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Taconic Biosciences Improves rasH2 Carcinogenicity Test System Access in Asia-Pacific Region

RENSSELAER, N.Y., March 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Taconic Biosciences, a global leader in providing drug discovery animal model solutions, has appointed Nomura Siam International Co., Ltd. (NSI) and Nomura Jimusho. Inc. (NJI) as sales agents and distributors of the rasH2 Mouse Carcinogenicity Test System in India and China, respectively. These distribution arrangements greatly improve rasH2 access for the burgeoning pharmaceutical industry in the Asia–Pacific region.

The rasH2 transgenic mouse model is the only short–term (6–month) carcinogenicity test system that is both accepted by global regulatory authorities and readily available in commercial production. Invented by the Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), the rasH2 model is widely used as an alternative to the 2–year carcinogenicity bioassay, providing a faster, more accurate test system that better aligns with Russell & Burch's 3R tenets. Taconic and CLEA Japan, Inc (CLEA) have provided validated and consistent rasH2 mice for use in North America, Europe, and Asia since 2006, though access in India and China has been limited. As drug discovery and development activity increases in India and China, access to a carcinogenicity assay that is accepted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as local authorities, is vital.

Under the new agreement, NSI serves as sales agent and distributor for India and NJI as sales agent and distributor for China. These distributors and sales agents greatly simplify the transaction process for users located in these countries. NSI and NJI will leverage CLEA and Taconic production colonies in Japan, Denmark, and the US to meet customer demand, facilitating investigator access. Taconic, CLEA, and CIEA closely monitor these colonies and perform regular functional studies using positive control compounds to assure performance critical for drug safety assessment. The arrangement also allows CLEA and Taconic to align production to meet global demand through improved visibility into rasH2 global use and needs.

"The rasH2 model has delivered on the promise of transgenic technology by demonstrating exceptional value in carcinogenicity assessment of new drugs, and the worldwide adoption of this system is a testament to its advantages in terms of speed, specificity, and total cost," said Dr. Michael Seiler, vice president commercial products at Taconic.

“This historic collaboration ensures customers in every country have full access to the rasH2 carcinogenicity test system," said Ryuta Nomura, CIEA chairman of the board and CEO. "This partnership will significantly increase the likelihood that all customers globally receive rasH2 as requested with minimal delay, enabling studies to be performed sooner and ultimately helping to get new life–saving medications on the market faster."

To learn more about the rasH2 model, please call 1–888–TACONIC (888–822–6642) in the US, +45 70 23 04 05 in Europe, or email info@taconic.com.

About Taconic Biosciences, Inc.

Taconic Biosciences is a fully–licensed, global leader in genetically engineered rodent models and services. Founded in 1952, Taconic provides the best animal solutions so that customers can acquire, custom–generate, breed, precondition, test, and distribute valuable research models worldwide. Specialists in genetically engineered mouse and rat models, microbiome, immuno–oncology mouse models, and integrated model design and breeding services, Taconic operates service laboratories and breeding facilities in the US and Europe, maintains distributor relationships in Asia, and has global shipping capabilities to provide animal models almost anywhere in the world.

About CIEA:

Central Institute for Experimental Animals is a private and independent non–profit institute, founded in 1952 with the aim of contributing to medical care and medical science based on animal experiments.

About CLEA:

CLEA Japan Inc. was founded in 1965 as a total system supplier of laboratory animals, their diet and equipment, to support bioscience research and development with a vision of health, welfare, and environment for humans.

CLEA operates four breeding facilities in Japan, a joint venture facility in Thailand, and Technical Service Center near Mt. Fuji in Japan.

About Nomura Siam International Co. Ltd. (NSI):

Nomura Siam International Co. Ltd., based in Bangkok, Thailand, was jointly established in 2012 by CLEA Japan, Inc. and Nomura Jimusho, Inc. to provide a one–stop service for the laboratory animal field. As a one–stop service supplier, NSI not only sells laboratory animals but also handles a wide range of related products, including equipment for rearing animals and experiments, feeds, and bedding, as well as provides consulting services for preclinical research and designing facilities for laboratory animals.

About Nomura Jimusho. Inc. (NJI):

Established in 1933 for petroleum–related businesses and diversified the activities to deal in products with unique and distinct characteristics in fields such as oil–refining catalysts, special materials, plastic containers, specialty chemicals, and life sciences. In the life sciences field, NJI/NSI have been supplying laboratory animals and various laboratory animal equipment for over a decade to overseas market, such as China, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and recently India in the partnership with Taconic Biosciences, Inc.

Media Contact:

Aidan Bouchelle
Associate Director, Marketing Operations
518–949–7598
Aidan.Bouchelle@taconic.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8506270)

FreedomPay Enables Sephora to Deliver Next Level Mobile POS Platform for Enhanced Consumer Experience across the Americas

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FreedomPay, the world's leading commerce platform, announces partnership with Sephora USA, Inc. the leading prestige beauty omni–retailer, to integrate FreedomPay's data–driven commerce technology platform in Sephora's 500 plus stores across the Americas.

"FreedomPay is proud to announce the agreement with Sephora, to provide a world class experience to its millions of customers across the Americas," said Chris Kronenthal, President at FreedomPay. "Our suite of touchless commerce and data solutions will enable Sephora to provide customers a fast, frictionless, and innovative consumer experience."

The partnership allows for a safe and secure next–level Mobile POS consumer experience for shoppers with FreedomPay. The new touchless capable payment system enables Sephora clients to have complete control over their checkout experience, giving consumers the option to pay via contactless payment methods and digital wallets all on their own device, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.

"Now more than ever, it is critical for us at Sephora to be able to adapt to the quickly changing retail environment and that's especially important at the point of sale," said Sree Sreedhararaj, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Sephora. "Our clients desire a seamless experience in every step of the shopping journey, and our partnership with FreedomPay allows us to maximize efficiencies and capabilities at checkout."

About FreedomPay

FreedomPay's Next Level Commerce platform transforms existing payment systems and processes from legacy to leading edge. As the premier choice for many of the largest companies across the globe in retail, hospitality, lodging, gaming, sports and entertainment, foodservice, education, healthcare and financial services, FreedomPay's technology has been purposely built to deliver rock solid performance in the highly complex environment of global commerce. The company maintains a world–class security environment and was first to earn the coveted validation by the PCI Security Standards Council against Point–to–Point Encryption (P2PE/EMV) standard in North America. FreedomPay's robust solutions across payments, security, identity, and data analytics are available in–store, online and on–mobile and are supported by rapid API adoption. The award winning FreedomPay Commerce Platform operates on a single, unified technology stack across multiple continents allowing enterprises to deliver an innovative Next Level experience on a global scale. www.freedompay.com

About Sephora Americas

Since its debut in North America more than 20 years ago, Sephora has been a leader in prestige omni–retail with the mission of creating an inviting beauty shopping experience and inspiring fearlessness in our community. With the goal of delivering unbiased shopping support and a personalized experience, Sephora invites clients to discover thousands of products from more than 340 carefully curated brands, explore online and through our mobile app, enjoy services at the Beauty Studio and engage with expertly trained Beauty Advisors in more than 500 stores across the Americas. And with its new long–term retail strategic partnership, clients can now shop Sephora at Kohl's, a fully immersive, premium beauty destination, with 200 locations in 2021, and at least 850 locations by 2023. Clients can access the free–to–join Beauty Insider program and digital community, which together enhance the experience of Sephora's passionate clients.

Sephora has been an industry–leading champion of diversity, inclusivity, and empowerment, guided by our longstanding company values. In 2019, Sephora announced a new tagline and manifesto, "We Belong to Something Beautiful," to reinforce its dedication to fostering belonging amongst all clients and employees and to publicly strive for a more inclusive vision for retail in the Americas. Sephora continues to give back to our communities and advance inclusion in our industry through its social impact and equity programming, called the Sephora D&I Heart Journey.

For more information, visit: https://www.sephora.com/about–us and @Sephora on social media. For media inquiries, please visit our Sephora newsroom or email ExternalComms@sephora.com


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8506148)

bioLytical Laboratories Inc. Receives its CE Mark for the iStatis COVID-19 Antigen Home Test

bioLytical Laboratories Inc. announced today that it is launching a new platform, iStatis, and has received its CE Mark for immediate market entry into Europe for its iStatis COVID–19 Antigen Home Test

  • From the makers of INSTI , bioLytical launches a new platform, iStatis, created to ensure every person in the world has access to reliable testing
  • bioLytical has received its CE Mark for the iStatis COVID–19 Antigen Home Test for immediate entry to the European market
  • The test is portable and can be performed at home with easy–to–understand results and no additional readers or machinery needed
  • Test performance in clinical studies demonstrated an industry–leading 100% accuracy
  • bioLytical's quality system is ISO 13485:2016 MDSAP certified

RICHMOND, British Columbia, March 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — bioLytical Laboratories Inc. ("bioLytical"), a global leader in rapid in–vitro medical diagnostics, announced today that it is launching its new testing platform, iStatis, across Europe after receiving its CE Mark for the iStatis COVID–19 Antigen Home Test, allowing its immediate entry into the European market.

Building on its innovative INSTI testing platform, bioLytical launched iStatis to continue creating reliable access to testing. With new lateral flow technology in its portfolio, bioLytical can reach more people with its COVID–19 antigen home test that provides peace of mind with its industry–leading accuracy of 100%.

"We are excited to announce the addition of iStatis in Europe with our new COVID–19 rapid antigen home test," said Rob Mackie, Chief Executive Officer of bioLytical. "With our new iStatis platform, we can expand our reach and increase access to testing across Europe. With the unpredictable nature of the pandemic, we are proud to offer Europeans a reliable and trusted test that they can take in the comfort and privacy of their own homes."

Rapid testing is a vital tool that provides an additional way to identify infection to help reduce virus spread. Along with public health measures such as handwashing, masking, and social distancing, regular rapid testing provides an extra layer of defense against the transmission of the virus. With the pandemic evolving, testing will continue to play an integral role in the fight against COVID–19 by helping keep communities safe.

The iStatis COVID–19 Antigen Home Test will help create certainty in infection identification, providing Europeans with access to a convenient test at home, reducing the burden on busy medical facilities. With its industry–leading accuracy of 100%, portability, and ease of use, iStatis provides reliable results, making informed health decisions easier and quicker.

bioLytical will manufacture the iStatis COVID–19 Antigen Home Tests in its ISO 13485:2016 MDSAP certified facility in Richmond, British Columbia. As a global leader in ultra–rapid infectious disease diagnostics, bioLytical is working to ensure our iStatis COVID–19 Antigen Home Test kits are available across Europe.

bioLytical Laboratories Inc. is a privately–owned Canadian company focused on the research, development, and commercialization of rapid in–vitro medical diagnostics using its proprietary INSTI technology platform and its lateral flow line iStatis. bioLytical has won several local and industry awards, including B.C. Exporter of the Year in 2019. We have been named Lifesciences B.C.'s Growth Stage Med Tech Company of the Year and are featured on B.C.'s Fastest–Growing Companies for five years in a row, including the Globe and Mail's Fastest Growing Companies list in 2020. bioLytical moved to a significantly larger, state–of–the–art facility in Richmond, B.C., in 2020 to accommodate the extraordinary growth achieved through our team. Providing accurate results in one minute or less, the INSTI range includes the INSTI HIV–1/HIV–2 Antibody Test, INSTI Multiplex HIV Syphilis Ab Test, INSTI HIV Self Test, INSTI Covid–19 Antibody Test, and the INSTI HCV Antibody Test. bioLytical sells its products in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia. In 2022, bioLytical launched iStatis, its new lateral flow testing platform to create additional access to testing worldwide.

By delivering accurate results in real–time, INSTI and iStatis generate meaningful outcomes for medical professionals, patients, and public health organizations worldwide and is a key partner in tackling some of the world's most severe healthcare challenges. Please visit www.istatis.com, www.insti.com, and www.biolytical.com for more information.

References
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid–19/surveillance/testing–strategies
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications–data/options–use–rapid–antigen–tests–covid–19–eueea–first–update

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1f4f21c7–51bc–481a–9b13–d4c00f6c2697


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8506626)

Hitachi Energy to provide advanced grid connection for the world’s largest eucalyptus pulp mill in Brazil Innovative solution will enable surplus renewable electricity to be transferred into the national power grid

Zurich, Switzerland, March 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy, the global technology and market leader in power grids, announced today that it has won an order from Suzano, the world's leading eucalyptus pulp producer and one of Latin America's largest paper producers, to design and deliver a complete grid connection solution for the company's new pulp mill in Brazil.

Suzano's new factory will be the world's largest single–line eucalyptus pulp mill and Brazil's first pulp production facility to be fossil fuel free when completed in the second half of 2024. It will have an annual production capacity of 2.5 million tons and will increase Suzano's output by 20 percent. About half of the electricity generated will be transferred to the national power grid, enough to supply around 2.3 million people for one month.

The two companies have worked closely together on grid solutions for Suzano's fleet of mills over the past 20 years. In this spirit of collaboration and co–creation, Hitachi Energy has contributed its pioneering technologies and its unique system integration capabilities, engineering expertise and extensive experience of local grid code requirements. This enables Hitachi Energy to design and supply complete solutions with exceptional levels of reliability, that are fundamental for these types of application.

"We are honored and delighted to be working with Suzano again on this landmark project that sets a new benchmark in sustainable pulp production and shares its emission–free electricity with society at large," said Niklas Persson, Managing Director of Hitachi Energy's Grid Integration business. "This is another example of how our solutions are advancing the world's energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure."

"The construction of the new factory is the biggest investment in Suzano's history, so it is vital that the grid connection through which we generate additional revenue from our surplus energy operates at outstanding levels of reliability and availability," said Mauricio Miranda, Engineering Director at Suzano. "We chose Hitachi Energy as our technology partner based on more than 20 years of successful collaboration and consistent delivery of innovative, reliable solutions and exceptional project execution."

Hitachi Energy will supply a state–of–the–art grid connection solution to enable the surplus renewable power to be transferred reliably, safely and securely into the national power grid. The solution's compact footprint is based on advanced gas–insulated switchgear and offers excellent performance in terms of efficiency and availability, while minimizing the total lifecycle cost and CO2 footprint.

To secure reliability and availability, key elements of the grid connection, such as the transformers will be equipped with Hitachi Energy's digital monitoring systems to provide real–time data and performance insights and enable predictive maintenance. Hitachi Energy will provide a complete solution across the value chain, from system studies and grid code compliance to design and engineering, supply and installation and commissioning.

Hitachi Energy is the world's leading provider of grid connections and power quality solutions, with an installed base of more than 10,000 projects worldwide, over 800 of which connect renewable energy sources to the grid.

About Hitachi Energy Ltd.

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon–neutral future. We are advancing the world's energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, contributes to a sustainable society with a higher quality of life by driving innovation through data and technology as the Social Innovation Business. Hitachi is focused on strengthening its contribution to the Environment, the Resilience of business and social infrastructure as well as comprehensive programs to enhance Security & Safety. Hitachi resolves the issues faced by customers and society across six domains: IT, Energy, Mobility, Industry, Smart Life and Automotive Systems through its proprietary Lumada solutions. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2020 (ended March 31, 2021) totaled 8,729.1 billion yen ($78.6 billion), with 871 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 350,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8506105)