Day: September 10, 2021

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Wiseasy Partners with UnionPay International to Boost Digital Banking and QR Payment in Ghana and Nigeria

ACCRA, Ghana, Sept. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Wiseasy Group, a leading global digital banking and payment builder, jointly announced a collaborative partnership with UnionPay International (UPI) today, to accelerate digital banking and QR payment in Ghana and Nigeria in supporting the global digital transformation trend.

In response to the rapid changing of customer payment needs and the increasingly competitive global financial arena, the two entities collaboratively implement a comprehensive solution, bridging the gaps with their advanced core competencies. This solution provides a unified mobile payment standard and facilitates the management of financial institutions’ mobile payment businesses. Rapid diffusion by Smartphones and QR open new prospects for the development of innovative payment methods and enable customers to carry out banking operations while on the move.

“Wiseasy Group is pleased to be part of this exciting collaboration with UPI to launch a secured, seamless and innovative solution that meets the new expectations of retailers and customers,” stated Mr. Rachid Oulad Akdim, VP Group and President of Wiseasy France.

“We are honoured to partner with Wiseasy Group to further accelerate the brand reach in Ghana and Nigeria”, said Mr. Luping Zhang, General Manager of UnionPay International Africa Branch. “UnionPay continues to offer high quality, cost-effective, innovative payment services through shared growth with our partners in the region”.

Wiseasy Group is a leading global digital banking and payment builder, operating in 114 countries and regions worldwide, covering dozens of industries. The company aims to promote the innovation, development, and application of digital banking solutions and payment technology worldwide by offering smart fintech terminals and rich payment technology services that can reach wider demographics with more convenience.

With over 1.6 billion UnionPay cards issued in 70 countries and regions globally, 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 are issued in over 10 African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Madagascar and Mauritius. The Nilson Report (Issue 1154) shows that UnionPay ranks first among all card schemes in card issuance and transaction volume worldwide. UnionPay has launched various innovative payment products in Africa in response to the worldwide digital transformation and financial inclusion.

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Adagio Therapeutics Announces Expansion of Patient Population in Global Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial of ADG20 for the Prevention of COVID-19

Independent Data Monitoring Committee Supports Expansion to Adolescents and Pregnant and Nursing Women Based on Safety and Tolerability Data from Phase 2 Lead-In

WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Adagio Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of antibody-based solutions for infectious diseases with pandemic potential, today announced that the independent data monitoring committee (IDMC) for the EVADE Phase 2/3 trial of ADG20 for the prevention of COVID-19 has provided a recommendation to expand Phase 3 trial enrollment to include adolescents and pregnant or nursing women, as well as to decrease the protocol-specified, post injection monitoring time. The IDMC’s assessments are based on their review of unblinded safety and tolerability data from 200 participants enrolled in the Phase 2 lead-in portion of the trial. Adagio remains blinded to the data and plans to implement the IDMC recommendations for the Phase 3 portion of the trial. EVADE is being conducted globally, including in regions where there is a high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, to evaluate the ability of a single, intramuscular dose of ADG20 to prevent COVID-19 in both pre- and post-exposure settings.

“Given the urgent need for additional treatment and preventative options for COVID-19, particularly in vulnerable populations, we are pleased that an independent assessment of the safety data from the lead-in portion of EVADE supported inclusion of adolescents and pregnant or nursing women in the next phase of the study,” said Lynn Connolly, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer of Adagio. “Based on the potent and broad activity of ADG20 in non-clinical studies, as well as its extended half-life and ease of administration, we believe this antibody has the potential to become a preferred prophylactic option for COVID-19, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children and the immunocompromised, for whom there are currently limited or no available options.”

The EVADE trial is a global, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating ADG20 in two independent cohorts. The first cohort (post-exposure prophylaxis) is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of ADG20 compared to placebo for the prevention of COVID-19 after exposure to an individual with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The second cohort (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is designed to assess the efficacy and safety of ADG20 compared to placebo in individuals who are at increased risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection due to occupational, housing or recreational situations, and in individuals who are at increased risk of poor vaccine response, including individuals with compromised immune systems or other co-morbidities. The primary efficacy endpoint in both cohorts is the prevention of laboratory confirmed, symptomatic COVID-19. For more information on the EVADE trial, please visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04859517.

The clinical development program for ADG20 includes two additional trials: the ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of ADG20 in healthy volunteers and the ongoing STAMP trial evaluating ADG20 as a treatment for high-risk individuals with mild or moderate COVID-19 (see clinicaltrials.gov).

About ADG20
ADG20, a monoclonal antibody targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses, is being developed for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. ADG20 was designed and engineered to possess high potency and broad neutralization against SARS-CoV-2 and additional clade 1 sarbecoviruses, by targeting a highly conserved epitope in the receptor binding domain. ADG20 displays potent neutralizing activity against the original SARS-CoV-2 strain as well as all known variants of concern. ADG20 has the potential to impact viral replication and subsequent disease through multiple mechanisms of action, including direct blocking of viral entry into the host cell (neutralization) and elimination of infected host cells through Fc-mediated innate immune effector activity. ADG20 is formulated at high concentrations, enabling intramuscular administration, and was engineered to have a long half-life, with a goal of providing both rapid and durable protection. Adagio is advancing ADG20 through multiple clinical trials on a global basis.

About Adagio Therapeutics
Adagio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of antibody-based solutions for infectious diseases with pandemic potential. The company’s portfolio of antibodies has been optimized using Adimab’s industry-leading antibody engineering capabilities and is designed to provide patients and clinicians with a powerful combination of potency, breadth, durable protection (via half-life extension), manufacturability and affordability. Adagio’s portfolio of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies includes multiple, non-competing broadly neutralizing antibodies with distinct binding epitopes, led by ADG20. Adagio has secured manufacturing capacity for the production of ADG20 with third-party contract manufacturers through the completion of clinical trials and, if approved by regulatory authorities, through initial commercial launch. For more information, please visit www.adagiotx.com.

Contacts:
Media Contact:
Dan Budwick, 1AB
Dan@1abmedia.com

Investor Contact:
Monique Allaire, THRUST Strategic Communications
monique@thrustsc.com


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Disruptive.Asia constate que les fabricants chinois de puces tirent parti de l’innovation et de l’appui aux politiques pour atteindre la maturité en 14 nm

LONDRES, 10 septembre 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Disruptive.Asia constate que la quête d’autosuffisance de la Chine en matière de fabrication de puces permet non seulement de doper les capacités de fabrication de puces de 14 nm en vue de leur pleine maturité, mais aussi de positionner le pays comme un partenaire mondial clé dans le secteur des chipsets, au moment où la chaîne d’approvisionnement se déplace vers la région Asie-Pacifique.

Selon Cai Yimao, vice-doyen de l’École d’ingénierie électronique et d’informatique de l’Université de Pékin, les entreprises chinoises ont surmonté bon nombre des difficultés techniques inhérentes à la conception de puces de 14 nm, ce qui a permis d’accélérer les capacités de la Chine en matière de puces de 14 nm au cours des deux dernières années. Le secteur chinois des puces en 28 nm devrait atteindre sa pleine maturité cette année et les puces en 14 nm devraient suivre d’ici 2022.

Les fabricants de puces en Chine bénéficient d’un appui aux politiques et d’investissements importants. M. Cai estime que la promulgation de politiques pertinentes a clairement montré que la Chine continue de soutenir l’industrie des circuits intégrés en tant qu’industrie phare. La Chine accorde une grande importance au développement de l’industrie des circuits intégrés et renforce continuellement l’appui aux politiques et les investissements.

Actuellement, la chaîne d’approvisionnement se déplace vers la Chine et l’Asie du Sud-Est. On pense que cela stimulera également la R&D nationale en matière de technologies avancées et favorisera un développement rapide des entreprises locales en Chine à mesure qu’elles accumuleront des compétences technologiques et une expérience de gestion. En outre, l’achèvement progressif de la construction de nouvelles usines de production de plaquettes en Chine continentale apporte un nouveau soutien à l’industrie des puces en termes de réduction des coûts, de renforcement des capacités de production et de commodité géographique. Le nombre et la proportion des lignes de production de circuits intégrés en Chine ne cessent d’augmenter. Plus de 20 300 mm de lignes de production ont été mis en service, et plusieurs sont en cours de construction.

Disruptive.Asia convient que la Chine a déjà maîtrisé la technologie de la production de masse des puces de 14 nm. Comme l’a mentionné M. Cai, les puces chinoises en 14 nm seront produites en masse l’année prochaine, avec un meilleur équilibre entre performances, consommation d’énergie et coût comme jamais auparavant.

À propos de Disruptive.Asia

Disruptive.Asia  assure la couverture de l’état actuel de la révolution numérique dans les secteurs des télécoms, des fintechs et de l’Internet dans la région Asie-Pacifique – son origine, ce qui la fait avancer, l’impact qu’elle a sur chaque industrie, comment les acteurs clés y répondent et ce que nous réserve l’avenir.

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African Union Suspends Guinea After Coup

The African Union said on Friday it was suspending Guinea after a coup in the West African country that saw its president Alpha Conde arrested.

The pan-African body said on Twitter that it “decides to suspend the Republic of Guinea from all AU activities and decision-making bodies”.

The move came after Guinean special forces seized power on Sunday and arrested Conde, who had come under increasing fire for perceived authoritarianism.

The AU had on Sunday condemned the military takeover and called for the release of Conde, who became the country’s first democratically elected president in 2010.

Its move came a day after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also suspended Guinea and said it was sending a mission to the country to evaluate the situation there.

The AU’s Political Affairs, Peace and Security Council said it called on AU Commission chief Moussa Faki to “engage with stakeholders in the region” on the crisis.

Source: Voice of America

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CAR Court Accuses Ex-warlord of Crimes Against Humanity

A special court on Friday accused the former leader of a key militia in the Central African Republic of crimes against humanity at the height of the civil war.

Former captain Eugene Barret Ngaikosset, arrested nearly a week ago, was once a commander of the guard of President Francois Bozize, who was toppled in 2013 by the Seleka, a coalition of largely Muslim armed groups.

He then became an important leader of the largely Christian and animist anti-Balaka militias, which Bozize founded to fight the Seleka.

The two groups plunged the country into a bloody civil war, with the United Nations accusing them in 2015 of having committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in 2014 and 2015.

Ngaikosset, arrested September 4 just outside the capital, Bangui, “was accused of crimes against humanity” by two judges of the Special Criminal Court (CPS), the tribunal said in a statement.

Made up of Central African and international magistrates, the court has been tasked with judging serious human rights violations since 2003 in this country that has been locked in civil war since 2013.

CPS prosecutors must decide if Ngaikosset will be placed in custody while awaiting a possible trial, the statement said.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague also could be tasked with handling the former captain’s case.

‘Butcher’

Central African media have dubbed Ngaikosset “the butcher of Paoua,” referring to massacres committed by the army in the northwest city of the same name from 2005 to 2007, when he was a commander of Bozize’s dreaded presidential guard.

In a 2009 report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said diplomats had at the time asked Bozize to take legal action Ngaikosset, who it said was implicated in various atrocities in the northwest.

The ex-captain had set up a faction of the anti-Balaka, which means anti-machete, after Bozize’s fall in 2013.

And a report from the U.N., which froze his assets abroad and issued a travel ban, accused him in 2015 of carrying out or supporting actions contrary to international human rights law.

The civil war has dropped in intensity since 2018 but armed groups, some with past links to the Seleka or anti-Balaka, occupied late last year more than two-thirds of the country.

Some elements launched a rebellion at the end of 2020 against the administration of President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who was re-elected on December 27.

His army, with the support of hundreds of Russian paramilitaries and Rwandan soldiers, have today largely reconquered lost territory.

Source: Voice of America

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Violence Against Civilians in Eastern DRC Reaching New Heights, UN Says

The U.N. refugee agency is calling for more effective measures to protect millions of civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo subjected to killings, kidnappings and savage abuse by armed groups.

Dozens of armed groups have been committing violence against civilians in eastern DRC for more than two decades, but the U.N. refugee agency says the viciousness and magnitude of the attacks have reached a level not seen before.

The UNHCR and its partners have recorded more than 1,200 civilian deaths and 1,100 rapes in 2021 in the two most affected provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. The agency says ferocious attacks have driven more than one million Congolese in the eastern part of the country from their homes this year alone.

UNHCR spokesman Boris Cheshirkov says most assaults have been perpetrated by the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group with Ugandan roots operating in eastern DRC. He says the group’s attacks have been increasing in brutality and frequency since late 2020.

“These reports are coming in again and again. Twenty-five-thousand human rights violations for this year, including extortion, including looting, certainly sexual violence. Horrific reports that our staff and our partners are receiving and the extreme violence against civilians. So, our call is very clear. This is a call that we are constantly making. We need more measures to protect civilians,” Cheshirkov said.

Violence and abuse have displaced more than five million people inside the DRC, the second highest number of internally displaced after Syria. Cheshirkov says repeated displacement is putting enormous financial pressure on impoverished host communities, and risking wearing out those communities’ welcome mat.

“Harsh living conditions and a lack of food often trigger premature return by displaced people to their place of origin, further exposing them to abuse and violence,” Cheshirkov said. “In fact, returnees account for 65 percent of the serious human rights abuses that we and our partners have recorded.”

Cheshirkov notes that the lifesaving needs of this ever-growing displaced population are increasing. But his agency, he says, can only respond to a fraction of them because it is out of money.

With less than four months left in 2021, he says the UNHCR has received only 51 percent of the $205 million required to carry out humanitarian operations in the DRC this year.

Source: Voice of America