Innovation designs and provides state-of-the-art, custom-built and integrated water treatment solutions based on membrane filtration technology for municipal, industrial, energy and natural resources end-users. The Corporation’s activities rely on three pillars which are i) water technologies and services; ii) specialty products, including a complete line of specialty chemicals, consumables and specialized products for the water treatment industry; and iii) operation and maintenance services for water and wastewater treatment systems. For more information, visit www.h2oinnovation.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) nor the NYSE Euronext Growth Paris accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source:

H₂O Innovation Inc.
www.h2oinnovation.com

Contact:
Marc Blanchet
+1 418-688-0170
[email protected]

VALCOURT, Quebec, Dec. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Directors of BRP Inc. (TSX: DOO; NASDAQ: DOOO) is pleased to announce the appointment of Katherine (Kathy) Kountze and Ernesto M. Hernández to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.

“I’m pleased to welcome Kathy and Ernesto to BRP’s Board of Directors. Their extensive expertise and experiences in complementary industries will be great assets to the BRP board as we continue to execute on our strategy to grow in existing and new businesses and markets,” said José Boisjoli, Chairman of the Board and CEO.

Ms. Kountze is currently the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Eversource Energy, a $8 billion publicly traded company in the US, and has led significant upgrades, implementations, integrations and shifts in technology strategy. Prior to her current position, Ms. Kountze was the Vice President and CIO for The United Illuminating Company. Her experience in overseeing the development and implementation of major, innovative IT strategies and solutions in organizations will support BRP’s ongoing technological advances.

Mr. Hernández is the former President and Managing Director of General Motors, Mexico. He has a well-rounded profile with a deep understanding of product engineering, manufacturing, planning, program management, sales, marketing and aftersales in Mexico, Central America, Caribbean and the US. Mr. Hernández’ 40+ years of solid track record in the automotive industry and his knowledge of the US and Latin American markets will be highly beneficial to BRP.

The Board considers that both Kathy Kountze and Ernesto M. Hernández are “independent directors” within the meaning of applicable securities regulations.

About BRP
We are a global leader in the world of powersports vehicles, propulsion systems and boats, built on over 75 years of ingenuity and intensive consumer focus. Our portfolio of industry-leading and distinctive products includes Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft, Can-Am on- and off-road vehicles, Alumacraft, Manitou, Quintrex, Stacer and Savage boats, Evinrude and Rotax marine propulsion systems as well as Rotax engines for karts, motorcycles and recreational aircraft. We complete our lines of products with a dedicated parts, accessories and apparel business to fully enhance the riding experience. With annual sales of CA$6.1 billion from over 120 countries, our global workforce is made up of approximately 12,600 driven, resourceful people.

www.brp.com

@
BRPNews

Ski-Doo, Lynx, Sea-Doo, Can-Am, Rotax, Evinrude, Manitou, Alumacraft, Quintrex, Stacer, Savage and the BRP logo are trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

For
media enquiries:         

Elaine Arsenault        
Senior Advisor, Media Relations        
Tel.: 514.238.3615        
[email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3e002b06-4e7b-41dd-9d97-c0eb613ad264

WORCESTER, Mass., Dec. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iVexSol, a rapidly growing lentiviral vector (LVV) manufacturing company, today announced the closure of a $13.0M Series A funding round. A total of $15.2M has been raised to date from current investors Casdin Capital, LLC , and BioLife Solutions (NASDAQ:BLFS) and a third undisclosed lead investor. Funds will be used to establish a cGMP manufacturing facility in Lexington, MA for stable LVV producer cell line master banks and commercial-grade LVV.

iVexSol, Inc. was founded on a next generation manufacturing technology that revolutionizes the production of LVVs; gene delivery vehicles that are a critical raw material in the manufacturing of life-changing cell and gene therapies (CGTs). The unprecedented growth in the number of CGTs in clinical development, the paucity of LVV manufacturers and the commercial launch of new cancer-targeting CAR-T therapies have exacerbated the ongoing global shortage of these safe and effective gene delivery vehicles. This in turn has driven up costs and further increased wait times for production slots (averaging 12-18 months), which ultimately slows the development and restricts the availability of novel life-saving therapies.

iVexSol’s LVV technology is designed to reliably produce LVV at significantly greater quantities than traditional transient transfection processes, enabling a smaller manufacturing footprint, and facilitating the rapid scale-out needed for global demand. As such, it will provide a robust, reliable, and readily available supply of vector “on-demand” for CGT researchers and manufacturers. This in turn, will shorten clinical development timelines, reduce costs, and increase global access for patients waiting to receive these transformative medicines.

“We are very excited to be supported by such a strong base of investors as we establish our production capabilities,” remarked Dr. Rodney Rietze, iVexSol co-founder and CEO. “Current production methods are well-suited for small research labs, but entirely insufficient for ongoing clinical development and commercial supply. iVexSol’s technology will revolutionize the entire vector manufacturing platform, and in doing so, remove a significant bottleneck for therapy providers as they develop and provide patients access to these novel treatments.”

About
Casdin Capital
, LLC

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.

About iVexSol

iVexSol, Inc. is a viral 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.

Media Contact:
Tim Walsh
for iVexSol
617.512.1641
[email protected]