Sweet Deal: PureCircle granted key stevia Reb M patent in China

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 -- PureCircle, the world’s leading producer and innovator of great-tasting stevia sweeteners has been granted a Chinese patent directed to its proprietary process for scaling up production of its flagship, Reb M stevia leaf sweetener.

“This new patent is a valuable addition to our intellectual property portfolio. Our IP, including the hundreds of patents we hold and have applied for globally, reflect the strength and depth of our work with the stevia plant and our commitment to getting the most out of the stevia leaf,” said chief executive officer, Magomet Malsagov.

PureCircle’s proprietary process has enabled it to produce its next generation sweeteners in the significant and reliable quantities beverage and food companies require, and to supply these ingredients cost effectively for customers.

These sweeteners work well in a broad range of no- and low-sugar added beverages and foods, according to a statement.

The Chinese patent is aligned with PureCircle’s other global IP on Reb M production, and serves to further strengthen its position as the world’s leading supplier of innovative stevia ingredients.

PureCircle has 194 patents granted, and approximately 350 patents pending, globally.

More information at https://purecircle.com.

-- BERNAMA

Atomwise, Hansoh Pharma launch AI drug discovery collaboration

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 -- Atomwise Inc and Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group Company Limited (Hansoh Pharma) have collaborated to design and discover potential drug candidates.

In a statement, Atomwise, an artificial intelligence (AI) for drug discovery leader said the discovery involved up to 11 undisclosed target proteins in multiple therapeutic areas.

Scientific teams from both Atomwise and the China-based Hansoh Pharma will work closely on the programmes.

The combination of complementary expertise and technologies has the potential to dramatically increase success and compress timelines for drug discovery and clinical development.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Atomwise will receive undisclosed technology access fees, option exercise fees, royalties and income based on sub-licensing or sale of assets created under the collaboration.

Meanwhile, Hansoh Pharma will receive rights for development and commercialisation in all fields and geographies.

-- BERNAMA

Savonix, Bayer to validate multivitamin supplement Berocca effects in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 -- Savonix and Bayer’s Consumer Health Division have announced a partnership agreement to validate the effects of Bayer’s multivitamin supplement Berocca in the Malaysian market.

In this study, a Savonix digital cognitive assessment, which takes around 10 minutes to complete, will be administered to 200 university students between the ages of 18 to 25, including both Berocca and non-Berocca users.

The assessment platform is a valid and reliable method to assess Berocca’s effectiveness on brain performance in real world settings and help consumers understand their cognitive health.

In addition, the platform delivers a set of digitised neurocognitive tests via Android and iOS mobile operating systems, supported by a web-based clinical data dashboard with integrated clinical decision support and treatment planning guidance.

Berocca is a multivitamin effervescent tablet that contains all eight B vitamins, helping to sustain energy for mental and physical performance.

Savonix is a global leader in digital tests for cognitive health, empowering healthcare providers, payers and researchers to evaluate and leverage results to improve health and treatment outcomes. More details at https://www.savonix.com/

-- BERNAMA

ISTOX NAMES FORMER MAS DEPUTY DIRECTOR LIM MEI SHERN AS HEAD OF COMPLIANCE

SINGAPORE, Sept 17 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iSTOX, the first regulated platform in any major global financial center to offer issuance, settlement, custody, and secondary trading of digitized securities, is pleased to announce the appointment of Lim Mei Shern as its new Head of Compliance. Lim will be responsible for the regulatory compliance within iSTOX. 

Lim has over 15 years of experience at Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), primarily in the supervision of capital markets intermediaries. Prior to joining iSTOX, she worked extensively on Fintech regulation in the capital markets industry.

“I strongly believe that iSTOX will be a game changer in capital markets. Through the use of new technology, iSTOX will democratize investing and improve liquidity in the private markets. The platform will make it easy for investors to access private markets at lower costs,” she said.

Lim holds a Master of Laws in Cross-Border Business and Finance Law from Singapore Management University and a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from Nanyang Technological University.

“We are very happy to welcome Mei Shern into our iSTOX family. As a licensed platform for digitized securities, we are fully committed to being compliant with all necessary regulatory requirements. Mei Shern’s technical expertise and experience as a former regulator will strengthen our team and help build iSTOX’s position as a trusted, transparent, and regulated capital markets platform,” said Darius Liu, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of iSTOX.

iSTOX is a future-ready capital markets platform established and operated by ICHX Tech Pte. Ltd to usher in a new era for capital fundraising and investment. Through the use of Digitized Security Offerings, iSTOX offers a more innovative, flexible, inclusive, and efficient system for an emerging generation of investors and issuers. The company is licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore under the Securities and Futures Act (Cap 289) and has been a recognised market operator within Singapore’s Fintech Regulatory Sandbox since May 2019. For more information, visit www.iSTOX.com

About ICHX

ICHX is a capital market infrastructure and technology company on a mission to redefine capital fundraising and investment in the 21st century. An incubatee of the ICH Group, a leading Singapore-based investment firm, ICHX draws on world class expertise in fintech, fund management, investment, and corporate advisory. ICHX is licensed by MAS under the Securities and Futures Act (Cap 289), and is recognised as a recognised market operator within MAS’s regulatory sandbox.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=35495

Basketball, manufacturing remain China´s Dongguan highlights

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 -- The Dongguan Basketball Center recently witnessed the long-expected quarterfinals of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, with Team France beating its USA counterpart.

Dongguan, which is famous for manufacturing, boasts a modern manufacturing industry system including electronic information products, electrical machinery and equipment, textile, clothing, shoes and hats, and furniture, among others.

Dongguan foreign trade report in August reflected its total import and export volume, which had gone up by 6.8 per cent to around US$88.906 billion. (US$1 = RM4.17)

What remains common to manufacturing and basketball, which reveal Dongguan's two different aspects, are the underlying culture and spirit of the city, according to a statement from the Dongguan Local Organizing Committee of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Similar to teamwork spirit required in basketball, Dongguan manufacturing results from international industrial-capacity cooperation and benefits from the globalisation of industrial chains.

The city has become a world-renowned manufacturing city with foreign investment attraction, local production and global export.

This year, the Guangdong Hongyuan Men's Basketball Team won the CBA Championship for the ninth time, while the Xintongsheng Women's Basketball Team won the WCBA Championship for the first time.

Dongguan has 26,000 and 100 courts and gymnasiums for basketball, respectively, with at least one standard basketball court in each of the 500 villages and communities within its 32 towns and sub-districts.

-- BERNAMA

Cloudflare announces pricing of initial public offering at US$15 per share

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 -- Cloudflare has announced the initial public offering pricing of its Class A common stock at a price of US$15 per share. (US$1 = RM4.16)

Cloudflare is offering 35,000,000 shares of its Class A common stock, plus up to an additional 5,250,000 shares that the underwriters have the option to purchase at the initial public offering price less underwriting discounts.

The shares are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange today, under the ticker symbol ‘NET’ and the offering is expected to close on Sept 17, subject to customary closing conditions.

Goldman Sachs & Co LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co LLC, and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the offering.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with, and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

More information at https://www.cloudflare.com.

-- BERNAMA

ExxonMobil new products improve electric vehicle battery performance

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 -- ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company recently launched its Mobil EV™ offering to meet the evolving drivetrain requirements of battery-operated electric vehicles.

Launched at the 2019 IAA, the products are designed to support the electric vehicle mobility needs of manufacturers and drivers, alike.

The Mobil EV suite of products contains molecules that are carefully selected and blended, helping battery electric vehicles to travel further between charges, extend component life and operate more safely.

Covering the full range of battery electric vehicle applications, the Mobil EV product range includes Mobil EV Therm™, Mobil EV Drive™, Mobil EV Cool Drive™ and Mobil EV Grease™.

The newly-launched products highlight close collaboration between ExxonMobil and original equipment manufacturers to meet consumers’ evolving mobility ambitions.

This launch follows the recent extension of the company’s partnership with Porsche to include collaboration on its Formula E series car for the 2019/2020 season – ExxonMobil’s first entry into electric motorsports.

According to ‘2019 Outlook for Energy: A Perspective to 2040, ExxonMobil, 2019’, plug-in hybrids, battery electric and fuel cell vehicles are predicted to exceed 20 per cent of the world’s light-duty fleet by 2040.

More details at https://www.mobilev.com

-- BERNAMA