Day: January 30, 2023

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New law raises bar for Myanmar’s political parties ahead of general election

A new law, issued just days before the end of a two-year nationwide state of emergency imposed after Myanmar’s military coup, has placed a high bar on the registration of political parties ahead of a general election the junta has planned for 2023.

Approved by junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing last week, the law drew immediate condemnation from leaders of political parties that won the country’s 2020 election, annulled by the junta after the Feb. 1, 2021 coup. They said the restrictions would ensure the military faces no legitimate competition in the upcoming polls.

Under the new law, parties that hope to compete in national elections will be required to have at least 100,000 members and a war chest of at least 100 million kyats (U.S.$45,000). Those that plan to take part in state or regional elections will be required to have at least 1,000 members and 10 million kyats (U.S.$4,500) in funds.

All political parties that plan to participate in the 2023 election are also required to re-register within 60 days of the law’s enactment. Those that fail to do so will automatically lose their legal status.

The previous law, approved by former junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe in 2010, required parties taking part in national elections to have at least 1,000 members and those joining state and regional elections to have at least 500 members within three months of having registered.

Sai Laik, the general secretary of the Shan National League for Democracy said that under the new restrictions, the only party that will be able to compete in the general election will be the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party.

“All the other parties are so restricted that they won’t be able to compete on an equal footing,” he said.

“The new law is intentionally fabricated to allow only one party to be in place.”

He said his party will meet to discuss whether it will register as a political entity under the new law.

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Supporters of Shan National League for Democracy party on Oct. 4, 2020 in Lashio, Shan state, Myanmar. Credit: RFA

The junta’s new law also prohibits organizations that have been declared illegal or terrorist groups, as well as organizations accused of having committed terrorist acts against the state and the organizations that support them either directly or indirectly, from registering as political parties.

Sai Kyi Zin Soe, a political analyst, said that the new law is a deliberate attempt to restrict the deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, the shadow National Unity Government and anti-junta People’s Defense Force paramilitary groups from taking part in the election.

“They are planning to exclude people who are rebelling against them from participating in the election,” he said.

“The new restrictions are their attempt to pave a political path for the dictator with only the people who either support him or do not oppose him.”

Ethnic parties ‘facing crisis’

Another requirement of the new law is that political parties must contest at least half of all constituencies, compared to at least three under the previous law.

Political analysts told RFA that the requirement is designed to prevent small parties from entering the election, as they must compete in at least 580 constituencies.

Saw Than Myint, chairman of the Federal Union Party, said the new requirements for party membership make it nearly impossible for small ethnic parties to take part in the election.

“It is very difficult for us to obtain 100,000 party members in the current political situation, given the lack of rule of law, peace and stability across the country,” he said.

“According to the new law, we must open offices in at least 165 townships – something that is nearly impossible for us.”

Thar Tun Hla, chairman of the Arakan National Party, a powerful ethnic party, said that most of the more than 90 registered political parties will face difficulties under the new requirements.

“Since this law was issued, ethnic parties in Myanmar, including ours, are facing a crisis and difficulty in organizing for the entire country,” he said.

Attempts by RFA to reach Union Solidarity Development Party spokesman Hla Thein went unanswered Friday.

Junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun told RFA that the requirement that political parties entering the general election have 100,000 party members is “reasonable” and “in accordance with the 2008 [military-drafted] Constitution.”

He acknowledged that only a few of the more than 90 registered political parties will be able to take part in the general election, but said the new law was “designed to unite them politically.”

‘A sham election’

Kyaw Htwe, a member of the National League for Democracy’s Central Executive Committee, dismissed the new law as an attempt by the junta to gain political legitimacy and ensure the upcoming election results in a win for the military.

“They are worried that they would lose the election, as they know the people do not accept them,” he said.

“That’s why they carefully included restrictions in the new law to make it impossible for a new political party to participate … This will be a sham election designed to deceive the people and the international community for their own legitimacy and pre-planned result.”

The new law on political parties came into effect amid a cooling of tensions between the military and ethnic armies in northern Shan state, with fighting between the two sides having ended on Jan. 15.

Analysts told RFA the detente is likely because the junta is focusing on negotiating with ethnic groups ahead of the election.

“The fact that there is no fighting in northern Shan state suggests that the military council is trying to hold an election for the whole of Shan state,” said Aik Maung, an ethnic affairs analyst.

“We can see that the military is trying to reconcile with ethnic armed groups active in Shan state. In my opinion, the military is going to respond offensively to the organizations that deny their offer.”

Other analysts suggested that the ethnic armies in northern Shan state are willing to suspend hostilities because most of them are China-backed and observing the Jan. 22 Lunar New Year.

While the junta has yet to announce a date for this year’s election, a stipulation within the 2008 Constitution requires that they be held within six months of the second anniversary of the Feb. 1, 2021 coup.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

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Two years after coup, Myanmar’s anti-junta teachers face lengthy jail terms

The police vehicle pulled up to the house on a September evening and three officers got out. They demanded to see Kyaw Naing Win, a secondary school teacher who had refused to go to work as part of the country’s Civil Disobedience Movement after the February 2021 military coup.

They quickly shoved him into the vehicle, where they beat him before they drove off into the night, a person close to the teacher said, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal.

Hours later, with no word from her husband, Kyaw Naing Win’s wife went to the chief administrator’s office in Wundwin township in central Myanmar’s Mandalay region to find out what had happened to him.

“They told her that they were going to keep him for the night as they had some questions to ask him,” the source said. His wife wasn’t allowed to see him and then was told he had been taken to Meiktila town for further interrogation.

Three days later, the police informed his family that he was dead.

“When the family went to Meiktila prison to get his body, the authorities said that they could not provide it as they had already cremated him,” the source said.

No cause of death was provided to his family members, who have since fled their home and gone into hiding, afraid that they will also be targeted.

250,000 strong

Kyaw Naing Win’s story is an increasingly common one nearly two years after the takeover for public school teachers who have boycotted their government jobs to protest military rule.

More than 250,000 education workers across the country have joined the non-violent, anti-junta Civil Disobedience Movement, or CDM, the shadow National Unity Government said last year.

Of those, junta authorities have killed at least 33 and arrested 218 others as of the end of 2022, according to statistics compiled by the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).

One school teacher who is fighting the military as part of the country’s armed resistance said that the junta is taking revenge against educators in the movement because they are impacting its ability to rule.

“Educators joined the CDM movement in droves – that’s why the military cannot operate as it expected,” he said.

“They think that if all the CDM educators abandoned their cause and returned to work, they would be able to control the education sector and show the international community that people accepted the coup. They think these actions will frighten CDM educators into returning to their jobs.”

Death penalty

Educators told RFA that the junta has imposed long prison terms and even the death penalty on teachers and school staff arrested for defying the coup.

Kaung Khant Kyaw became the first educator supporting the CDM to receive the death penalty when he was sentenced by the junta’s Hinthata District Court in Ayeyarwady region on Dec. 30, 2022 for allegedly killing a military informer.

ENG_BUR_CDMTeachers_01182023.2.jpg
From left: Kaung Khat Kyaw, an elementary school teacher in Myan Aung, Ayeyarwady Region who was sentenced to death by the junta’s secret military court in Pathein Prison; Kyaw Naing Win who was killed during the junta’s interrogation in Wundwin, Mandalay; and Aung Htay Phyo, an elementary school teacher from Magway, who joined the anti-junta CDM movement and sentenced to 15 years in prison by the junta court. Credit: Citizen journalist [left]; Voice of Wundwin [center] and Aung Htay Phyo Facebook

The 25-year-old elementary school teacher at the Hteik Poke Kone school in Ayeyarwady’s Myan Aung township, who was charged under Myanmar’s Anti-Terrorism Law, is currently being held at Pathein Prison, according to a source close to his family.

Among those serving hefty prison terms is 27-year-old Aung Htay Phyo, a primary school teacher in Magway region’s Myo Thit township.

One of the earliest participants in the Civil Disobedience Movement, Aung Htay Phyo was eating at a restaurant at the invitation of a friend when authorities interrupted his meal and told him that he was on a list of people to be arrested, a friend told RFA.

“He was beaten and tortured after his [September] arrest and had to receive medical treatment at Taungdwingyi Hospital,” said the friend, who also declined to be named.

On Dec. 28, he was handed a 15-year jail term and sent to Duang Nay Chaung Prison, the friend said.

‘Causing chaos’

Attempts to reach Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment went unanswered, but the junta spokesman has previously said that authorities are obligated to “take appropriate legal action against those who are causing chaos.”

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Myanmar school teachers in their uniform and traditional hats protest the military coup in Mandalay, March 3, 2021. Credit: Associated Press

Other sources in the education sector told RFA that the junta is even trying to destroy the livelihoods of participants in the movement by restricting them from teaching at private schools.

“Teachers joined the CDM only because we do not support military rule, but we should have the right to teach in any private school setting,” she said. “If we don’t teach, our children will suffer. It is really unbearable to see the military oppressing CDM educators just for taking part in educational activities.”

She vowed to continue to participate in the CDM movement, despite the military’s targeting of education workers.

“The military has detained educators, sentenced them to long prison terms, and even killed them,” she said. “All teachers find such actions unacceptable and we seriously condemn them.”

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

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Fortinet Expands its Services and Training Offerings to Further Support SOC Teams in Preventing and Defending Against Cyber Threats

Multi-Faceted Approach Accelerates Fortinet’s Global Commitment to Eliminate the Cybersecurity Skills Gap

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

John Maddison, EVP of Products and CMO at Fortinet
“Fortinet builds ML-driven automation into all of its SOC offerings to support short-staffed teams affected by the cybersecurity skills shortage. But technology alone won’t solve this issue, which is why we are dedicated to also delivering human-based SOC augmentation services to provide immediate support, while investing in an industry-leading training institute to close the cybersecurity skills gap. This combination of technology, services, and training enables SOC professionals to better protect their organizations from detection to incident recovery.”

News Summary
Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), a global leader in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, today announced new security operations center (SOC) augmentation services designed to help strengthen an organization’s cyber resiliency and support short-staffed teams strained by the talent shortage. In addition, as part of Fortinet’s leadership efforts to help close the cyber skills gap, the Fortinet Training Institute has added initiatives across its programs to further increase access to its industry-recognized training and certifications.

Cybersecurity Skills Shortage Prompts a New Approach
The prevailing talent shortage remains one of the top challenges facing SOC teams globally. Fortinet’s 2022 Cybersecurity Skills Gap report found that 50% of global leaders cite security operations as one of the most challenging roles to fill, and 42% are still in need of security operations analysts. Additionally, the same Fortinet survey found that worldwide, 80% of organizations suffered one or more breaches due to a lack of cybersecurity skills and awareness.

A lack of resources and personnel, combined with the sheer volume of security alerts SOC teams receive per day, often results in missed detections and slower responses that increase exposure to cyber risk. SOC teams require an immediate solution to mitigate these challenges through investment in automated and integrated SOC and cybersecurity technologies and experienced professionals to better protect against threats.

New and Enhanced SOC Augmentation Services Provide Immediate Support for Short-Staffed Security Operations Teams

Committed to helping organizations overcome these obstacles, Fortinet’s new and enhanced services help SOC teams reduce their organizations’ cyber risk while freeing up their time to focus on higher-priority projects. These updates include:

  • SOC-as-a-Service (SOCaaS): Fortinet has expanded its SOCaaS offering, which blends FortiGuard cybersecurity experts with Fortinet advanced SOC technology by adding more artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities to additional use cases. These updates enhance the offering’s ability to aggregate security alerts in one single cloud-based dashboard for customers to view actionable intelligence and accelerate resolution, and further enables security operations teams to offload monitoring and detection to Fortinet security experts. With this approach, Fortinet speeds up alert triage, rapidly escalates security incidents, and reduces false-positive alerts for customers.
  • Outbreak Detection Service: A new outbreak detection service is available to customers that alerts subscribers through email as well as automatically within key product user interfaces to major breaking cybersecurity events that have the potential for widespread ramifications. These alerts include critical information about security incidents, such as an attack’s timeline of events and what specific technology has been affected. In addition, the alerts also provide organizations with custom threat hunting to run against logs and identify the potential impact of an attack, as well as recommendations to improve their security posture for better protection in the future.
  • Incident Response and Readiness (IR&R) Services: Fortinet recently added cybersecurity readiness services as part of its Incident Response offering and shifted the purchasing model to prioritize prevention. By providing a suite of proactive prevention-oriented services, such as risk assessments, playbook development, and tabletop exercises as part of the Incident Response and Readiness Services retainer, organizations can strengthen their cyber preparedness, SOC effectiveness, and reduce cyber risk, while still having access to a team of FortiGuard experts to help with rapid containment and remediation in the event of a cyberattack. In response to an accelerated demand for these services around the globe, Fortinet is also expanding its headcount dedicated to IR&R and SOC automation capabilities to allow more enterprises to have access to the offering.

Expanding Cyber Skills Through the Fortinet Training Institute
While the new and enhanced SOC augmentation services provide immediate relief to strained teams, a long-term investment in continued learning and advancing cyber skills is just as critical to keep up with the ever-changing threat landscape. As part of Fortinet’s longstanding commitment to eliminate the skills gap, the Fortinet Training Institute offers award-winning, multi-level training and certifications to security professionals seeking to advance and upskill their knowledge in key cybersecurity areas. These programs also help untap new talent pools to help build the cyber workforce of the future, with a focus on providing training opportunities for women, veterans, students, and underserved populations. Some recent updates across programs include:

  • Increasing Access to Advanced Technical Training: Fortinet has made the practical exam for NSE level 8 more accessible for IT and security professionals everywhere. Both the written and practical portions of the exam are now available in an online, proctored format, making the highest and most elite level of the Network Security Expert (NSE) Certification program more accessible to security professionals around the world.
  • Supporting the Advancement of Women Professionals in Cybersecurity: The first women cohort of the Fortinet and Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) bootcamp completed the program, which offered 100 WiCyS members access to Fortinet’s NSE level 4 training and labs for free, technical mentors, exam vouchers, and more. Fortinet has also awarded five of the program participants with scholarships to attend the annual WiCyS Conference March 16–18, where they will have access to cyber leaders and employers.
  • Developing Cybersecurity Skills in Youth: To further develop the cyber workforce of the future, Fortinet is sponsoring various cybersecurity-based competitions for students in varying academic levels, ranging from middle school to college. This includes being a platinum sponsor of MITRE Engenuity’s Embedded Capture the Flag (eCTF) 12-week competition and a category sponsor for the Carnegie Mellon Capture the Flag competition.

Through these initiatives, Fortinet is progressing toward the company’s pledge to train 1 million people in cybersecurity by 2026. Additionally, Fortinet’s new and enhanced SOC augmentation services build on its expansive services portfolio backed by FortiGuard Labs. With today’s announcement, Fortinet remains committed to alleviating the challenges associated with the cybersecurity talent shortage by helping organizations better manage cyber risks with ML-driven automation, services, and increased access to training.

Additional Resources

About Fortinet
Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) makes possible a digital world that we can always trust through its mission to protect people, devices, and data everywhere. This is why the world’s largest enterprises, service providers, and government organizations choose Fortinet to securely accelerate their digital journey. The Fortinet Security Fabric platform delivers broad, integrated, and automated protections across the entire digital attack surface, securing critical devices, data, applications, and connections from the data center to the cloud to the home office. Ranking #1 in the most security appliances shipped worldwide, more than 615,000 customers trust Fortinet to protect their businesses. And the Fortinet NSE Training Institute, an initiative of Fortinet’s Training Advancement Agenda (TAA), provides one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry to make cyber training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

FTNT-O

Copyright © 2023 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCWP, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiEdge, FortiEDR, FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMoM, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPlanner, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM and FortiXDR. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments.

Media Contact: Investor Contact: Analyst Contact:
Camille Burdge Peter Salkowski Brian Greenberg
Fortinet, Inc. Fortinet, Inc. Fortinet, Inc.
408-235-7700 408-331-4595 408-235-7700
pr@fortinet.com psalkowski@fortinet.com analystrelations@fortinet.com

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Cozycozy is the Only Accommodation Search Engine That Now Includes Airbnb, Giving Travelers the Largest Selection of Vacation Rentals Possible

One search, so many possibilities – cozycozy helps users find their perfect holiday accommodation from over 100+ booking platforms, including Airbnb.

cozycozy Amalfi coast

cozycozy Amalfi coast

NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cozycozy knows that finding the perfect place to stay can be hard. With the rise of so many vacation rental and hotel platforms comes more and more options, overwhelming travelers.

“The days of having multiple tabs open to find the best deal are over,” says Romain Claudel, co-founder of cozycozy. “We created cozycozy.com so travelers can see all their options in one place, without all the hassle.”

There are more and more vacation rentals and hotel rooms listed on several platforms, often with rates that vary. By using cozycozy, users conveniently get the lowest price possible. Their website allows users to see a comprehensive list of available options all at once, so that they get the best rates.

They are the only platform in the world to include Airbnb in its search engines, letting users compare Airbnb prices with competitor sites like VRBO, Booking.com and Expedia. With cozycozy, what you see is what you get – prices displayed on their platform include all fees, so there are no surprises at the time of booking.

Their intuitive search engine helps travelers find the best offer, so they find the accommodation that exactly fits their needs, while saving time and money.
About Cozycozy: 

Cozycozy is the world’s only search engine that browses over hundreds of booking platforms, including Airbnb, so travelers can find their perfect stay in just one click. Launched in 2019, the platform is now operating in 39 countries worldwide.

Users can customize their experience by applying helpful filters like family stays, pet-friendly, free cancellation, quality/price, and more, to help them narrow down their search and find their ideal location. They can choose classic stays like hotels, apartments, cabins, and home options, or more remarkable stays like boats, glamping tents, and treehouses.

Cozycozy puts users first. Its technology makes it easy to use and quickly shows over 20 million listings available. The platform offers the best pricing possible because it is fully transparent and free of commercial bias—no hidden fees.

Contact Information:
Mayra Lopez-Rocha
PR manager
press@cozycozy.com
+33768723121

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Junshi Biosciences Announces Approval for Marketing of VV116 in China

SHANGHAI, China, Jan. 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd (“Junshi Biosciences”, HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180), a leading innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapies, announced today that the National Medical Products Administration (the “NMPA”) has conducted urgent review and approval under Special Examination and Approval of Drugs, and conditionally approved for marketing Deuremidevir Hydrobromide Tablets (project code: JT001/VV116, “VV116”), an oral nucleoside analog anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug, for the treatment of adult patients with mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”).

VV116 is a new oral nucleoside analog antiviral drug, which can be non-covalently bound to the active center of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (“RdRp”) of SARS-CoV-2 in the form of nucleoside triphosphate, directly inhibiting the activity of RdRp of the virus and blocking the replication of virus, thus realizing the antiviral effect. Preclinical studies have shown that VV116 exhibited significant antiviral effects against both the original COVID-19 strain and mutant strains, including Omicron, and exhibited no genetic toxicity.

VV116 was jointly developed by the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Institute of Virology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Central Asian Center of Drug Discovery and Development of Chinese Academy of Sciences) / China-Uzbekistan Medicine Technical Park (“the Belt and Road” Joint Laboratory of the Ministry of Science and Technology), Lingang Laboratory, Vigonvita Life Sciences Co., Ltd. (“Vigonvita”) and Junshi Biosciences

This approval is mainly based on a multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase III clinical study (NCT05582629) evaluating the efficacy and safety of VV116 among mild to moderate COVID-19 patients with or without high risk of progression to severe COVID-19. The study was led by academician Lanjuan LI, Director of the State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis & Treatment of Infectious Diseases (Zhejiang University) as primary investigator. The primary endpoint of the study was the time to sustained clinical symptoms resolution, while the secondary endpoints included the time to sustained clinical symptoms alleviation, percentage of participants with disease progression to severe or critical COVID-19 or death by any cause by day 28, changes in SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid and viral load, safety, and etc.

The study results showed that as of the data cut-off date of the interim analysis, among 1,277 randomized and treated subjects, the primary endpoint, or the time from first administration to sustained clinical symptoms resolution (The score of 11 COVID-19 related clinical symptom =0 and lasted for 2 days) of the VV116 group was significantly shortened when compared with that of the placebo group, and the median time difference was 2 days; similarly, the time to sustained clinical symptoms alleviation was also significantly shortened, and the change of viral load from baseline and other virological indicators were better than those of the placebo group.

About Deuremidevir Hydrobromide Tablets (VV116/JT001)
VV116 is an oral nucleoside analog drug that can inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2. During preclinical pharmacodynamic studies, VV116 exerted an antiviral effect on the original strain of the novel corinavirus and its known variants in vitro; in the mice model, a low dose of VV116 reduced the virus titers below the detection limit, significantly lowered the chances of lung injury and displayed a strong antiviral effect. Preclinical pharmacokinetics and other research results also show that VV116 has high oral bioavailability. Following oral administration and absorption, VV116 is rapidly metabolized into parent nucleoside and widely distributed throughout the body.

VV116 was jointly developed by the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences; the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Central Asian Center of Drug Discovery and Development Chinese Academy of Sciences / China-Uzbekistan Medicine Technical Park (the Joint Laboratory of the Ministry of Science and Technology under the “The Belt and Road Initiative”); Lingang Laboratory; Vigonvita Life Sciences Co., Ltd. (“Vigonvita”); and Junshi Biosciences. Junshi Biosciences and Vigonvita are responsible for the clinical development and industrialization of VV116 worldwide. The areas of cooperation is global aside from five Central Asian countries, Russia, North Africa and the Middle East.

Junshi Biosciences and Vigonvita have completed three Phase I studies with healthy Chinese subjects, and one Phase III study in the patients with mild-to moderate COVID-19 at high risk to progression to severe COVID-19 in China (NCT05341609). Research results have been published in Acta Pharmacologica Sinica, and NEJM respectively. Aside from that, one Phase III study in the patients with or without high risk of progression to severe COVID-19 has completed its pre-specified interim analysis, and met the pre-defined primary efficacy endpoint.

In December 2021, VV116 was approved in Uzbekistan for the treatment of patients diagnosed with moderate to severe COVID-19. In January 2023, VV116 was approved for marketing in China for the treatment of adult patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.

About Junshi Biosciences
Founded in December 2012, Junshi Biosciences (HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180) is an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative therapeutics. The company has established a diversified R&D pipeline comprising over 50 drug candidates, with five therapeutic focus areas covering cancer, autoimmune, metabolic, neurological, and infectious diseases. Junshi Biosciences was the first Chinese pharmaceutical company that obtained marketing approval for anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody in China. Its first-in-human anti-BTLA monoclonal antibody for the treatment of various cancers was the first in the world to be approved for clinical trials by the FDA and NMPA and has since entered Phase Ib/II trials in both China and the US. Its anti-PCSK9 monoclonal antibody was the first in China to be approved for clinical trials by the NMPA.

In the face of the pandemic, Junshi Biosciences’ response was strong and immediate, joining forces with Chinese and international scientific research institutions and enterprises to develop an arsenal of drug candidates to combat COVID-19, taking the initiative to shoulder the social responsibility of Chinese pharmaceutical companies by prioritizing and accelerating COVID-19 R&D. Among the many drug candidates is JS016 (etesevimab), China’s first neutralizing fully human monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2 and the result of the combined efforts of Junshi Biosciences, the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Science and Lilly. JS016 administered with bamlanivimab has been granted Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) in over 15 countries and regions worldwide. As of December 3 2021, over 700,000 patients have been treated with bamlanivimab or bamlanivimab and etesevimab, potentially preventing more than 35,000 hospitalizations and at least 14,000 deaths. Meanwhile, VV116, a new oral nucleoside analog anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug designed to hinder virus replication, has been approved for marketing in China and Uzbekistan. The JS016 and VV116 programs are a part of the company’s continuous innovation for disease control and prevention of the global pandemic.

Junshi Biosciences has more than 3,100 employees in the United States (San Francisco and Maryland) and China (Shanghai, Suzhou, Beijing, Guangzhou, etc). For more information, please visit: http://junshipharma.com.

Junshi Biosciences Contact Information
IR Team:
Junshi Biosciences
info@junshipharma.com
+ 86 021-6105 8800

PR Team:
Junshi Biosciences
Zhi Li
zhi_li@junshipharma.com
+ 86 021-6105 8800

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Survey demonstrates that individuals with COPD seek more options to reduce risks of seasonal respiratory viral infections

— ENA Respiratory and COPD Foundation survey confirms patients are overwhelmingly positive about taking an immune-modulating nasal spray to reduce lung disease exacerbations–

— Survey was conducted through COPD360Net®, an innovative COPD Foundation program that identifies unmet patient needs and integrates the patient voice into therapy development–

MIAMI and MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A survey conducted collaboratively by the COPD Foundation, a not-for-profit organization established to improve the lives of people with COPD, bronchiectasis, and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease, and ENA Respiratory, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing INNA-051, a first-in-class broad-spectrum antiviral innate immunomodulator for the prophylaxis of respiratory viral infections for populations at risk of complications, found patients were overwhelmingly positive about the prospect of taking an antiviral nasal spray throughout the winter season or when at risk for exposure to a respiratory virus to prevent COPD flare-ups. The survey results were published in the January issue of the Journal of Patient Experience.

The survey was conducted through the COPD Foundation’s COPD360Net® initiative, which facilitates connections between patients with chronic lung diseases, researchers, and other stakeholders to identify unmet patient needs and accelerate new therapy options. The vast majority (>80%) of the 376 patients surveyed expressed interest in a potential new seasonal anti-viral nasal spray, taken either twice weekly during the winter months or for two weeks after exposure to someone with a respiratory illness. Over half (56-58%) of patients with frequent COPD exacerbations were very interested.

Nearly all patients surveyed say they are vaccinated (>92%) for the flu, pneumonia, and COVID-19 and that they have previously taken antiviral medication during cold and flu season. Even so, more than a third (35%) report that viral illnesses have sometimes resulted in hospitalization and nearly half (45%) have needed antibiotics or steroids to treat complications of a viral illness. About 1 in 8 (12%) say they have been treated in an intensive care unit due to complications of a respiratory illness.

“These survey results validate the need for seasonal prophylaxis against respiratory viral infections and the value of INNA-051 for patients at high risk of complications from the flu, colds, COVID-19 and other common respiratory illnesses” said Christophe Demaison, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of ENA Respiratory.

“Patient insights are critical to successful therapy development, but too often the patient’s voice isn’t heard. These survey results provide additional evidence that we need more tools in the toolbox to protect people with chronic lung diseases during cold and flu season and prevent flare-ups and complications,” said Ruth Tal-Singer, Ph.D., president of 360Net, COPD Foundation.

ENA Respiratory and the COPD Foundation launched a partnership in 2022 to develop INNA-051 for people with chronic lung diseases. The partnership added INNA-051 to the COPD Foundation’s COPD360Net® pipeline and is utilizing its global network of accredited centers, scientific expertise, and patient investigators to optimize and accelerate the clinical development program.

Recently, ENA Respiratory was awarded a $4.38 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defence to support the development of INNA-051. In a Phase 1 study, INNA-051 was found to be well-tolerated, and the company expects to share Phase 2a results soon.

Notes to Editors

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About ENA Respiratory and INNA-051

ENA Respiratory is aiming to transform the prevention of respiratory viral infections in populations at-risk of complications. The company is based in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia and it has secured a Series A investment from Brandon Capital Partners’ managed funds, the Minderoo Foundation, and Uniseed.

INNA-051 is a potent innate immune TLR2/6 agonist. It is being developed for intranasal delivery to target the primary entry site of viral respiratory infections as most respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 and influenza, initially infect and replicate in nasal mucosa epithelial cells. Fast-acting and inducing a durable biologic response supporting weekly administration, INNA-051 works by recruiting innate immune cells and priming epithelial cells of the nasal mucosa to respond more quickly to infections, rapidly eliminating viruses and other pathogens before they spread throughout the body. INNA-051 and close analogues have been shown in preclinical studies to be effective against multiple respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza (H1N1 and seasonal H3N2), and rhinovirus.

Key features of INNA-051 intranasal administration include limited minimal or no systemic bioavailability, minimal or no systemic pro-inflammatory cytokine release, no direct type I interferon upregulation which is known to be associated with fever in humans, durable immune response supporting weekly administration, and compatibility with vaccine and intranasal corticosteroids.

For more information, please visit https://enarespiratory.com

About the COPD Foundation

The COPD Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established to improve the lives of people with COPD, bronchiectasis, and nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease through initiatives that expand services and speed innovations to make treatment more effective and affordable. The Foundation does this through scientific research, education, advocacy, and awareness to prevent disease, slow progression, and find a cure. For more information, visit https://www.copdfoundation.org/, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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