Day: March 3, 2022

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China tunnels into sacred Tibetan mountain in Sichuan

Chinese crews working on a government-ordered railway line are tunneling through a mountain sacred to Tibetan residents of Sichuan, using artillery fire to weaken the rock face and speed their work, Tibetan sources say.

The destruction of Asal Dzari mountain, located in the Toe township of Nyakchu county in the Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, has now been under way for several months, according to sources in Tibet and in exile.

Tunnels being built through the mountain will help extend new rail lines connecting Nyakchu with the Tibetan regional capital Lhasa, a Tibetan living in the region told RFA, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

“The Chinese government has said that Asal Dzari mountain stands in the way of these two regions where they are building the railroads. Therefore, there are many tunneling projects being carried out around the mountain at the moment,” he said.

At the same time, the government is extracting valuable minerals from the mountain and harming the region’s fragile ecology, RFA’s source said. “However, it is unclear which minerals are being taken out, and local Tibetans are not allowed to go near the work sites,” he added.

Tibet has become an important source of minerals needed for China’s economic growth, and Chinese mining and infrastructure operations in Tibetan areas have led to widespread environmental damage, including the pollution of water sources for livestock and humans and the destruction of sacred sites, experts say.

Asal Dzari mountain is sacred to local Tibetans and contains many valuable mineral deposits, a Tibetan living in exile confirmed, citing sources in the area and speaking on condition of anonymity to protect his contacts.

“And the Chinese are now using artillery against the mountain to help extract its minerals, leaving local residents in immense difficulties and causing the death of some of their livestock,” he said.

Another railway now being built between Sichuan and central Tibet’s Nyingtri prefecture will boost tourism and trade along a previously unconnected southern route, but will also strengthen Beijing’s control over a disputed region bordering India, state media and other sources say.

The project is the second major railway to be built by China in Tibet after a northern line connecting Golmud in northwest China’s Qinghai province with Lhasa was completed in 2006. The line is the highest railway in the world.

Regional experts say that the Chinese rail lines, when completed, will tighten Beijing’s grip on Tibet, a formerly independent Himalayan country invade by China more than 70 years ago and governed by China’s ruling Communist Party ever since.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA’s Tibetan Service. Written in English by Richard Finney.

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Exiled Chinese dissident travels to Ukraine in bid to document war

Residents of the Ukrainian city of Lviv are suspicious of strangers, and often ask people shooting video or taking photos to show their passports, an exiled Chinese dissident who traveled to Ukraine to document the resistance told RFA.

“I am currently in Lviv, a city in the west of Ukraine,” U.S.-based dissident He Anquan told RFA. “Both the authorities and the people are very nervous, but it’s a fairly orderly kind of tension, because the war hasn’t gotten here yet.”

“The fighting is mostly around Kyiv, the capital, and Kharkiv, the second city, but this city is also prepared,” He said. “If someone who looks like a stranger starts taking photos on the streets, people there will want to know where they’re from and ask for their passport.”

“Restaurants here are basically closed, but bakeries and supermarkets are still open,” he said.

He said he took a flight via Poland in a bid to report from the front line of the war, but that he was finding it harder than he expected.

“I was disgusted with Russia’s use of force … [so] I wanted to express my opposition to this violence by going to Ukraine in person,” He said.

“The biggest difficulty has been … blending in with my surroundings, because people are on a war footing,” he said. “This means that I haven’t been able to shoot sometimes … I’d like to be able to share more video and photos.”

He said Lviv has become a transit point for refugees — now more than a million — fleeing Ukraine.

“I saw some food supply stations at the train station, as well as big tents to give refugees some shelter from the wind and rain,” He said. “It’s still pretty cold [here], with the average temperature around zero.”

He said the Chinese government appears to have picked a side already in the conflict, owing to its “quasi-alliance” with Russia.

He said the mood on the streets is currently a mixture of fear and defiance.

“They are extremely angry about the Russian invasion, and while there is fear mixed in with that, there is more of a sense of courage and shared hatred,” He said.

Luo, a Taiwanese national currently in Poland after fleeing Ukraine. RFA
Luo, a Taiwanese national currently in Poland after fleeing Ukraine. RFA

‘You just want revenge’

Meanwhile, a Taiwanese national who is currently in Poland after fleeing Ukraine called on his 23 million compatriots to stand firm in the face of aggression from China.

“I used to think that if there was a war in Taiwan, I would be the first to support surrender,” the man, who gave only the surname Luo, told RFA.

“But when your homeland is invaded, your people’s lives and property destroyed, and your relatives and friends become casualties, the hatred in your heart doesn’t allow you to surrender, and you just want revenge, and an outlet for your anger,” he said.

“The biggest revelation for me is that Taiwan may have to recognize that freedom may not be free,” Luo said. “There is another country with different values right next door who don’t accept our values, our choices.”

“That’s why Taiwan could be in danger,” he said. “The enemy is the one with their guns pointing at us.”

China has stepped up its military saber-rattling in the Taiwan Strait, flying regular incursions into Taiwan’s air defense zone, and refuses to rule out annexing democratic Taiwan, which has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), nor formed part of the People’s Republic of China.

Luo said he was surprised at how soon the missiles started landing, and had the impression that China was caught off guard by the war.

“I had always thought that given China’s close relationship with Russia, they would be the first to know [about a war], but China never said anything to its nationals about evacuating, so I thought Russia probably wouldn’t start military action,” Luo said.

“When it started, I found out that China was completely in the dark about it from start to finish, so I guess Russia and China never communicated on the matter [beforehand].”

The first group of Taiwanese were evacuated from Ukraine on the afternoon of the first day, Feb. 24, while the first group of Chinese didn’t leave until Feb. 28, sources told RFA.

A Taiwanese national who gave only the nickname Jacky said he was evacuated to the Baltic by the Taiwanese foreign ministry, although some photos of the group were posted online by Chinese nationals, who claimed they were being evacuated by China.

“To be honest, I can’t understand, since Russia and China are such good allies, even brothers, why the news was so slow in getting to them; why they got it so badly wrong,” Jacky said. “Did Xi Jinping and Putin even talk about this?”

The first group of Taiwanese — 19 adults and two children — arrived in Warsaw at about 10.00 p.m. on Feb. 26 local time, after 53 hours in transit, he said.

Luo, who lived in Kyiv, said his evacuation was also slow, with a journey that would usually take 30 minutes taking six hours, and amid long lines outside ATMs everywhere.

“War is so cruel,” Luo said. “You can’t sleep at night for the sound of artillery fire, and your life is in danger every single day.”

“Even the most pro-Russian people in Ukraine are going to hate Russia and hate Putin now,” he said.

TV host censored

Meanwhile, CCP internet censors have deleted the social media accounts of a TV host who called Putin a “crazy Russian,” and called for an end to the war.

Host Jin Xing, who has more than 13 million followers on Weibo, also pointed out that a news anchor for state broadcaster CCTV had appeared wearing yellow and blue, taking her choice of clothing to mean tacit support for Ukraine.

Current affairs commentator Sun Dazhi said everyone is expecting to toe the party line on the war in Ukraine, which China declines to describe as an invasion.

“There can be no dissenting voices; we have to be of one mind, and fall in with what the government is saying,” Sun told RFA. “There is only the voice of the party in China now.”

Jin Xing, 54 , is also a modern dancer with about 13.58 million followers on Weibo . Jin Xing’s last blocked anti-war post received 45,000 likes and nearly 10,000 retweets.

Jingdezhen-based scholar Pang Xinhua cited media reports as saying that people making critical comments about the war on social media are being detained for up to 15 days’ administrative detention.

“There is a lot of information about internet users being detained or punished for making some comment,” Pang said. “They post a few complaints on the internet, on WeChat Moments or on Weibo … then they are detained for 5-15 days or fined.”

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

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Helsinn Group and BridgeBio Pharma Announce Update to Strategic Collaboration to Develop, Manufacture and Commercialize Infigratinib in Oncology Indications in the U.S.

Helsinn Group and BridgeBio Pharma Announce Update to Strategic Collaboration to Develop, Manufacture and Commercialize Infigratinib in Oncology Indications in the U.S.

  • Helsinn gains an exclusive license to commercialize infigratinib in the U.S.

Lugano, Switzerland and Palo Alto, CA, March 3, 2022 – Helsinn Group (Helsinn), a fully integrated, global biopharma company with a diversified pipeline of innovative oncology assets and strong track-record of commercial execution, and BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIO) (BridgeBio), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company that focuses on genetic diseases and cancers, today announced an update to their existing strategic collaboration to develop, manufacture and commercialize infigratinib for oncology indications.

Under the terms of the amended and restated agreement, Helsinn will gain an exclusive license to commercialize infigratinib in the U.S. and will be responsible for developing, manufacturing and commercializing infigratinib in oncology indications worldwide except for achondroplasia or any other skeletal dysplasias and except in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. BridgeBio will be eligible to receive regulatory and commercial milestone payments as well as tiered royalties on adjusted net sales from Helsinn. BridgeBio will retain all rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize infigratinib in skeletal dysplasia, including achondroplasia.

In 2021, Helsinn and BridgeBio obtained accelerated approval for TRUSELTIQ™ (infigratinib) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adults with previously treated, unresectable locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with a fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusion or other rearrangement as detected by an FDA-approved test. Additionally, the two parties received conditional approval by Health Canada and provisional approval by the Therapeutics Goods Association in Australia for TRUSELTIQ™ (infigratinib) for the treatment of adults with previously treated, unresectable locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with a FGFR2 fusion or other rearrangement. Continued approval in the U.S., Canada and Australia for this indication may be contingent upon confirmatory trials.

Infigratinib is not FDA-, Health Canada- or Therapeutics Goods Association-approved for any other indication in the United States, Canada and Australia, and is not approved for use by any other health authority.

Giorgio Calderari, Helsinn Group CEO commented, “We are delighted to gain the exclusive license to commercialize infigratinib in the U.S. This perfectly complements our recently announced Fully Integrated Targeted Therapy (FITT) Strategy and will utilize our unique capabilities and expertise to take products through development and to patients living with cancer across the globe. BridgeBio is a great partner, and we are looking forward to continuing our relationship with them through our non-exclusive collaboration framework to propose co-development and co-commercialization opportunities for preclinical precision oncology programs.”

“We are expanding our partnership with Helsinn so that even more patients with FGFR-driven cancers will ultimately be able to access infigratinib. Focused execution means reducing the scope of our internal activity. We will continue to advance high-quality programs in our pipeline, while allowing Helsinn to develop and commercialize infigratinib in cancer indications for patients in need,” said Neil Kumar, Ph.D., founder and CEO of BridgeBio.

In March 2021, Helsinn and BridgeBio entered into a global license and collaboration agreement to co-commercialize infigratinib for oncology in the U.S. and to co-develop, manufacture and commercialize infigratinib for such indications outside the U.S., excluding mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. BridgeBio previously entered a strategic collaboration with LianBio for development and commercialization of infigratinib in oncology indications in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

In November 2021, Helsinn and BridgeBio entered into a strategic collaboration to co-develop and co-commercialize a potentially first-in-class inhibitor designed to target glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), which will be investigated in patients with difficult-to-treat tumors. Alongside this, Helsinn and BridgeBio established a new non-exclusive collaboration framework agreement that allows the companies to propose co-development and co-commercialization opportunities for preclinical precision oncology programs. The terms in this strategic collaboration have not changed.

About Infigratinib

Infigratinib is a potent orally administered, selective, ATP‐competitive, kinase inhibitor of FGFRs, with highest affinity for FGFR 1, 2, and 3. The therapy is currently under investigation as a potential first-line treatment for individuals with FGFR2-altered cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and in the adjuvant setting for individuals with FGFR3-altered urothelial carcinoma (bladder cancer). Infigratinib is also in development in skeletal dysplasias for the treatment of individuals with FGFR3-altered achondroplasia. BridgeBio retains full rights to develop and commercialize infigratinib in skeletal dysplasias for the treatment of individuals with FGFR3-altered achondroplasia.

About Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA)

CCA represents an aggressive group of malignancies that form in the bile ducts. Although rare in most countries (with a worldwide estimated incidence of <6 per 100,000 people), the incidence of this malignancy is increasing worldwide. Because the disease is usually asymptomatic at early-stages, diagnosis may be delayed until advanced stages, when CCA typically presents as locally advanced or metastatic disease. Despite continuing advances in treatments, the prognosis for this disease remains poor, with a 5-year survival rate of <20%. FGFR2 genetic alterations are present in approximately 15% to 20% of CCA patients and represent potential targets for treatments.1,2

U.S. Indication and Important Safety Information for TRUSELTIQ (infigratinib)

TRUSELTIQ (infigratinib) capsules 25mg/100mg is indicated for the treatment of adults with previously treated, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with a fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusion or other rearrangement as detected by an FDA-approved test.

Accelerated approval was granted based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s).

Warnings and precautions

  • Ocular toxicity: Retinal pigment epithelial detachment (RPED), which may cause blurred vision, occurred in 11% of 351 patients treated with TRUSELTIQ, including patients with asymptomatic RPED, with a median onset of 26 days. Perform comprehensive ophthalmological exam including optical coherence tomography prior to initiating, at 1 month, at 3 months, and then every 3 months during treatment with TRUSELTIQ. Urgently evaluate patients for onset of visual symptoms and follow up every 3 weeks until resolved or TRUSELTIQ is discontinued. Withhold TRUSELTIQ as recommended. Dry eye occurred in 29% of 351 patients; treat with ocular demulcents as needed
  • Hyperphosphatemia and soft tissue mineralization: Hyperphosphatemia, which can lead to soft tissue mineralization, cutaneous calcinosis, non-uremic calciphylaxis, vascular calcification, and myocardial calcification, occurred in 82% of 351 patients treated with TRUSELTIQ, with a median time to onset of 8 days (range 1-349); 83% of 351 patients treated with TRUSELTIQ received phosphate binders. Monitor for hyperphosphatemia throughout treatment. Initiate phosphate-lowering therapy for serum phosphate >5.5 mg/dL; withhold TRUSELTIQ and initiate phosphate-lowering therapy for serum phosphate >7.5 mg/dL; withhold, reduce the dose, or permanently discontinue TRUSELTIQ based on duration and severity of hyperphosphatemia
  • Embryo-fetal toxicity: TRUSELTIQ can cause fetal harm. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to the fetus; advise females of reproductive potential and men who are partnered with women of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with TRUSELTIQ and for 1 month after the final dose

Adverse reactions

  • Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥20%, all grades): nail toxicity, stomatitis, dry eye, fatigue, alopecia, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, arthralgia, dysgeusia, constipation, abdominal pain, dry mouth, eyelash changes, diarrhea, dry skin, decreased appetite, blurred vision, and vomiting
  • Most common laboratory abnormalities (incidence ≥20%, all grades): increased creatinine, increased phosphate, decreased phosphate, increased alkaline phosphatase, decreased hemoglobin, increased alanine aminotransferase, increased lipase, increased calcium, decreased lymphocytes, decreased sodium, increased triglycerides, increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST), increased urate, decreased platelets, decreased leukocytes, decreased albumin, increased bilirubin, and decreased potassium

Drug interactions

  • CYP3A inhibitors: Avoid use with strong and moderate CYP3A inhibitors
  • CYP3A inducers: Avoid use with strong and moderate CYP3A inducers
  • Gastric acid–reducing agents: Avoid coadministration with proton pump inhibitors, histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RA), and locally acting antacids. If coadministration of H2RA or locally acting antacids cannot be avoided, separate TRUSELTIQ administration
    • H2RA: Take TRUSELTIQ 2 hours before or 10 hours after
    • Locally-acting antacid: Take TRUSELTIQ 2 hours before or 2 hours after

Dosage and administration

  • Prior to initiating TRUSELTIQ: Confirm FGFR2 fusion or rearrangement; perform comprehensive ophthalmic exam including OCT; confirm negative pregnancy test in females of reproductive potential
  • Starting dose: Take TRUSELTIQ orally once daily on Days 1-21 of 28-day cycles; continue treatment until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Take TRUSELTIQ on an empty stomach with a glass of water at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after food
    • No renal or hepatic impairment
      • 125 mg (one 100 mg capsule and one 25 mg capsule)
    • Mild and moderate renal impairment (creatinine clearance 30-89 mL/min)
      • 100 mg (one 100 mg capsule)
    • Mild hepatic impairment (total bilirubin >upper limit of normal [ULN] to 1.5 x ULN or AST > ULN)
      • 100 mg (one 100 mg capsule)
    • Moderate hepatic impairment (total bilirubin >1.5 to 3 x ULN with any AST)
      • 75 mg (three 25 mg capsules)
  • Dose modification: Consult the TRUSELTIQ full Prescribing Information for dose modifications and monitoring recommendations for RPED, hyperphosphatemia, and other Grades 3-4 adverse reactions

For additional information, please see the U.S. Full Prescribing Information for TRUSELTIQ

References
1Banales, J., Cardinale, V., Carpino, G. et al. Cholangiocarcinoma: current knowledge and future perspectives consensus statement from the European Network for the Study of Cholangiocarcinoma (ENS-CCA). Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 13, 261–280 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2016.51

2 Banales, J.M., Marin, J.J.G., Lamarca, A. et al. Cholangiocarcinoma 2020: the next horizon in mechanisms and management. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 17, 557–588 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-020-0310-z

About Helsinn Group

Helsinn is a fully integrated, global biopharma company headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland. It is focused on improving the lives of cancer patients all over the world with a leading position in cancer supportive care and an innovative pipeline of cancer therapeutics.

Helsinn is a third-generation family-owned company, that since 1976 has been focused on improving the lives of patients, guided by core values of respect, integrity and quality. It operates a unique licensing business model with integrated drug development and manufacturing capabilities. Helsinn has a commercial presence in 190 countries either directly, with operating subsidiaries in the U.S. and China, or via its network of long-standing trusted partners. Helsinn also has a fully integrated supply chain and product development through its subsidiary in Ireland, Helsinn Birex Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Helsinn Group plays an active and central role in promoting social transformation in favor of people and the environment. Corporate social responsibility is at the heart of everything we do, which is reinforced in the company’s strategic plan by a commitment to sustainable growth.

For more information, please visit www.Helsinn.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About BridgeBio Pharma, Inc.

BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (BridgeBio) is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company founded to discover, create, test and deliver transformative medicines to treat patients who suffer from genetic diseases and cancers with clear genetic drivers. BridgeBio’s pipeline of over 30 development programs ranges from early science to advanced clinical trials and its commercial organization is focused on delivering the company’s first two approved therapies. BridgeBio was founded in 2015 and its team of experienced drug discoverers, developers and innovators are committed to applying advances in genetic medicine to help patients as quickly as possible. For more information visit bridgebio.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements in this press release may include statements that are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), which are usually identified by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” and variations of such words or similar expressions. BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (“BridgeBio,” “we,” “us” or “our”) intends these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the clinical and therapeutic potential of our programs and product candidates, expectations, plans and prospects regarding clinical development plans; regulatory status and commercial strategy; the success of BridgeBio and Helsinn’s continued partnership, including the ability of both companies to co-develop, manufacture and commercialize infigratinib for certain indications; BridgeBio’s eligibility to receive future royalty and other payments under the updated strategic collaboration with Helsinn and the timing of these events; the success of the non-exclusive framework between BridgeBio and Helsinn to allow the companies to propose additional co-development and co-commercialization collaborations for other preclinical precision oncology programs; the ability of the collaboration to magnify the ability of both companies to identify small oncology interventions that may have greater potential to help patients in combination with larger investigational therapies; the belief that the combination of BridgeBio’s early preclinical development and Helsinn’s global commercial platform will help to accelerate the identification and development of therapeutic options for patients; the ability of BridgeBio and Helsinn to jointly develop and commercialize a potentially first-in-class inhibitor designed to target GPX4 to provide an effective new therapy for patients with difficult-to-treat tumors; the timing and cadence of updating the market on infigratinib, GPX4 and additional programs; and BridgeBio’s faith in the long-term prospects of its pipeline, reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations and strategies, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations and strategies as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to, initial and ongoing data from our preclinical studies and clinical trials not being indicative of final data, the potential size of the target patient populations our product candidates are designed to treat not being as large as anticipated, the design and success of ongoing and planned clinical trials, future regulatory filings, approvals and/or sales, despite having ongoing and future interactions with the FDA or other regulatory agencies to discuss potential paths to registration for our product candidates, the FDA or such other regulatory agencies not agreeing with our regulatory approval strategies, components of our filings, such as clinical trial designs, conduct and methodologies, or the sufficiency of data submitted, the continuing success of BridgeBio’s collaborations, including various collaborations between BridgeBio and Helsinn, potential adverse impacts due to the global COVID-19 pandemic such as delays in regulatory review, manufacturing and supply chain interruptions, adverse effects on healthcare systems and disruption of the global economy, as well as those risks set forth in the Risk Factors section of BridgeBio’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, BridgeBio and Helsinn operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment in which new risks emerge from time to time. These forward-looking statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of BridgeBio’s management as of the date of this release and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we assume no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For more information:
Helsinn Group Media Contact:
Paola Bonvicini
Group Head of Communication
Lugano, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0) 91 985 21 21
Email: Info-hhc@helsinn.com
For more information, please visit www.helsinn.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn

BridgeBio Media Contact:
Grace Rauh
Grace.rauh@bridgebio.com
(917) 232-5478

BridgeBio Investor Contact:
Katherine Yau
katherine.yau@bridgebio.com
(516) 554-5989

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U.S. Polo Assn. Launches Spring 2022 Collection

Iconic, Sport-Inspired Brand Celebrates Spring with Sun-Washed Pastels, Florals, and Tropical Prints

U.S. Polo Assn.

U.S. Polo Assn.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., March 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), has launched its iconic, sport-inspired Spring Collection for 2022. The brand’s global photoshoot took place across South Florida in trendy Miami Beach, The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, and in iconic Palm Beach ─ all known for their luxurious, coastal scenery, lush, tropical feel, and bright, sunny skies.

U.S. Polo Assn.’s Spring 2022 Collection represents what is bright and new in the upcoming spring season. In this beautiful South Florida setting, sun-washed pastels were layered with textured linens and shot beside chic poolside cabanas, breezy palms, and white sand beaches. Escape the winter grays and sunbathe in the Spring Collection, filled with soft colors, leafy florals and tropical patterns. This collection offers casual comfort and a relaxed style to bring your wardrobe into a new season with ease. The Spring Collection is filled with looks that match your personal style and can be layered for the ever-changing spring weather. This season you will see subtle prints, fabrics with texture, color blocking, and softer fits to create an evolved classic style from U.S Polo Assn.

“In our Spring 2022 Collection, we take a fresh approach to wardrobe classics by using color as the catalyst for change,” says Brian Kaminer, SVP of Brand and Product for U.S. Polo Assn. “Always keeping comfort as much a priority as style, we have also used technical yarns and fabrics in creating products that work for busy lifestyles.”

U.S. Polo Assn. is known for its sport-inspired, classic American style, and each season the brand takes it to a new level with unique colors, styles, and fabrics. The Spring 2022 Collection is no different, as the vibrant and modern assortments offer wide variety, including some apparel with sustainable aspects.

“The U.S. Polo Assn. creative team was able to capture the inspiration behind the collection in the photoshoot at iconic locations in South Florida, like the historic Biltmore Hotel and the stylish sites around Palm Beach,” says J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, which manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “Every season, we evolve our products with innovation, production and style but always maintain our authentic connection to the sport of polo.”

About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL)

U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, having been founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through some 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores, department stores, sporting goods channels, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women, and children, as well as accessories and footwear in 194 countries worldwide. Ranked the fifth largest sports licensor in License Global magazine’s 2020 list of “Top 150 Global Licensors,” U.S. Polo Assn. is named alongside such iconic sports brands as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Visit uspoloassnglobal.com.

USPA Global Licensing Inc. (USPAGL) is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA and its exclusive worldwide licensor. USPAGL manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand and is the steward of the USPA’s intellectual properties, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue. Through its subsidiary, Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), USPAGL also manages Global Polo TV, the world’s leading digital platform with polo and lifestyle content, and global television broadcasts on ESPN and beIN Sports. Learn more at globalpolo.com.

###

Press Release Contact: 

Stacey Kovalsky – Senior Director, Global Communications

Phone +001.561.790.8036 – Email: skovalsky@uspagl.com

Kaela Drake – PR & Communications Coordinator

Phone +001.561.461.8596 – Email: kdrake@uspagl.com

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Image 1: U.S. Polo Assn.

U.S. Polo Assn.

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GA-ASI Introduces Gambit

New Autonomous Collaborative Platform Designed to Lead From Front

Featured Image for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.

Featured Image for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.

SAN DIEGO, March 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), the world leader in unmanned aircraft and associated technologies, proudly announces its newest UAS platform: Gambit.

Like the chess opening move that inspires the name, Gambit is about initiative, leading from the front, using advanced sensing to grab the tactical advantage and open a world of possibilities.

Gambit is an Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) designed through digital engineering to speed its time to market and lower acquisition cost, and it will deliver an extended and enhanced sensing capability. The jet-powered platform is being built for air dominance and will heavily leverage advances in artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. Working alongside human-piloted aircraft, Gambit will enable pilots to see deeper into hostile airspace, detect threats first, and provide time and space for critical decisions and actions.

“GA-ASI has led the way in integrating UAS into every aspect of military operations,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “Now, we’re once again pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with unmanned aircraft, software, mission systems integration, and more. Gambit will usher in a new era, where UAS work collaboratively with manned aircraft to detect, identify and target adversaries at range and scale across the battlespace.”

Designed as an advanced concept aircraft, Gambit will use AI and autonomy to complete a variety of tasks without being prompted by an operator. GA-ASI’s software and integration systems will support detection and analysis, and provide users with the highest-quality intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance ever possible from an unmanned aircraft. On point out ahead of U.S. Air Force tactical aircraft, Gambit will also be able to sense and track targets of interest and distribute that information across the battlespace.

“We’re designing systems to meet future requirements, to include working collaboratively and autonomously,” Alexander continued. “Gambit is part of a broader Family of Systems strategy that began with Predator and Reaper, and continues in support of USAF’s future force design concepts.”

About GA-ASI

General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator® RPA series and the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar. With more than seven million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent flight that enables situational awareness and rapid strike. The company also produces a variety of ground control stations and sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com, @GenAtomics_ASI on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Avenger, Lynx, Predator, SeaGuardian, and SkyGuardian are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. 

CONTACT:
GA-ASI Media Relations
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
+1 (858) 524-8101
ASI-MediaRelations@ga-asi.com

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Brunswick Expands Into Lithium Exploration With District Scale Land Package in Quebec

MONTREAL, March 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brunswick Exploration Inc. (“BRW” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it is launching a major, long-term, grassroots lithium exploration program in Quebec and the Maritime provinces, with initial staking of several prospective claim blocks throughout the Southern Abitibi region of Quebec. A total of 618 claims, separated into 12 blocks and totaling 35,440 hectares, were acquired and are collectively known as the Pontiac Lithium Project. The claims cover known pegmatite intrusions, which is the host rock to spodumene, the most common and commercially valuable hard-rock ore of lithium. All claim are located in the Pontiac geological province, south of the Cadillac-Larder Lake break, and are accessible by road from Rouyn-Noranda, Malartic or Val d’Or.

Mr. Killian Charles, President of BRW, commented: “This newly announced claims acquisition is the start of Brunswick Exploration’s push into grassroot exploration for critical metals such as lithium, nickel and tin, building on our recently announced tin portfolio in New Brunswick. Tin and lithium fundamentals are incredibly strong and were the best performing metals in 2021, and we do not expect demand nor spot price for these valuable commodities to drop any time soon.”

“Few companies are actively searching for new discoveries in the lithium space with most of the current exploration effort focused around historical deposits and showings. Leveraging our exploration expertise, we have been able to stake many areas with sound geology and favorable rock geochemistry, with no historical lithium exploration. We believe that there is excellent potential for discovery of new spodumene pegmatites in Eastern Canada, and are extremely excited to kick-off a very busy field season starting in Q2 2022. We have begun to outline multiple new, highly prospective lithium targets elsewhere in Quebec and further afield into the Maritime provinces.”

Lithium Market Fundamentals

The lithium market is rapidly growing as lithium-ion batteries, used predominantly in vehicle as well as small electronics, are creating demand that has already outstripped global supply. The sharp rise in demand is largely attributed to western governments pushing for decarbonization as they seek to transition their economies to sustainable energy sources.

In 2021, market consultant Adamas Intelligence estimated an increase of 89% year-over-year in electric vehicle (“EV”) purchases with no sign of market exhaustion. This significant demand increases in global EV has spurned massive investments from the auto industry to develop and advance the nascent market with planned investment in excess $200B in 2020 alone.

Importantly, the mining industry has been largely unable to meet current and expected demand. Lithium carbonate, the most common lithium battery component, has seen prices rising nearly ten-fold over the previous decade. Prices rose over 500% since 2020 and continue to trade near all-time highs.

Global lithium production is currently sourced from three separate deposit types:

  • Brines: Typically large-scale, continental saline deposits with low grades (less than 2000 ppm lithium). Brine lithium deposits accounts for the majority of global lithium carbonate production and resources. They are formed through the evaporation of ancient seas or existing salt-rich natural springs. The resulting salt flats are mined for the underground liquid brines. Globally, brines are concentrated in the “Lithium Triangle” of the Northern Andes located in Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Processing lithium from brines is typically water-intensive which is a major limiting factor in the arid region. A subset of this deposit type includes lithium produced from geothermal sources with elevated lithium concentrations. This is currently a minor source of lithium globally.
  • Lithium Bearing Clays: Also large-scale and low grades (2000-6000 ppm lithium), but hosted by soft rocks (clays). This deposit type is currently the smallest source of lithium due to the need for open pit mining and more complex metallurgy. Major resource basins include Nevada with one mine currently active in North America.
  • Pegmatites: Smallest deposit type but grades are in the percentage range (usually 1-2% lithium), hence multiples higher than brines or clays. Pegmatites are mined for spodumene, a lithium-bearing mineral, from which a commercial concentrate is produced for processing. Other lithium minerals found in pegmatite, such as lithium mica (lepidolite), have little commercial value. Due to the lower levels of impurities and simple metallurgy relative to other deposit types, spodumene-bearing pegmatites were among the first sources of lithium and remain an important part of the market. The largest hard-rock lithium producer and highest grade mine in the world, the Greenbushes mine of Australia, is a lithium pegmatite. Brunswick Exploration will focus its exploration work on this deposit type.

Other significant lithium deposits include Rio Tinto’s Jadar deposit located in Serbia, a world-class lithium resource. The main ore mineral is known as jadarite, an unusual boron-lithium mineral. It is the only known deposit of its kind in the world and is not currently in production.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Robert Wares, P. Geo, CEO and Chairman of Brunswick Exploration.

About Brunswick Exploration

The Company is a Montreal-based mineral exploration venture listed on the TSX-V under symbol BRW. The Company is focused on grassroot exploration for metals necessary to decarbonization and energy transition with a particular focus on lithium, tin, nickel and copper. The company is focused on rapidly advancing the most extensive grassroot lithium exploration claim package in Eastern Canada.

Investor Relations/information

Mr. Killian Charles, President (info@BRWexplo.com).

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; changes in equity markets; inflation; fluctuations in commodity prices; delays in the development of projects; the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry; and those risks set out in the Corporation’s public documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Corporation believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.