Murata to Acquire Peregrine Semiconductor for $12.50 Per Share in Cash

Acquisition enhances Murata’s position as a world’s leading provider of RF system solutions

ME NewsWire/Business Wire

KYOTO, Japan & SAN DIEGO - Saturday, August 23rd 2014

Murata Electronics North America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSE/OSE: 6981), and Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation (Peregrine) (NASDAQ: PSMI) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Murata will acquire all outstanding shares of Peregrine not owned by Murata, for $12.50 per share in cash, or a total transaction value of $471 million ($465 million excluding Murata’s existing holding). Peregrine is the founder of RF SOI (silicon on insulator) and pioneer of advanced Radio Frequency (RF) solutions and is a leading provider of RF front-end (RFFE) solutions for mobile and analog applications. Upon closing of the transaction, Peregrine will become part of Murata’s strategy to expand its core business. Peregrine will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Murata and continue with its current business model of solving the world’s toughest RF challenges.

“This acquisition will combine Murata’s world-leading mobile RF module capabilities with Peregrine’s best-in-class RF front-end products. Peregrine has a team of talented RF engineers,” said Norio Nakajima, Executive Vice President , Director of Communication Business Unit of Murata. “Peregrine invented RF SOI, has led its development for 20 years, and accomplished a large number of industry firsts. We have worked closely with them for many years. Their innovation, including the Global 1 all-silicon integrated RF front-end, is a key strategic area for the mobile industry. This transaction will deepen our existing partnership and position us to meet the expanding opportunities in this field.”

“Murata is the world’s leading RF module and filter provider, and we have benefited from our many years of partnership with them. The combination of Murata’s leading products with Peregrine’s leading-edge SOI products will position us to compete aggressively in our chosen markets,” said Jim Cable, PhD, Chairman and CEO of Peregrine Semiconductor. “As part of the Murata team, we will be able to expand our existing partnership and speed the industry’s transition to an integrated, all-CMOS RF front-end. We remain committed to providing leading solutions to customers in all our current markets. We have huge respect for Murata’s capabilities, and look forward to jointly accomplishing great things.”

The acquisition will deliver to Murata advanced RF Front-end capabilities and the world’s best Silicon on Insulator (SOI) process technology, key areas for the growing integration of mobile technologies. The radio requirements of smartphones and other wireless devices continue to grow more complex. This complexity can only be solved with silicon technology. Peregrine supplies many wireless markets, including: smartphones, test & measurement, automotive, public safety radio and wireless Infrastructure. Peregrine will also provide Murata with a strong portfolio of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) covering the entire RF SOI front-end.

The transaction, which has been approved by both companies’ boards of directors, is expected to close by the end of 2014 or early 2015, subject to Peregrine’s stockholders’ approval, regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions.

Peregrine Semiconductor – Solving the World’s Toughest RF Challenges

Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: PSMI), founder of RF SOI (silicon on insulator), is a leading fabless provider of high-performance, integrated RF solutions. Since 1988 Peregrine and its founding team have been perfecting UltraCMOS® technology - a patented, advanced form of SOI - to deliver the performance edge needed to solve the RF market's biggest challenges, such as linearity. With products that deliver best-in-class performance and monolithic integration, Peregrine is the trusted choice for market leaders in automotive, broadband, industrial, Internet of Things, military, mobile devices, smartphones, space, test-and-measurement equipment and wireless infrastructure. Peregrine holds more than 180 filed and pending patents and has shipped over 2 billion UltraCMOS units. For more information, visit http://www.psemi.com.

About Murata

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of ceramic-based passive electronic components & solutions, communication modules and power supply modules. With annual revenues of ¥846 billion (~8.4B USD), Murata is committed to the development of advanced electronic materials and leading-edge, multi-functional, high-density modules. The company has employees and manufacturing facilities throughout the world. For more information, visit Murata's website at http://www.murata.com/.

Advisors

Deutsche Bank and Evercore acted as financial advisors to Peregrine and Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP acted as legal advisor. Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to Murata, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acted as legal advisor.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the words “will,” “expects,” “believes” and words or phrases of similar import. Actual results could differ materially from those projected or forecast in the forward-looking statements. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, without limitation, risks or uncertainties associated with: the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the consummation of the proposed transaction, including, without limitation, the receipt of stockholder and regulatory approvals; unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the proposed transaction; legal proceedings that may be instituted against Peregrine and others following announcement of the proposed transaction; disruptions of current plans and operations caused by the announcement and pendency of the proposed transaction; potential difficulties in employee retention as a result of the announcement and pendency of the proposed transaction; the response of customers, distributors, suppliers and competitors to the announcement of the proposed transaction; and other factors described in Peregrine’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2013 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K filed with the SEC by Peregrine. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as predictions of future events or as representing Murata’s or Peregrine’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. Murata and Peregrine assume no obligation to update the information in this press release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed acquisition of Peregrine by Murata. In connection with the proposed transaction, Peregrine intends to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a proxy statement on Schedule 14A. SECURITY HOLDERS OF PEREGRINE ARE URGED TO READ ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING PEREGRINE’S PROXY STATEMENT, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain the documents free of charge at the SEC’s web site, www.sec.gov, and may obtain documents filed by Peregrine free of charge from Peregrine’s website (http://www.psemi.com) under the tab “Investors”. In addition, the proxy statement and other documents filed by Peregrine with the SEC (when available) may be obtained from Peregrine free of charge by directing a request to Peregrine, [Office of the Secretary], 9380 Carroll Park Drive, San Diego, CA 92121 or (858) 731-9400.

Participants in Solicitation

Peregrine and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the holders of Peregrine common stock in respect of the proposed transaction. Security holders may obtain information regarding Peregrine and its directors and executive officers, including their respective names, affiliations and interests, in Peregrine’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2013, which was filed with the SEC on February 19, 2014, and its definitive proxy statement for its 2014 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 20, 2014. To the extent holdings of Peregrine securities have changed since the amounts contained in the definitive proxy statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting, such changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Investors may obtain additional information regarding the interest of such participants by reading the proxy statement regarding the proposed transaction when it becomes available.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transaction, Peregrine will be filing a proxy statement and relevant documents concerning the transaction with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). SECURITY HOLDERS OF PEREGRINE ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders can obtain free copies of the proxy statement and other documents when they become available by contacting Investor Relations, Peregrine, 9380 Carroll Park Road, San Diego, CA 92121 (Telephone: 858-731-9499). In addition, documents filed with the SEC by Peregrine are available free of charge at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.

Peregrine and its directors, executive officers and certain other members of its management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Peregrine’s stockholders in connection with the transaction, which may be different than those of Peregrine stockholders generally. Information regarding the interests of such directors and executive officers is included in Peregrine’s proxy statements and Annual Reports on Form 10-K, previously filed with the SEC, and information concerning all of Peregrine’s participants in the solicitation will be included in the proxy statement relating to the proposed transaction when it becomes available. Each of these documents is, or will be, available free of charge at the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov and from Investor Relations, Peregrine, 9380 Carroll Park Road, San Diego, CA 92121 (Telephone: 858-731-9499).

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50929265&lang=en

Contacts

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Yoshihiro Nomura, Public Relations Manager

075-955-6786



For Press:

Junko Matsumura, +81 75 955 6786

Harumi Sekiguchi, +81 75 955 6786



Peregrine Semiconductor, Inc.

For Investor Relations:

Jonathan Goldberg, +1 858 232 7864



For Press:

Jackie Townsend, +1 619 247 3569



Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/11890/en

Deutsche Telekom upgrades to industry-leading IPX connections both for its in-house customer Telekom Deutschland and on the AMS-IX hub, enabling fast data exchange between mobile operators worldwide

BONN, Germany. - Friday, August 22nd 2014 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- When abroad, today’s mobile subscribers expect high-speed 3G or LTE data roaming services with best user experience. As an expert provider of IPX roaming capabilities, Deutsche Telekom’s International Carrier Sales & Solutions (ICSS) unit ensures fast, secure IP exchange, especially in times of exponentially rising data volumes. It also provides high-speed, high-quality solutions for mobile operators around the world. In line with this strategy, ICSS has now not only significantly increased Telekom Deutschland’s Ethernet Link to its own IPX platform, but has also upgraded its IPX interconnection capacity at AMS-IX, a central IP peering hub in Amsterdam.

ICSS in-house customer Telekom Deutschland is one of the first mobile operators to benefit from ICSS’s decision to upgrade its IPX connections. As an indispensable partner for Deutsche Telekom Group entities, ICSS prepared Telekom Deutschland – the biggest mobile operator in Germany – for the summer holiday roaming peaks and the capacity demands arising from the ongoing LTE roaming rollout by increasing the company’s Ethernet link to 4 x 10 Gigabit via its own IPX platform. As a result, Telekom Deutschland can continue providing its roaming subscribers with seamless data services around the globe, whereas ICSS is now one of very few wholesalers to offer such a significant volume to mobile operators.

“We have seen tremendous growth in the use of our services from both current and new customers. When abroad, they want the same high-speed, high-quality connection they have at home. Our goal is to satisfy their data roaming expectations, today and in the future,” says Dirk Poppe, Vice President Mobile Wholesale Roaming, Telekom Deutschland GmbH.

ICSS provides attractive, tailored services to mobile operators around the world, not only within the Deutsche Telekom Group. The recent upgrade of the unit’s IPX connection at the central IP peering hub “AMS-IX” in Amsterdam to 2 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet once again proves ICSS’s commitment to enabling its customers to benefit from its ability to successfully handle the rapid, continuous increase in mobile data transport.

“Our focus is to provide our mobile operator partners with the seamless connectivity they need to ensure superior experience to their subscribers. The decision to upgrade our IPX connectivity at this central IP peering hub is a further module in our strategy to offer industry-leading IPX capacity for the benefit of our customers. They profit from extended global reach and end-to-end quality guarantee in times of ever-growing data volumes,” explains Holger Magnussen, Senior Vice President International Carrier Sales & Solutions.

Job Witteman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), AMS-IX, comments, “We are happy to support ICSS with this capacity upgrade at our inter-IPX peering platform. ICSS is thus well prepared to deal with the immense growth in LTE data volumes. This shows ICSS’s dedication to the future needs of its mobile operator partners and their subscribers – to provide them with the full advantages of the latest, next-generation applications for the best in user experience.”

About Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies with over 142 million mobile customers, 31 million fixed-network lines and more than 17 million broadband lines (as of December 31, 2013). The Group provides fixed network, mobile communications, Internet and IPTV products and services for consumers and ICT solutions for business customers and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in around 50 countries and has approximately 229,000 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenues of EUR 60.1 billion in the 2013 financial year – more than half of it outside Germany.

For further information, see http://www.telekom.com/home.

About International Carrier Sales & Solutions (ICSS)

International Carrier Sales & Solutions (ICSS) is one of the world's leading carriers and an innovation driver for IP-based solutions. As an integral part of Deutsche Telekom’s International Wholesale Business Unit, ICSS serves the international wholesale requirements of the DT Group with its international affiliates and more than 860 external customers worldwide. One of the units’ core competencies is to focus on building business partnerships around the globe. With years of experience in the international wholesale communication market, ICSS has the expertise to provide clients with tailor-made solutions. The innovative technologies are offered on a global basis with a special emphasis on Europe. The integration of the GTS International Services Business Unit significantly strengthens ICSS as the leading partner for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with an unmatched product portfolio throughout the region.

The cutting-edge offerings of ICSS include the following business segments:

Internet & Content: Ensure best user experience by partnering with one of the premier European Internet and content players.

Mobile World: Mobilize your customers’ lives with innovative and profitable solutions from ICSS, a premium mobile enabler.

Carrier Enterprise Services: Securely connect your customer’s global sites with a major European multi-service provider.

Global Capacity: Manage your growing European and transatlantic backbone requirements with tailored, reliable and high-speed connectivity solutions.

Global Voice: Excellence and innovation with scale from the international market leader for retail voice termination.

For further information, see www.telekom-icss.com.

Contacts

Press Contacts:

Deutsche Telekom AG
International Wholesale Business Unit
Lisa Elisabeth Krenz
Tel.: +49 (0) 228 181 18798
E-mail: e.krenz@telekom.de









Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/11888/en

Dole Honored for Work in Social Accountability

Company-founded foundation recognized at home and abroad for excellence in education, social practices

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. - Saturday, August 23rd 2014 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE) Dole Food Company’s DALE Foundation, the organization responsible for corporate responsibility projects for the DOLE group of companies in Ecuador and Peru, was recognized by the Municipality of Guayaquil, Ecuador for the Company’s activities in support of education.

The award was presented on July 23 at Guayaquil’s city hall by the Vice Mayor of the city, Mrs. Domenica Tabacchi and received by Maria Eugenia Castro, Executive Director of the DALE Foundation.

“We are so honored to receive this recognition,” said Ms. Castro, Executive Director of the DALE Foundation. “Dole and the Dale Foundation have done such great work together here and this relationship should be held up as a model for other companies to build and support these types of social programs.”

Earlier this year Dole received recognition by the State Department of the United States as the DALE Foundation was selected among 12 finalists for the "Secretary of State's 2013 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE)," a Recognition Award granted by the U.S. Embassies around the world for the work of companies in Social Responsibility.

During the award ceremony, U.S. Ambassador in Ecuador, Mr. Adam Namm emphasized the social actions taken by DOLE, expressing admiration in a U.S. business doing such good work in Ecuador.

The award event was attended by members of the DALE Foundation Board and was accepted by Patricio Gutiérrez, President of the DALE Foundation.

“Since our early days, Dole has long been involved in enhancing the communities in which we operate,” said Rudy Amador, Dole’s Director of Quality, Environmental & Food Safety Affairs. “Its part of who we are and we continue to implement a variety of social responsibility policies and programs that generate sustainable development in these regions.”

Dole launched the DALE Foundation in 2001 in Ecuador and in 2008 in Peru. It was founded on the philosophy that positive social outcomes should be a goal shared by the parent company, the banana producers and the community alike. Dale programs' scope includes all areas where the company operates. Throughout the years, the Foundation has been successful in countless efforts, including running 22 health clinics, more than one million health services that includes preventive programs and nutrition lectures that benefit 13,000 families, most of whom are agricultural workers and their family members who formerly didn’t have access to healthcare. The Foundation has also built two elementary schools where it provides free education for 750 children in areas with a high concentration of banana farm workers.

About DALE Foundation

DALE Foundation designs and operates programs of corporate social responsibility for subsidiaries of Dole in Ecuador and Peru. Its operations are funded by Dole and independent banana producers.

About Dole Food Company

Dole Food Company, Inc., is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education and research. For more information, please visit www.dole.com.

Contacts

Dole Food Company

US Contact: William Goldfield

818-874-4647

william.goldfield@dole.com



EU Contact: Xavier Roussel,

+49 (0) 40-32-90-60

xavier.roussel@dole.com







Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/11891/en

Leading Global Industrial Auctioneers Troostwijk and Heritage Global Partners Launch World-class Industry Collaboration with Exclusive European Energy Alliance

Troostwijk/HGP European Energy Alliance Creates Unparalleled Suite of Full-Service Capital Asset Solutions to Maximize the Value of Energy Corporations’ Idle Plants & Assets

AMSTERDAM & SAN DIEGO. - Thursday, August 21st 2014 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE) Heritage Global Partners (“HGP”), a global leader in asset advisory and auction services today announced that they have entered into an exclusive strategic alliance with Troostwijk Auctions (“Troostwijk”) to monetize global energy industry assets on behalf of regional and multinational European corporate clients. Founded in 1930, Troostwijk is one of the largest and most highly respected European industrial auctioneers, with locations in 15 countries. The alliance combines the core competencies of HGP and Troostwijk, and together they will conduct energy sector disinvestment projects, sales and auctions throughout Europe, with a focus on coal, nuclear power generation, oil & gas processing, metals refining, smelting and other related industries.

“We are honored to form this strategic partnership with Troostwijk, one of Europe’s leading and most prolific industrial auctioneers,” stated Ross Dove, Managing Partner of Heritage Global Partners. “Tjade Dieker and the talented Troostwijk team are well-known throughout our industry for achieving excellent results on behalf of their clientele. Our respective firms have been pioneers and innovators in the sale of energy-related assets, having conducted over 100 successful events across continents and energy sectors. Together, we will deliver solutions to help major corporations maximize the value of their transitioning idle energy facilities.”

Tjade Dieker, Chief Executive Officer of Troostwijk stated, “This new alliance between Troostwijk and Heritage Global Partners brings together a world-class team of industry professionals on both sides. Ross and Kirk Dove, together with their seasoned group of associates, are well-known for their worldwide industrial asset advisory and sales expertise and a proven track record of success. Combined, our firms have worked with some of the world’s largest energy companies. Our alliance will provide a full-service offering ranging from asset acquisitions and dispositions, to complete, multi-phase programs serving a variety of needs.”

Heritage Global Partners is one of the leading worldwide asset advisory and auction services firms and a subsidiary of publicly traded Heritage Global Inc. (OTCQB: HGBL and CSE: HGP).

Contacts

Ross Dove, 650-291-0824

Managing Partner

rdove@HGPauction.com



Tjade Dieker, +31-20-6666521

CEO

t.dieker@troostwijkauctions.com



JCIR

Jennifer Neuman, 212-835-8500

HGP@jcir.com





Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/11884/en

cloudBuy to Deliver eMarketplace for Australian State Government

First eMarketplace deployment in Australia builds on recent Spend Analysis contract wins as cloudBuy continues to expand global presence

LONDON - Friday, August 22nd 2014 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- cloudBuy plc, the cloud eCommerce marketplace, today announced it has won a new contract with an Australian State Government (the “State”) to deliver an eProcurement marketplace for the State’s treasury and IT departments. Once deployed, the new eMarketplace will consolidate existing shared services through a single online platform, delivering financial and efficiency savings. The eMarketplace will also be integrated with the State’s existing SAP enterprise platform, enabling electronic invoicing and purchase order synchronisation.

The first phase of the project, which will run for a minimum six month period initially, will see cloudBuy implement its end-to-end Software as a Service (SaaS) eMarketplace for the State and support the onboarding process of 20 key treasury and ICT suppliers to ensure a smooth migration.

"This is cloudBuy’s first eMarketplace project in Australia and follows earlier contract wins for our Spend Analysis solution in this market,” said Ronald Duncan, Chairman of cloudBuy plc. “As we continue to grow our global footprint, we are in discussions with many similar potential customers who wish to explore the benefits that cloudBuy’s solutions can bring.”

Following the initial set up fees, the terms of the new contract will see cloudBuy receive ongoing revenues via a transactional charge, calculated as a percentage of the value spent within the eMarketplace. Based on the State’s existing procurement card spend, estimated revenues are expected to be approximately $900,000 AUD in the first year, rising to a potential $7.2 million annually over time.

“Traditional annual license fees are becoming increasingly unpopular with SaaS vendors and customers alike who want more flexible payment models based on actual usage and needs,” said Ronald Duncan. “Our new transaction based model, developed in conjunction with Visa, will eliminate annual license costs for customers, whilst for cloudBuy it provides a much closer link between platform usage and revenues generated.”

About cloudBuy

cloudBuy, formerly @UK, is the world’s leading transactional Cloud Platform with over 1 million users. The platform supports B2B eCommerce and eProcurement across a range of public and private sector organisations providing a secure, controlled transactional environment for B2B trading.

For more information on cloudBuy’s solutions, please visit www.cloudbuy.com

Contacts

Say Communications

Robert Hickling

020-8971-6400

cloudbuy@saycomms.co.uk









Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/11889/en

OT Will Present Its Q2 2014 Financial Results to Investors on August 29th 2014

COLOMBES, France - Friday, August 22nd 2014 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oberthur Technologies, a world leader in digital security solutions for the mobility space, today announced that it will present its second quarter 2014 financial results to investors on Friday August 29th, 2014.

Didier Lamouche (CEO) and Anne-France Laclide (CFO) will be presenting these financial results and taking questions the same day at 4pm CEST (3pm BST/ 10am EDT).

In order to access the conference call dial-in details, you need to register with Investor Relations: investors@oberthur.com.

If you have already registered, details are available on our website: http://investors.oberthur.com

ABOUT OBERTHUR TECHNOLOGIES

OT is a world leader in digital security solutions for the mobility space. OT has always been at the heart of mobility, from the first smart cards to the latest contactless payment technologies which equip millions of smartphones. Present in the Payment, Telecommunications and Identity markets, OT offers end-to-end solutions in the Smart Transactions, Mobile Financial Services, Machine-to-Machine, Digital Identity and Transport & Access Control fields. OT employs over 6 000 employees worldwide, including close to 700 R&D people. With more than 50 sales offices across 5 continents and 10 facilities, OT’s international network serves clients in 140 countries. For more information: www.oberthur.com

Download The M World, All you need to know about the latest trends of the Mobility world, available on AppStore and Google Play

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Contacts
MEDIA CONTACTS
Oberthur Technologies
Audrey Besnardeau, Tel.: +33 1 78 14 76 75
a.besnardeau@oberthur.com



FTI Consulting Strategic Communication
Guillaume Granier, Tel.: +33 1 47 03 68 10
oberthur@fticonsulting.com







Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/11887/en

Project Data Sphere, LLC Appoints Dr. Kald Abdallah, Chief Project Data Sphere Officer

CARY, N.C. - Thursday, August 21st 2014 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Project Data Sphere, LLC has appointed Kald Abdallah, MD, PhD as Chief Project Data Sphere Officer, charging him with continuing the rapid development of www.ProjectDataSphere.org which is providing broad access to cancer research databases, enabling unprecedented research collaboration to solve complex scientific problems.

“Dr. Abdallah has a track record of helping align data contributors with the innovative approach to cancer research that the Project Data Sphere initiative represents and that cancer patients deserve,” said Christopher A. Viehbacher, President and CEO of Project Data Sphere, LLC and also Chair of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer and Chief Executive Officer of Sanofi.

Project Data Sphere, LLC, is an independent not-for-profit initiative of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer’s Life Sciences Consortium. The CEO Roundtable on Cancer was established in 2001 with the mandate to bring bold and imaginative solutions to cancer care. The data sharing platform (www.ProjectDataSphere.org) was launched in April of this year, with the goal of advancing research to improve the lives of cancer patients and their families around the world. In order to ensure that researchers can realize the full potential of the clinical trial data in the platform, Project Data Sphere, LLC teamed with CEO Roundtable on Cancer member SAS Institute Inc. (SAS), a leader in data and health analytics, to make state-of-the-art analytic tools available to registered users within the Project Data Sphere environment.

Abdallah most recently served as Vice President of North America for Medical Affairs at Sanofi, where he also volunteered to help lead key activities of the Project Data Sphere initiative. Abdallah’s efforts aided AstraZeneca, Bayer, Celgene, Janssen Research and Development, an affiliate of Johnson & Johnson, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Pfizer, and Sanofi to become the pioneering partners in making clinical trial data available via the Project Data Sphere database. In his new role, Abdallah will continue working with these partners as well as other organizations, including the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (sponsored by the National Cancer Institute), Amgen, and Quintiles, that have expressed interest in providing additional cancer data sets.

Abdallah has served in executive oncology R&D roles in the pharmaceutical industry and in academic research settings for the past thirteen years. He joined Sanofi in 2011, having previously held positions in Bristol Myers Squibb and Sao Paulo University Medical School where he was devoted to cancer chemo- and immunotherapy drug development, most notably leading BMS’s global medical team in the development and launch of Ipilimumab (an immunotherapeutic drug selected by SCIENCE Magazine as Breakthrough of the Year – 2013). At Sao Paulo University Medical School, he held teaching and research positions before joining the pharmaceutical industry in 2005. Abdallah earned his MD and PhD degrees from Sao Paulo University Medical School and then matriculated at Harvard Medical School for his postdoctoral fellowship.

In the coming months, Abdallah will explore Project Data Sphere, LLC’s participation in a series of focused research challenges designed to draw on the diversity of expertise within the community to develop innovative solutions to challenging questions. The first of these planned challenges addresses prostate cancer and is in collaboration with the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Sage Bionetworks, The Dream Project, academic experts from the University of North Carolina and the companies mentioned above who have provided de-identified, patient-level data.

About the CEO Roundtable on Cancer

The CEO Roundtable on Cancer was founded in 2001, when former President George H.W. Bush challenged a group of executives to "do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate families." The CEOs responded by creating and encouraging the widespread adoption of the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ which calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and workplace culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to address cancer in the workplace. The Life Sciences Consortium (LSC) (www.ceo-lsc.org) was formed by the CEO Roundtable on Cancer as a means of bringing together leading oncology pharmaceutical/ biotechnology companies to enable a transformation in research and development activities. Their aim is to deliver more effective oncology therapies to patients faster by collaborating on solving issues common to all cancer companies engaged in drug discovery and development that cannot be solved by any single company alone. An earlier outcome of the LSC was the creation of the Standard Terms of Agreement for Research Trial (START) clauses in conjunction with the National Cancer Institute. The creation of these “common language” contract templates aims to shorten the contract negotiation time prior to opening a clinical research trial. For more information, please visitwww.CEORoundtableOnCancer.org.

Project Data Sphere, LLC

Project Data Sphere, LLC (PDS), an independent, not-for-profit initiative of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer’s Life Sciences Consortium (LSC), operates the Project Data Sphere platform (www.ProjectDataSphere.org) which provides one place where the research community can broadly share, integrate and analyze historical, patient-level cancer phase III comparator-arm data with the goal of advancing future research to improve the lives of cancer patients and their families around the world.

Contacts

Green Room Public Relations

Caren Begun, 856-424-2023

C: 201-396-8551

VP Media Relations

caren@greenroompr.com









Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/11882/en