Chinese Lander Sends Back Color Pictures of the Moon – Futurism

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Beige Moon

Chinas lunar lander Change-5 just beamed back color photos of the surface of the Moon and theyre a lot more, well, beige than what youd expect.

The spacecraft landed on the near side of the Moon earlier this week. Just hours after touchdown, the lander jumped into action, scooping up lunar soil to bring back home.

It also took the opportunity to photograph its surroundings and send back incredible images, which were later stitched together into a gorgeous color panoramathat will challenge your preconceptions about the Moons hue.

The Moons surface isnt actually the dingy grayscale seen in Apollo-era photographs. Images taken by the cameras on board NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter have showna bluish tint in the past, and color composites made up of satellite images show a slightly red tint.

The surfaces appearance can change drastically depending on how the Sun shines upon it. Accounts from Apollo astronauts described a number of different colors, from chocolate brown on the day side to pale blue on the night side, as Air & Space magazine reported back in 2009.

And thats without getting into how cameras, and the technology used to process their images, can affect our perception of lunar images.

The image also shows the landers landing feet dug into the soft, sand-like material in the Oceanus Procellarum region, a vast plain on the western edge of the near side of the Moon.

The geological features in the area are thought to be billions of years younger than the sites where the lunar samples were collected throughout NASAs Apollo missions in the 1970s.

On Wednesday, officials also released footage of the lander touching down, showing the small craft zooming over countless craters of various sizes.

An ascent vehicle attached to the top of Change-5 will deliver the lunar samples collected by the lander back into lunar orbit in the following days. The vehicle is expected to make its way back to Earth with samples in tow some time in mid-December.

READ MORE: Chinas Change 5 moon mission snaps incredible images of lunar surface [CNET]

More on the lander: China Releases Footage of Lander Touching Down on Lunar Surface

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Chinese Lander Sends Back Color Pictures of the Moon - Futurism

Elon Musk "Highly Confident" SpaceX Will Land Humans on Mars Within 6 Years – Futurism

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Mars 2026

During an interview in Berlin, Germany this week, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said he is highly confident that his space company will land humans on the Martian surface as soon as 2026, as CNBC reports.

If we get lucky, maybe four years, he added. We want to send an uncrewed vehicle there in two years.

These ambitious timelines all depend on the companys development of the Starship, a massive spacecraft designed to carry up to 100 passengers or 100 tons of cargo between planets.

SpaceX has made significant strides in developing the spacecraft. The companys latest prototype, called SN8, is set to attempt its first test flight to 50,000 feet some time this week.

Whats still unclear, however, is when the Starship will go orbital for the first time with astronauts on board. In October, Musk promised that we have a fighting chance of making that second Mars transfer window during the Mars Society event, referring to when Earth and Mars orbits align to make the trip most convenient some time in 2024.

The first crewed trips on board a Starship will not be for the faint of heart. During the Humans to Mars summit in September, Musk emphasized that the trip will be a very hard and dangerous and difficult thing, adding that theres a good chance youll die.

READ MORE: Elon Musk is highly confident SpaceX will land humans on Mars by 2026 [CNBC]

More on Starship: SpaceX Fires Up Starship Engines Ahead of Miles-High Flight Test

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Elon Musk "Highly Confident" SpaceX Will Land Humans on Mars Within 6 Years - Futurism

Eventually, Other Stars Will Steal our Solar System’s Planets – Futurism

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Empty Nest

Billions of years from now, the Sun will lose the ability to keep the planets of our solar system and one by one, theyll leave the nest.

Its common knowledge that the Sun will eventually exhaust its fuel supply and expand into a red giant. The aging beast will engulf Mercury, Venus, and likely Earth and Mars as well. But now Universe Today reports that scientists have predicted the fate of the outer planets as well. In short, most will float away toward greener pastures.

When the Sun expands, it will also lose about half its mass making its gravitational hold on its planets significantly weaker. That means any surviving planets will orbit farther away from the Sun, making them more susceptible to the influence of other celestial bodies.

It will likely be a series of stellar flyby interactions, in other words, that gradually pull them away into other solar systems or simply beyond the reach of our Suns gravity well, concludes research published in The Astronomical Journal.

To clarify, the University of California, Los Angeles researchers behind the study dont suggest that new stars will sidle up to our solar systems gas giants and swoop them away. Rather, countless flybys over billions of years will gradually perturb the planets orbits until theyre completely detached from the solar system.

This is all billions of years away, though. As Universe Today notes, the solar system and galaxy could look drastically different before these predictions come to fruition especially after the Milky Way merges with Andromeda.

READ MORE: In the Far Future, Stellar Flybys Will Completely Dismantle the Solar System [Universe Today]

More on the solar system: In Its Dying Gasp, Our Sun Will Obliterate the Asteroid Belt

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Eventually, Other Stars Will Steal our Solar System's Planets - Futurism

Elon Musk’s Boring Company Turned Its Vegas Tunnel Into a "Rave" – Futurism

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Tunnel Rave

Elon Musks Boring Company clearly had a lot of fun decorating its Las Vegas tunnel.

A video uploaded to the companys Twitter shows the entire Las Vegas Convention Center Loop terminal lit up in gaudy RGB lighting, pulsating in waves of rainbow colors like an overpriced trophy gaming PC.

The video also shows off a powerful sound system, pumping out EDM to go with the flashing lights.

Its a signature move by the Tesla CEO: Musk teased in July that its brand new Gigafactory in Berlin will have indoor/outdoor rave space on the factorys roof.

As Musk admitted in an October tweet, the company simplified original plans to transport passengers via roomy passenger pods inside the tunnels by a lot. As it stands, the Convention Center loop will carry five passengers at a time through the tunnel inside largely unmodified Tesla vehicles.

The jury is still out on how many passengers can be transported at a given time and how those numbers compare to a conventional train system.

The Boring Company has also received approval to expand the Loop, as Electrek reported last month, with the company eyeing connecting the loop to the citys Ars District as well.

READ MORE: Elon Musks Boring Company shares first look at Las Vegas Loops Tunnel Rave site [Teslarati]

More on Boring Company: Theres a theory that Elon Musk is digging a tunnel between LA and Vegas

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Elon Musk's Boring Company Turned Its Vegas Tunnel Into a "Rave" - Futurism

There Are Officially Too Many Damn Monoliths – Futurism

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It all started innocently enough in a quiet corner of the Utah wilderness.

A team of biologists were counting bighorn sheep from a helicopter when they spotted something strange: a ten to 12 foot shiny metal monolith standing out like a sore minimalist thumb in the rocky, rust-colored hills.

Several weeks and several monolith discoveries and disappearances later, and the novelty has arguably worn off.

Theyve almost become too many to keep track of: theres the one in Romania, then a third in California. More have cropped up in Pennsylvania and the Netherlands, as well as the Isle of Wight off the southern coast of England. Well likely see even more copycats soon.

What the hell is going? Is this an international Banksy-level art collaboration, or an extraterrestrial race pulling an uninspired prank on humanity?

In either case, the execution would leave something to be desired. The construction on the monoliths has been inconsistent, with the one in Romania clearly a rushed welding job, while the one found on the Isle of Wight is substantially shinier than the one found in Utah. The Utah specimen was partially buried in the ground, while the one in England wasnt, and so on and so forth.

The most prominent theory that has come forward so far is that the original monolith in Utah was an amateur-ish ode to the late minimalist artist John McCracken, as The New York Times suggested last month.

The object in the photos I have seen is crudely made, artist James Hayward, a close friend of McCracken and former assistant, told the newspaper. Its a giant hoax, as far as I am concerned.

At least one monolith is already accounted for. Over the weekend, The New York Times reported that a group of four artists came forward taking credit for the monolith and its replacement after the first one vanished without a trace that appeared on top of Pine Mountain in Atascadero, California last week.

We intended for it to be a piece of guerrilla art, Wade McKenzie, one of the artists, told the Times. But when it was taken down in such a malicious manner, we decided we needed to replace it.

Regardless of who may be behind the numerous monoliths, the strange installations have managed to keep the attention of some of the most reputable news outlets in the world over several weeks, indicating that its exactly the kind of distraction we needed right now.

In fact, in many ways the public appetite for news stories that are not about the pandemic or elections has never been more insatiable.

Aliens or not, it got people talking about something else.

Im not sure if its aliens, a Coldplay PR stunt or a local mirror dealer drumming up trade, Isle of White local DJ Rob da Bank told the BBC,but it got us all down the beach anyway.

READ MORE: Monolith discovered on Isle of Wight similar to ones found in US and Romania [Sky News]

More on monoliths: A Third Monolith Just Appeared in California

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There Are Officially Too Many Damn Monoliths - Futurism

Japan’s Government Is Using AI to Set Up Lonely Singles on Dates – Futurism

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RomanceBot

Japanese officials are taking an unconventional approach to boosting the countrys declining birthrate: Helping the lonely populace find love, using AI.

Yoshihide Suga, the new Prime Minister of Japan who was elected in September, will invest $19 million in local governments that develop artificial intelligence algorithms to serve as matchmaker for lonely singles in their region, according to Agence France-Presse. It sounds, well, unusual but officials hope the AI is savvy enough to revitalize the entire countrys population.

Using AI in a dating service is nothing new any dating app will rely on some sort of algorithm to determine whose accounts it places in front of whom. What stands out, however, is that this is a government project rather than a dating company like Tinder or OkCupid thats setting people up.

However, almost half of Japans prefectures already offer some sort of matchmaking service for locals, AFP reports the government is now merely looking to give them a high-tech boost.

Japan has one of the lowest birthrates in the world at just 1.36 expected children per family, AFP reports. That could have serious impacts on the nation years from now, especially its already struggling to handle a shortage of workers.

We are especially planning to offer subsidies to local governments operating or starting up matchmaking projects that use AI, an official from the Prime Ministers cabinet told AFP. We hope this support will help reverse the decline in the nations birthrate.

READ MORE: Japan boosts AI funding to match lonely hearts [Agence France-Presse]

More on romantic AI: Redditor Claims They Fell in Love With OpenAIs Neural Network

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Japan's Government Is Using AI to Set Up Lonely Singles on Dates - Futurism

Iran Insists That Its Nuclear Scientist Was Killed by a "Satellite-Controlled Machine Gun" – Futurism

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Machine Gun

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Irans top nuclear scientist, was killed on November 27 by a smart satellite-controlled machine gun that used AI, the countrys Revolutionary Guards commander Brig-Gen Ali Fadavi told local media, as the BBC reports.

The scientist was allegedly killed by a weaponmounted to a pickup truck, which shot Fakhrizadeh inside a vehicle from a distance but spared his wife sitting right next to him.

The weapon focused only on martyr Fakhrizadehs face in a way that his wife, despite being only 25cm [10 inches] away, was not shot, Gen Fadavi, Revolutionary Guards deputy commander, told a ceremony on Sunday, as quoted by the BBC.

None of these claims have yet to be verified by outside sources and no proof has yet to be provided by Iranian officials.

If Irans officials are to be believed, Israel could be behind the attack, an assassination targeting the brains behind Irans efforts to develop nuclear weapons, as Al Jazeera points out.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.

Some doubt the assassination was carried out via robot, as experts told CNN. Technologies would have to be smuggled into the country, including a communications relay, which could easily be intercepted by Iranian forces.

Fakhrizadeh has however been a target of Israeli for a long time, a senior US administration official told CNN.

If confirmed, the assassination could set a troubling precedent.

If such devices were autonomous, using face-recognition to pinpoint and kill people, we would be on a downhill roll that would entirely disrupt global security, Noel Sharkey, a member of the Campaign Against Killer Robots, told the BBC.

READ MORE: Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: Machine-gun with AI used to kill Iran scientist [BBC]

More on AI: MIT Engineers Built an AI That Design Its Own Robots

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Iran Insists That Its Nuclear Scientist Was Killed by a "Satellite-Controlled Machine Gun" - Futurism

Jacob Rees Mogg accused of spreading fake news over claim vaccine approval was down to Brexit – Yahoo Sports

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Watch: Jacob Rees-Mogg accused of fake news over Brexit vaccine tweet

Jacob Rees-Mogg has been accused of spreading fake news after he claimed the COVID vaccine was approved quickly in the UK because of Brexit.

On Wednesday, the UKs Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the jab developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, while the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has yet to do so for the EU.

Rees-Mogg jumped on the news, tweeting: We could only approve this vaccine so quickly because we have left the EU.

Last month we changed the regulations so a vaccine did not need EU approval which is slower.

However, MHRA chief June Raine said the approval was made using provisions under European law, which still binds the UK until the end of the year.

Speaking in the Commons on Thursday morning, deputy leader of the House, Valerie Vaz, urged Rees-Mogg to take back his tweet in light of Raines comments.

She said: We've had fake news. The approval of the vaccine has nothing to do with Brexit.

But Rees-Mogg called the approval of the vaccine a British success and accused the European regulator of being a bit sniffy about it.

He told MPs: The UK should be really proud that our regulator got in first and we notice that the European regulator is a bit sniffy about it, wishes we hadnt done it, and that Germany and France and other European countries havent managed to do the same thing.

We have, were leading, draw your own conclusions, as Im sure the British public will.

We are now free of the dead hand of the European Union and will be even more free from that on 1 January.

Story continues

He added: It is a huge British success of which we should be proud and pleased.

Brexit was also credited as the reason for the speedy approval of the vaccine by health secretary Matt Hancock, who said the Europeans are moving a little bit more slowly.

Hancock told Times Radio: The reason weve been able to move this fast, and the UK is the first country in the world to have a clinically authorised vaccine, the reason is twofold.

Firstly, because the MRHA has done a great job of working with the company to look at that data as its come through and do things in parallel, rather than one after the other as they normally would, thats the first reason.

Watch: Boris Johnson warns against over-optimism following vaccine approval

The second reason is because, whilst until earlier this year we were in the European Medicines Agency (EMA), because of Brexit weve been able to make a decision to do this based on the UK regulator, a world-class regulator, and not go at the pace of the Europeans, who are moving a little bit more slowly.

We do all the same safety checks and the same processes, but we have been able to speed up how theyre done because of Brexit.

Hitting back at Hancocks claims, German MEP Pieter Liese, a member of the European parliaments public health committee, said individual EU member states could have authorised the vaccine but had chosen to wait for the EMA to examine more information rather than follow the hasty UK example.

The EMA suggested that it was imposing more stringent checks than the emergency process used by the MHRA.

A spokeswoman said: The temporary authorisation of the vaccine by the MHRA is not a marketing authorisation.

It differs from marketing authorisations in the level of evidence submitted and checks required.

Downing Street did not back Hancocks claim about Brexit.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: It is clear that we are the first country in the world to approve this vaccine and it is incredibly positive news that we will be able to start to distribute it.

Watch: How England's new three-tier COVID system will work

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Jacob Rees Mogg accused of spreading fake news over claim vaccine approval was down to Brexit - Yahoo Sports

Hisham: The world must fight fake news on Covid-19 – The Star Online

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KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): As the world prepares for vaccination plans to contain the pandemic, nations must work together to fight the misinformation related to the Covid-19 vaccines and anti-vaccination propaganda, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

The dangers of misinformation are real, and present itself as a setback to the progress that had been made, he added.

As soon as news of a vaccine breakthrough made headlines around the world, misinformation about forced vaccinations, DNA alterations, and fake accounts made the rounds, said Hishammuddin at his intervention at the 31st Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in response to Covid-19 on Friday (Dec 4).

"Global fears have been intensified by the immediacy of round the clock news cycles and unending streams of information, both accurate and false, on social media.

"The chief motive for this campaign? To mislead and undermine trust in medicine when it matters most, and ultimately prolong this pandemic. Its simple - misinformation costs lives, especially as we are preparing national vaccination plans for our people, he said.

The meeting was held online due to the ongoing pandemic.

The public awareness on the need to vaccinate is crucial to prevent a climate of fear and division during the roll-out phase.

"Negativity, as an outcome of the propaganda, must be addressed head-on. It would be a tragedy if, in our eagerness, dangerous supporters who campaign against the whole concept of vaccination be left to flourish - risking damaging influence on the masses, and threatening millions more lives, he said.

Hishammuddin also stressed Malaysias stand that the Covid-19 vaccine, once developed, must be made accessible, equitable and affordable to all.

Malaysia remains committed to working together with the United Nations and all its member states in facing the common challenge while also remaining vigilant to overcome this deadly virus, said Hishammuddin.

"A single virus has claimed the lives of over 1.4 million people worldwide and has plunged us into a global economic recession.

"It has resulted in a health, economic, and social crisis - a potent concoction which if left unmanaged, could reverse decades of progress we have achieved together in the United Nations, he added. - Bernama

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Hisham: The world must fight fake news on Covid-19 - The Star Online

New campaign to combat fake news targeted at young people in Ireland – The Irish Times

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An Irish social media council along the lines of the press council should be set up to combat disinformation online.

The call comes from Article 19, a London-based organisation which advocates for press freedom and against disinformation.

Article 19 refers to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

It has announced a #KeepItReal campaign aimed at Irish people between the age of 18 and 25.

The campaign is hoping to influence the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill which will have its chief provision an online safety commissioner. It is currently going through the Oireachtas.

A group of young adults aged 18-25 years old from across the country have volunteered to lead a discussion among their peers about how society should respond to the issues of disinformation and fake news.

Article 19 ambassador Laura Bartley said the misinformation around the Covid-19 vaccine demonstrated the need for vigilance about what is being said on social media.

If people are pre-emptively warned about attempts to sow doubt or spread misinformation, they dont fall foul of it. We want to create conversations within families and in peer groups, she said.

We want to have a positive conversation around fairly heated pivotal societal issues at present.

Although people my age are very active on social media and came of age with the rise of the internet, we still risk falling foul of disinformation, especially nowadays in relation to Covid-19 and vaccination

During my studies, I was really interested in the impact of technology on human rights, democracy and violent extremism and knew I had something to offer to the discussion.

The campaign includes work from the Dublin-based illustrator Fuchsia MacAree.

Article 19 believes an Irish social media council would provide a forum to address content moderation issues such as disinformation on social media platforms.

Its head of media freedom Pierre Franois Docquir said the debate about misinformation should belong to the general public first and foremost.

I dont think we could have picked a better place than Ireland to launch this type of work, he said.

Not only is Ireland the headquarters of social media companies in Europe, it is also in the middle of a vibrant and ground-breaking debate on platform regulation and online safety with the current drafting of an Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill and the formation of the media and online safety commission.

The challenges posed by Covid-19 have highlighted the importance of these debates, so this really is an interesting and fascinating time.

Disinformation about Covid-19 remains a threat to public health and with the prospect of a vaccine on the horizon, it is vital we remain constantly vigilant where we source our news from.

Our ambassadors are a part of a generation that are not only highly engaged with the digital evolution of the media, who have witnessed the rise of the internet, but they are also very aware of both the rich opportunities for expression and risks for privacy that social media presents.

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#FakeNews and lies are amplified on social media – Daily Maverick

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First published in the Daily Maverick 168 weekly newspaper.

The tweets feature photographs or videos of black men said to be committing crime. They are accompanied by the claim that the men in question are foreign nationals: usually from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, or Democratic Republic of Congo. The posts are tagged with hashtags stoking antipathy towards foreigners. They are often shared hundreds of times, and seen by thousands more. Yet the information they contain is usually false, or based on a kernel of truth that is misleadingly spun to support an untrue conclusion.

Because of its potential to incite violence, the spread of xenophobic content on Twitter is something that we must monitor and push back against, says Adam Armstrong, head of the Digital Manipulation Project at the University of Cape Towns Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC).

In August, the unit drew attention to an orchestrated campaign of xenophobia being mounted on Twitter by a few central accounts working to artificially amplify anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa. One of the key Twitter users involved, uLerato_Pillay, was unmasked in September by the DFRLab as being run by a former South African National Defence Force soldier called Sifiso Gwala.

Although the CABC says that the exposure of uLerato_Pillay and the xenophobia campaign has seen a downward trend in anti-foreigner tweets over the past few months, the unit is increasingly concerned about the dissemination of fake news reports alleging the involvement of foreign nationals in South African crime.

The perception that foreign nationals are disproportionately responsible for crime has been swirling locally for years, and has sometimes been fomented by misleading statements from police and other government authorities. In 2017, however, former Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha revealed that only 7.5% of people in South African prisons were foreign nationals.

While there are undoubtedly foreign nationals committing crimes, there is no evidence that most of them commit crime, or that they are responsible for most crime, the Institute for Security Studies has stated. But on Twitter a different picture has been created.

The CABCs monitoring has revealed that a tactic repeatedly used by a campaign under the hashtag #putsouthafricansfirst sees claims made about foreign nationals engaged in fraud, scamming or drug dealing. To give a veneer of authenticity to the allegations, photographs or video footage is included but often there is no reliable evidence to corroborate the accusations.

A tweet posted by ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba on 27 April 2020, which also marks the first time that the #putsouthafricansfirst hashtag was used, falls into this category. Mashaba posted a video containing CCTV footage of crimes being committed, with a voiceover implying that the perpetrators were not South African but with no evidence to confirm their nationalities.

Another category of tweets includes links to news stories which may look reputable, but on closer inspection are not published on legitimate news websites. One such tweet identified by CABC researcher Jesse Cann promoted the claim that a Nigerian man named Handel Kafor was arrested by Metro police after 88 pockets [sic] of cocaine drugs were discovered in his cellphone repair shop in Johannesburg.

The tweet, which was retweeted hundreds of times, links to a news story on a site called Opera News, which has published four versions of the same story accompanied by the same images with slightly different accompanying text. The site crowd-sources news, meaning that anyone can upload stories. Opera News appears to host a high volume of the xenophobic misinformation currently doing the rounds on local Twitter.

We know very little about Opera News, Armstrong told Daily Maverick 168. Their business model is based on getting online users to submit content which generates traffic. They have sites providing localised content for Cte dIvoire, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa.

Another technique used to spread fake news about foreigners sees the misrepresenting of a real news event. Cann points to a very active account associated with the #putsouthafricansfirst hashtag, @landback_, which claimed in an October tweet that Welgelegen mother and daughter Lizette and Hettie Deacon were murdered by criminal Zimbabwean immigrants. In reality, reputable news sources have reported that three of the four suspects arrested for the crime are South Africans.

This post reflects a classic disinformation technique in which a lie is constructed around an element of truth. As a result, the disinformation gains credibility in the minds of the target audience, says Cann. He points out that the tactic has been successfully used in Russian propaganda campaigns.

The CABC is urging local Twitter users to be more circumspect when engaging with this kind of dangerous misinformation.

People often just need headlines to be convinced, says Armstrong. Always check the dates of a story, and read beyond the headlines. DM168

Be suspicious of tweets that:

Do due diligence:

Source: CABC

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#FakeNews and lies are amplified on social media - Daily Maverick

Councillor calls on Brummies to end COVID-19 fake news and conspiracy theories – I Am Birmingham

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A Birmingham councillor has released a video messageurging the citys Pakistani community to stop the spread of fake news around coronavirus.

Warning about the dangers of sharing and spreading falseCOVID-19 information across social media platforms, Cllr Waseem Zaffar has suggested unverified and inaccurate information about the virus is putting lives at risk.

Representing the Lozells ward a coronavirus hotspot which hasinfection rates of more than 400 per 100,000 residents the councillor releasedthepublic safety messageonline to challenge what he describes as dangerous and incorrect information being shared bya small minority of people within the more vulnerable areas of Birmingham.

If someone sends you a video on WhatsApp, Facebook or social media, it does not mean that its true, he said.

Cllr Zaffar urged people to protect themselves, and the community, from the very real threat posed by the current COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed the lives of millions around the world.

There is a lot of fake news and incorrect information being spread in our community. I request you to stop this. Coronavirus has created major difficulties for our community and the entire world, he added.

Cllr Zaffar, Cabinet Member for Transport and the Environment,presents the video inMirpuri, his mother tongue and a dialect spoken by the vast majority of Birminghams Pakistani-Kashmiri disapora.

Commissioned by Birmingham City Council and produced in partnership with Citizens UK and Saathi House, the community campaign aims to raise awareness about the proliferation of unsubstantiated and unregulated COVID-19 misinformation, which Zaffar believes is having a negative impact on public health.

The councillor alsopraised those who are tacking the necessary steps to safeguard themselves and the community, but was critical of members of the community ignoring COVID-19 safety rules and endangering others.

The vast majority of people are making huge sacrifices and adhering to the government rules on coronavirus.

However, there is a minority who are ignoring these government rules.

In the video, Cllr Zaffar sharescore steps and measures recommended by the government to combat the spread of the pandemic.

Among them an appeal to the community to carry out basicprevention measures such as the washing of hands and the wearing of face masks.

I plea and request you to wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds as often as possible; washing your hands as per the government and public health guidance.

Wherever you are, please wear a face mask or face coverings. Whether you are in a shop, supermarket, on the bus, wherever you are, please wear a face mask or any face covering.

He alsostressed the importance of the 2 metre social distancing rule whether you are inside or outside.

Social distancing is especially challenging for the Pakistani community due to cultural dynamics where some families live in multigenerational households with grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren living together, he explains.

Hegoes on to advise people to continue this observance inside their homes and also when going out.

If someone, particularly someone elderly is watching TV, try to stay a distance away from them in the other room. Utilise all the space in your house to socially distance, he said.

Sharing his concernsabout people who ignore and abuse the current COVID-19 guidelines, he added: Many elders in the community are hearing this fake news about coronavirus and ignoring the guidance and living a normal life.

The video is part of a series to help raise awareness among Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities in Birmingham and the West Midlands, who are disproportionately affected by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Public Health England found people fromthese groups are most likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19, and death rates were highest among people of Black and South Asian heritage.

Individualsfrom ethnic minority backgrounds have a greater risk of death from COVID-19 than white people due to demographic, geographical and socioeconomic factors such as living arrangements and jobs.

Despite thiscatastrophic insight, Cllr Zaffar has expressed shock that some members of the South Asian community are still in denial about the tragic impact of COVID-19.

Coronavirus has led to the death of many. Many are in hospital in severe difficulty.

There is a lot of fake news being spread about coronavirus and the vaccine. The worlds scientists are all working away to bring forward a vaccination.

Whilst there is positive news about the vaccine, it will only come once a variety of government agencies and public health approve the vaccine.

Before a vaccine has been approved, spreading fake news about it is wholly inappropriate and this is damaging our community.

According the Cllr Zaffar, the misinformation about the pandemic and the vaccine has led to difficulties with stress placed upon the NHS and growing uncertainty in the community as people share unconfirmed information across social media platforms.

In the video message, he encourages the community topromote the positive and official government guidelines and the information being shared by doctors. Protect yourselves and your community.

Cllr Zaffar hopes the public health video alert will inspire the citys Pakistani-Kashmiri community to take the necessary steps to help halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus and challenge those spreading fake news.

Birmingham City Council has launched similar videos in a variety of community languages including English, Urdu, Shona,Tigrinya, Somali and Ndebela, in partnership with organisations representing different minority ethnic residents and communitiesliving in the city.

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Biologic Agent Use Associated With Lower Hospitalization Risk for Patients With Psoriasis and COVID-19 – Dermatology Advisor

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The use of biologic agents among patients with moderate to severe psoriasis infected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was associated with a lower risk for COVID-19-related hospitalization compared with patients who used non-biologic system agents, according to findings from a registry analysis published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

There were 2 data sources reviewed in this registry-based study: the international Psoriasis Patient Registry for Outcomes, Therapy and Epidemiology of COVID-19 infecTion (PsoProtect) and the self-report patient-facing registry PsoProtectMe. The PsoProtect included clinician-reported diagnoses of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in patients with psoriasis, whereas the patient-facing registry provided data on risk-mitigating behaviors.

There was a total of 374 clinician-reported patients with psoriasis and suspected/confirmed COVID-19 from 25 countries. Approximately 71% of these patients were receiving a biologic agent, whereas 18% of patients were receiving a non-biologic agent and 10% were receiving no systemic therapy for psoriasis. The majority of patients in the registry (93%) fully recovered from COVID-19. About 21% (n=77) of patients were hospitalized, and 2% (n=9) died.

An increased risk for hospitalization was associated with older age (multivariable-adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.59 per 10 years; 95% CI, 1.19-2.13), male sex (OR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.23-5.12), non-white ethnicity (OR, 3.15; 95% CI, 1.24-8.03), and comorbid chronic lung disease (OR, 3.87; 95% CI, 1.52-9.83).

Patients in the PsoProtect registry who used non-biologic systemic therapies were more frequently hospitalized compared with patients who received biologic agents (OR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.31-6.18).

In the PsoProtectMe registry including 1626 patients from 48 countries who provided self-reported data, the researchers found lower levels of social isolation in patients who received non-biologic systemic therapy vs biologic agents (OR 0.68; 95% CI, 0.50-0.94).

A limitation of this study is its potential lack of generalizability, due to the inclusion of only patients with moderate to severe psoriasis and the high volume of patients from Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

The investigators of this study emphasize that more data are necessary to clarify these observations before any recommendations for changes in clinical practice can be considered, adding that further investigation of the observed differential rate of hospitalization between different classes of biologics is warranted.

Disclosure: Several study authors declared affiliations with the pharmaceutical industry. Please see the original reference for a full list of authors disclosures.

Reference

Mahil SK, Dand N, Mason KJ, et al. Factors associated with adverse COVID-19 outcomes in patients with psoriasis insights from a global registry-based study. Published online October 16, 2020. J Allergy Clin Immunol. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2020.10.007

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Biologic Agent Use Associated With Lower Hospitalization Risk for Patients With Psoriasis and COVID-19 - Dermatology Advisor

Comprehensive Report on Psoriasis Treatment Market 2020 | Size, Growth, Demand, Opportunities & Forecast To 2026 | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries…

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Psoriasis Treatment Market research report is the new statistical data source added by A2Z Market Research.

Psoriasis Treatment Market is growing at a High CAGR during the forecast period 2020-2026. The increasing interest of the individuals in this industry is that the major reason for the expansion of this market.

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Top Key Players Profiled in this report are:

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Amgen Inc., Novartis AG, LEO Pharma A/S, Eli Lilly and Company, UCB S.A., Johnson and Johnson Services, Inc., CELGENE CORPORATION, Pfizer Inc.,, AbbVie Inc., Merck and Co., Inc.

The key questions answered in this report:

What will be the Market Size and Growth Rate in the forecast year?What are the Key Factors driving Psoriasis Treatment Market?What are the Risks and Challenges in front of the market?Who are the Key Vendors in Psoriasis Treatment Market?What are the Trending Factors influencing the market shares?What are the Key Outcomes of Porters five forces model?Which are the Global Opportunities for Expanding the Psoriasis Treatment Market?

Various factors are responsible for the markets growth trajectory, which are studied at length in the report. In addition, the report lists down the restraints that are posing threat to the global Psoriasis Treatment market. It also gauges the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers, threat from new entrants and product substitute, and the degree of competition prevailing in the market. The influence of the latest government guidelines is also analyzed in detail in the report. It studies the Psoriasis Treatment markets trajectory between forecast periods.

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Global Psoriasis Treatment Market Segmentation:

Market Segmentation by Type:

TNF InhibitorsInterleukinsOthers

Market Segmentation by Application:

Hospital PharmaciesRetail PharmaciesOnline pharmacies

Regions Covered in the Global Psoriasis Treatment Market Report 2020:The Middle East and Africa(GCC Countries and Egypt)North America(the United States, Mexico, and Canada)South America(Brazil etc.)Europe(Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.)Asia-Pacific(Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)

The report provides insights on the following pointers:

Market Penetration:Comprehensive information on the product portfolios of the top players in the Psoriasis Treatment market.Product Development/Innovation:Detailed insights on the upcoming technologies, R&D activities, and product launches in the market.Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of the market strategies, geographic and business segments of the leading players in the market.Market Development:Comprehensive information about emerging markets. This report analyzes the market for various segments across geographies.Market Diversification:Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the Psoriasis Treatment market.

Table of Contents

Global Psoriasis Treatment Market Research Report 2020 2026

Chapter 1 Psoriasis Treatment Market Overview

Chapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Industry

Chapter 3 Global Market Competition by Manufacturers

Chapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by Region

Chapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions

Chapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type

Chapter 7 Global Market Analysis by Application

Chapter 8 Manufacturing Cost Analysis

Chapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers

Chapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders

Chapter 11 Market Effect Factors Analysis

Chapter 12 Global Psoriasis Treatment Market Forecast

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Comprehensive Report on Psoriasis Treatment Market 2020 | Size, Growth, Demand, Opportunities & Forecast To 2026 | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries...

Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Therapeutics Market Size, Historical Growth, Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast To 2027 – Cheshire Media

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What are the emerging opportunities in the Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Therapeutics Market?

Currently, significant business sectors are going through changes. This has prompted huge benefits for a few and misfortunes for other people. To make the most out of the emerging chances, you can exploit the most granted Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Therapeutics market report. It offers nitty-gritty experiences into the market. This will doubtlessly manage their organizations in creating the following move over the impending industry quarters.

It must be noticed that the Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Therapeutics market is encountering unexpected ascent in reception by numerous new players (from MNCs to SMEs). It is because of the way that even with the market turbulences the Global market came out with solid numbers. With the new business running into the market, it is basic to stand apart from the group. The customers can undoubtedly accomplish this utilizing the means referenced in the Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Therapeutics market report.

What type of investigation is done in the Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Therapeutics market report?

Analysis of various socioeconomics for venturing into the market is important as it will hugely affect the development throughout the following coming years. The Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Therapeutics market report is planned subsequent to doing long periods of exploration and the information sifted through in the report was gathered from dependable sources, for example, government sites.

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What type of analysis short-term or long-term is added in the Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Therapeutics Market report?

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Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Therapeutics Market Size, Historical Growth, Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast To 2027 - Cheshire Media

Psoriasis Treatment Market expected to grow at a decent rate of 5.10% CAGR during 2016 to 2024 – The Haitian-Caribbean News Network

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Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition and cannot be cured completely. The current treatment methods, to an extent, effectively work in controlling the disease. Hence, the opportunities for consumption remains worthy for players in the globalpsoriasis treatment marketin the coming years. However, with time, companies would want to stay ahead in the league and hence are working on developing drugs that are more effective. The current drug pipeline appears to be promising and any launch in the next few years will have a significant impact on the growth of the global psoriasis treatment market.

Transparency Market Research has recently published a report on the global psoriasis treatment market. It states that the market is expected to grow at a decent rate of 5.10% CAGR during 2016 to 2024. The potential players in the global psoriasis treatment market include LEO Pharma, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Biogen.

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Rise in Psoriasis Cases to Favor Growth

The overall number of cases of psoriasis has steadily increased. While the incidence of the disease is on the rise due to several factors that trigger gene mutation such as pollution and lifestyle habits. At the same time, the general awareness among the public about the disease is considered to be the larger reason for the rise in number of cases. With internet and social media presence, healthcare organizations and governments have been able to conduct awareness campaigns that reach out to the people. As a result, people have realized the importance of early diagnosis and timely treatment for the disease. This has been one of the largest factors for growth in the global psoriasis treatment market.

While there has been general awareness among the public, governments across the world have taken initiatives to help people suffering from these conditions, especially in the rural areas. Consistent campaigns and efforts to ensure people from the rural and deeper areas where the access to healthcare is poor, has raised the demand for products in the global psoriasis treatment market.

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Favorable Healthcare System to Augment Growth in North America

Undoubtedly the developed healthcare system in North America, especially the United States, favors growth for the global psoriasis market. The regulated healthcare system coupled with organized policies that aid in diagnosing diseases and treating them on time have been of solid support to all healthcare markets. At the same time, the buzzing pharmaceutical business environment keeps the North American region sound for business. These aspects have a substantial impact on the growth of the global psoriasis treatment market.

Besides North America, Europe and Asia Pacific will also remain important for players in the global psoriasis treatment market. Companies will be looking to explore business potential in new areas in the coming years to be able to expand and sustain in the business.

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The global psoriasis treatment is segmented based on

Drug Class

Route of Administration

Distribution Chanel

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Psoriasis Treatment Market expected to grow at a decent rate of 5.10% CAGR during 2016 to 2024 - The Haitian-Caribbean News Network

Plaque Psoriasis Treatment Market to receive overwhelming hike in Revenues by 2026 Novartis AG (Switzerland),AbbVie Inc.(US),Amgen, Inc. (US) -…

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This report gives a vital investigation of the Global Plaque Psoriasis Treatment market and the development gauges for the conjecture time frame. This report likewise gives market estimating and figures to the Global Plaque Psoriasis Treatment market.

Some of the players in Plaque Psoriasis Treatment Market areNovartis AG (Switzerland),AbbVie Inc.(U.S),Amgen, Inc. (U.S),Johnson & Johnson (U.S),Eli Lilly and Company (U.S),Celgene Corporation (U.S),Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. (India)

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The most recent market report on Plaque Psoriasis Treatment industry offers a top to bottom investigation of this business vertical including key data concerning industry expectations, transcendently showcase inclinations, advertise size, piece of the overall industry, present valuation, and benefits estimations for the gauge time frame. The concise data in regards to the business additionally breaks down and clarifies the Plaque Psoriasis Treatment market development rate in the conjecture course of events, prompted by specific impetuses, a substance of which has been given in this exploration report related to the essential difficulties and development prospects present in the business.

Statistical surveying Place has included a report, Global Plaque Psoriasis Treatment Market Research Report 2020-2026 incorporates a careful investigation of the Plaque Psoriasis Treatment advertise in the anticipated period. Worldwide Plaque Psoriasis Treatment market report offers the most recent industry patterns, mechanical developments and figure showcase information. A profound jump perspective on Plaque Psoriasis Treatment industry dependent on market size, Plaque Psoriasis Treatment development, advancement plans, and openings is offered by this report. The estimate advertises data, SWOT examination, Plaque Psoriasis Treatment hindrances, and attainability study are the fundamental angles broke down in this report.

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Key Features of the Report:

There are 10 Chapters to deeply display the Plaque Psoriasis Treatment market.Chapter 1 to analyze the top manufacturers of Plaque Psoriasis Treatment, with sales, revenue and price of Plaque Psoriasis Treatment in 2020 and 2026.

Chapter 2, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2020 and 2026.

Chapter 3, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Plaque Psoriasis Treatment, for each region, from 2020 and 2026.

Chapter 4, 5, 6 and 7 to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions.

Chapter 8 and 9, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2020 and 2026.

Chapter 10 Plaque Psoriasis Treatment market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2020 and 2026.

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Plaque Psoriasis Treatment Market to receive overwhelming hike in Revenues by 2026 Novartis AG (Switzerland),AbbVie Inc.(US),Amgen, Inc. (US) -...

Bayer and Atara Biotherapeutics Enter Strategic Collaboration for Mesothelin-Targeted CAR T-cell Therapies for Solid Tumors – Business Wire

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WHIPPANY, N.J. & SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bayer and Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATRA) today announced an exclusive worldwide license agreement and research, development and manufacturing collaboration for mesothelin-directed CAR T-cell therapies for the treatment of solid tumors. The agreement includes the development candidate ATA3271, an armored allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy, and an autologous version, ATA2271, for high mesothelin-expressing tumors such as malignant pleural mesothelioma and non-small-cell lung cancer.

Atara is a pioneer in allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy with industry-leading allogeneic cell manufacturing processes and CAR T technologies. The licensed technology leverages Atara's novel, proprietary Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) T-cell platform combined with CAR T technologies targeting mesothelin to improve efficacy, persistence, safety, and durability of response.

This transaction is a fundamental element of Bayers new Cell & Gene Therapy strategy. It strengthens our development portfolio through allogeneic cell therapies and consolidates our emerging leadership in the field, said Wolfram Carius, Head of Bayers Cell & Gene Therapy Unit. We look forward to collaborating with Atara to develop off-the-shelf CAR T-cell therapies for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers.

This exciting collaboration between Atara and Bayer will accelerate the development of mesothelin-targeted CAR T-cell therapies for multiple solid tumors and helps us advance the power of our allogeneic cell therapy platform to patients as quickly as possible, said Pascal Touchon, President and CEO Atara. Bayers proven track record in oncology global development and commercialization, and growing presence in cell and gene therapy, enhances Ataras capabilities and complements our leading allogeneic T-cell platform.

Under the terms of the agreement, Atara will lead IND (Investigational New Drug)-enabling studies and process development for ATA3271 while Bayer will be responsible for submitting the IND and subsequent clinical development and commercialization. Atara will continue to be responsible for the ongoing ATA2271 phase 1 study, for which an IND filing has been accepted and the clinical trial has been initiated. Atara will receive an upfront payment of USD 60 million and is eligible to receive payments from Bayer upon achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercialization milestones totaling USD 610 million, as well as tiered royalties up to low double-digit percentage of net sales.

As part of the transaction, Atara will also provide translational and clinical manufacturing services to be reimbursed by Bayer. In addition, for a limited period of time, Bayer has a non-exclusive right to negotiate a license for additional Atara CAR T product candidates.

Atara Conference Call and Webcast Information

Atara will hold a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET. Analysts and investors can participate in the conference call by dialing (888) 540-6216 for domestic callers and (734) 385-2715 for international callers, using the conference ID 3995182.

A live audio webcast can be accessed by visiting the Investors & Media News & Events section of atarabio.com. An archived replay will be available on the Company's website for 30 days following the live webcast.

About CAR-T cell therapy

T cells are a type of white blood cell that are critical in eliminating the body of abnormal and cancerous cells in healthy individuals. In cancer patients, these T cells frequently fail to either recognize or effectively engage cancer cells. CAR T-cell therapies involve engineering a human T cell to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that increases its ability to recognize cancer cells. These therapies use the immune system to fight cancer and have the potential to disrupt cancer care and potentially even provide a cure. Mesothelin is a tumor-specific antigen that is commonly expressed at high levels on the cell surface in many aggressive solid tumors and is an attractive target for immune-based therapies, including CAR T therapy.

About Bayers new Cell & Gene Therapy (C>) Unit

In order to build up its presence in C>, Bayer is strengthening its internal C> capabilities. At the same time, the company is pursuing external strategic collaborations, technology acquisitions and licensing. The goal is to build robust platforms with broad application across different therapeutic areas. Strategically, Bayer focuses on selected areas of C>, such as stem cell therapies (with focus on induced pluripotent cells or iPSCs), gene augmentation, gene editing and allogeneic cell therapies in different indications. Leveraging external innovation together with the expertise of the teams at Bayer represents a key value-driver, especially in the highly dynamic and competitive field of C>. Bayers operating model for C>, where partners operate autonomously and are fully accountable to develop and progress their portfolio and technology, is essential for preserving their entrepreneurial culture and positions Bayer as a partner of choice. The role of Bayers C> Platform is to steer strategically, ensuring the different parts of the organization complement each other and combining the best in Biotech and Pharma know-how. As part of the Pharmaceuticals Division, the C> Platform will combine multiple backbone functions providing support across the entire value chain for the research and development of cell and gene therapies. This includes expertise in Research and Preclinical Development, CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls), Clinical Development, Commercial, Strategy Implementation and Project Management. With a high level of flexibility, it will orchestrate operations from science to launch in order to generate and maintain a sustainable pipeline, with the goal to bring new products to market as fast as possible.

About Ataras Mesothelin CAR-T Franchise

Two of Ataras investigational CAR T immunotherapy programs, developed in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), target mesothelinthe autologous ATA2271 program and allogeneic ATA3271 program. Mesothelin is a tumor-specific antigen that is commonly expressed at high levels on the cell surface in many aggressive solid tumors including mesothelioma, non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Both ATA2271 and ATA3271 are engineered for use in solid tumors as they incorporate Ataras novel inclusion of both a PD-1 DNR construct to overcome checkpoint inhibition and a 1XX costimulatory domain on the CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) to enhance expansion and functional persistence of the CAR T cells. ATA3271, the allogeneic version of this CAR T, leverages Ataras EBV T-cell platform and is currently in IND-enabling studies. ATA2271, the autologous version has enrolled the first patient in an open-label, single-arm Phase 1 clinical study in November 2020.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of 43.5 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.9 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.3 billion euros. For more information, go to http://www.bayer.com

About Atara

Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. is a pioneer in T-cell immunotherapy leveraging its novel allogeneic EBV T-cell platform to develop transformative therapies for patients with serious diseases including solid tumors, hematologic cancers and autoimmune disease. With our lead program in Phase 3 clinical development, Atara is the most advanced allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy company and intends to rapidly deliver off-the-shelf treatments to patients with high unmet medical need. Our platform leverages the unique biology of EBV T cells and has the capability to treat a wide range of EBV-associated diseases, or other serious diseases through incorporation of engineered CARs (chimeric antigen receptors) or TCRs (T-cell receptors). Atara is applying this one platform to create a robust pipeline including: tab-cel (tabelecleucel) in Phase 3 development for Epstein-Barr virus-driven post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+ PTLD); ATA188, a T-cell immunotherapy targeting EBV antigens as a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis; and multiple chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) immunotherapies for both solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Improving patients lives is our mission and we will never stop working to bring transformative therapies to those in need. Atara is headquartered in South San Francisco and our leading-edge research, development and manufacturing facility is based in Thousand Oaks, California.

For additional information about the company, please visit atarabio.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayers public reports which are available on the Bayer website at http://www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains or may imply forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. For example, forward-looking statements include statements regarding: the development, timing and progress of ATA2271 or ATA3271, the potential characteristics and benefits of ATA2271 or ATA3271, and the progress and results of, and prospects for, any collaboration involving ATA2271 or ATA3271, including the potential financial benefits to Atara thereof. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on Ataras current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or achievements of Atara could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with the costly and time-consuming pharmaceutical product development process and the uncertainty of clinical success; the COVID-19 pandemic, which may significantly impact (i) our business, research, clinical development plans and operations, including our operations in South San Francisco and Southern California and at our clinical trial sites, as well as the business or operations of our third-party manufacturer, contract research organizations or other third parties with whom we conduct business, (ii) our ability to access capital, and (iii) the value of our common stock; the sufficiency of Ataras cash resources and need for additional capital; and other risks and uncertainties affecting Ataras and its development programs, including those discussed in Ataras filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including in the Risk Factors and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of the Companys most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings and in the documents incorporated by reference therein. Except as otherwise required by law, Atara disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

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Bayer and Atara Biotherapeutics Enter Strategic Collaboration for Mesothelin-Targeted CAR T-cell Therapies for Solid Tumors - Business Wire

New Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center to Spur Cell Therapies – Newswise

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Newswise LOS ANGELES (Dec. 4, 2020) -- Cedars-Sinai has launched a center to manufacture the next generation of stem cell and gene therapies that will enable biomedical researchers, government medical programs, commercial entities and others to develop new biologic drugs and propel novel disease discoveries.

Biologic drugs are produced from living organisms or contain components of living organisms, such as cells, proteins or genes.

"TheCedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Centerleverages our world-class stem-cell expertise, which already serves scores of clients, to provide a much-needed biomanufacturing facility in Southern California," saidClive Svendsen, PhD, executive director of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute. "It is revolutionary by virtue of elevating regenerative medicine and its therapeutic possibilities to an entirely new level-repairing the human body."

Among the facility's initial clients is the Department of Defense, which has asked Cedars-Sinai scientists to manufacture banks of stem cells from multiple healthy volunteers for later use in repairing vascular injuries sustained by military personnel in combat.

The core technology of the Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center involves production of specialized cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs. Scientists make iPSCs by genetically converting adult blood cells into cells that can self-renew indefinitely and differentiate into nearly any type of tissue. Each resulting cell carries the exact DNA of the person who donated the blood sample.

"IPSCs are powerful tools for understanding human disease and developing therapies," saidDhruv Sareen, PhD, executive director of the Biomanufacturing Center and director of the induced pluripotent stem cell facility at the Regenerative Medicine Institute. "These cells enable us to truly practiceprecision medicineby developing drug treatments tailored to the individual patient or groups of patients with similar genetic profiles."

The Biomanufacturing Center is designed to address a critical bottleneck in bringing cell- and gene-based therapies to the clinic. It will help relieve a nationwide shortage of facilities that can scale up production of cells for drug products that consistently meet current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) standards for strength, quality, and purity. These standards, set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, must be met when producing pharmaceuticals for use in humans.

To comply with the federal standards, the new Cedars-Sinai center features nine "clean rooms" that maintain rigorously aseptic conditions for handling of all biomaterials. These rooms are supported by staging areas, gowning rooms, quality control laboratories and storage rooms with ample freezers and liquid nitrogen tanks.

Other sections of the Biomanufacturing Center are devoted to research and production of iPSC cells, technology and development, training and collaboration laboratories, offices, and facilities maintenance equipment. Overall, the center occupies more than 28,000 square feet.

"Our expansive facilities provide complete, end-to-end support of biomedical research and development of cell therapies that are 'living medicines,'" said Sareen, assistant professor of Biomedical Sciences. "We enable our clients to explore and create new types of cells, use them to make discoveries about diseases and transform the resulting biomaterials into cGMP-compliant therapies for testing in clinical trials."

The recent grand opening of the Biomanufacturing Center, hosted on a virtual platform by Cedars-Sinai leadership, was attended by representatives of local and federal governments, biotechnology companies, funding organizations and other stakeholders. It was followed by another Cedars-Sinai virtual event, a "Symposium on Translational Medicine and Biomanufacturing," that drew world-renowned keynote speakers from academia and industry and hundreds of attendees to explore the latest developments in these fields.

"Our new Biomanufacturing Center reaffirms Cedars-Sinai's commitment to deliver the finest clinical care for our patients-and patients everywhere-by expanding the frontiers of medical science," said Svendsen, professor of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog:What Are Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells?

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New Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center to Spur Cell Therapies - Newswise

ALLO-715, Off-the-Shelf CAR T-Cell Therapy, Produces Early Promise in Multiple Myeloma – Cancer Network

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Treatment with an off-the-shelf CAR T-cell therapy that targets B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), ALLO-715, elicited responses in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma in early findings from a first-in-human study presented at the 2020 ASH Meeting.1

The therapy generated responses in 6 of 10 patients (60%), including a very good partial-plus response (VGPR+) in 4 patients (40%), who were treated with ALLO-715 at a dose of 320 x 106 CAR cells plus a lymphodepleting regimen that included ALLO-647, an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody, during the ongoing phase 1 UNIVERSAL study (NCT04093596).1

The findings mark the first results for an allogeneic CAR therapy directed at BCMA, said lead study author Sham Mailankody, MBBS, a medical oncologist and investigator in the Cellular Therapeutics Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York. BCMA, which is highly expressed on plasma and multiple myeloma cells, has sparked intensive research interest.2

These results demonstrate the feasibility and safety of an off-the-shelf CAR T cell therapy for multiple myeloma. In this first report of an allogeneic BCMA CAR T-cell therapy, we show that nearly 90% of patients were treated within 5 days of enrollment and without needing any bridging therapy, Mailankody said.

Allogeneic CAR therapy offers the potential for scalable manufacturing for on-demand treatment with shorter waiting times, which would overcome some of the logistical challenges posed by autologous CAR therapy, Mailankody said. The T cells needed for ALLO-715 are harvested from healthy donors and genetically engineered to express CARs aimed at specific cancer targets, according to Allogene Therapeutics, the company developing the therapy.3

ALLO-715 includes a human-derived single-chain variable fragment anti-BCMA cell with a 4-1BB costimulatory domain. Mailankody said the 2 key attributes of the construct are a knockout of CD52, which allows for selective lymphodepletion with ALLO-647 to prevent graft rejection without affecting the CAR T cells, and a knockout of the TRAC gene, which also minimizes the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).1

The UNIVERSAL study, which is being conducted at 11 cancer centers in the United States, is recruiting patients with multiple myeloma who have received 3 or more prior therapies, including an immunomodulatory drug, a proteasome inhibitor, and an anti-CD38 agent, and are refractory to their last treatment. Participants must have an ECOG performance status score of 0 or 1.

The dose escalation portion of the study is testing ALLO-715 as a single infusion across 4 doses: 40, 160, 320, or 480 x 106 CARs. Lymphodepletion regimens consist of fludarabine (F; 30 mg/m2/day) plus cyclophosphamide (C; 300 mg/m2/day) given on 3 days with ALLO-647 (A; 13-30 mg x 3 days; FCA) or cyclophosphamide plus ALLO-647 (CA).

Among the 35 patients enrolled at the time of the presentation, 4 became ineligible because of organ failure due to rapidly progressing disease. Of 31 patients in the safety population, the median age was 65 years (range, 46-76). Nearly half of the patients (48%) have high-risk cytogenetics and 23% had extramedullary disease. The efficacy population at data cutoff on October 30, 2020, comprised 26 patients across the 4 dosing levels, with a median follow-up of 3.2 months.1

The overall response rate (ORR) varied across dosing cohorts and lymphodepleting regimens. No responses were observed among 3 patients each who received CARs at 40 x 106 with FCA or 160 x 106 with CA, both with low-dose ALLO-647. The ORRs were 50% in 4 patients who received CARs at 160 x 106 with lowALLO-647 FCA; 33% in 3 at 480 x 106 with lowALLO-647 FCA; and 67% in 3 at 320 x 106 with lowALLO-647 CA.

The most robust responses were seen among those who received ALLO-647 at 320 x106. For this cohort, the ORR was 60% among 10 patients, including 3 of 6 who received CARs with lowALLO-647 FCA and 3 of 4 who had the therapy with highALLO-647 FCA. Overall, 6 patients had a VGPR+, defined as stringent complete response, complete response, or VGPR. These included 1 at 160, 4 at 320, and 1 at 480 10 x 106 CARs. Of the VGPR+ patients, 5 were negative for measurable residual disease. Additionally, 6 of 9 patients treated at the 320 or 480 x 106 dose levels remain in response.

Mailankody highlighted the experience of 1 participant, a 71-year-old man whose myeloma had progressed after undergoing 9 prior lines of therapy including autologous stem cell transplant and an experimental BCMA-targeted therapy. The patient received a conditioning regimen of FCA with low-dose ALLO-647 and ALLO-715 at 320 x 106. He reached a VGPR on day 14 that deepened to a stringent complete response by day 28 that remains in effect at 6 months, while experiencing grade 1 cytokine release syndrome (CRS).

The patient is clinically doing very well and is back at work, Mailankody said.

Among 31 patients in the safety population, most adverse effects were of grade 1 or 2 severity. These included CRS in 14 patients (45%) and infusion-related reactions to ALLO-647 in 7 patients (23%). The use of drugs to manage CRS also was low, at 19% for tocilizumab and 10% for steroids.

All-grade infections were reported in 13 patients (42%), including grade 3 events in 4 (13%). One patient (3%) died from a presumed fungal pneumonia related to progressive disease and the CA conditioning regimen but unrelated to ALLO-715. There were no instances of neurotoxicity or GVHD.

Notably, the fact that we did not see any GVHD is encouraging for an off-the-shelf allogeneic product, Mailankody said.

In response to a question from a conference attendee, Mailankody said it is too soon to compare efficacy levels seen with this allogeneic CAR therapy with those observed with investigational autologous CARs, which have been under study for several years.

Moving forward, investigators are continuing to evaluate dosing levels for ALLO-715. UNIVERSAL is enrolling patients to the 480 x 106 cohort, Mailankody said, adding that the appropriate dose likely would land between 320 and 480 x 106.

References

1. Mailankody S, Matous JV, Liedtke M, et al. Universal: an allogeneic first-in-human study of the anti-Bcma ALLO-715 and the Anti-CD52 ALLO-647 in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Presented at: 2020 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition. December 5-8, 2020; Virtual. Abstract 129. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://ash.confex.com/ash/2020/webprogram/Paper140641.html

2. Cho SF, Anderson KC, Tai YT. Targeting B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) in multiple myeloma: potential uses of BCMA-based immunotherapy. Front Immunol. 2019;9:1821. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.01821

3. AlloCAR T Therapy. Allogene Therapeutics. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://www.allogene.com/allocar-t-therapy

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ALLO-715, Off-the-Shelf CAR T-Cell Therapy, Produces Early Promise in Multiple Myeloma - Cancer Network