Sophi.io Wins at WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Worldwide 2021

Sophi Dynamic Paywall wins global award for Best Paid Media Strategy

TORONTO, Dec. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophi.io, The Globe and Mail’s artificial intelligence-based automation, optimization and prediction engine, won WAN-IFRA’s 2021 Digital Media Awards Worldwide award in the Best Paid Media Strategy category for Sophi Dynamic Paywall, its real-time, personalized paywall engine that analyses both content characteristics and user behaviour to determine when to ask a reader for money or an email address, and when to leave them alone.

The judges unanimously selected Sophi Dynamic Paywall as the winner, with one judge commenting: “What Globe and Mail did is state of the art and what I appreciate most is that they permanently tested against the old paywall so those results are really, really sustainable.”

The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)’s Digital Media Awards Worldwide is the news media industry’s global digital media competition. The worldwide winners are selected from the winners of the regional Digital Media Awards in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and South Asia, which together provide news publishers with regular showcases for best-practice innovation in digital publishing worldwide. The awards recognize and celebrate the best of digital media.

“Sophi Dynamic Paywall has been crucial to driving reader revenue at The Globe and Mail,” said Phillip Crawley, Publisher and CEO of The Globe and Mail. “I look forward to sharing more stories about how Sophi’s other customers are seeing great results with our AI-powered technology.”

Sophi is an artificial-intelligence system that helps publishers identify their most valuable content and leverage it to achieve key business goals. The Sophi suite of tools also consists of Sophi Site Automation which autonomously curates content across all of a publisher’s digital properties and Sophi Content Paywall which uses complex natural language processing models to analyze every piece of content and select articles to put in front of or behind a hard paywall, maximizing the value of both the subscription revenue opportunity and the advertising revenue for publishers.

Publishers on five continents now use Sophi’s AI and ML technology to power paywall decisions, website automation and print automation.

About Sophi.io 

Sophi.io (https://www.sophi.io) was developed by The Globe and Mail to help content publishers make important strategic and tactical decisions. It is a suite of AI-powered tools that includes Sophi Site Automation and Sophi for Paywalls. Sophi is designed to improve the metrics that matter most to your business, such as subscriber retention and acquisition, engagement, recency, frequency and volume. Sophi also powers automated laydown of print and ePaper publishing.

Contact  

Jamie Rubenovitch 
Head of Marketing, Sophi 
The Globe and Mail 
416-585-3355  
jrubenovitch@globeandmail.com

Huawei and UNESCO to Implement Project in Africa for Digital Education Systems

The three-year project will deliver online learning platforms for Ghana, Ethiopia, and Egypt

SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — At an online meeting on November 25, UNESCO and Huawei announced the launch of the implementations phase of the Technology-Enabled Open Schools for All (TeOSS) project in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Egypt.

UNESCO and Huawei announced the launch of the implementations phase of the Technology-Enabled Open Schools for All (TeOSS) project in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Egypt.

Aligned with UN SDG4, TeOSS will serve as a basis for powering the digital transformation of the education sector and support the three UNESCO member states in building resilient education systems that can withstand global disruptions such as COVID-19. Evaluating project outcomes will help guide strategies and models for scaling out TeOSS at a national level, and for expanding the project to other African nations to drive ICT integration into teaching and learning.

In addition to connecting schools, the TeOSS projects in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Egypt will provide training for teachers and students in the use of digital tools, establish online platforms to link school and home learning, and develop digital curricula that can be accessed remotely without supervision. It is aimed to help students become confident digital citizens capable of navigating the virtual world independently and equip teachers with the skills required to use existing and new digital tools to maximize learning outcomes.

“The project is designed to test schooling models that can respond immediately to new challenges imposed by the pandemic and also leverage technology to help enable the development of future models of schooling,” said Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO. “It is defined by a digital school model that makes programs accessible for all students, whether in times of crisis or not – it is a case of going beyond the current situation and opening a new horizon of teaching and learning.”

Planned in close collaboration with the governments of Ghana, Ethiopia, and Egypt in line with their existing national strategies, the TeOSS projects have been developed to meet specific local needs.

In Egypt, an ICT skills framework has been developed for teachers and students in K12 schools. Digital courseware development experts and primary and junior high school teachers will receive training, and a National Distance Learning Centre will be established for use by educators nationwide to ensure continuity in professional development.

“Egypt’s new education system 2.0 emphasizes the integration of technology into the educational process with multiple digital learning resources and learning platforms to ensure education for all and achieve educational quality and access.” said Dr. Reda Hegazy, Deputy Minister for Teachers’ Affairs for the Ministry of Education and Technical Education in Egypt. “The teacher’s role has shifted from providing information to being a guide and facilitator of the educational process through digital learning resources.”

The TeOSS project in Ethiopia will focus on ICT infrastructure build-out to connect pilot schools, train teachers and students, and build a Learning Management System integrated with a Teacher Training Platform.

“Ethiopia understands very well the need for ICT and digitalization in our future schooling system to deliver quality and inclusive education equitably for all, without any disruptions, as stipulated in our new education sector roadmap,” said Dr. Fanta Mandefiro from the State of Ministry of Education of Ethiopia. “This project is perfectly aligned with our aspirations and the activities of our programs and initiatives for utilizing digital content in our education system.”

In Ghana, the focus is on creating digital content for all subjects, as well as providing training for teachers and students at Primary and JHS schools. The project will also build an e-repository that teachers can use to upload content and which learners can access online and offline with little or no supervision.

“I am glad to note that this UNESCO-HUAWEI is building on the already established partnerships and collaborative efforts with our national institutions, particularly CENDLOS, which is the institution mandated by the Government of Ghana to facilitate the integration of ICT into the education system across the board,” said Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education for Ghana.

TeOSS is aligned the Tech4Edu domain of Huawei’s digital inclusion initiative TECH4ALL, which aims to drive education equity and quality with technology.

“The digital platforms that Technology-enabled Open Schools for All will create mean that learning never needs to stop – whatever the future holds,” said Kevin Zhang, CMO of ICT Infrastructure for Huawei. “Huawei is fully committed to working with UNESCO, governments, and all stakeholders to deliver successful, sustainable, and scalable projects.”

The TeOSS project and the partnerships that will implement it are crucial for digitalizing education and driving equitable and inclusive access to lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1700127/Technology_enabled_open_schools_for_all.jpg

Luxury Portfolio International Releases State of Luxury Real Estate Report 2022

SOLRE 2022 – State of Luxury Real Estate

SOLRE 2022 – State of Luxury Real Estate Report – Luxury Portfolio International

Number of Luxury Real Estate Sellers Increases Globally; Some Buyers Expressing FOMO (Strong Fear of Missing Out); Sustainability ‘Critically Important’ Among Affluent Buyers Worldwide

Latest Report Comprises Data from Top 1-5% Bracket Surveyed Across 20 Countries, Representing an Affluent Population of Almost 32 Million Households

NEW YORK, Dec. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Luxury Portfolio International® (LPI), the world’s premier network of luxury residential real estate brokerages, is pleased to share the results of its 2022 State of Luxury Real Estate Report (SOLRE). The study comprises data from individuals in the top 1% to 5% income bracket across 20 countries, and touches on a broad range of topics crucial to the global luxury residential real estate market.

Most notably, the LPI report reveals a continuation of dominating home purchasing-related trends that began during Q3 2020 and continued throughout all of 2021, showing that demand for luxury real estate remains high; price increases expected to continue; supply remains lower than demand; time-on-the-market for luxury single-family homes often continues to “last just hours”; and sustainability is ‘Critically Important’ (66 percent) when considering future home purchases.

The study also shows an increase in the number of affluent sellers of residential real estate worldwide; that among luxury homes buyers, the majority (74 percent) shared strong feelings of a personal economic confidence and still 75 percent are significantly concerned that their discretionary spending power could be tested soon.

And while 2022 is expected to continue at a fast pace, there are signs that the luxury residential real estate market will be increasingly stabilizing, a crucial step to avoid complications for a long-term, super-heated market.

With 75 percent of luxury home buyers choosing their next home with environmental sustainability headlining a broad range of findings from a study of the world’s affluent households by Luxury Portfolio International® (LPI), 2021 ends as one of the most robust luxury residential real estate markets in history.

“After a record-breaking year in luxury real estate, we anticipate that some balance will be restored to the market,” said Mickey Alam Khan, President of LPI. “It is important to view the luxury market over a trajectory of several years, noting that half of 2020 was in paralysis due to the pandemic. The red-hot market that began in the latter part of 2020 continued into 2021 and will continue a positive trajectory into 2022. The difference will be that there will be more luxury sellers in 2022 than in 2021, and while there will be fewer actual luxury buyers, it is still a seller’s market. The pandemic madness that drove us to an over-heated market is being normalized. Demand will remain strong, and a healthy, new normal in luxury real estate will start to take hold in 2022.”

Sustainability, according to the study, is now a major differentiator in luxury homes, and buyers are willing to pay a premium to have features and amenities that better prepare them for the future. 75 percent of those surveyed noted choosing their next home with sustainability in mind, with an unprecedented 90 percent noting “yes” as to factoring sustainability in relation to a Next Chapter in Life home search. According to the study, a “Next Chapter in Life” home search pertains to those moving to be closer to family, because of their children’s education, a career move, and other mitigating factors.

People interested in sustainability as a major factor of their home purchase are 71 percent more likely to view the purchase as a legacy home that will be passed on to their heirs. Further, as interest in sustainability grows, the quality of the buyer improves for the benefit of the seller, in that this buyer wants to transact sooner and for a relatively higher budget.

FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out is the feeling of anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on social media. With a year at home and headlines touting the hot market, FOMO has become a significant concern for 26 percent of luxury buyers. FOMO manifests in different ways, first as a true “missed the boat” moment where prices extend beyond reach. A second concern – equally impactful – is arranging finances for major purchases.

While COVID-19 remains a significant concern, the study revealed that the market has already accounted for much of its effects. This compared to last year when the top trend in luxury real estate was finding a home that would accommodate the family that works from home.

That said, according to the study, working from home, is wearing on a substantial percentage of luxury home buyers. The Study revealed that 27 percent of luxury buyers cited working from home as a ‘significant concern.’ Remote work and the associated frustration and stress of being home continues to play a significant role in the purchase decision process.

Buyers concerned about de-stressing their work-from-home environment noted diversions such as entertainment at home, night life nearby, and relaxation-inducing amenities like a spa/hot tub, a specialty cocktail scale, and specialty rooms for media and gaming.

Additional key findings from the research include:

  • Globally, the affluent class remains highly interested in purchasing residential real estate at any price, with a 33 percent increase year-over-year. There is no doubt that 2021 will end with a backlog of buyers, setting up 2022 as another strong year for luxury real estate.
  • Over 14 million affluent households remain interested in buying a residence, of which 6.4 million are in the luxury category. An additional 1.2 million luxury homeowners have found an interest in selling in the next 3 years, up 32 percent from last year. Record valuations no doubt play a key role in this decision.
  • Working together, these factors indicate global price stabilization and market normalization is in store for 2022 and beyond. What once appeared to be a wide chasm between the number of potential buyers and sellers (10.3MM buyers and 4.0MM sellers) is moving appropriately towards equilibrium (6.4MM buyers and 5.2MM sellers).
  • The global trend for residential real estate demand will continue to grow in 2022. The percentage of individuals in the market to purchase residential real estate by the end of 2022 increased from 19 percent in 2021 to 39 percent in 2022 in Europe, and from 30 percent in 2021 to 37 percent in 2022 in Asia/Pacific. 46 percent of those surveyed from the Middle East, specifically consumers from Saudi Arabia and the UAE have the greatest interest in acquiring residential real estate, as those individuals continue to diversify their holdings. North America shows modest growth from 21 percent in 2021 to 25 percent in 2022.
  • Luxury homeowners are coming around to selling. With new construction experiencing delays due to the challenges with goods and services, there is a consistent interest in existing homes. However, owners were not necessarily in the market to sell last year, and consequently the lack of inventory has been a significant price driver in most luxury markets. Now, it seems that luxury owners are convinced that the iron is hot and their interest in selling has increased by more than double (to 28 percent from 11 percent). In fact, 71 percent of owners believe their home value will increase this year, creating a strong incentive to sell. The average luxury homeowner expects an increase of approximately 4–5 percent compared to 3–4 percent last year.
  • Psychologically it remains a seller’s market. In practice, we can expect a more balanced ratio of buyers and sellers in the years to come. As affluent consumers participate in the residential market, luxury-residence seekers are down 58 percent in 2021 (from 34 percent to 20 percent of the total affluent), while conversely, in this delicate balancing act, the number of luxury sellers is on the rise by 26 percent (up to 16 percent from 13 percent of the total affluent).
  • While the flight to suburbia has been a major COVID headline, the research reveals that city-center luxury residential real estate is alive-and-well. Over half of luxury buyers worldwide (55 percent) expect to buy their next residence in a city and 77 percent will be within commuting range. Notably, Asia-Pacific luxury buyers are significantly more likely to buy in the city center than their global counterparts.
  • Single-family home popularity surges beyond North America. The research revealed that the popularity of single-family homes is growing on a global scale, with 40 percent of Europe/Middle East buyers and 29 percent of Asia-Pacific buyers seeking the luxury of additional space and privacy. Year on year, demand for this type of housing is increasing as, collectively, shared living spaces are becoming less attractive to the luxury buyer. North America remains the top driver for demand of this type of residence.
  • A new class of entry-level luxury buyer enters the market. Across the full spectrum of affluent consumers, there is greater interest in purchasing real estate under $1 million. This signals a resurgence of upper-middle class buyers who delayed in purchasing due to the pandemic, or who are now willing and able to acquire. Consequently, this is creating an increase in the number of entry-level luxury buyers, up to 44 percent from 39 percent in the USD 1-1.9 million range. This democratic luxury-for-the-many effect is most pronounced in North America and less so in Asia Pacific and Europe/Middle East, where the wealthy class tends to skew toward relatively small groups of people with very high concentrations of wealth.

For additional information, and access to the report, click here: State of Luxury Real Estate 2022.

ABOUT LUXURY PORTFOLIO INTERNATIONAL® (LPI)
Luxury Portfolio International (luxuryportfolio.com) is the leading network of the world’s premier luxury real estate brokerages and their top agents, offering unparalleled marketing and intelligence services across the globe. It is the luxury arm of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® the global network of top independent real estate firms, with 550 companies and 150,000 sales associates in 70 countries. Last year, network members participated in over 1.3 million global transactions. LPI attracts a global audience of visitors from over 200 countries/territories every month and markets more than 50,000 luxury homes annually. Well Connected.™

Source: Luxury Portfolio International®

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cc7a46a4-e6fd-43f9-91e6-834f31b75e8e

A PDF is available at http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/3c08ae81-d703-4faf-8ea2-dc5c9c70ed7e

Contact: pr@luxuryportfolio.com

UnionPay International and Swaziland Building Society reward customers in eSwatini with E One Million Buy’n Save shopping vouchers

MBABANE, eSwatini, Dec. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — UnionPay International (UPI), Swaziland Building Society (SBS) and Buy ‘n Save Spar jointly announced today a three-month customer rewarding campaign in eSwatini, celebrating an early festive season with One Million Emalangeni worth of shopping vouchers.

The campaign invites customers to shop at Buy ‘n Save Spar stores nationwide and receive an instant share of E1million for their next shopping trip.

SBS has been issuing UnionPay debit, platinum and diamond cards in the Kingdom of eSwatini since June 2021. This debut plays a significant role in transforming eSwatini’s digital financial services capabilities, contributing to economic growth, improving financial inclusion, and creating a sustainable future.

“We are delighted to launch this campaign with SBS and Buy ‘n Save Spar,” said Mr. Luping Zhang, General Manager of Africa Branch, UnionPay International. “We strongly appreciate and support SBS’ effort to give back to the community, driving tangible value and digital innovation to repaint the payment landscape in eSwatini”.

“With the UnionPay debit card voucher program, we are celebrating the festive season with customers and thanking them for being loyal to the SBS brand. We trust the partnership between the three brands will brighten up the season for our customers.”

The SBS UnionPay cards can be used at any point-of-sales nationwide. The cards can also transact online as well as withdraw cash from ATMs, providing an inclusive payment environment for all customer needs. With over 59 years of steady growth, the SBS is an innovative financial service provider offering customer-centric transactional and digital financial services.

Buy ‘n Save SPAR stores are strategically positioned in the country’s major cities and towns offering customers value for their money. Qualifying SBS customers who shop at Buy ‘n Save SPARs will be rewarded during the promotion.

With over 160 million UnionPay cards issued outside mainland China, UnionPay has expanded its acceptance network to 180 countries and regions in recent years. At present, UnionPay cards are widely accepted in Africa across all sectors, effectively meeting the diverse purchasing needs of UnionPay cardholders visiting and living on the continent. UnionPay cards have been issued in over 10 African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Madagascar and Mauritius. UnionPay has launched various innovative payment products in Africa in response to the worldwide digital transformation and financial inclusion.

Adagio Therapeutics indique qu’aucune des mutations présentes dans Omicron, le variant du SARS-CoV-2, n’est associée à un échappement de la neutralisation de l’ADG20 in vitro

D’autres études in vitro visant à déterminer l’activité de neutralisation de l’ADG20 contre Omicron sont en cours

Soumissions d’autorisation d’utilisation d’urgence (EUA) de l’ADG20 prévues pour la prévention et le traitement de la COVID-19 au milieu de l’année 2022

Le développement des stocks se poursuit en prévision d’une EUA au cours du second semestre 2022, avec 4 millions de doses qui pourront être distribuées au cours des deux prochaines années

WALTHAM, Massachussett, 30 nov. 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Adagio Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq : ADGI), une société biopharmaceutique au stade clinique axée sur la découverte, le développement et la commercialisation de solutions à base d’anticorps pour les maladies infectieuses présentant un potentiel pandémique, a fourni aujourd’hui des informations liées au potentiel de son principal anticorps contre le SARS-CoV-2, ADG20, pour traiter le variant du SARS-CoV-2, Omicron, ainsi que d’autres variants préoccupants connus. L’ADG20 est un produit candidat expérimental à base d’anticorps monoclonal (mAb) conçu pour fournir une activité neutralisante large et puissante contre le SARS-CoV-2, y compris les variants préoccupants, pour la prévention et le traitement de la COVID-19 avec une durée potentielle de protection pouvant aller jusqu’à un an en une seule injection.

« L’échelle mondiale continue de la pandémie de COVID-19 a conduit à des niveaux accrus de pression immunitaire sur le virus, ce qui entraîne l’émergence de variants contenant des mutations associées à un échappement provenant des classes courantes d’anticorps neutralisants induits par une infection naturelle ou une vaccination. Contrairement à la plupart des anticorps actuellement disponibles dans le cadre de l’EUA, il a été démontré que l’ADG20 ciblait un épitope hautement conservé parmi les sarbecovirus du clade I, qui n’est pas facilement ciblé par la réponse endogène des anticorps neutralisants », a déclaré Laura Walker, Ph.D., co-fondatrice et directrice scientifique d’Adagio. « En raison de la nature hautement conservée et immunorécessive de l’épitope reconnu par l’ADG20, nous prévoyons que l’ADG20 conservera son activité contre Omicron, comme nous l’avons observé dans les modèles in vitro avec tous les autres variants préoccupants identifiés précédemment. En outre, aucune des mutations présentes dans la protéine spike du variant Omicron n’a été associée à un échappement de la neutralisation de l’ADG20.   L’ADG20 a été conçu pour une activité puissante et largement neutralisante en prévision à la fois de l’évolution antigénique rapide du SARS-CoV-2 et de l’émergence de futurs virus semblables au SARS présentant un potentiel pandémique. »

« L’ADG20 a été conçu de manière unique pour combiner l’ampleur, la puissance et la durée de la protection contre le SARS-CoV-2 jusqu’à un an en une seule injection. Nous avions ainsi anticipé que le SARS-CoV-2 continuerait d’évoluer et rendrait potentiellement obsolètes certains premiers traitements et vaccins », a déclaré Tillman Gerngross, Ph.D., co-fondateur et président-directeur général d’Adagio. « Nos essais cliniques mondiaux avancent, avec des soumissions potentielles d’EUA au milieu de l’année 2022, à la fois pour la prévention et le traitement de la COVID-19. Nous continuons à communiquer avec la FDA et d’autres organismes de réglementation et agences gouvernementales pour discuter de l’accélération potentielle des plans de développement et de la nécessité d’un portefeuille de solutions thérapeutiques en vue de lutter contre la pandémie de COVID-19. »

Compte tenu de l’importante crise sanitaire potentielle résultant de l’émergence d’Omicron, Adagio mène un certain nombre d’activités visant à soutenir l’utilité de l’ADG20 dans la réponse apportée à ce nouveau variant préoccupant, notamment :

  • Mener des études in vitro pour évaluer l’activité neutralisante et de liaison prévue de l’ADG20 contre Omicron. Les données initiales de ces études sont attendues d’ici la fin de l’année ; et
  • Recruter des patients dans l’essai de Phase 2/3 sur le traitement de la COVID-19 d’Adagio, connu sous le nom de STAMP, sur plusieurs sites cliniques en Afrique du Sud (en plus des efforts d’essais cliniques en cours à l’échelle mondiale) dans le but de générer des données cliniques pour l’ADG20 contre les infections dues au variant Omicron.

Sur la base des données générées, Adagio prévoit de collaborer avec les autorités sanitaires et les agences gouvernementales afin d’accélérer le développement et la fourniture de l’ADG20 pour lutter contre le SARS-CoV-2 et ses variants préoccupants.

L’ADG20 et les variants préoccupants
La réponse des anticorps neutralisants induite par l’infection au SARS-CoV-2 et la vaccination est dominée par trois catégories d’anticorps dirigés contre le domaine de fixation au récepteur (RBD) (Classe 1, Classe 2 et Classe 3), qui partagent souvent des mutations d’échappement communes. Le nouveau variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) identifié en Afrique du Sud contient des mutations associées à la résistance à une grande proportion de ces anticorps couramment induits, qui peuvent être dues à la pression immunitaire sur ces sites antigéniques. Les données pour la plupart des anticorps disponibles dans le cadre de l’EUA ou du développement clinique à un stade avancé montrent qu’ils ciblent l’une de ces trois régions antigéniques dominantes au sein du RBD.

Des études in vitro ont montré que l’ADG20 se lie à un épitope hautement conservé au sein du RBD, qui n’est ciblé par aucune des classes courantes d’anticorps neutralisants induits par l’infection au SARS-CoV-2 et la vaccination. Ainsi, contrairement à de nombreux autres anticorps au stade clinique, qui ont été isolés de patients atteints de la COVID-19 et reconnaissent les épitopes également ciblés par des anticorps neutralisants endogènes, la pression immunitaire est limitée sur le site de liaison de l’ADG20. L’épitope de l’ADG20 est resté conservé dans 99,99 % de près de 4 millions de séquences virales du SARS-CoV-2 pleine longueur déposées dans la base de données GISAID au 15 octobre 2021 et, comme le montrent les études in vitro, l’ADG20 conserve son activité contre les variants préoccupants précédents, y compris Alpha, Bêta, Delta et Gamma. Pour le variant Omicron, aucune des mutations présentes dans la protéine spike n’est associée à un échappement de la neutralisation de l’ADG20. Sur la base des études structurelles et de cartographie des épitopes publiées, Adagio prévoit que l’ADG20 conservera une activité neutralisante contre le variant Omicron tandis que d’autres produits mAb pourraient perdre une activité substantielle par rapport à ce variant.

Des données in vitro précédemment divulguées ont démontré une activité neutralisante conservée de l’ADG20 contre un panel diversifié de variants du SARS-CoV-2 en circulation, y compris les variants récemment apparus Lambda, Mu et Delta plus. Les résultats de ces études in vitro ont montré notamment que l’ADG20 exerce une puissante activité neutralisante contre tous les variants du SARS-CoV-2 préoccupants testés, y compris ceux qui présentent une sensibilité réduite aux produits mAb actuellement disponibles dans le cadre d’une EUA ou à un stade avancé de développement.

À propos de l’ADG20
L’ADG20, un anticorps monoclonal expérimental ciblant la protéine spike du SARS-CoV-2 et des coronavirus connexes, progresse par le biais d’essais cliniques mondiaux aux fins de la prévention et du traitement de la COVID-19, la maladie provoquée par le SARS-CoV-2. L’ADG20 a été conçu et élaboré en vue d’offrir de puissantes et vastes capacités de neutralisation du SARS-CoV-2 et des autres sarbecovirus du clade 1 permettant de cibler un épitope bien conservé dans le domaine de fixation du récepteur. L’ADG20 a également été conçu pour fournir une demi-vie prolongée pour une protection durable. L’ADG20 a démontré une puissante activité neutralisante contre le virus SARS-CoV-2 original, les variants préoccupants du SARS-CoV-2, Alpha, Bêta, Delta et Gamma, d’autres variants du SARS-CoV-2 à ce jour, et d’autres virus similaires au SARS dans des études précliniques. L’ADG20 est administré dans le cadre des essais cliniques par une seule injection intramusculaire. À ce jour, l’ADG20 a été bien toléré dans un essai de phase 1 sans signaux d’innocuité identifiés au cours d’un suivi d’au moins trois mois dans toutes les cohortes. L’utilisation de l’ADG20 n’a été approuvée dans aucun pays, par ailleurs, l’innocuité et l’efficacité n’ont pas encore été établies.

À propos d’Adagio Therapeutics
Adagio (Nasdaq : ADGI) est une société biopharmaceutique au stade clinique axée sur la découverte, le développement et la commercialisation de solutions à base d’anticorps pour les maladies infectieuses présentant un potentiel pandémique, y compris la COVID-19 et la grippe. Le portefeuille d’anticorps de la société a été optimisé grâce aux capacités de pointe d’Adimab en matière d’ingénierie d’anticorps et est conçu pour fournir aux patients et aux cliniciens une combinaison potentielle inégalée de puissance, d’ampleur, de protection durable (grâce à l’extension de la demi-vie), de faisabilité de fabrication et de prix abordable. Le portefeuille d’anticorps contre le SARS-CoV-2 d’Adagio comprend plusieurs anticorps fortement neutralisants non concurrents dotés d’épitopes de liaison distincts, dirigés par l’ADG20. Adagio a conclu avec des sous-traitants tiers un contrat portant sur des capacités de fabrication pour la production de l’ADG20 afin de soutenir l’achèvement des essais cliniques et le lancement commercial initial, garantissant ainsi une large accessibilité potentielle aux populations du monde entier. Pour plus d’informations, rendez-vous sur notre site www.adagiotx.com.

Énoncés prospectifs
Le présent communiqué de presse contient des énoncés prospectifs au sens de la loi Private Securities Litigation Reform (Réforme sur la résolution des litiges portant sur des titres privés) de 1995. Des mots tels que « anticipe », « croit », « s’attend à », « a l’intention de », « prévoit » et « à l’avenir » ou des expressions similaires sont destinés à identifier des énoncés prospectifs. Les énoncés prospectifs comprennent des énoncés concernant, entre autres, le calendrier, les progrès et les résultats de nos études précliniques et essais cliniques sur l’ADG20, y compris le calendrier de nos demandes d’EUA prévues, le lancement, la modification et l’achèvement d’études ou d’essais et de travaux préparatoires connexes, la période durant laquelle les résultats des essais seront disponibles et nos programmes de recherche et développement ; l’activité neutralisante attendue de l’ADG20 contre le variant Omicron ; notre capacité à obtenir et conserver des approbations réglementaires pour nos produits candidats ; notre capacité à identifier les patients, y compris dans des populations spécifiques, atteints des maladies traitées par nos produits candidats et à recruter ces patients dans nos essais cliniques ; nos attentes concernant l’étendue de toute indication approuvée pour l’ADG20 ; et le profil risque/bénéfice de nos produits candidats pour les patients ; nos capacités et notre stratégie de fabrication, y compris les plans pour les doses disponibles dans un proche avenir ; et notre capacité à commercialiser avec succès nos produits candidats. Nous pourrions ne pas réellement atteindre les plans, intentions ou attentes divulgués dans nos énoncés prospectifs et vous ne devez pas vous fier indûment à nos énoncés prospectifs. Ces énoncés prospectifs impliquent des risques et des incertitudes qui pourraient amener nos résultats réels à différer sensiblement des résultats décrits ou sous-entendus par les énoncés prospectifs, y compris, sans limitation, les impacts de la pandémie de COVID-19 sur nos activités, essais cliniques et situation financière, les données d’innocuité ou d’efficacité inattendues observées lors d’études précliniques ou d’essais cliniques, les taux d’activation ou de recrutement de site d’essai clinique qui sont inférieurs aux prévisions, l’évolution de la concurrence attendue ou existante, les changements dans l’environnement réglementaire, et les incertitudes et le calendrier du processus d’approbation réglementaire. D’autres facteurs pouvant causer une différence matérielle entre nos résultats réels et ceux exprimés ou sous-entendus dans les énoncés prospectifs de ce communiqué de presse sont décrits sous la rubrique « Risk Factors » (Facteurs de risque) du rapport trimestriel d’Adagio sur le formulaire 10-Q pour le trimestre clos le 30 juin 2021 et dans les futurs rapports qu’Adagio déposera auprès de la SEC, y compris le rapport trimestriel d’Adagio sur le formulaire 10-Q pour le trimestre clos le 30 septembre 2021. De tels risques peuvent être amplifiés par les impacts de la pandémie de COVID-19.  Les énoncés prospectifs contenus dans le présent communiqué de presse sont formulés à cette date, et Adagio décline toute obligation de mettre à jour ces informations sauf si la loi en vigueur l’exige.

Contacts :
Contact auprès des médias :
Dan Budwick, 1AB
Dan@1abmedia.com

Contact auprès des investisseurs :
Monique Allaire, THRUST Strategic Communications
monique@thrustsc.com

Adagio Therapeutics informa que nenhuma das mutações presentes na variante Ómicron do SARS-CoV-2 está associada a um escape da neutralização in vitro do ADG20

Estão em curso estudos in vitro adicionais com vista à determinação da atividade de neutralização do ADG20 contra a variante Omicron

Submissões do Pedido de utilização de emergência do ADG20 planeadas para a prevenção e tratamento da COVID-19 em meados de 2022

Mantém-se o reforço do stock em antecipação do Pedido de utilização de emergência no segundo semestre de 2022, estando 4 milhões de doses disponíveis para distribuição nos próximos dois anos

WALTHAM, Mass., Nov. 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Adagio Therapeutics, Inc., (Nasdaq: ADGI), uma empresa biofarmacêutica de fase clínica, focada na descoberta, desenvolvimento e comercialização de soluções à base de anticorpos para doenças infecciosas com potencial pandémico, forneceu hoje informações sobre o potencial de o ADG20, o seu principal anticorpo contra o SARS CoV-2, abordar também a variante Ómicron do SARS-CoV-2 e outras variantes de preocupação. O ADG20 é um candidato a produto investigacional de anticorpos monoclonais (mAb) concebido para providenciar uma ampla e potente atividade de neutralização contra o SARS-CoV-2, incluindo variantes de preocupação, com vista à prevenção e tratamento da COVID-19, com uma potencial duração da proteção de até um ano, numa só injeção.

“A escala global contínua da pandemia de COVID-19 tem originado níveis cada vez maiores de pressão ao nível da imunidade ao vírus, dando origem ao surgimento de variantes que contêm mutações associadas ao escape das classes comuns de anticorpos neutralizantes induzidos pelas infeções naturais ou pela vacinação. Ao contrário do que acontece com a maioria dos anticorpos atualmente disponíveis no âmbito dos Pedidos de utilização de emergência, o ADG20 demonstrou estar direcionado a um epítopo altamente conservado entre o grupo monofilético (“clade”) I dos Sarbecovirus e que não é prontamente visado pela resposta neutralizante endógena dos anticorpos,” referiu Laura Walker, Ph.D., co-fundadora e principal investigadora científica da Adagio. “Graças à natureza altamente conservada e imunorrecessiva do epítopo reconhecido pelo ADG20, esperamos que este retenha a atividade contra a variante Ómicron, conforme observado nos modelos in vitro com outras variantes de preocupação anteriormente identificadas. Além disso, nenhuma das mutações presentes na proteína de pico (ou “spike”) da variante Ómicron foi associada a um escape da neutralização do ADG20.   O ADG20 foi desenvolvido para providenciar uma potente e vasta atividade de neutralização em antecipação da rápida evolução antigénica do SARS-CoV-2 e do surgimento de vírus semelhantes ao SARS com potencial pandémico no futuro.”

“O ADG20 foi desenvolvido, de forma excecional, para combinar alcance, potência e duração de proteção contra o SARS-CoV-2 durante até um ano, com uma só injeção. Fizemo-lo antecipando o facto de o SARS-CoV-2 continuar a evoluir e, potencialmente, a tornar algumas das terapêuticas e vacinas iniciais obsoletas,” referiu Tillman Gerngross, Ph.D., co-fundador e Presidente da Comissão Executiva da Adagio. “Os nossos ensaios clínicos a nível global estão a avançar, com potenciais submissões de Pedido de utilização de emergência em meados de 2022 para a prevenção e tratamento da COVID-19. Continuamos a colaborar com a FDA e outras entidades reguladoras e agências governamentais na discussão de uma potencial aceleração dos planos de desenvolvimento e da necessidade de um portefólio de soluções terapêuticas para o combate da pandemia de COVID-19.”

Tendo em conta a significativa potencial crise sanitária resultante do surgimento da variante Ómicron, a Adagio está levar a cabo um conjunto de atividades de apoio à utilidade do ADG20, abordando esta variante de preocupação recentemente identificada, incluindo:

  • a condução de estudos in vitro a fim de avaliar a atividade de ligação e neutralização expectáveis do ADG20 contra a variante Ómicron. Antecipamos a disponibilização dos dados iniciais destes estudos no final do ano; e
  • o recrutamento de doentes para o ensaio de tratamento da COVID-19 de Fase II/III realizado pela Adagio (conhecido por “STAMP”), em diversas clínicas na África do Sul, a par de esforços relacionados com ensaios clínicos em curso em todo o mundo, numa tentativa de gerar dados clínicos para o ADG20 contra infeções causadas pela variante Ómicron.

Com base nos dados gerados, a Adagio planeia colaborar com as autoridades de saúde e agências governamentais por forma a acelerar o desenvolvimento e fornecimento do ADG20 e apoiar o combate do SARS-CoV-2 e suas variantes de preocupação.

O ADG20 e as variantes de preocupação
A resposta dos anticorpos neutralizantes induzida pela infeção por SARS-CoV-2 e pela vacinação é dominada por três classes de anticorpos direcionados ao domínio de ligação ao recetor (RBD) (Classe 1, Classe 2 e Classe 3), que, muitas vezes, partilham mutações de escape comuns. A variante Ómicron (B.1.1.529) recentemente identificada na África do Sul contém mutações associadas à resistência a uma grande proporção destes anticorpos comummente desencadeados, o que pode ser explicado pela pressão imune nestes pontos antigénicos. Os dados sobre a maioria dos anticorpos disponíveis no âmbito do Pedido de utilização de emergência ou no desenvolvimento clínico em fase tardia, mostram que estes visam uma destas três regiões antigénicas dominantes dentro do RBD.

Os estudos in vitro demonstraram que o ADG20 se liga a um epítopo altamente conservado dentro do RBD que não é visado por nenhuma das classes comuns dos anticorpos neutralizantes induzidas pela infeção por SARS-CoV-2 e pela vacinação. Assim sendo, ao contrário do que acontece com muitos outros anticorpos em fase clínica (isolados de doentes com COVID-19 e que reconhecem epítopos também visados por anticorpos neutralizantes endógenos) existe uma pressão imune limitada sobre o local da ligação do ADG20. O epítopo do ADG20 manteve-se conservado em 99,99% das cerca de 4 milhões de sequências virais de SARS-CoV-2 completas depositadas na base de dados GISAID (à data de 15 de outubro de 2021) e, conforme demonstrado nos estudos in vitro, o ADG20 retém atividade contra as variantes de preocupação anteriores, como a Alfa, Beta, Delta e Gama. Relativamente à variante Ómicron, nenhuma das mutações presentes na proteína de pico (“spike”) está associada a um escape da neutralização do ADG20. Com base no mapeamento de epítopos e estudos estruturais publicados, a Adagio prevê que o ADG20 irá manter uma atividade neutralizante contra a variante Ómicron, enquanto outros produtos de anticorpos monoclonais (mAb) poderão perder uma atividade substancial contra esta variante.

Os dados in vitro anteriormente divulgados demonstraram a manutenção da atividade neutralizante por parte do ADG20 contra um conjunto variado de variantes de SARS-CoV-2 em circulação, incluindo as variantes recentemente identificadas Lambda, Mu e Delta plus. Em especial, as conclusões destes estudos in vitro indicaram que o ADG20 demonstrou uma potente atividade neutralizante contra todas as variantes de preocupação de SARS-CoV-2 testadas, incluindo aquelas com uma suscetibilidade reduzida a produtos de anticorpos monoclonais (mAb) atualmente disponíveis no âmbito de Pedido de utilização de emergência ou em fase final do seu desenvolvimento.

Sobre o ADG20
O ADG20, um anticorpo monoclonal investigacional direcionado à proteína de pico (“spike”) do SARS-CoV-2 e coronavírus relacionados, está a avançar nas fases de ensaios clínicos a nível global, para a prevenção e tratamento da COVID-19, a doença causada pelo SARS-CoV-2. O ADG20 foi concebido e desenvolvido para apresentar uma elevada potência e providenciar uma vasta atividade de neutralização contra o SARS-CoV-2 e outros Sarbecovirus de grupo monofilético (“clade”) I, visando um epítopo altamente conservado no domínio de ligação ao recetor. O ADG20 foi adicionalmente manipulado para providenciar uma semivida alargada, para uma proteção prolongada. Em estudos pré-clínicos, o ADG20 demonstrou uma potente atividade de neutralização contra o vírus SARS-CoV-2 original, contra as variantes de preocupação do SARS-CoV-2 Alfa, Beta, Delta e Gama, contra outras variantes do SARS-CoV-2 até à data identificadas e contra outros vírus idênticos ao SARS. Nos ensaios clínicos, o ADG20 é administrado através de uma única injeção intramuscular. Até à data, o ADG20 foi bem tolerado no ensaio de Fase I, sem registo de sinais de alerta em termos de segurança ao longo de um período mínimo de três meses de acompanhamento em todos os coortes. O ADG20 não foi aprovado para utilização em qualquer país, e a segurança e eficácia ainda não foram estabelecidas.

Sobre a Adagio Therapeutics
Adagio (Nasdaq: ADGI), uma empresa biofarmacêutica em fase clínica, focada na descoberta, desenvolvimento e comercialização de soluções à base de anticorpos para doenças infecciosas com potencial pandémico, incluindo a COVID-19 e influenza. O portefólio de anticorpos da empresa foi otimizado pela utilização das tecnologias de engenharia da Adimab, líderes do setor, e foi pensado para providenciar aos doentes e profissionais de saúde o potencial de uma poderosa combinação de potência, abrangência, proteção duradoura (através da extensão da semivida), capacidade de produção e acessibilidade. O portefólio de anticorpos contra o SARS-CoV-2 da Adagio inclui múltiplos anticorpos não concorrentes e amplamente neutralizantes, com diferentes epítopos de ligação, liderados pelo ADG20. A Adagio assegurou uma capacidade de fabrico do ADG20 junto de fabricantes externos, de forma a apoiar a conclusão dos ensaios clínicos e a fase inicial do lançamento comercial, garantindo a potencial acessibilidade a pessoas de todo o mundo. Para mais informações, visite www.adagiotx.com.

Declarações prospetivas (relativas ao futuro)
O presente comunicado de imprensa contém declarações prospetivas (relativas ao futuro) conforme definidas na lei “Private Securities Litigation Reform Act” de 1995. Termos como “antecipa”, “crê”, “espera”, “pretende”, “prevê” e “futuro” ou outras expressões semelhantes, devem ser identificadas como “declarações prospetivas (relativas ao futuro)”. As declarações prospetivas incluem declarações relativas, entre outras coisas, ao calendário, progresso e resultados dos nossos estudos pré-clínicos e ensaios clínicos do ADG20, incluindo o calendário das nossas submissões de Pedido de utilização de emergência planeados, o início, modificação e conclusão dos estudos ou ensaios e trabalhos preparatórios relacionados, o período durante o qual os resultados dos ensaios ficarão disponíveis e os nossos programas de investigação e desenvolvimento; a atividade neutralizante esperada do ADG20 contra a variante Ómicron; a nossa capacidade de obter e manter aprovações regulamentares para, os nossos candidatos a produtos; a nossa capacidade de identificar doentes, incluindo em populações específicas, com as doenças tratadas pelos nossos candidatos a produtos e de inscrever tais doentes nos nossos ensaios clínicos; as nossas expectativas relativamente ao âmbito de qualquer indicação aprovada para o ADG20; e o perfil de risco/benefício dos nossos candidatos a produtos para os doentes; as nossas capacidades e estratégia de fabrico, incluindo planos para doses disponíveis num futuro próximo; e a nossa capacidade de comercializar com sucesso os nossos candidatos a produtos. Podemos não alcançar os planos, intenções ou expectativas revelados nas nossas declarações prospetivas, pelo que não deve depositar uma confiança indevida nas mesmas. Estas declarações prospetivas envolvem riscos e incertezas que podem fazer com que os resultados reais difiram materialmente dos resultados descritos ou implícitos nas declarações prospetivas, incluindo, sem quaisquer limitações, os impactos da pandemia de COVID-19 no nosso negócio, ensaios clínicos e posição financeira, dados de segurança ou eficácia inesperados observados durante os estudos pré-clínicos ou ensaios clínicos, taxas de ativação ou inscrição nos centros de ensaios clínicos inferiores às esperadas, alterações na concorrência esperada ou existente, alterações no ambiente regulatório, e as incertezas e calendário do processo de aprovação regulatório. Outros fatores que podem fazer com que os nossos resultados reais difiram materialmente daqueles expressos ou implícitos nas declarações prospetivas deste comunicado de imprensa são descritos sob o título “Fatores de Risco” no Relatório Trimestral do Formulário 10-Q da Adagio para o trimestre terminado a 30 de junho de 2021 e nos futuros relatórios da Adagio a serem apresentados à SEC, incluindo o Relatório Trimestral do Formulário 10-Q da Adagio para o trimestre terminado a 30 de setembro de 2021. Tais riscos podem ser amplificados pelo impacto da pandemia de COVID-19.  As declarações prospetivas contidas neste comunicado de imprensa são as vigentes à data, e a Adagio não se obriga a atualizar tais informações, exceto se exigido pela lei aplicável.

Contactos:
Contacto para comunicação social:
Dan Budwick, 1AB
Dan@1abmedia.com

Contacto para investidores:
Monique Allaire, THRUST Strategic Communications
monique@thrustsc.com

‫شركة BSV بالإضافة إلى مجموعة من الخبراء تحرص على رفع مستوى الوعي والحذر فيما يتعلق بالاستخدام غير الرشيد للمضادات الحيوية

أبوجا، نيجيريا،  1 ديسمبر2021 /PRNewswire/ — تحرص شركة BSV والخبراء على نشر الوعي بشأن الاستخدام غير الرشيد للمضادات الحيوية بعد الأسبوع العالمي للتوعية بشأن مضادات البكتيريا.

Nigeria_Article_BSV

عرض موقع ScienceDirect الإلكتروني مقالًا عن استخدام المضادات الحيوية في 1910 باعتبارها أحد أكبر التطورات في مجال الطب في القرن العشرين حيث ارتفع متوسط العمر المتوقع بما يصل إلى 23 عامًا في الولايات المتحدة. وعلى الرغم من ذلك، يعتمد العلاج المناسب للأمراض المعدية على استخدام المضادات الحيوية المناسبة الموصوفة بالجرعات اللازمة ولفترة محددة. ولسوء الحظ، أصبحت العديد من المضادات الحيوية متوفرة بدون وصفة طبية بشكل عام مما جعل سوء استخدامها أمرًا حتميًا. لا يمكن إطلاقًا المبالغة في التأكيد على تأثير هذه الأدوية على الفعالية المستقبلية للمضادات الحيوية الموجودة بالفعل حيث قد يؤدي تعرض الكائنات الدقيقة المتواصل لجرعات منخفضة عن المستوى العلاجي من الأدوية إلى حدوث مقاومة المضادات الحيوية في نهاية المطاف.

وطوال سنوات عديدة، تجاوز استخدام المضادات الحيوية الجديدة تطور مقاومة المضادات الحيوية. وفي السنوات الأخيرة، وعلى الرغم من ذلك، ساهمت وتيرة مقاومة الأدوية في زيادة عدد المشاكل الصحية مما أدى إلى توافر قدر قليل من الخيارات المتاحة من المضادات الحيوية، وظهور أمراض أشد خطورة، واستغراق فترات أطول للتعافي، وما يتبع ذلك من زيادة التكلفة.

يجب التأكيد أيضًا على أن المضادات الحيوية تعالج العدوى البكتيرية وليس العدوى الفيروسية، فلن يساعد استخدام مضاد حيوي لعلاج العدوى الفيروسية على علاج العدوى، وقد يتسبب أيضًا في الإصابة بأعراض جانبية غير ضرورية وضارة، كما يعزز من مقاومة المضادات الحيوية.

نعلم أنه من المُغري أيضًا التوقف عن تناول المضاد الحيوي بمجرد أن يشعر المريض بالتحسن، وهذه الممارسة خاطئة لأن كل مضاد حيوي موصوف في سياق معين له مدة محددة لاستخدامه، فمن المعروف أنه يؤدي إلى علاج هذا المرض وبالتالي يجب الالتزام بهذه المدة.

يمكن أن يساعد المريض على الحد من تطور مقاومة المضادات الحيوية إذا تجنب الضغط على الأطباء المتابعين لحالته لوصف مضاد حيوي في ظل غياب دواعي استعمال ملحة. يجب على المريض طلب المشورة من الأطباء عن كيفية معالجة الأعراض وممارسة عادات النظافة الجيدة، كمّا سيساعد ذلك على تجنب العدوى البكتيرية التي تحتاج إلى علاج بالمضادات الحيوية. يجب التأكد من تلقي اللقاحات الموصى بها حيث يعمل بعضها على الوقاية من العدوى البكتيرية. يجب على المرضى استخدام المضادات الحيوية بالجرعات الموصوفة وللمدة التي يحددها الطبيب، كما يجب عليهم عدم استخدام المضادات الحيوية المتبقية إطلاقًا لعلاج أي مرض يصابون به في وقت لاحق لأن كل مرض قد يختلف عن غيره، وعادة ما يكون لبعض الأمراض أعراض مماثلة التي قد تكون مضللة. وعلى غرار ذلك، ليس من الحكمة استخدام المضادات الحيوية الموصوفة لشخص آخر لمجرد اعتقاد أن السيناريوهين متشابهان.

الصورة: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1697756/Nigeria_Article_BSV.jpg

Biden HIV/AIDS Strategy Calls Racism ‘Public Health Threat’

The Biden administration in its new HIV/AIDS strategy calls racism “a public health threat” that must be fully recognized as the world looks to end the epidemic.

The strategy released Wednesday on the annual commemoration of World AIDS Day is meant to serve as a framework for how the administration intends to shape its policies, research, programs and planning over the next three years.

The new strategy asserts that over generations “structural inequities have resulted in racial and ethnic health disparities that are severe, far-reaching, and unacceptable.”

New HIV infections in the U.S. fell about 8% from 2015 to 2019, but Black and Latino communities — particularly gay and bisexual men within those groups — continue to be disproportionately affected, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

African Americans make up about 13% of the U.S. population but accounted for more than 40% of new infections. The Latino population accounted for nearly 25% of new infections but makes up about 18.5% of the U.S. population.

Historically, gay and bisexual men have been the most disproportionately affected group. They account for about 66% of new HIV infections, even though they account for only 2% of the population, according to the CDC. In 2019, 26% of new HIV infections were among Black gay and bisexual men, 23% among Latino gay and bisexual men, and 45% among gay and bisexual men under the age of 35.

To reduce the disparities, the strategy includes calls for focusing on the needs of disproportionately affected populations, supporting racial justice, combating HIV-related stigma and discrimination and providing leadership and employment opportunities for people with or at risk for HIV.

Besides addressing racism’s impact on Americans battling the virus or at risk of contracting it, the new strategy also puts greater emphasis on harm reduction and syringe service programs, encourages reform of state laws that criminalize behavior of people with HIV for potentially exposing others and adds focus on the needs of the growing population of people with HIV who are aging.

More than 36 million people worldwide, including 700,000 in the U.S., have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic more than 40 years ago. Nearly 38 million people are living with HIV, including 1.2 million in the U.S.

President Joe Biden’s administration recently announced it will host the Global Fund to Fight AIDS replenishment conference next year. The United States has contributed about $17 billion to the fund, about a third of all donor contributions.

A giant red ribbon, a symbol of support for people living with HIV, was also displayed on the North Portico of the White House to mark World AIDS day. The two-story ribbon display has become an annual tradition at the White House since 2007.

“Honored to continue this tradition on #WorldAidsDay, remembering the lives lost to HIV/AIDS and supporting those living with the virus across the world,” first lady Jill Biden said in a Twitter posting that included a photo of her posing in front of the ribbon display.

Source: Voice of America