Day: July 24, 2023

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Curia expands biologics capabilities with access to Touchlight’s doggybone DNA

Curia collaborates with Touchlight to expand its mRNA manufacturing offering to enable access to enzymatic doggybone DNA (dbDNA™)

ALBANY, N.Y. and HAMPTON, United Kingdom, July 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Curia, a leading contract research, development and manufacturing organization, and Touchlight, a company pioneering enzymatic DNA production, today announced an agreement which will provide Curia and its clients a streamlined means of access to Touchlight’s doggybone DNA (dbDNA). The arrangement expands Curia’s mRNA manufacturing offerings with an additional differentiated source of DNA raw material that is immediately available to be accessed by Curia customers. Under the arrangement, Touchlight will directly manufacture dbDNA on behalf of Curia’s customers.

“Curia remains committed to strengthening our biologics offerings and end-to-end mRNA manufacturing capabilities,” said Christopher Conway, President of R&D, Curia. “With the addition of enzymatic DNA through our partnership with Touchlight, our customers will have a critical advantage in terms of scalability and speed to market.”

Touchlight’s dbDNA is a linear, double-stranded, covalently-closed DNA vector. DNA serves as the template for making mRNA therapies. Through a simple enzymatic process called in vitro transcription, genetic information is copied from DNA to mRNA. This mRNA is then able to teach the cells to make precise proteins that are used to treat or prevent diseases. Touchlight’s enzymatic DNA is produced with a cell-free enzymatic process that offers unmatched benefits in speed, quality and capacity when compared to traditional plasmid DNA production.

Karen Fallen, CEO, Touchlight commented: “We are delighted to work with Curia in order to further expand access to dbDNA as a critical starting material. Working in parallel with fellow CDMOs is a key component of our focus upon enabling broad market access to dbDNA. Curia is building a comprehensive mRNA solution, and this arrangement enables both companies to extend their offering to a wider audience.”

Touchlight’s dbDNA is a novel solution that is widely applicable and versatile, advancing Curia’s mRNA manufacturing capabilities as a complement to its bioprocessing-grade plasmid offering.

About Curia

Curia is a leading contract research, development, and manufacturing organization providing products and services from R&D through commercial manufacturing to pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customers. Curia’s nearly 4,000 employees at 29 locations across the U.S., Europe, and Asia help its customers advance from curiosity to cure. Learn more at CuriaGlobal.com.

About Touchlight

Touchlight is a privately-owned CDMO based in London, U.K., focused on providing DNA services and manufacturing enzymatically produced doggybone DNA (dbDNA™) to enable the development of genetic medicines. Touchlight provides rapid, enzymatic DNA development and manufacturing for all advanced therapy production, including mRNA, viral and non-viral gene therapy, and DNA API. dbDNA is a minimal, linear, covalently closed structure, which eliminates bacterial sequences. Touchlight’s revolutionary enzymatic production platform enables unprecedented speed, scale, and the ability to target genes with a size and complexity that is impossible with current technologies. Clients can be supported from pre-clinical through development and supply to licensing and tech transfer for use in-house.

Curia Contact Information:
Viana Bhagan
+1 518 512 2111
corporatecommunications@CuriaGlobal.com

Touchlight contact information:

Karen Fallen, Chief Executive Officer
Robin Bodicoat, Head of Marketing
E: [email protected]
T: +44 20 8481 9200

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8879177

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OPEN Health announces a new team of experts will lead its HEOR & Market Access Scientific Office

London, UK, July 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OPEN Health, a global provider of consultancy, HEOR and market access, and scientific communications services, today announced a new team of experts will lead its HEOR & Market Access Scientific Office. This expert team will be led by Dr. Elisabeth Fenwick as Chief Scientific Officer with support from Professor Ben van Hout as Scientific Founder.

Both Elisabeth and Ben joined OPEN Health through its acquisition of Pharmerit International. Elisabeth Fenwick is most widely known for working on the cost-effectiveness acceptability curve (CEAC), creating the cost-effectiveness acceptability frontier, and for her work in value of information analyses for research decisions. She has over 20 years of experience in the industry and has published more than 50 publications globally. Ben van Hout is most commonly known for being one of the co-founders of the EQ-5D (a standardized measure of health-related quality of life) and as the developer of the CEAC. He was also one of the first researchers to perform a discrete event simulation and is published in the New England Journal of Medicine. He has over 35 years of experience in the industry and was honored with the ISPOR Avedis Donabedian Outcomes Research Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

“The purpose of the Scientific Office is to ensure that science is at the center of everything we do. Our scientific experts are here to support the HEOR and market access team with their amazing research developing innovative solutions.” Elisabeth commented.

The Scientific Office is made up of experts who bring unique skillsets from across OPEN Health’s HEOR & market access service areas. The appointed team consists of Maarten Treur, MSc, Vice President and Global Head of Modeling & Meta-Analysis; Dr. Viktor Chirikov, Director of Real‑World Evidence & Data Analytics; Dr. Marco Boeri, Director of Preference Research in Patient-Centered Outcomes; and Emanuele Arcà, MSc, Senior Research Consultant in Strategic Market Access. Craig Bennison, MSc, Executive Director and Global Innovation Lead for OPEN Health HEOR & Market Access, will also join the team and will focus specifically on innovation.

“Over the last few years, the scientific contributions and leadership of these experts have played instrumental roles in shaping our reputation and research efforts, working in partnership with our clients to improve health outcomes and patient wellbeing,” said Richard Jones, President of OPEN Health Evidence & Access. “This team will ensure our scientific expertise, thought leadership, and innovation stay front and center of our HEOR and market access offering.”

To learn more about the team of experts in the Scientific Office, please explore this interactive publication.

About OPEN Health

OPEN Health unites deep scientific knowledge with wide-ranging specialist expertise to unlock possibilities that improve health outcomes and patient wellbeing. Working in partnership with our clients, we embrace our different perspectives and strengths to deliver fresh thinking and solutions that make a difference. OPEN Health is a flexible global organization that solves complex healthcare challenges across HEOR and market access, medical communications and creative omnichannel campaigns. For more information on OPEN Health, visit www.openhealthgroup.com.

Candice Subero
OPEN Health
candicesubero@openhealthgroup.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8878752

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KP Restarts Free Cancer Treatment After Nearly a Year

After a nearly year-long delay, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has taken a significant step forward by announcing the resumption of free cancer treatment for patients in the province.

Commencing next week, cancer patients will once again have access to free medicines at the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), marking the initial phase of the program’s revival. This initiative aims to extend its reach, ultimately providing free medicines to 5,000 patients across the entire province.

An official from the health department affirmed that all necessary arrangements have been meticulously planned, acknowledging the department’s struggles in providing free medicines to cancer patients over the past year.

The delay in resuming the program was attributed to the procurement process initiated at the beginning of the last fiscal year. However, it was only in June of the fiscal year 2022-23 that the government released funds amounting to Rs. 275 million. Despite the challenges, the health department managed to clear its dues, with the remaining Rs. 34 million being surrendered.

As per official reports, 16 companies participated in the tendering process for the supply of medicines, out of which 14 qualified successfully. Consequently, the supply of medicines has commenced, and officials are conducting thorough inspections of the provided stock. All approved items will be promptly distributed to hospitals, starting from the upcoming week. The initial phase will focus on the Hayatabad Medical Complex, where the provision of free medicines will be reinstated.

Under this renewed program, cancer patients will be entitled to free medicines for one year, and the health department has already initiated the procurement process for the following year, ensuring continuous support for cancer patients.

The temporary disruption of the free cancer treatment program in the previous year posed significant hardships for economically disadvantaged patients. Among those affected, Gul Rukh Bibi, a 60-year-old resident of Kurram tribal district, faced insurmountable difficulties when the hospital repeatedly failed to provide her daughter’s cancer medication.

Since June, they had been seeking assistance at the Hayatabad Medical Complex, but their pleas went unanswered. The unavailability of medications severely dimmed their hopes of witnessing her daughter’s recovery, and it was heartbreaking for Gul Rukh Bibi to see her daughter’s health deteriorate.

Initially, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic hindered access to medication for many patients. However, the situation worsened when the hospital ran out of essential medicines, leaving patients like Gul Rukh Bibi’s daughter without any lifeline. The government’s provision of free medicines had been their sole hope, as purchasing medication privately was financially unfeasible for them.

According to the HMC Oncology Department, the shortage of medicines persisted since June due to the government’s failure to allocate funds for cancer patients. Consequently, the approximately 9,000 patients registered with the department across K-P suffered greatly.

Beyond the registered patients, there are an additional 35,000 unregistered cancer patients throughout K-P. The statistics reveal that 56% of the total cancer patient population is female, while 44% are male, as per the oncology department.

Source: Pro Pakistani

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Lahore Parking Company’s Incompetence is Costing a Lot of Money

As per Lahore High Court (LHC) directives, the Lahore Parking Company must remove over 1,000 unlawful parking spaces.

A recent media report suggests that the city’s parking stands may be functioning illegally, costing the exchequer millions of rupees annually.

The parking company’s income has fallen over the past 12 years despite the rising number of cars and parking rates.

An official told The Express Tribune that the investigations into bogus receipts and million-rupee misappropriation resulted in action against young personnel with senior executives dodging consequences.

Lahore Parking Company was given domain over parking spaces in the city in 2011. Despite that, illegal parking stands outnumber authorized ones.

According to official records, the city had 244 parking spots in 2011 and their yearly income was less than Rs. 670,000, growing by over 10% annually.

Prior to this, motorcycle parking was Rs. 5 and car parking was Rs. 10. After the company came into being, motorcycle parking went up to Rs. 20, while car parking went up to Rs. 30.

Despite these official rates, parking at many province capital spots costs up to Rs. 50. The parking company reports 180 stands and a sharp decline in daily revenue.

A survey found over 1,000 illegal parking stalls in Lahore. The Lahore High Court ordered the immediate removal of unauthorized parking stands.

However, the report alleged that most illegal parking stalls on city roadways are controlled by important people in collusion with local administration, parking firms, traffic, and police station officials. These stands charge more than government-set parking fares.

The Circular Road, Hall Road, Mall Road, Jail Road, Gulberg, Liberty, Ferozepur Road, Garden Town, Wahdat Road, Iqbal Town, and other roads and hospitals have the majority of illegal parking stands.

Lahore Parking Company CEO Bilal Feroze Joya claimed the company’s goal was to provide services and make money. He added the unlawful parking stands would be removed per the high court decision.

Source: Pro Pakistani

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Govt Seeks Restructuring of World Bank’s $15 Million Community Support Program

The government has sought restructuring of World Bank’s “Pakistan Community Support Project (CASA-1000)” worth $15 million after it faced delays due to disruptions in implementation caused by the 2022 floods emergency and price escalations leading to a shortage of materials available for civil works.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, via the Ministry of Economic Affairs, has requested that the closing date of the project be extended to September 30, 2023. The project’s funding envelope will remain unchanged.

CASA-1000, PCSP was approved on June 3, 2020, and became effective on July 29, 2020, with an overall allocation of $15 million. The closing date of the project was June 30, 2023. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to improve access to local infrastructure and strengthen community engagement in the project areas.

The project has five components:

Component A – Community Outreach and Communications for CASA-1000 ($0.5 million);

Component B – Community Mobilization and Capacity Building ($2.0 million);

Component C – Community Investments in Small Infrastructure Schemes ($10.5 million);

Component D – Project Management, implementation, and Monitoring and Evaluation ($2.0 million); and

Component E – Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC) ($0.00).

In 2014, the World Bank approved the CASA-1000 regional transmission line project between four countries, establishing a landmark regional energy-sharing program across Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Within each country, community-level projects were approved within the corridor of influence of the transmission line.

The $15 million MDTF grant-funded project ($2 million from CASA 1000 Project MDTF and $13 million from MDTF KP/FATA/Balochistan), Pakistan Community Support Program (PCSP) was approved in 2020 as Pakistan’s community support project.

The Project provides community-level infrastructure investments in 165 communities within the 4-kilometer-wide corridor of influence of the CASA-1000 transmission line across three districts in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The project experienced delays in the initial years of implementation, including those caused by the challenging situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Shut down of key offices as well as government measures to enable social distancing resulted in delays in project implementation. To address this situation, the project was provided a one-year extension to ensure activities are completed. 11.

The PCSP has experienced additional delays in fiscal year 2023 including due to disruptions in implementation caused by the 2022 floods emergency.

Implementation of sub-projects was further impacted because of rapid changes in government decision-makers (including transfers of three Director Generals and two Project Directors in a span of four months) and staff turnover, and price escalations (up to 40 percent increase in the cost of materials) leading to a shortage of materials available for small civil works contracts in the project areas.

In April 2023, the incumbent Project Director took charge with the full support government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP). This has helped in accelerating the pace of construction.

It has helped take the number of completed schemes from 10 in April 2023 to 83 in June 2023. The PSCP team, under the leadership of the new Project Director, has created a schedule of implementation that can help achieve the completion of 165 schemes by September 2023.

Works on the four-flood protection special projects are underway and are also expected to be completed by September 30, 2023. Completion of the sub-projects and special projects is critical to meeting the expectations of beneficiaries because of the mobilization and prioritization activities.

GoKP, via the Ministry of Economic Affairs, has requested that the closing date of the project be extended to September 30, 2023. A Level 2 restructuring is required to reflect this in project documents. GoKP has taken measures to address causes of delays in implementation to help ensure the targeted activities are completed by September 30, 2023.

The GoKP has banned further transfers and postings until further notice, and staff vacancies have been filled. Price escalations and inflationary pressures that impacted cost estimates and contracting have been resolved through contract amendments, and contractors are now mobilized to complete civil works.

Recently, the PMU and the Bank team have intensified supervision of project activities, with monthly missions to supervise field-level works, and weekly progress review meetings of all sub-projects. Finally, recent flooding disrupted the implementation of civil works. While monsoon-related floods remain a risk, the project is prioritizing the completion of flood protection works by mid-July.

The flood risks are deemed to be less risky in Khyber district, where the bulk of the remaining sub-projects are located.

Source: Pro Pakistani