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Uttlesford one of four negatively impacted by Brexit vote – Saffron Walden Reporter

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

PUBLISHED: 11:00 27 July 2020

Piers MeylerLocal Democracy Reporter

Four Essex districts are losers from the Brexit vote including Uttlesford, new research suggests. Picture: PA/ PA WIRE

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Uttlesford, Southend, Rochford and Castle Point have all been performing worse financially after 2016 than models predicted Brexit had not happened, research from the University of Warwick has found.In Castle Point 72.7 percent of the electorate voted to leave, one of the highest leave votes in the country.Rochford voted 66.6 percent to leave.However, another four districts, namely Basildon, Brentwood, Chelmsford and Colchester have also performed worse than what otherwise would have been predicted without Brexit. All four voted to leave.Looking at the annual district-level data available up to 2018, the results suggest that among the 14 districts in Essex, eight recorded a 2018 gross value added that is smaller compared to their synthetic control while six report a higher value for 2018 compared to their synthetic control.Epping Forest is the biggest winner in Essex with an 18 percent difference in the gross value added compared to what would have been expected without Brexit.Thurrock, which voted 72.3 percent leave, was also categorised as a clear winner.In conclusion the researchers say: The research confirms existing work that has estimated that by 2018, Brexit has cost the UK economy at least two percent of real output.We find that these costs are far from evenly distributed across the UK. Within regions, districts whose regional economies depend heavily on manufacturing sector, appear to be particularly severely hit. Similarly, districts with relatively higher shares of residents with low educational attainment appear more exposed.Lastly, we also find that districts with higher support for Brexit in 2016 appear also more exposed to the Brexit-vote cost to date this highlights that quite likely, the cost of Brexit may exacerbate the already large regional economic disparities across regions in the UK.

This is particularly concerning as growing economic inequalities may further accelerate a trend that may result in the political disintegration of the United Kingdom.

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Uttlesford one of four negatively impacted by Brexit vote - Saffron Walden Reporter

UK PM again insists fishing rights will not be traded in Brexit deal – Undercurrent News

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

UK prime minister Boris Johnson has said a Brexit trade deal can still be done by the end of the year, but warned he would not compromise on key issues like fishing rights, reports theScotsman.

He was speaking out after Brussels chief negotiator Michel Barnier said a trade deal between the UK and the EU was "unlikely" before the end of the year when the post-Brexit transition phase comes to an end.

The UKs chief negotiator David Frost also admitted after the latest round of talks that a deadline for a breakthrough by the end of July would be missed, adding that "we must face the possibility that one will not be reached".

But Johnson said he was hopeful a deal could be done before the end of 2020.

"[EU chiefs] are thinking 'my goodness thats a tall order'. But actually [no compromise on fisheries] is the right thing for the UK. In the early 1970s, we basically handed over control of our fisheries, we gave up our fisheries in the last throes of the Heath negotiations in a way that permanently disadvantaged UK fishers and Scottish fishers as well. Nows the time to change that and change that back."

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UK PM again insists fishing rights will not be traded in Brexit deal - Undercurrent News

Despite Brexit, Donald Trump’s trade war with EU is putting thousands of Scottish jobs at risk Brian Wilson – The Scotsman

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

NewsOpinionColumnistsDonald Trumps administration is continuing to treat the UK as a member of the EU for the purpose of sanctions in the Airbus trade dispute and is about to extend its list of goods subject to prohibitive tariffs, writes Brian Wilson

Saturday, 25th July 2020, 7:30 am

Acting as faithful follower of American foreign policy has always carried risks as well as rewards.

The UK Government would do well to remember that historic truth before digging itself deeper into hostilities with China, in line with the current American way.

There was no shortage of reasons offered for pulling the plug on Huawei in the UK security initially topped the bill followed by Hong Kong and alleged human rights violations against the Uyghurs.

None of these is new and the general rule of international trade is that noses must be held if the show is to go on. Diplomacy rather than trade is the avenue for influencing errant states.

Ethical foreign policy is a noble concept but endlessly difficult to pursue consistently which is why it makes sense to separate it from trade, except in extreme circumstances.

The contention that these exist would have been more convincing if President Trump had not promptly informed the world that the UK ditched Huawei because he told them to, which is probably the truth of the matter.

One of the problems with pleading high-mindedness is that once started, there is no logical point to stop. If China is so awful, do we really want their students? Do we want them to control 25 per cent of the North Sea? Do we want them funding our infrastructure?

It is not as if China lacks options. They also have a fair grasp of their own history which does not necessarily predispose them to regard the UK as a font of virtue and righteousness, entitled to lecture them on how to conduct their affairs.

Presumably someone in Whitehall has noticed that Beijing is hoovering up soft power around the world with its astonishing Silk Road intiative which involves trillions of investment in scores of countries.

The Silk Road is not a geographically limiting term but flows from the concept of China as the worlds first global trader, regardless of oceans and borders. Via the Silk Road, it is seeking to regain that status from Africa to Latin America. Do they really need the UK that much?

A bellicose trade war with China in election year may be just what President Trump needs. It is less clear, as we walk away from the EU and reel from the Covid-19 aftermath, that it is what the UK needs.

And what of the United States on which we seem to be placing all available bets? It should not go unnoticed that, in the real world, our great ally across the water is currently waging a trade war against us not for us.

Though we are outside the EU, Washington continues to behave as if we are inside for the purpose of sanctions arising from the Airbus dispute. The World Trade Organisation authorised punitive US tariffs on random products in retaliation for illegal subsidies paid by Brussels.

Products targeted for prohibitive tariffs already include malt whisky, cashmere knitwear and shortbread. There is suspicion this selection reflects Trumps animus towards Scotland in light of the great fall-out which followed the great love-in. I know from personal experience remember the Banana Wars? that none of these things happen by accident.

Matters may be about to get much worse. By 12 August, the US will decide on an extension of the list which may include blended whisky and gin. Not everybody knows this, but 80 per cent of UK gin is now made in Scotland. If this happens, it is reckoned that 6,500 jobs are at risk.

It is surely time for the UK Government to call in whatever chips it holds in Washington to point out its not a good look to be attacked by your greatest ally at the same time as turning your back on past friends (the EU) and valuable partners (China).

Conversely, sorting this one out would be a decent advert not least in Scotland for taking back control. Failure to do so by 12 August will reinforce the alternative thought that with Trump as your best friend in the world, who needs enemies?

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Despite Brexit, Donald Trump's trade war with EU is putting thousands of Scottish jobs at risk Brian Wilson - The Scotsman

Hands Off British Steel! Brexit Party fury over Chinese takeover of vital UK industry – Express

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Last year, the steel company plunged into insolvency after Government funding was scrapped and the Chinese company promised a "new chapter in British steelmaking".

Jingye, which is run by a former Communist Party official, paid around 70million for the acquisition and saved around 3,200 jobs.

But as tensions with Beijing grow, the Brexit Party are demanding UK infrastructure should be own by UK firms.

Nigel Farages party conducted a survey of 37,000 people asking, "Are you comfortable that the Chinese firm Jingye acquired British Steel in March 2020, given that it provides key steel supplies for UK infrastructure?"

Out of those who voted between July 12 and July 18, around 96 percent said they were uneasy with the Chinese taking over the company.

Posting the results on Twitter, the party said: Of 37,000 who took part in a survey of our supporters, 96 percent were uneasy with Jingyes takeover of British Steel.

46 percent said key UK infrastructure suppliers should be majority-owned by UK firms; 45 percent said they should be wholly owned by UK firms.

Announcing the news back in March, business secretary Alok Sharma said: Jingye has reached a significant milestone in securing a deal for the future of British Steel.

Work continues towards completing the sale, which will give certainty to British Steels dedicated and talented workforce in Scunthorpe, Skinningrove and on Teesside.

READ MORE:British Steel made with Russian coal leaves North East miners jobless

The Brexit Party anger comes after tensions between Britain and Beijing continue to rise.

Despite China having the second-largest economy in the world and its own space programme, it has emerged 71million of taxpayers money was given to the super-rich country in just one year, sparking calls for an inquiry.

The staggering figure was buried in the Department for International Developments annual report, which was put out this week as MPs go on their summer break.

The money is also being spent on training primary school teachers and combating illegal trade in wildlife, despite numerous exotic meat farms still running throughout the Communist nation.

DON'T MISSTurn off the tap! Boris ordered to stop taxpayer handouts to China[COMMENT]Andrew Pierce rages at UK 'outrageous' aid bill to China 'Infuriating'[INSIGHT]China's debt rockets as Beijing tries to recover from coronavirus[REVEAL]

According to reports, the money is also used to support human rights despite Beijings crackdown of Uyghur Muslims.

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, which was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said 3billion would be cut from the aid budget next year.

Last week, the UK suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in protest at the Chinese crackdown in the former British colony.

China responded with fury and warned they will make a forceful counter-attack, sparking fears of a World War 3 outbreak.

Mr Raab said the UK Government would not be re-activating the extradition treaty.

He said: We will not consider re-activating those arrangements, unless and until there are clear and robust safeguards, which are able to prevent extradition from the UK being misused under the new national security legislation.

The former British colony maintained its autonomy from Beijing since 1997 when the UK handed Hong Kong back to mainland China.

But in June, the Communist nation introduced a new security law viewed as an attempt to end Hong Kongs independence.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the move and promised to offer up to three million residents a route to UK citizenship.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has become an international outcast following allegations of hacking, national security fears and human rights controversies.

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Hands Off British Steel! Brexit Party fury over Chinese takeover of vital UK industry - Express

Open Your Home Virtual Fitness Studio This Week With FitXR on Oculus Quest – VRFocus

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Fitness focused virtual reality (VR) studio FitXR has brought its energetic app BoxVR to numerous headsets over the last three years, the last being Oculus Quest. Later this week the videogame will see a major update rollout for the standalone headset, adding new features and changing its name to FitXR.

The launch of FitXR aims to capture the energy of live fitness classes notes the studio, building on its experience with BoxVR by providing over four hours of boxing-inspired workouts. Designed to accommodate beginner, intermediate and advanced users, the workouts have been choreographed by professional fitness instructors so you get a full-body session.

A new feedback system will make it seem like you have your own personal trainer plus the launch will also see three DLC packs made available. Enhanced multiplayer features will allow six people to take part in on-demand classes (either live players or ghost data). Then later this year different workout styles will arrive.

With the launch of FitXR, we are ready to tackle the fitness industry head-on, said Sameer Baroova, Co-founder of FitXR in a statement. Traditional gym offerings can leave people unmotivated and at times intimidated our new studio offers a virtual fitness solution that is versatile and effective in helping people reach their fitness goals, but still remains fun at its core. Fun workouts are the ones we stick with, and this was the real driving force in creating FitXR.

The success of BoxVR has taught us that there is a massive public appetite for a fun and engaging way to work out that can be done from the comfort of your own home, Baroova continues. We know that people may not feel comfortable going back to public spaces and FitXR gives users the benefits of a group workout from home. The exciting thing about Virtual Reality fitness is that the possibilities really are endless that is why VR is the future of fitness. Were looking forward to the reaction from fans to the launch of FitXR, and cant wait to add new styles of workout to the studio.

FitXR will be released for Oculus Quest on 30th July 2020 as a free update for those that own BoxVR. FitXRs regular retail price will be $29.99 USD/22.99 GBP. For further updates, keep reading VRFocus.

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Open Your Home Virtual Fitness Studio This Week With FitXR on Oculus Quest - VRFocus

Augmented and Virtual Reality Software and Service Industry Market Size, Development, Key Opportunity, Application & Forecast to 2025 -…

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

A detailed research on 'Augmented and Virtual Reality Software and Service Industry market' recently added by Market Study Report, LLC, puts together a concise analysis of the growth factors impacting the current business scenario across assorted regions. Significant information pertaining to the industrys size, share, application, and statistics are also summed in the report in order to present an ensemble prediction. In addition, this report undertakes an accurate competitive analysis illustrating the status of market majors in the projection timeline, while including their expansion strategies and portfolio.

The Augmented and Virtual Reality Software and Service Industry market report is an in-depth analysis of this business space. The major trends that defines the Augmented and Virtual Reality Software and Service Industry market over the analysis timeframe are stated in the report, along with additional pointers such as industry policies and regional industry layout. Also, the report elaborates on the impact of existing market trends on investors.

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Augmented and Virtual Reality Software and Service Industry Market Size, Development, Key Opportunity, Application & Forecast to 2025 -...

Study: Are strong leaders as effective in a virtual world? – KAMR – MyHighPlains.com

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Study shows strong in-person leaders may not be as good of a fit for spearheading virtual teams.

by: Fox News

(FOX NEWS) Can leaders in the face-to-face world lead as well in online meetings?

A new study suggests what works well with leaders, in reality, may not work in virtual reality.

Brigham Young University researchers studying 220 student teams at two different Midwestern universities to learn if in-person leadership fits the new online virtual world of meetings and teams.

The study concluding virtual teams are more action-oriented, preferring leaders who monitor timelines, provide feedback, and coordinate teamwork.

Virtual team leaders also need to stand out as the leaders and Soft skills used for in-person settings may not translate as well to virtual situations.

New training for the virtual age of online meetings may be needed for traditional leaders.

The study published in the Journal of Business and Psychology.

Metaphysica: The virtual reality escape room everyone should try – The RiotACT

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Shannon Pickles says gamers love the virtual reality experience at Metaphysica in Mitchell. Photo: Sharon Kelley.

Lighting Rock is a software development studio using virtual reality to provide all kinds of experiences to people in Canberra, from helping physics students visualise and manipulate magnetic and electronic fields, to creating virtual environments in which students can pour a concrete slab and see the consequences of not pouring the correct way.

The studios Metaphysica virtual reality gaming space at 30 Kemble Court in Mitchell is another project its engineers have worked on and it is taking Canberra by storm.

Metaphysica is a virtual reality escape room, where contestants enter an empty padded room, don virtual reality headsets and are fully immersed inside the game experience.

Gamers love it, but its good for everyone, says Lighting Rocks Shannon Pickles. We dont have anything scary; its suitable for all ages and you get to experience an entire virtual world, whether or not you want to do the puzzles and solve the escape room.

The experience of virtual reality can amaze people and they never get around to solving puzzles. They just wander around for the experience of it, particularly people who havent tried it before.

But other people go in as a team and solve the puzzles. The good thing is we dont have to rebuild the room physically to change the puzzles we just change the software.

Huxley: Save the Future is one of the virtual reality escape room experiences at Metaphysica. Image: Supplied.

Lightning Rock is currently using software from a European partner Huxley and Huxley 2 but is moving to make the virtual escape rooms its own, and is currently designing its own software to change the experience.

Customers can play either game, and once entered into the specially designed physical room, surround sound and virtual reality headsets transport them to a fictional world, which is graphically beautiful and has many aspects to explore.

Its great, says Shannon, We can sit at the desk and play with the software, meaning only one person will see a crucial element while others wont. We can play with physics, challenge perceptions, we can make the virtual world do anything. It has so many applications.

The Metaphysica experience is also COVID-19 safe, says Shannon. Headsets and controllers are meticulously cleaned with ultraviolet light sanitisers before and after each use, and the company has placed its COVID-19 policy and practice prominently on the Metaphysica website. Customers will not need to touch anything but the sanitised headsets and controllers.

Playing Huxley is an experience youll never forget. Image: Supplied.

The headsets are light and theres no need for microphones because you are speaking to your own team inside the same room. There are no backpacks, just the headset and a game controller. Surround sound inside the game room completes the virtual world. Each room is air-conditioned to keep temperatures comfortable.

Metaphysica is open from 10 am to 11 pm, with the average customer taking around 45 minutes to an hour to complete the game.

Groups are limited to three people per room. Customers should be above the age of 10, and at least 110cm tall. Two groups of three can play simultaneously in a team challenge, and Metaphysica is currently developing new technology that will allow groups of up to four people per room eight for team challenges within the next few weeks.

You can make an online booking at Metaphysica, or call Shannon on 0414 944 934. Gift certificates are also available from the Metaphysica website.

Metaphysica: The virtual reality escape room everyone should try - The RiotACT

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens Market Outlook and Opportunities in Grooming Regions – Market Research Posts

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

The report Global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens Market intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges, opportunities and entry strategies for various companies in the Global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens Industry.Global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens Market Research report provides information regarding market size, share, trends, growth, cost structure, capacity, revenue and forecast 2024. This report also includes the overall and comprehensive study of the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens market with all its aspects influencing the growth of the market. This report is exhaustive quantitative analyses of the Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens industry and provides data for making strategies to increase the market growth and effectiveness.

The Global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens market research provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens Market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.

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The authors of the report have segmented the global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens market as per product, application, and region. Segments of the global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens market are analyzed on the basis of market share, production, consumption, revenue, CAGR, market size, and more factors. The analysts have profiled leading players of the global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens market, keeping in view their recent developments, market share, sales, revenue, areas covered, product portfolios, and other aspects.The Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens market report helps the readers grasp the changing trend in the industry supply chain, manufacturing techniques and expenses, and current scenario of the end uses in the global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens market.

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Scope of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens Market:The global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens market is valued at million US$ in 2017 and will reach million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of during 2018-2025.

This Market Report includesdrivers and restraints of the global Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens market and their impact on each region during the forecast period. The report also comprises the study of current issues with consumers and opportunities. It also includes value chain analysis.

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Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Lens Market Outlook and Opportunities in Grooming Regions - Market Research Posts

The Limitations and Promise of Genetic Testing in Psychiatry – Psych Congress Network

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Genetic testing may be a helpful tool in diagnosing autism and intellectual disability, but published data does not adequately support its use as a standard predictor of antidepressant response, James B. Potash, MD, MPH, said during a session at the virtual 2020 Psych Congress Elevateconference on the role of genetic testing in psychiatry.

There is ample reason to think that genetic variation ought to predict antidepressant response but research has shown mixed results, said Dr. Potash, who is the Henry Phipps Professor, Director and Psychiatrist-in-Chief, at Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, and has been working in the field of genetics of mood disorders for more than 20 years.

Dr. Potash is a member of the American Psychiatric Association Council on Research, which had a task force analyze the issue in recent years. In a systematic review of pharmacogenetic tests of antidepressants, the task force found that the quality of the data provided by the tests on pharmacodynamicshow a drug affects the brainwas low, he said. However, the study, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, found the tests provided higher-quality data on regarding particular genes related to how a drug is metabolized in the liver.

Their conclusion was at present there are insufficient data to support the widespread use of combinatorial pharmacogenetic testing in clinical practice, although there are clinical situations in which the technology may be informative, particularly in predicting side effects, Dr. Potash explained.

Similarly, an International Society of Psychiatric Genetics committee on genetic testing last year reached the conclusion that evidence to support widespread use of pharmacogenetic tests is inconclusive. But the statement also says when pharmacogenetic testing results are already available, providers are encouraged to integrate this information into their medication selection and dosing decisions, he said.

As for the future direction of genetic testing in psychiatry, Dr. Potash said there is ongoing research into its use in bipolar disorder.

A study involving 2500 people with bipolar disorder, published in Lancet by the International Consortium on Lithium Genetics, found some genetic variations were statistically significantly associated with response to lithium treatment. People with the highest Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) for schizophrenia had the lowest response to lithium treatment, and people with the lowest schizophrenia PRS had the highest response to lithium treatment. In addition, a paper recently published in Molecular Psychiatry found that people with bipolar disorder who had the lowest PRS for depression were 75% more likely to respond favorably to lithium, compared with those with the highest depression PRS scores.

Dr. Potash also spoke about the importance of a more traditional genetic research tool: collecting a detailed family history from a patient.

It has been known for a long time but its not always implemented, he said, noting that familial recurrence risk has been analyzed for more than 100 years.

For example, he explained, if one parent has schizophrenia and no siblings or second-degree relatives do, a child has a 6% risk of developing schizophrenia. But if one parent, two siblings, and a second-degree have the disorder, the relative the risk of a child inheriting it is 36%.

That kind of information is important, he said. Very important. Its valuable.

Terri Airov

References

Amare AT, Schubert KO, Hou L.,et al.Association of polygenic score for major depression with response to lithium in patients with bipolar disorder.Molecular Psychiatry. 2020 March 16;[Epub ahead of print].

Genetic Testing Statement. International Society of Psychiatric Genetics. Accessed July 15, 2020.

Hou L, Heilbronner U, Degenhardt F, et al. Genetic variants associated with response to lithium treatment in bipolar disorder: a genome-wide association study. Lancet. 2016;387(10023):1085-1093.

The role of genetic testing in psychiatry. Presented at Psych Congress Elevate: Virtual; July 26, 2020.

Zeier Z, Carpenter LL, Kalin NH, et al. Clinical implementation of pharmacogenetic decision support tools for antidepressant drug prescribing. The American Journal of Psychiatry. 2018;175:873886.

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The Limitations and Promise of Genetic Testing in Psychiatry - Psych Congress Network

Choosing the Best Pancreatic Cancer Doctor and Hospital for You – Pancreatic Cancer News & Stories

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

When someone is diagnosed with cancer especially a particularly difficult kind like pancreatic cancer they often look for the best.

The best treatment. The best doctor. The best hospital. The best chance.

When it comes to pancreatic cancer, the best healthcare team is:

And if you are considering or getting surgery, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) recommends seeing a surgeon who performs more than 15 pancreatic surgeries per year to determine your eligibility and to perform the surgery.

If you have a rare form of pancreatic cancer (any type other than pancreatic adenocarcinoma), it is also important to see a doctor who has experience treating your specific type of cancer, if possible.

When trying to find the best doctors and center for you, it is important to consider finances and insurance coverage, whether you are able to travel, what type of pancreatic cancer you have, what your treatment goals are and what you are looking for in a healthcare team.

PanCAN keeps a list of pancreatic cancer specialists and high-volume centers throughout the country. Contact our Patient Services for specialists that meet your needs, such as expertise and geography.

Pancreatic cancer is relatively rare, and its treatment requires specialized knowledge and experience. While local hospitals can offer quality care, large academic cancer centers may be more likely to have doctors who are up to date on pancreatic cancer treatments and research.

These centers are also more likely to offer more clinical trials, a multidisciplinary team and support services than smaller, local hospitals.

Its important to remember that every patient is different, has different needs and responds to treatment differently.

Precision medicine treatment based on a persons or their tumors biology may help find the treatment that is best for you. PanCANs Know Your Tumor precision medicine service can help eligible patients access tumor biomarker testing and genetic testing to tell you about your biology and inform treatment decisions, regardless of where you are being treated. Contact PanCANs Patient Services for more information about precision medicine and Know Your Tumor.

When considering a doctor, ask:

Remember that your healthcare team is made up of more than just your doctor, and all roles are critical. For example, PanCAN recommends patients see a registered dietitian who has experience working with cancer patients. This person may be a part of your doctors or institutions care team, or they may be found outside of it.

No matter what, be sure to ask any current or prospective healthcare team members questions. Its important that you feel comfortable and supported by your healthcare team.

During the coronavirus pandemic, you may have additional challenges finding a doctor. Hospitals and institutions all have different policies right now. If the doctor or institution you are working with or want to see is not providing what you need, contact Patient Services. Our team can help you figure out other options, including helping you find another specialist or treatment center if needed.

And right now, advocating for yourself is more critical than ever. PanCAN is always here to support you in that endeavor and with anything else you may need.

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Choosing the Best Pancreatic Cancer Doctor and Hospital for You - Pancreatic Cancer News & Stories

jCyte Inc. Announces Promising Phase 2b Results of jCell Therapy in Retinitis Pigmentosa – Business Wire

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--jCyte Inc., a biotech company dedicated to preserving and restoring vision in patients with retinitis pigmentosa and other degenerative retinal disorders, announced today promising results from a Phase 2b clinical trial of jCell in retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited retinal disease, irrespective of genetic subtype.

jCell is a first-in-class investigational treatment for RP which has received FDA Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation. In addition to RMAT, jCell has received Orphan Drug designation from the FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The Phase 2b trial was a multicenter, randomized study that evaluated the safety and efficacy of intravitreal injection of jCell therapy in adult subjects with RP. A large and broad set of patients with RP with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between 20/80 and 20/800 were randomized to treatment versus sham. Treatment consisted of a single intravitreal injection of either 3 or 6 million human retinal progenitor cells (hRPC). The study evaluated changes in visual function and functional vision in subjects with RP who received a single jCell injection in comparison to a sham-treated control group.

The primary endpoint in the Phase 2b study was mean change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline to month 12. Secondary endpoints included low light mobility, contrast sensitivity, kinetic visual fields, and a visual function questionnaire. In a post hoc exploratory analysis, the primary and secondary endpoints were assessed in a target subgroup of patients meeting the following criteria: 1) study eye with reliable fixation (12 central diameter and/or steady central fixation) and 2) study eye did not have significantly worse BCVA than the fellow eye (15 letters).

The Phase 2b clinical trial was specifically designed to learn more about the clinical effects of jCell therapy in a broad set of patients suffering from RP to better understand three critical study variables: the optimal jCell dose, the performance of clinical trial endpoints in the study population and the RP patient population likely to realize the most pronounced improvement from a single jCell treatment during the 12-month pivotal trial study period.

Phase 2b Results

A total of 84 patients were randomized of which 74 met criteria for the per protocol analysis. The mean change in BCVA from baseline to month 12 were +2.81, +2.96, and +7.43 letters in the sham (N=26), 3.0x106 hRPC (N=25), and 6.0x106 hRPC (N=23) treatment arms, respectively. In a post hoc exploratory analysis of the target subgroup (n=37), mean change in BCVA from baseline to month 12 were +1.85, -0.15, and +16.27 letters in the sham (N=13), 3.0x106 hRPC (N=13), and 6.0x106 hRPC (N=11) treatment arms, respectively (p=0.003 for 6.0x106 hRPC vs sham). Supportive improvements in the 6.0x106 hRPC target subgroup compared to the control (sham) group were also observed in all secondary endpoints which further support the BCVA findings in this subpopulation. Adverse events were generally minor and transient; there was one serious adverse event in the 3.0x106 hRPC arm of Grade 3 ocular hypertension that resolved with treatment, but no serious adverse events nor any adverse events greater than Grade 1 (mild) in the higher, 6 million cell treatment group during the 12-month study period that were related to the study treatment.

Based on these results, the company plans to advance jCell into a pivotal trial utilizing the data generated, which is supportive of both the efficacy and safety of jCell therapy in a broad set of RP patients. The Phase 2b study also provides essential insights into the three critical study variables which are key to optimizing the probability of technical success of the upcoming jCell pivotal trial.

There is currently no effective treatment for RP, and once photoreceptors are lost, they do not regenerate. The promising results from this Phase 2b study suggest that jCell therapy in patients with RP can result in significant slowing of visual deterioration and an improvement in function of existing photoreceptors. The primary goal of jCell therapy is to preserve, and potentially improve vision by intervening in the disease process at a time when dystrophic photoreceptors can be protected and reactivated. We are excited to be continuing the development of jCell investigational therapy, based on these promising Phase 2b results, for patients with this degenerative retinal disease, said Anthony Joseph, M.D., Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, who presented the Phase 2b data at the ASRS meeting.

We are thrilled to report these encouraging Phase 2b results from one of the largest studies ever conducted in RP, which indicate significant clinical activity of jCell in patients agnostic of genetic subtype, said Paul Bresge, Chief Executive Officer, jCyte, Inc. The Phase 2b results reported that jCell therapy had promising efficacy and was well tolerated in patients, and we plan to advance jCell into a pivotal clinical trial in 2021. There is currently no FDA approved treatment option for RP patients, irrespective of genetic subtype. We believe jCell has the potential to be the first approved therapy to address this critical unmet medical need, and dramatically improve the lives of patients with this progressive, blinding disease which typically presents early in the lives of the approximately 1:3500 people who are affected.

About Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a rare, genetic condition that progressively destroys the rod and cone photoreceptors in the retina. It often strikes people in their teens, with many patients rendered legally blind by middle age. Worldwide, an estimated 1.9 million people suffer from the disease, including approximately 100,000 people in the U.S., making it the leading cause of inheritable blindness.

About jCyte, Inc.

jCyte, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing jCell therapy for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and other degenerative retinal disorders. jCell is a first-in-class investigational treatment for retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited retinal disease. The treatment is minimally-invasive and given as an intravitreal injection. There are currently no FDA approved therapies for RP agnostic of genetic subtype. The company is pioneering a new era of regenerative therapies to treat patients with unmet medical needs. For more information, visit http://www.jcyte.com

jCyte Inc. Announces Promising Phase 2b Results of jCell Therapy in Retinitis Pigmentosa - Business Wire

New study reveals how day- and night-biting mosquitoes respond differently to colors of light and time of day – Newswise

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Newswise Irvine, CA July 27, 2020 In a new study, researchers found that night- versus day-biting species of mosquitoes are behaviorally attracted and repelled by different colors of light at different times of day. Mosquitoes are among major disease vectors impacting humans and animals around the world and the findings have important implications for using light to control them.

The University of California, Irvine School of Medicine-led team studied mosquito species that bite in the daytime (Aedes aegypti, aka the Yellow Fever mosquito) and those that bite at night (Anopheles coluzzi, a member of the Anopheles gambiae family, the major vector for malaria). They found distinct responses to ultraviolet light and other colors of light between the two species. Researchers also found light preference is dependent on the mosquitos sex and species, the time of day and the color of the light.

Conventional wisdom has been that insects are non-specifically attracted to ultraviolet light, hence the widespread use of ultraviolet light bug zappers for insect control. We find that day-biting mosquitoes are attracted to a wide range of light spectra during the daytime, whereas night-biting mosquitoes are strongly photophobic to short-wavelength light during the daytime, said principal investigator Todd C. Holmes, PhD, a professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the UCI School of Medicine. Our results show that timing and light spectra are critical for species-specific light control of harmful mosquitoes.

The new study titled, Circadian Regulation of Light-Evoked Attraction and Avoidance Behaviors in Daytime- versus Nighttime-Biting Mosquitoes, is published in Current Biology. Lisa S. Baik, a UCI School of Medicine graduate student researcher who recently completed her PhD work, is first author.

Mosquitoes pose widespread threats to humans and other animals as disease vectors. It is estimated historically that diseases spread by mosquitoes have contributed to the deaths of half of all humans ever to have lived. The new work shows that day-biting mosquitoes, particularly females that require blood meals for their fertilized eggs, are attracted to light during the day regardless of spectra. In contrast, night-biting mosquitoes specifically avoid ultraviolet (UV) and blue light during the day. Previous work in the Holmes lab using fruit flies (which are related to mosquitoes) has determined the light sensors and circadian molecular mechanisms for light mediated attraction/avoidance behaviors. Accordingly, molecular disruption of the circadian clock severely interferes with light-evoked attraction and avoidance behaviors in mosquitoes. At present, light-based insect controls do not take into consideration the day versus night behavioral profiles that change with daily light and dark cycles.

Light is the primary regulator of circadian rhythms and evokes a wide range of time-of-day specific behaviors, said Holmes. By gaining an understanding of how insects respond to short wavelength light in a species-specific manner, we can develop new, environmentally friendly alternatives to controlling harmful insects more effectively and reduce the need for environmentally damaging toxic pesticides.

This study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and the ARCS Foundation. This new research builds on the Holmes labs previous studies at the UCI School of Medicine published over the past few years in Science, Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

About the UCI School of Medicine

Each year, the UCI School of Medicine educates more than 400 medical students, and nearly 150 doctoral and masters students. More than 700 residents and fellows are trained at UCI Medical Center and affiliated institutions. The School of Medicine offers an MD; a dual MD/PhD medical scientist training program; and PhDs and masters degrees in anatomy and neurobiology, biomedical sciences, genetic counseling, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, pathology, pharmacology, physiology and biophysics, and translational sciences. Medical students also may pursue an MD/MBA, an MD/masters in public health, or an MD/masters degree through one of three mission-based programs: the Health Education to Advance Leaders in Integrative Medicine (HEAL-IM), the Leadership Education to Advance Diversity-African, Black and Caribbean (LEAD-ABC), and the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC). The UCI School of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Accreditation and ranks among the top 50 nationwide for research. For more information, visit som.uci.edu.

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New study reveals how day- and night-biting mosquitoes respond differently to colors of light and time of day - Newswise

Encoded Therapeutics Announces $135 Million Series D Financing to Support First Clinical Trials in SCN1A+ Dravet Syndrome and Advance Preclinical…

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Encoded Therapeutics, Inc.(Encoded), a precision gene therapy company, today announced it has raised $135 million in an oversubscribed Series D financing. The company also announced that its lead asset, ETX101, was granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of SCN1A+ Dravet Syndrome.

GV (formerly Google Ventures) led the Series D financing with participation from Matrix Capital Management, ARCH Venture Partners, Illumina Ventures, RTW Investments, Boxer Capital, Nolan Capital, HBM Genomics, Menlo Ventures, Meritech Capital, Farallon Capital Management, SoftBank Vision Fund 21, and additional unnamed investors.

"I am incredibly proud of the progress our organization has made over the past year. We have built an outstanding team, further advanced ETX101 towards the clinic, applied our technology to a series of pipeline programs, and expanded our capabilities to become a fully integrated organization. We are grateful to our investors for supporting our vision to transform patients' lives with cell type-selective genetic medicines," said Encoded co-founder and chief executive officer, Kartik Ramamoorthi, Ph.D.

"Since 2019, our company has attracted some of gene therapy's most experienced executive leaders to prepare ETX101 for the clinic and beyond. This well-rounded team has made significant advances in manufacturing, clinical development, and regulatory affairs for ETX101. By coupling these with an innovative discovery engine, Encoded is advancing its preclinical pipeline of gene therapies to patients suffering from devastating pediatric CNS diseases," said Encoded's board chairman, Sean Nolan.

Encoded's discovery engine combines biological and computational approaches to identify and screen human DNA sequences known as regulatory elements at a high throughput scale. The resulting multi-dimensional, large scale datasets are leveraged to design optimal gene therapy expression cassettes which more precisely control transgene expression. By recapitulating natural patterns of gene expression, the resulting gene therapy vectors can provide maximal therapeutic benefit, minimize off-target expression, and address genetic disorders that have previously been considered untreatable.

David Schenkein, M.D., general partner and co-leader of GV's life sciences team, will join the Encoded Board of Directors as an observer. "Encoded's cutting edge platform has the potential to impact a broad range of diseases across different organ systems. Importantly, Encoded has translated this innovation into a one-time, first-in-class precision gene therapy candidate for the treatment of SCN1A+ Dravet Syndrome, a devastating pediatric disease with significant unmet medical need. I am enthusiastic to work with this top-tier team in their mission to treat these underserved patients and advance a portfolio of innovative medicines," said Dr. Schenkein.

The company also announced that ETX101 was granted Orphan Disease and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation by FDA. Both programs offer incentives for the development of therapeutics for underserved populations.

Proceeds from the Series D will be used to conduct clinical trial activities including a natural history study to better understand the progression of SCN1A+ Dravet Syndrome as well as first-in-human trials for ETX101. Additionally, the funds will support progression of the company's pipeline of gene therapies being evaluated for additional pediatric CNS disorders.

About EncodedEncoded Therapeutics, Inc., is a biotechnology company developing precision gene therapies for a broad range of severe genetic disorders. Seeded by Venrock, ARCH Venture Partners, Illumina Ventures, andMatrix Capital Mangament, ourmission is to realize the potential of genomics-driven precision medicine by overcoming key limitations of viral gene therapy. We focus on delivering life-changing advances that move away from disease management and towards lasting disease modification. We are advancing our lead asset, ETX101, for the treatment of SCN1A+ Dravet Syndrome. For more information, please visitwww.Encoded.com.

About Dravet SyndromeDravet syndrome is a rare, severe genetic disorder that occurs in approximately 1 in 16,000 births worldwide. The disorder is characterized by uncontrolled seizures, ataxia, significant developmental delays, and an increased risk of early mortality due to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The majority of Dravet Syndrome cases are caused by loss-of-function mutations in the SCN1A gene. Current treatments reduce seizures but do not address the underlying cause of the disorderSCN1A haploinsufficiency. More information about Dravet Syndrome can be found at http://www.dravetfoundation.org.

Media Contacts

Sarah SuttonGlover Park Group[emailprotected]202-337-0808

Danielle CanteyGlover Park Group[emailprotected] 202-337-0808

_________________________________

As of the date of this press release, SoftBank Group Corp. has made capital contributions to allow investments by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 ("SVF 2") in certain portfolio companies. The information included herein is made for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy limited partnership interests in any fund, including SVF 2. SVF 2 has yet to have an external close, and any potential third-party investors shall receive additional information related to any SVF 2 investments prior to closing.

SOURCE Encoded Therapeutics, Inc.

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The Government Should Stop Mandating the Use of "Race" in Medical and Scientific Studies – Reason

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

I was asked to contribute to a symposium on race, racism, and administrative law at Notice and Comment, the blog of the Yale Journal of Regulation. Given my current research on the American law of race, some of which I have blogged here, I had a lot to choose from; the most egregious forms of racial classification in the U.S. are largely the product of administrative decisions, rather than legislation. I ultimately decided to write about how the FDA and NIH require the use of ridiculously unscientific "racial" categories, adopted by the OMB for entirely different purposes in 1977, in biomedical research, and why this use of "race" should be abolished. Here's a taste, but you can read the whole thing at this link:

As of this writing, the federal government is considering using race and ethnicity to allocate access to a new Coronavirus vaccine to combat Covid-19 when one becomes available. More specifically, the government is considering giving preference to African Americans and Latinos because they have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

There are obvious dangers to allocating medical resources by race especially in a politically sensitive an area such as vaccines, where the public is already all-too-prone to accept various conspiracy theories and quackery that leads them to oppose vaccination. Instead of expanding the use of race in this way, science and medicine should be moving away from considering race and ethnicity at all.

Unfortunately, the FDA and NIH have mandated the use of race and ethnicity since the late 1990s. As a result of this mandate, the use of race has become so common in the scientific and medical communities that most people in the field fail to consider whether there is any justification for doing so. As one scientist reports, "we don't tend to think a lot about that [race] variable, what it means, how it's defined, how it's being used. We just sort of use it blindly."

This is very unfortunate, because, in addition to other problems discussed below, the FDA and NIH mandated that the "race variable' be based on the arbitrary (but now standard in American life) racial and ethnic classifications established by the Office of Management and Budget in 1977 for civil rights enforcement purposes. At the time, the OMB warned that the "classifications should not be interpreted as being scientific or anthropological in nature." This did not stop the FDA and NIH from institutionalizing them into medical and scientific research.

Any discussion of race in science and medicine must start with the recognition that variations in DNA that may have scientific or medical implications are not specific to race, as such, but to geographical distance between different populations. Additionally, there is no known example of polymorphism that is found exclusively in any particular "racial" group.

Even if at one time race may have been useful as a crude proxy for genetic heterogeneity, as DNA testing has become more available and much less expensive, race is a poor substitute for looking at actual discernible genetic differences between people. "Pooling people in race silos," an editorial in Nature Biotechnology declared, "is akin to zoologists grouping racoons, tigers, and okapis on the basis that they are all stripey."

The OMB category of Asian, meanwhile, is absurdly non-specific and unscientific. It includes people with origins everywhere from the Philippines to the Indian subcontinent. There are vast differences among the various ethnic groups that comprise the two billion or so people who live within the Indian subcontinent, much less between South Asians and East Asians.

Hispanic/Latino is an even more problematic category. Latinos' origins can be any combination of African, Asian, European, and Indigenous. Nor are they culturally homogenous. There is no reason to believe that data about Dominican residents of New York City is applicable to indigenous Mexican farm workers in California.

[S]upport for the idea that we should allow the government to use research based on arbitrary, scientifically ridiculous OMB racial categories to allocate medical resources to people based on those categories seems both fantastical and an unjustified triumph of unscientific racialist thinking. Unfortunately, this is what NIH's and FDA's imposition of the OMB categories into scientific research has wrought.

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The Government Should Stop Mandating the Use of "Race" in Medical and Scientific Studies - Reason

Merus announces FDA Orphan Drug Designation of Zenocutuzumab for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer – BioSpace

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

UTRECHT, The Netherlands and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Merus N.V. (Nasdaq: MRUS), a clinical-stage oncology company developing innovative, full-length multispecific antibodies (Biclonics and Triclonics) for cancer, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to Zenocutuzumab (Zeno) for the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer.

Zeno is a first in class bispecific antibody that potently binds to the HER2 and HER3 receptors, to potently block the interaction of HER3 with its ligand, neuregulin 1 (NRG1). Zeno has demonstrated promising early clinical responses in patients with previously treated pancreatic cancer harboring NRG1 gene fusions, as presented at the AACR/NCI/EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in October 2019. The NRG1 gene fusion is a rare, powerful driver of cancer cell growth found in pancreatic, lung and other types of solid tumors. Zeno is now being evaluated in a global phase 1/2 clinical trial called the eNRGy trial.

Receiving Orphan Drug Designation for Zeno is another important milestone for our lead program, and it validates the significant unmet need in patients with pancreatic cancer, said Bill Lundberg, M.D., President, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer of Merus. We are pleased with the progress we are making in our ongoing global clinical trial, and believe that Zeno has the potential to play a significant role in shifting the treatment paradigm for NRG1 fusion cancers from conventional chemotherapy to a personalized medicine approach.

The FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation to drugs that are intended to treat rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. Orphan Drug Designation may provide Merus certain benefits, such as grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax advantages and eligibility for seven-year market exclusivity.

Pancreatic cancer is estimated to occur in approximately 57,000 patients annually in the United States, according to the NCI SEER database. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common subtype of pancreatic cancer, is one of the most aggressive solid tumor cancers and the fourth leading cause of cancer related deaths.

About the eNRGy Clinical Trial Merus is currently enrolling patients on the Phase 1/2 eNRGy trial to assess the safety and anti-tumor activity of Zeno monotherapy in NRG1+ cancers. The eNRGy trial consists of three cohorts: NRG1+ pancreatic cancer; NRG1+ non-small cell lung cancer; and NRG1+ other solid tumors. Further details, including current trial sites, can be found at http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov and Merus trial website at http://www.nrg1.com or by calling 1-833-NRG-1234.

About NRG1 FusionsThe NRG1 gene encodes for neuregulin 1 (also known as heregulin), the ligand for HER3.Fusions between NRG1 and partner genes are rare genetic events occurring in patients with certain lung, pancreatic and other solid tumors, associated with activation of HER2/HER3 signaling and growth of cancer cells. NRG1 fusions are estimated to occur at a rate of approximately 0.5% - 1.5% in PDAC, based on the limited available published data.

About ZenoZeno is an antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC)-enhanced Biclonics that utilizes the Merus Dock & Block mechanism to inhibit the neuregulin/HER3 tumor-signaling pathway in solid tumors. Through its unique mechanism of binding to HER2 and potently blocking the interaction of HER3 with its ligand NRG1 or NRG1-fusion proteins, Zeno has the potential to be particularly effective against NRG1+ cancers. In preclinical studies, Zeno also potently inhibits HER2/HER3 heterodimer formation and tumor growth in models harboring NRG1 fusions.

Learn more aboutZeno Dock& Block athttps://merus.nl/technology/.

About MerusMerus is a clinical-stage oncology company developing innovative full-length human bispecific and trispecific antibody therapeutics, referred to as Multiclonics. Multiclonics are manufactured using industry standard processes and have been observed in preclinical and clinical studies to have several of the same features of conventional human monoclonal antibodies, such as long half-life and low immunogenicity. For additional information, please visit Merus website,www.merus.nlandhttps://twitter.com/MerusNV.

Forward Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation, the potential of Zeno to play a significant role in shifting the treatment paradigm for NRG1 fusion cancers from conventional chemotherapy to a personalized medicine approach; the progress of the eNRGy trial; and the potential benefits of the orphan drug designation of Zeno , such as grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax advantages and eligibility for seven-year market exclusivity. These forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our need for additional funding, which may not be available and which may require us to restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or Biclonics Triclonics and multispecific antibody candidates; potential delays in regulatory approval, which would impact our ability to commercialize our product candidates and affect our ability to generate revenue; the lengthy and expensive process of clinical drug development, which has an uncertain outcome; the unpredictable nature of our early stage development efforts for marketable drugs; potential delays in enrollment of patients, which could affect the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals; our reliance on third parties to conduct our clinical trials and the potential for those third parties to not perform satisfactorily; impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; we may not identify suitable Biclonics or bispecific antibody candidates under our collaborations or our collaborators may fail to perform adequately under our collaborations; our reliance on third parties to manufacture our product candidates, which may delay, prevent or impair our development and commercialization efforts; protection of our proprietary technology; our patents may be found invalid, unenforceable, circumvented by competitors and our patent applications may be found not to comply with the rules and regulations of patentability; we may fail to prevail in potential lawsuits for infringement of third-party intellectual property; and our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks.

These and other important factors discussed under the caption Risk Factors in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on May 11, 2020, and our other reports filed with the SEC, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent managements estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change, except as required under applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

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Merus announces FDA Orphan Drug Designation of Zenocutuzumab for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer - BioSpace

It’s time to to start a public conversation about genomics – World Economic Forum

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Genomics. Genomic medicine. Personalised medicine. These are very much the buzzwords of our time when it comes to healthcare. But on hearing them for the first time, what do these terms actually mean to people? One research participant who had never heard of the term genomics before, broke the word down phonetically and suggested: "Is genomics something to do with genes and economics?"

It's not an unreasonable question, and it's helpful to be reminded periodically that as a biotechnology community we need to bring everyone up to speed with what we are actually talking about.

Genomics is emerging as one of the main sources of data across many disciplines of medicine and healthcare, so there has never been a more important time to spark public interest in what it can do for people and how they might benefit (and contribute). But how do we start these conversations when often the science, as well as the surrounding language, can seem alien and impenetrable?

It is likely that some of us have already had form of genomic test already, and even if we havent personally, someone we are biologically related to may have done. This may be as part of a routine or in-depth health check, for research purposes or even as part of an online ancestry test.

The first time we come in contact with genomic technology may be an overwhelming or even confusing experience, revealing much more information than we may have anticipated. For others, the situation may be less intense or even recreational, meaning less care will be given about the science that exists behind those tests or consideration of the implications.

Whatever the experience for the individual, it is crucial we reach people with the right information to both dispel the myths around genomics, and make it meaningful. For many, results from genetic tests will end up being a wider conversation, where individuals will be expected to consider what the test means, and its future implications for other relatives.

This means work is needed to find a language that is both memorable and resonates with everyone. But how is this achieved? How can we make genomics and genomic testing seem much less daunting to talk about? What sort of framings narratives, metaphors, mantras and memes can we use to socialise an otherwise dense topic that even healthcare professionals find difficult to navigate?

The only way to achieve a model that works for both professionals and members of the public is to open up dialogue to all groups of people to create a new shared understanding, and an accompanying language that provides clear guidelines around the tools and narratives to be used to achieve best practice. There needs to be a balance of investment where increasing genomic literacy through education (valuable though it is) is only one part of the package. Often what is missed is investment in how to engage and reach currently disconnected members of the public who have never given any thought to the subject. Why is this important? Because as genomic medicine goes mainstream, they may be a patient in waiting or related to someone who is. This means that the relevance of genomics has moved beyond the individual to the family, and then on to broader society.

Healthcare professionals need a clear understanding about how to talk to patients. Recognising that patients do not need to understand the technical concepts to make sense of the testing process, or to make informed choices for themselves and their family, is a first step in creating a mutual respect between these stakeholders. Patients need to feel more confident and familiar with what genomics means for them, and more at ease about discussing it, just as we would for common illnesses.

Its time for us collectively to turn conversations about the impact of genomics into something sociable, easy to navigate and familiar. Just as we have started to embrace discussions on the impact of vaccines and climate change, so too is this necessary for genomics as without it, the impact of genetics will be misinterpreted. Cross-disciplinary expertise is needed for this drawing together input from both the arts and sciences but also from storytellers from the advertising and film industries, and utilising evidence-based engagement and narrative techniques. This evidence must not be one-sided, however, and should incorporate different experiential and social understandings held by different members of society.

The application of precision medicine to save and improve lives relies on good-quality, easily-accessible data on everything from our DNA to lifestyle and environmental factors. The opposite to a one-size-fits-all healthcare system, it has vast, untapped potential to transform the treatment and prediction of rare diseasesand disease in general.

But there is no global governance framework for such data and no common data portal. This is a problem that contributes to the premature deaths of hundreds of millions of rare-disease patients worldwide.

The World Economic Forums Breaking Barriers to Health Data Governance initiative is focused on creating, testing and growing a framework to support effective and responsible access across borders to sensitive health data for the treatment and diagnosis of rare diseases.

The data will be shared via a federated data system: a decentralized approach that allows different institutions to access each others data without that data ever leaving the organization it originated from. This is done via an application programming interface and strikes a balance between simply pooling data (posing security concerns) and limiting access completely.

The project is a collaboration between entities in the UK (Genomics England), Australia (Australian Genomics Health Alliance), Canada (Genomics4RD), and the US (Intermountain Healthcare).

Constructing a global PR campaign takes commitment to messaging, resources and creativity; it also needs collaboration across academia, industry and medicine, with no discipline taking dominance. It also needs to tap into the seldom-heard public voices from people who have had no interaction with this technology yet. It needs to seek out the views of indigenous peoples and representative members of the public, but also those who are fearful and afraid of the technology. Without this collaboration the conversations about genomics will remain disconnected, patchy and without a consistent beneficiary.

This is about all of us not for profit, but for humankind.

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

Written by

Anna Middleton, Professor and Head, Society and Ethics Research Group, Wellcome Genome Campus (Sanger Institute), University of Cambridge

Mavis Machirori, Research Associate, Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences, Newcastle University

Jenniffer Mabuka-Maroa, Consultant, The African Academy of Sciences

Tiffany Boughtwood, Manager, Australian Genomics Health Alliance

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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It's time to to start a public conversation about genomics - World Economic Forum

Job guarantee program could bolster economy more than …

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

While an all-party committee on poverty is reviewing what a basic income guarantee could look like on P.E.I., a suggestion by a Charlottetown social justice group is going one step further with a job guarantee program.

A member of the MacKillop Centre for Social Justice pitchedmembers of P.E.I.'s special committee on poverty on the idea that a job guarantee program would do more than a basic income guarantee to combat the root causes of poverty.

Pavlina Tcherneva is an associate professor of economics at Bard College in New York, who recently published a book titled, The Case for a Job Guarantee.

She says a job guarantee program is essentially an employment safety net a federal employment program administered locally that provides basic job opportunities, with wages and benefits, to those seeking a job that would be more beneficial than basic income.

"In my view, the job guarantee is better, but it certainly coexists with some basic income for people who cannot work for one reason or another but income alone doesn't create the job opportunities that are already missing," she said.

"We really need a transitional program, we need some sort of guarantee that folks that are searching for work can find it. And while basic income may be temporary assistance, folks who receive basic income report that they still need work, they are looking for work and they just cannot find it. So the job guarantee is that mechanism."

People who are out of work, for whatever reason, have a "terrible time" finding employment, Tcherneva said and have a harder time finding work than someone already employed.

"In fact, firms do not like to hire the unemployed, and then they slip into long-term unemployment, and they suffer enormous social and economic costs. So by comparison, the job guarantee will provide first employment opportunity, also the on-the-job training, as well as all of the other support services that unemployment offices provide," she said.

"By comparison with being faced by mass unemployment, having a job is actually really better from the point of view of the employer, but also the program itself will help with placement."

A federally-funded job program also serves to stabilize the economy, Tcherneva argued, ensuring people are able to continue to earn money and, therefore, spend money.

"As we are acutely aware, the economy goes through these cycles, ups and downs, and usually the collateral damage are people they lose their jobs," she said.

"It's that very expenditure that will provide the stimulus to the economy to kick-start private sector activity and employment. As that recovers, then people transition back into private sector jobs, and the public role shrinks, so it is an automatic stabilizer."

Tcherneva said there is often opposition to a job guarantee program, which she believes stems from an ideological bias, but some of the scrutiny that kind of proposal would face may be minimized, given the economic realities created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I think also there is this tacit assumption that somehow unemployment is unavoidable and that perhaps unemployment is even necessary to stabilize the economy I think that we really need to question these very deeply," she said.

"We have found occasions in our historical past where we know the government can guarantee employment. Unfortunately, that has happened during wartime but we certainly can do this for civilian purposes. I think it's just the shift of perspective and just realizing that the costs are there and we just can spend our resources in much more fruitful ways."

Meanwhile, P.E.I.'sspecial committee on poverty has asked for a five-month extension until November to decide whether to recommend a basic income guarantee for the province.

Job guarantee program could bolster economy more than ...

BTS V, THE LIVING ANIME, GOES VIRAL AGAIN AS MUSE TO FANS WHO RE-IMAGINED THEIR FAVORITE GHIBLI CHARACTERS – allkpop

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Anyone who grew up watching animated films can relate when Studio Ghibli is brought up to the conversation. Who can ever forget Howl's Moving Castle? Spirited Away? Princess Mononoke? The Cat Returns?These are only some of the masterpieces produced by one of the criticallyacclaimed studios in the world, which is home to some of the most revered and beloved animated works to have ever graced the screen.

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http://www.ghibli.jp/

Studio Ghibli's animated works have their distinct visual characteristicsand drawing style,spearheaded by the founder Hayao Miyazaki, who is famous for mostly hand-drawing his animations. This, however, didn't hinder the spirits of BTS fans, who recently displayed their talents in drawing their favorite subject, BTS V, whom they call the LIVING ANIME, by drawing him as their favorite Studio Ghibli characters which recently went viral on Twitter.

Fans can't get enough of the likeness of the characters' drawings to BTS V himself, shown by the intricate details put into the fan arts. This is not the first time, however, that fans have pointed out BTS V's similarity to anime characters, andnot limited to Ghibli alone. Fans have realizedhe resembled a real-life anime and manga characterhighlighting his structured and proportioned face, to his shojo-like expressions, and sometimes his "tsundere"( anime term that depicts a character that's somewhat cold in the beginning but later manifests a warm, sincere,friendlier side over time)aesthetics.

Even the official Twitter account of Anime on Comic Book Com posted that V is the best Muzan incarnateas agreed byDemon Slayer fans.

Notably, this was also highlighted by variousoverseas and Koreanmedia when BTS V performed Singularity in the last leg of their Love Yourself tour,dressed in black feathers with netizens and fanscalling him different names likeBlack Swan, Howl, Evil Prince, Hades for his beauty & charisma on stage. NME, a famousBritish music journalism website wrote rave reviews as "Vhas the entire stadium in the palm of his hand in Singularity, each move as he acts as if hes just woken up in bed wearing a raven-feathered cloak so precise and deliberate, each stare to the camera smouldering and intense" while KBS, one of the major broadcasting networks in Korea, called BTS V's Singularity stageas the highlight of the tourwhichhas taken away the hearts of many viewers.

The global star is not only known for his anime-like and mysterious, princely appearance.V continues to create records inglobal music charts as the First and Only Artist in History who recently dominatedthe iTunes top song charts in 109 countries with his self-produced and composed unpromoted track "Sweet Night" . .

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BTS V, THE LIVING ANIME, GOES VIRAL AGAIN AS MUSE TO FANS WHO RE-IMAGINED THEIR FAVORITE GHIBLI CHARACTERS - allkpop

Pepe the Frog – Dictionary.com

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Danzig

Artist Matt Furie created Pepe the Frog as an easygoing, bro-like character in his 2005 comic series, The Boys Club. In one comic, Pepe urinates with his pants down at his ankles. Sporting a relieved grin, Pepe says, Feels good man.

Pepes creator told The Daily Dot in April 2015 that the name Pepe (though pronounced differently) evokes pee-pee, in keeping with the literal bathroom humor the original character is known for.

According to Know Your Meme, users began creating their own Pepe images in 2008 in forums on the imageboard site 4chan. These Pepes, riffing on the frogs signature smile, spread online as a humorous reaction, much as people post GIFs to illustrate how they feel about something. One common variant shows a smirking Pepe, often called Smug Pepe, his thumb tucked knowingly under his chin. Additionally, the variants Sad Pepe and Angry Pepe are also common.

By 201415, Pepe had gone full mainstream, with singers Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj notably posting Pepe memes on Twitter. But as The Daily Beast reported in May 2016, some white supremacists were disappointed by Pepes widespread popularity. And so, as a dark and shocking joke, they fashioned Pepes with various anti-Semitic and other racist imagery in efforts to make Pepes widespread use less appealing to those outside their circle. One depicts a caricatured Jewish Pepe smiling at burning Twin Towers on September 11. Another swaps out Pepes Feels good man for Kill all Jews.

Starting around 2015, alt-right supporters of Donald Trump embraced the bigoted Pepe memes, spreading suited-up and blonde-coiffed versions of the frog after the likeness of their candidate. While apparently unaware of Pepes symbolism, Donald Trump retweeted a Trump Pepe in October 2015, as did Donald Trump Jr. following Hillary Clintons basket of deplorables comment in September 2016. Many alt-right social media users have even deployed the frog emoji in their online monikers to represent Pepe and their political affiliations. Pepe has also inspired a hand gesture, resembling the OK sign, that Mediaite claims a ten-year-old flashed on a tour of the White House in March 2017.

This unassuming cartoon frog became so established as a racist symbol that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) labeled Pepe the Frog as a hate symbol in September 2016. Around this time, the Clinton campaign released their own explainer on Pepe, commenting that the cartoon frog is more sinister than you might realize. Another one of Pepes political iterations is as Pepe Le Pen, which depicts French far-right nationalist politician Marie Le Pen as the frog.

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Pepe the Frog - Dictionary.com

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