Hikma and Cosmo partner on exclusive licensing agreement for Winlevi® (Clascoterone) for the Middle East and North Africa

 

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (Hikma), the multinational pharmaceutical company, today announces an exclusive license agreement with Cassiopea S.p.A., a subsidiary of Cosmo Pharmaceuticals N.V. (Cosmo). Cosmo is focused on developing and commercialising products to treat selected gastrointestinal diseases and dermatological conditions.

Under the terms of the agreement, Hikma has an exclusive license to commercialise Winlevi® (clascoterone) cream 1%, a novel drug used for the topical treatment of acne by targeting acne hormones in the skin, in 17 MENA countries.  

Acne is considered to be one of the most prevalent skin conditions across the MENA region. This is due to its predominantly young population, with approximately 55% of the population under the age of 30[1]. This agreement grants Hikma exclusive rights to commercialize Winlevi® in MENA markets, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE, which represent around 75% of the total acne market in MENA[2].

 

Commenting on the agreement, Mazen Darwazah, Hikma’s Executive Vice Chairman and President of MENA, said: “We are excited to partner with Cosmo to bring this novel dermatological treatment to our patients in MENA. Winlevi® has a unique method of action in which it can target the acne hormones in the skin. This agreement strengthens our dermatology portfolio, a key therapeutic area for Hikma. It also enables us to increase patients’ access to differentiated medicines in the region putting better health within reach. We look forward to working with Cosmo.”

 

Diana Harbort, President of Cosmo’s Dermatology Division, said: “We are delighted to partner with Hikma. Their significant experience in commercialization in the MENA region gives us great confidence in their ability to successfully register and market Winlevi®. We look forward to more acne patients around the globe having access to Winlevi®.”

About Hikma

Headquartered in the UK, Hikma helps put better health within reach every day for millions of people around the world. For more than 45 years, we've been creating high-quality medicines and making them accessible to the people who need them across North America, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Europe.

 

[1] Youth at the Centre of Government Action, A Review of the Middle East and North Africa; June 2022

[2] IQVIA data MAT Aug 2023

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https://www.aetoswire.com/en/news/2102023347300

Contacts

Mona Abdallah

Senior Director, MENA Communications

0096265802900

MBAbdallah@Hikma.com 

Creating a greener future for the middle east on stars of science season 15

 

Sustainable energy solutions take center stage on Qatar Foundation’s show

The competition has intensified as six candidates of Stars of Science Season 15 proceed to the more challenging ‘Engineering phase’, where they will refine their prototypes and overcome obstacles under the guidance of expert mentors.

With weekly eliminations, the stakes are higher than ever for candidates of this season’s Stars of Science – Qatar Foundation’s science and innovation edutainment show that empowers Arab youth to transform their ideas into tangible solutions – as only the most functional prototypes will move forward in the quest for a share of the Grand Prize.

As governments around the world focus on accelerating energy transitions by setting renewable energy targets and providing financial incentives for clean energy projects, and with the MENA region set to see an estimated investment of about US$700 billion in renewable energy between 2020 and 2050, Season 15 candidates have displayed an immense potential to address the pressing environmental challenges of our era through microbiology.

Contestant Abdullah Alhaj Sulaiman’s novel idea to produce ethanol by fermenting the lactose in the whey produced by dairy companies has garnered considerable praise from the jury and other members of the Stars of Science community. Sulaiman is currently a PhD candidate at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) in Qatar, and his idea came while working as a consultant at a dairy company.

Speaking more on the genesis of his methodology, Sulaiman says: “I was alarmed looking at how the disposal of whey in seas and landfills by dairy firms can lead to the choking and eradication of the marine life. By understanding the potential of microorganisms present in yeast cultivation that eventually leads to ethanol production, my vision is to not only expand the ethanol making industry in the Arab world, but also propose its utility as an alternate source of green energy.”

Diversification of energy sources and sustainability has been a recurrent theme throughout the seasons of Stars of Science, reflective of how the Arab youth are leading the change towards establishing a greener future. Amongst the successful alumni stories is that of Mahmoud Shattel from Season 4.

Shattel, an electrical engineer, unveiled the 'Reyah-T Vertical Wind Turbine', an innovation that harnesses wind power to quadruple the efficiency of regular turbines and even tap into low-speed breezes. Beyond this, he is the driving force behind 'Taqetna', a Jordanian venture that crafts sustainable products, from solar panels to the ground-breaking Reyah turbines.

Dr. Mohamad Saif Al Kuwari, Director and senior Engineering Consultant at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Qatar, also commended the ingenuity and dedication of participants of Stars of Science in building a sustainable future for the region. Dr. Al Kuwari said: “With promotion and development of a green infrastructure being one of the four main pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030, it is truly inspiring how Stars of Science has acted as an incubator for the brightest minds from the Arab world, to collaborate and design impactful solutions for a greener and more sustainable world.”

Stars of Science airs every Friday and Saturday from 8 September, 2023, to 20 October, 2023, on five channels in the region and online. Please visit the broadcast guide for channels and timings at starsofscience.com

About Stars of Science:

Throughout 15 years of success, Stars of Science – the edutainment TV initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF) – has leveraged its position as the premier innovation show in the Arab world to empower Arab innovators to successfully transform innovative ideas into tangible solutions, strengthening the culture of innovation within Arab youth. In its sustained journey that started in 2009, the show has demonstrated how young Arab innovators develop technological solutions for their communities, aiming to improve people’s well-being, provide financial opportunities to their local citizens, and advance sustainable development.

Over a 12-week process, the contestants develop their solutions experimentally in a shared innovation space, competing against time with the mentorship and support of a team of experienced engineers and product developers.

An expert panel of jurors assess and select more promising innovators and their projects every week across several prototyping and testing rounds until three finalists remain to compete for a share of the Grand Prize. Jury deliberation and online voting from the public determine the rankings of the two top winners.

To know more about Stars of Science, please visit: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok, and LinkedIn

Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, research and development, and community development.

QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development.

QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all.

For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, please visit: www.qf.org.qa

To stay up to date on our social media activities, follow our accounts on: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

For any media inquiries, please contact: pressoffice@qf.org.qa

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https://www.aetoswire.com/en/news/2102023347288

Contacts

Oussama Rahal

orahal@webershandwick.com

0097455398325

Boehringer Ingelheim and ZEISS join forces to early detect eye diseases and prevent vision loss

 INGELHEIM & JENA, Germany - Monday, 02. October 2023

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Boehringer Ingelheim and ZEISS Medical Technology announce today a long-term strategic collaboration to develop predictive analytics to enable early detection of eye diseases and prevent vision loss for people with serious eye diseases. The partnership brings together their leading expertise in ophthalmological technology, data analytics, algorithms, and the development of treatments to detect early and treat retinal diseases before irreversible loss of vision occurs.

More than 300 million people worldwide are at risk today of losing their eyesight due to diseases leading to functional loss of the retina.* The number of people suffering from vision loss is expected to rise due to aging populations and widening health inequity gaps. Undiagnosed and untreated retinal diseases can have a profound impact on people’s lives, potentially leading to isolation, loss of independence, depression, and reduced quality of life. Unfortunately, diagnosis often occurs too late to prevent vision loss, and for many conditions, no treatment is available at all.

The new partnership will focus on identifying markers of early stages of retinal diseases by leveraging ZEISS Medical Technology’s cloud-connected devices and AI-assisted analysis of its extensive image data sets. This will provide a basis for clinical studies for development of more personalized and precise treatments of early stages of chronic retinal disease as well as earlier detection and prediction capabilities to preserve vision through new treatment pathways.

“At ZEISS, we have long understood that where collaboration thrives, innovation emerges,“ said Euan S. Thomson, Head of the Ophthalmology Strategic Business Unit and Head of the Digital Business Unit for ZEISS Medical Technology. “With our announcement today with Boehringer Ingelheim, we’re building on our strategy to innovate through partnerships in order to make breakthrough discoveries to combat vision loss and improve people’s lives.”

“Our partnership with ZEISS will allow us to develop precision therapies delivering the right treatment for the right patient at the right time to prevent vision loss by intervening before irreversible damage occurs. It is part of our commitment to champion early detection and treatment and will contribute to transforming the lives of people with serious eye disease,” said Ulrike Graefe-Mody, Ph.D., Head of Retinal Health at Boehringer Ingelheim.

As a leading pioneer of science in optics for more than 100 years, ZEISS’s medical expertise and digital leadership is foundational to the ZEISS Medical Ecosystem and its digitally connected workflows. This connected and secure architecture integrates diagnostic and therapeutic devices supported by a cloud-based platform in which data aggregation, automation and AI analytics can be harnessed to drive new discoveries.

Boehringer Ingelheim has a leading understanding of disease biology aiming at a paradigm change in retinal health through early detection and intervention to achieve meaningful improvements for patients. Over the past decade Boehringer Ingelheim has built a diverse pipeline, which focuses on three priority areas to address retinal conditions – the preservation of vascular function, targeting inflammation and neuroprotection.

Click here for the full release:https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/science-innovation/human-health-innovation/boehringer-and-zeiss-partnership-eye-diseases?auHash=n2thfphi3cpKoj_GxyxhoWGqmhRDlOzIYhDvK5zfYMg

References

* World Health Organization, World Report on Vision, Executive Summary, October 8, 2019, https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/world-report-on-vision

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231002790283/en/

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Contacts

Harro Ten Wolde

Head of Global Media Relations

Email: harro.ten_wolde@boehringer-ingelheim.com

Phone Number: +49 (6132) 77-181352

 

Finalists Announced for the 2023 BAI Global Innovation Awards

 (BUSINESS WIRE)--BAI announced the finalists for the 13th Annual BAI Global Innovation Awards, the financial services industry’s leading innovation honor, celebrating organizational achievements. These 22 inspiring companies have successfully designed and delivered unique innovations that positively improved customer and business relationships, drove organizational changes and served their communities. This year’s finalists developed innovations covering digital transformation, fraud prevention, financial inclusion, instant payments, ESG investing, and artificial intelligence.

The 2023 BAI Global Innovation Award finalists are:

Ally (USA): Ally Financial Clearpass

The Bank of East Asia, Limited (China): BEAST

The Bank of East Asia, Limited (China): Intelligence-Led Financial Crime Prevention

BMO (Canada): BMO New to Canada

Banco BPI (Portugal): BPI VR

CaixaBank S.A. (Spain): Insights Center Research Hub

Citizens Bank (USA): Citizens Digital Butler

Clair (USA): Clair Digital Banking & On-Demand Pay

Credit Sesame (USA): Sesame Credit Builder

Emirates NBD (United Arab Emirates): Liv

Fifth Third Bank (USA): Merchant Everyday Funding

Flexcharge (USA): AcceptIQ Platform

ING Turkey (Turkey): The Rise of Intelligent Internal Control

İşbank (Turkey): Geleceğe Orman (Forest for the Future)

mooPay (India): Innovative Financial Services for Dairy Farmers

NPL Markets (United Kingdom): NPL Markets Platform

PNC Bank (USA): PNC Claims Predictor

PrimeLending (USA): Driving Change Through Social Learning

Standard Bank (South Africa): The ESG Marketplace, via One Hub

Veridas BBVA (Spain): Veridas Voice Biometrics Solution

Yapı ve Kredi Bankası A.Ş. (Turkey): Yapı Kredi FRWRD

Yapı ve Kredi Bankası A.Ş. (Turkey): Yapı Kredi Mobile "My World" Super App

Zenus Bank (UK): Zenus Bank Fraud Prevention

Zūm Rails (Canada): Zūm Rails

“All around the world, financial services organizations think and execute outside the box to create original and creative solutions to their community’s most pressing needs. These 22 companies represent some of the best solutions that positively impact their business and customers,” said Amy Radin, financial services innovation executive, award-winning author, and lead judge of the 2023 BAI Global Innovation Awards.

“The impact these organizations are making within the financial services industry and their markets is inspiring,” said Holly Hughes, Chief Marketing Officer at BAI. “Leaders are delivering creative solutions for building inclusion, developing talent, serving customers, improving communities and creating efficiencies in new and different ways.”

The winners will be announced in late October 2023. To learn more, please visit BAI Global Innovation Awards.

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231002918451/en/

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Contacts

Kendall Carwile

William Mills Agency

678-781-7224

kendall@williammills.com

 

McDonald's Egypt Selects Roboost to Fully Automate Delivery Operations

 Cairo, Egypt - Monday, 02. October 2023

Roboost, the provider of the only fully automated home delivery management solution, is pleased to announce its partnership with McDonald's Egypt. With Roboost's AI-powered solution, McDonald's Egypt is poised to fully automate their last-mile delivery cycle, optimizing operations before delivery starts, and reducing manual actions.

Home delivery in Egypt has been popular for years, yet it remains a complex operation to master. McDonald's Egypt was the first market with a developmental license to establish home delivery in the world. Therefore, the partnership between Roboost and McDonald's Egypt is a testament to Egypt's leading role in the home delivery space. Bringing together decades of home delivery expertise and technology to transform the delivery market in Egypt.

Roboost's cutting-edge technology has already helped many businesses in the market, doubling their delivery speeds, increasing productivity by 60%, and reducing operational costs by 30%, making them the ideal partner for McDonald's Egypt.

With Roboost, McDonald's Egypt can now fully automate their delivery operations, and benefit from greater visibility and control over each stage of the delivery cycle, to not only enhance delivery speed but also gain clear reliable operational insights, to help improve the overall customer experience even further. The solution will also help ensure optimum productivity from the fleet.

"We are excited to partner with McDonald's Egypt and help them continue to deliver on their famed promise of the fastest delivery in Egypt." said Mohamed Gessraha, CEO of Roboost. "With our AI-powered solution, they can fully automate their home delivery operations, optimize their routes even without digital locations, and improve their delivery times, all while offering their customers a consistently superior delivery experience. We are confident that our partnership will set new standards in the delivery market across the region."

"At McDonald's Egypt, we take pride in being pioneers in the home delivery sector and consistently raising the bar in terms of speed, reliability and overall customer experience," said Essam Reda, Senior Director of People & Operations at McDonald’s Egypt. “Partnering with Roboost allows us to take our delivery operations to the next level through automation and AI-driven route optimization. We are excited to utilize Roboost's solution to streamline our end-to-end delivery process, gain even faster turnaround times, and further enhance food quality and safety, providing our valued customers with the best delivery experience possible."

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https://www.aetoswire.com/en/news/2809202334683

Contacts

Omar Alarnosy

Omar.a@roboost.app

Saudi Fund for Development Supports Infrastructure Development in The Bahamas and Mauritius, and Explores Cooperation with San Marino

 In the presence of the Saudi Fund for Development Board of Directors Chairman, H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, the SFD Chief Executive Officer, signed today in Riyadh, two development loan agreements worth a total of $140 million USD to support infrastructure development with the governments of The Bahamas and the Republic of Mauritius. The CEO also signed a letter of intent with the Republic of San Marino to explore potential cooperation in the economic, cultural, and transportation sectors.  The agreements and letter of intent signed at World Tourism Day 2023, hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The first development loan agreement, worth $70 million USD, was signed with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation of The Bahamas, Hon. Isaac Chester, to fund the Family Islands Airports Renaissance Project, which aims to develop and raise the capabilities of airports in the Exuma Islands and increase the number of visitors to the airports from 237,000 to 285,000 visitors annually.

The second development loan agreement, worth $70 million USD, was signed with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Mauritius, Hon. Louis Steven Obeegadoo, to fund the “Construction of Rivière des Anguilles Dam Project”. This project will protect the natural environment from floodings, and provide a reliable source of water for drinking, irrigation, and industrial use.

The letter of intent was signed with the Minister of Tourism of the Republic of San Marino, Hon. Federico Pedini Amati will enable the government and SFD to explore potential infrastructure development cooperation in the economic, cultural and transportation sectors. This signifies the beginning of a new development relationship between SFD and San Marino.

These latest development agreements were signed as part of the SFD's commitment to support sustainable development in developing countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) around the world. They will also contribute towards the realization of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 6, Clean water and sanitation, SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and SDG 9, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

In line with its mission to promote global sustainable development, SFD has funded more than 700 development projects worth US$18.7 billion in over 90 countries around world.

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https://www.aetoswire.com/en/news/sfd02102023eng

Contacts

Randah Alhothali

Director General: Corporate Communications

Email: ralhothali@sfd.gov.sa

RevBits further enhances its USB device protection capability in its Endpoint Security & EDR solution - delivering an unrivaled granular policy environment

 MINEOLA, N.Y. - Monday, 02. October 2023 AETOSWire 

(BUSINESS WIRE)--RevBits announces that it has further strengthened its already robust USB device policy environment in its endpoint security & EDR solution by adding a defining field for device serial numbers.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231002319775/en/

RevBits Endpoint Security & EDR is a next-generation endpoint security solution delivering complete protection from malware through its three-phased analysis engine and the deepest EDR module on the market. The solution's EDR module provides total forensics and endpoint mitigation features and a US-patented technology for protecting the kernel through its anti-rootkit function.

In addition to its strength in detecting and blocking malware, RevBits EPS & EDR removes the threat landscape of malicious acts delivered through USB devices.

In "USB drive malware attacks spiking again in first half of 2023," Bleeping Computer, July 23, 2023, Bill Toulas notes the following:

A threefold increase in malware distributed through USB drives in the first half of 2023.

Unique advantages keep them both relevant and trending in 2023, as Mandiant reports.

Advantages include bypassing security mechanisms, stealth, initial access to corporate networks, and the ability to infect air-gapped systems.

"RevBits understands the seriousness of the threat that USB devices pose," said RevBits CTO Mucetba Celik. "USB-based external devices can deliver malware through an unwitting employee and a malicious insider looking to harm their company. We are constantly looking at the most meaningful ways to improve our solutions, and we have done that in our EPS product regarding our USB control capabilities. We now give the administrator the power to lock down their USB use environment and protect the company."

RevBits Endpoint Security & EDR allows administrators to deeply define what is allowed and not allowed in USB device use.

Within the USB policy-setting environment of RevBits Endpoint Security & EDR, policies can be set on the following five significant parameters:

USB device type.

USB device serial number (SID).

USB device vendor identification (VID).

USB device product identification (PID).

Enable or disable USB ports on specific or groups of workstations to control USB use.

About RevBits

Established in 2018, RevBits is a comprehensive cybersecurity company dedicated to providing customers with superior protection and service. RevBits delivers protection against the most sophisticated cyber threats companies face by offering multiple advanced security capabilities that can be administered through a unified security platform. RevBits is headquartered in Mineola, NY, with offices in Princeton, NJ; Boston, MA; London, England; and Antwerp, Belgium. For more information on RevBits, please visit RevBits.

RevBit's complete solution suite offerings are RevBits Endpoint Security, RevBits Email Security, RevBits Privileged Access Management, RevBits Zero Trust Network, and RevBits Deception Technology. For customers running more than one RevBits solution, the administration is managed through RevBits Cyber Intelligence Platform, a unified, single-pane environment that curates, correlates, and alerts to threats while delivering intelligence for a quick administrative response. RevBits Cyber Intelligence Platform integrates with all common SIEMs.

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231002319775/en/

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https://www.aetoswire.com/en/news/2102023347455

Contacts

Neal Hesterberg

Vice President of Business Development

neal.hesterberg@revbits.com