Monthly Archives: May 2021

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE) Fresno County faced some of the most challenging weeks in the pandemic at the end of January when it had a 15% positivity rate and a case rate of about 65 daily cases per 100,000 people. Three months later and the positivity rate is down to 2.5%.

The valley was hard hit by COVID-19. For about the first 100 days or something of this year, we had some of the highest rates of COVID infection, hospitalizations, percent positive in California. Us and LA, Kaiser Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Dee Lacy said.

Around 100,000 people in the U.S. have completed their vaccine series, and the vaccine is proving to be effective in California. The state has one the lowest case rates in the country.

In Fresno County, along with its declining positivity rate, its case rate is at 4.9 new daily cases per 100,000 people.

Vaccines and testing are playing a role for the reduction in the rate of transmission in the county.

We were able to test over 24,000 people and vaccinate over 20,000so far, and over 80% of our patients are non-Caucasian communities of color, said Dr. Kenny Banh, the director of the UCSF Mobile HeaL COVID-19 Equity Project.

But as more sectors open up in the state, Central Valley counties still face challenges. Among them, vaccine hesitancy.

Banh said their efforts have shifted to reaching those who are unsure on whether to get the vaccine or not and those who may not have easy access.

Now we have to make sure were getting that group of people who are hesitant, on the fence, or they mean to, but they lack transportation, they lack the means to do it, theyre busy with work, Banh said.

But still, there are those who dont want it at all.

UC Merced Professor of Health Psychology Martin Hagger said reasons for that include younger people thinking they are less vulnerable and the politicization of the virus.

Theres also these concerns about peoples political orientations and how they impact their decision-making around the coronavirus and the mitigation behavior. So that applies to vaccines just as it applies to mask-wearing, social distancing, and so forth, Hagger said.

As case rates decline in the state and more sectors open up, health experts still raise concerns over variants circulating in the U.S.

And Hagger said theres a risk of complacency as more sectors open up.

As case loads drop, things open up, that drives the perception, beliefs in people that were out of it, that were home free, Hagger said.

According to the state, around 52% of Fresno Countys 16 years and older population is vaccinated with at least one dose.

Its time. If you were waiting to see how is this gonna play out, have enough people gotten the vaccine. Its time, youre no longer the leading edge, you can get the vaccine, Lacy said.

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Progress made, some yet to be made, as pandemic continues in the Central Valley - YourCentralValley.com

Indian customers have been warming up to Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhones over the past year thanks to an improved pricing strategy and the company's efforts toward speeding up the availability of its devices produced in-country for sale in that country.

Apple's smartphone market share in India doubled in 2020 on the back of such moves. However, this isn't the only area where Apple is making progress in the world's second-most populous country. Apple's personal computers (PCs) are also flying off the shelves in India, and the company has stepped up its game to take a bigger chunk out of this fast-growing market.

Image source: Getty Images.

According to data from IDC, MacBook sales in India jumped 24.4% in 2020. This is impressive, as overall PC sales in India slumped 6.4% last year. Notebooks, however, were the bright spot with shipments hitting 7.9 million units during the year, jumping 34% over the previous year (after adjusting for a government-sponsored deal in 2019 that inflated sales that year).

IDC's research also reveals that notebook sales spiked sharply in India in the final quarter of 2020, jumping 62% year over year and accounting for more than 75% of total PC shipments. Apple has been a big beneficiary of this trend of fast-growing notebook sales in India. Indian newspaper Business Standard reports that Apple sold MacBooks and iMacs worth 4,000 crore (approximately $533 million at the current exchange rate) in India last year. The company's share of India's PC market increased to 3% in 2020.

IDC credits the growing demand for high-end notebooks for the surge in Apple's sales, driven by an increase in the number of people working or learning from home. The good news for Apple is that the robust demand environment seems to have spilled over into 2021. The availability of MacBooks powered by the M1 chip reportedly remains restricted on account of high demand and tight supply.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this sales momentum continue for the remainder of the year and beyond, thanks to both near-term and long-term catalysts.

Notebook demand in India could soar once again in 2021. An executive at HP India predicts that notebook sales in the country could jump in the double digits this year, while IDC also has a similar view. These forecasts don't seem surprising given that major parts of India are already under some form of lockdown due to a rapid rise in the number of coronavirus cases.

The second wave of the pandemic has sent the country's healthcare infrastructure reeling as daily new cases are increasing at an alarming pace. As a result, major employers in the country are sticking to a work-from-home modelto keep their operations running during such difficult times.

More importantly, the remote work model is expected to stay in India. This is evident from an estimated 57% increase in sales of work-from-home-related furniture in the country being projected over the next five years. Similarly, Technavio expects the online education market in India to clock a compound annual growth rate of 20% through 2025.

These catalysts can lead to sustained growth in laptop and notebook sales in India, and Apple is setting itself up to take advantage of this opportunity by giving that market a higher priority. The company's new product range, including the iMac, will be available for sale in India from April 30, just like in other markets such as the U.S., the U.K., Japan, and China. India used to be a low-priority market for Apple, with the company's products hitting the country's shores much later than their international launch.

Additionally, Apple is resorting to a smart pricing strategy for its PC lineup in India. The entry-level iMac has been pricedat 119,900 Indian rupees (around $1,600). That's impressive considering that the same price would have fetchedIndian consumers a 21.5-inch iMac a couple of years ago.

So, don't be surprised to see Apple sustain its impressive momentum in India's PC market. Investors would do well to take note of the same as the market is expectedto pull in $7 billion in revenue this year (desktops and notebooks combined) and looks set to become bigger in the future. Apple is already generating nice sales over there, as last year's estimates tell us. Its new and improved products could help Apple push the bar higher, giving this tech stock a nice shot in the arm over the long run.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the official recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. Were motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our own -- helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

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Not Just iPhones, Apple Is Making Solid Progress in Another Key Market in India - Motley Fool

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Baltimore County appears to be on schedule with plans to help ease school overcrowding, especially in the northeastern part of the county.Work crews are clearing land on Rossville Boulevard at Gum Springs Road to make way for the start of construction of a new elementary school. The county is about to build a $50 million elementary school complex that is set to open for students and staff members by next summer."There's tremendous progress," said Pete Dixit, the school district's executive director of school facilities, management and strategic planning. "There's tremendous growth in the eastern and northeastern part of the county, and we expect a deficit of seats -- around 1,000 seats."Students at nearby Perry Hall Middle School have been learning in portable classrooms for some time now. The Rossville Boulevard elementary school project is expected to go a long way toward dealing with overcrowding throughout eastern Baltimore County."Councilwoman (Cathy) Bevins and I working, with the county executive, have been pushing for new schools in this area. We are very excited that now as we come out of this pandemic, we are starting to move on some of these projects," said Baltimore County Councilman David Marks, R-District 5.And it hasn't gone unnoticed in the community."I drove by it this morning and talked to a parent and a 2-year-old who can't wait. The 2-year-old will likely go to that school," Baltimore County Board of Education Vice President Julie Henn said.Besides the new elementary school, Baltimore County is set to build a $100 million middle school on county-owned property on King Avenue, and there's also a new northeast high school on the drawing board to build nearby.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Baltimore County appears to be on schedule with plans to help ease school overcrowding, especially in the northeastern part of the county.

Work crews are clearing land on Rossville Boulevard at Gum Springs Road to make way for the start of construction of a new elementary school. The county is about to build a $50 million elementary school complex that is set to open for students and staff members by next summer.

"There's tremendous progress," said Pete Dixit, the school district's executive director of school facilities, management and strategic planning. "There's tremendous growth in the eastern and northeastern part of the county, and we expect a deficit of seats -- around 1,000 seats."

Students at nearby Perry Hall Middle School have been learning in portable classrooms for some time now. The Rossville Boulevard elementary school project is expected to go a long way toward dealing with overcrowding throughout eastern Baltimore County.

"Councilwoman (Cathy) Bevins and I working, with the county executive, have been pushing for new schools in this area. We are very excited that now as we come out of this pandemic, we are starting to move on some of these projects," said Baltimore County Councilman David Marks, R-District 5.

And it hasn't gone unnoticed in the community.

"I drove by it this morning and talked to a parent and a 2-year-old who can't wait. The 2-year-old will likely go to that school," Baltimore County Board of Education Vice President Julie Henn said.

Besides the new elementary school, Baltimore County is set to build a $100 million middle school on county-owned property on King Avenue, and there's also a new northeast high school on the drawing board to build nearby.

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Progress made toward construction of new schools in northeastern Baltimore County - WBAL TV Baltimore

One year ago, Microsoft launched an Open Data Campaign to help close the data divide between those countries and companies that have the data they need to innovate and those that do not. We learned quickly that this continued divide risks leaving some people behind, without the ability to put data to work and without the ability to generate economic wealth and opportunity more broadly.

To address the challenges of tomorrow, we need to make it easier to open, share and collaborate around data today. Thats why were sharing 10 key lessons from the first year of our campaign to help other organizations of all sizes unlock the power of data.

Before I dive into the lessons, I want to share an update on the progress weve made toward our goals, as well as our focus areas for the year ahead.

Weve made steady progress toward closing the data divide, but we still have a long way to go. The data divide persists and continues to threaten the democratization of data but we also see a lot of reason for hope and optimism. Microsoft President Brad Smith and I recently discussed the challenges, what weve learned since the campaign launched and our ambitions going forward. I encourage you to watch our conversation, where we also heard from thought leaders who are advancing the cause of open data.

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Learning by doing

The biggest takeaway from our work this past year and the one thing I hope any reader of this post will take away is that data collaboration is a spectrum. From the presence (or absence) of data to how open that data is to the trust level of the collaboration participants, these factors may necessarily lead to different configurations and different goals, but they can all lead to more open data and innovative insights and discoveries.

Here are a few other lessons we have learned over the last year:

To get started, we suggest that emerging data collaborations make use of the wealth of existing resources. When embarking on data collaborations, we leveraged many of the definitions, toolkits and guides from leading organizations in this space. As examples, resources such as the Open Data Institutes Data Ethics Canvas are extremely useful as a framework to develop ethical guidance. Additionally, The GovLabs Open Data Policy Lab and Executive Course on Data Stewardship, both supported by Microsoft, highlight important case studies, governance considerations and frameworks when sharing data. If you want to learn more about the exciting work our partners are doing, check out the latest posts from the Open Data Institute and GovLab.

Moving forward

Using these lessons learned and building on the progress weve made alongside our partners, we plan to spend the next year focused on the practical aspects of data sharing and making the process easier.

Scaling data stewardship

One key insight we gained this past year is the strong interest and need for guidance when it comes to data stewardship. Many organizations want to do more around open data and data sharing, but when it comes to the practical aspects of how to do it, they often dont know where to start. Building on the success of this years Data Stewardship Executive Course, the Open Data Policy Lab is today publishing its course materials so that organizations everywhere can use these resources to guide their data reuse strategies.

Additionally, the Open Data Policy Lab will focus on scaling data stewardship guidance for the public and private sectors. To help address these needs, a new Data Stewardship Academy will be designed for a much broader reach. Second, the Open Data Policy Lab will develop an Open Cities initiative to build community and share insights among cities that are opening and using data to innovate and drive change. The Open Data Policy Lab will also continue to drive new research on open data and data reuse, including a closer look at the value of open data.

Fostering new data collaborations

Well continue to identify and help launch data collaborations to address societal issues focused on sustainability, health, and equity and inclusion.

To help address climate challenges, together with the Open Data Institute, we are committed to launching and supporting three data collaborations to address climate change. These three data collaborations will each focus on one of the six priority areas that we identified in the report, Accelerating Progress on Tackling the Climate Crisis Through Data Collaboration.

Additionally, in partnership with the Open Data Institute, well be announcing an open call for a new Peer Learning Network for data collaborations to participate and learn from each other. Another focus area with the Open Data Institute is to build momentum through case studies across sectors that highlight the value of opening and sharing data that would otherwise not be realized.

Growing data analyst skills and data literacy

We also want to help connect those who currently work with data or would like to explore a career in data analysis with related, in-demand skills, in partnership with the Microsoft skills initiative. This work includes sharing opportunities to obtain Microsoft Certifications on data and AI fundamentals and courses for data analysts.

Making data sharing easier

We must make data sharing easier through scalable tools and technologies. Technologies, such as differential privacy, made more accessible through the first-ever open source differential privacy platform, SmartNoise, are critical to preserving privacy when sharing data. Additionally, continuing work on legal and licensing tools such as the Open Use of Data Agreement (O-UDA) and Computational Use of Data Agreement (C-UDA), both initiated by Microsoft in 2019 and now stewarded by the Linux Foundation will encourage and simplify broader data sharing. We will continue to focus on development of these frameworks, resources and technologies that make data sharing more accessible and achievable.

Advancing policy discussions

A robust data reuse regime necessitates good governance frameworks. Increasingly, policymakers are taking measures to improve existing open data initiatives and are exploring data governance mechanisms.

To fully realize the benefits of data, policymakers must work with industry, academia and civil society to develop incentives, infrastructure and mechanisms to responsibly share public and private sector data within and across organizational and national boundaries that are in line with the rule of law and safeguard human rights, while allowing for effective data re-use for innovation. In addition to properly maintained and funded national open data programs, data governance frameworks create trust in the integrity of the data sharing ecosystem by ensuring that the benefits of data are equitably shared and by providing adequate safeguards to protect cybersecurity, human rights and privacy.

At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. Closing the data divide wont happen overnight, but if we continue to build a bold, diverse movement committed to this work, we know the impact will benefit future generations in pursuit of a safer, healthier world.

Tags: broadband access, COVID-19, Open Data, Open Data Campaign, SmartNoise, sustainability

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Building on a year of open data: progress and promise - Microsoft On the Issues - Microsoft

Outside of live performances, every note of music youve ever heard in your life has been electronically processed before reaching your ear. Recording, mixing and mastering capture passing moments of inspiration, maximize their sonic potential and preserve them for perpetuity. The technology to do this has been constantly evolving since the birth of recorded music in the second half of the 19th century. Microphones and portable tape machines enabled the recording of folk music in open fields and hotel rooms in the 1920s. Later, deluxe recording studios were designed to audio-friendly specifications. Eventually, luxury live-in facilities were built where artists shut out the world for months at a time to immerse themselves in the creative experience. Nowadays, people record music at home on their laptops, upload it to the Internet and become superstars.

The 2018 documentary Recording In Progress champions the professional recording studio and examines how its been impacted by digital technology, both good and bad. It was directed by Justin L. Fisher, a musician and audio engineer who is a veteran of St. Louis SmithLee Productions, a full service commercial recording studio that has weathered many of the storms currently embroiling the music and recording industry. It is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

Recording In Progress describes the recording studio in mythical terms, the holy mountain where musical ideas are magically transformed into artistic masterpieces. Producer Matt Ross-Spang compares them to Templar Knight churches, audio technology professor Mark Rubel calls them temples of sound, and studio engineer Jason McEntire describes them as a the safe space for an artist to go. In theory, the perfect studio should provide an environment where the musician can focus solely on their performance and offer limitless sonic opportunities to ignite their imagination and bring their compositions to life.

At their peak, recording studios were built from the ground up with clinical precision to maximize their audio quality and comfort level. They required lots of space and expensive wood for live rooms, isolation booths and control centers. Recording equipment cost a lot and many studios were stocked with top of the line instruments the musicians themselves couldnt afford. As engineer Gary Gottlieb tells us, We could have anything we wanted. We had all the best studios, we had all the best gear, the best musicians, the best engineers, the best producers, the best writers. Recording wasnt cheap and artists were often at the mercy of their labels to fund recording sessions.

Starting in the 1980s, advances in digital technology made recording both more affordable and more portable. A decade later, digital file sharing would ravage music income streams by essentially making all recorded music free. While streaming audio was seen as an updated means of distribution, its current royalty rates only benefit the biggest artists. Recording studios felt the pinch from both sides, as record labels cut their recording budgets to offset losses and artists were increasingly able to deliver home recordings that were good enough for release.

Producer Eric Mixerman Sarafin says, the music business is just a little microcosm of the fucked-up-ness of the whole fucking system right now. As in many industries, wages have stagnated since the mid 1980s while costs have gone up. The key to survival for todays recording studios has been to adapt. While some studios now offer a wider range of services, from television scoring to record manufacturing, others have downsized. Is it a perfect solution? No. Has something been lost? Yes. As Gary Gottlieb notes, a generation of listeners and musicians who have only ever heard music on earbuds or the speakers on their laptop, dont know how good music could sound. Tragically, many legendary recording studios have closed.

While Recording In Progress has no shortage of curmudgeonly middle-aged men lamenting the state of music, its also realistic about where the industry is going and acknowledges the benefits of the new technology. The democratizing effect of laptop recording and Internet marketing has enabled a new generation of artists who, in the words of Guns N Roses guitarist Richard Fortus, are unaffected by labels and producers and people telling them how it should be. Musicianship and recording quality sometimes suffers but not everyone wants to record at a state of the art facility or create immaculate recordings. Home recording allows musicians to be off the cuff, according to St. Louis musician Andy White, who says, It can be cheap and shitty and still have personality.

While Recording In Progress has no shortage of curmudgeonly middle-aged men lamenting the state of music, its also realistic about where the industry is going and acknowledges the benefits of the new technology.

While Recording In Progress intentions are beyond reproach, its execution could be better. Beautifully shot, it has an overabundance of incredibly smart people saying very intelligent things, so much that it reminds one of a highlight reel rather than a narrative documentary. At around an hour, it feels rushed and Fisher would have done well to focus on less for longer. However, his affection for the subject matter and optimism overcomes any flaws. Rather than dwell on an idealized past, the film accepts a complicated future, where the recording studio has transformed from, a fancy place with beautiful wood walls and floors, as Gary Gottlieb says, to anywhere where talented people get together and create.

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician. Follow him on Twitter:@BHSmithNYC.

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'Recording In Progress' Celebrates The Art Of Music Recording And Ponders Its Future - Decider

Lynne Sladky / AP

Alabama head coach Nick Saban and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood hold the trophy after their win against Ohio State in an NCAA College Football Playoff national championship game, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Alabama won52-24.

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Friday, April 30, 2021 | 2 a.m.

Since Jon Gruden returned to the Raiders before the 2018 draft, he has been on a peculiar mission. That mission: To field two stud offensive tackles, by any means necessary.

Thats why Gruden chose an offensive tackle with his first selection in the 2018 draft, nabbing Kolton Miller out of UCLA with the 15th overall pick. The following offseason, Gruden continued his Captain Ahab-like quest by giving Trent Brown the biggest free-agent contract ever for an offensive lineman.

While Miller grew into his role as the franchise left tackle, Brown flamed out on the other side of the line, suffering through two injury-plagued campaigns before being jettisoned to the New England Patriots this offseason in a trade for a late draft pick.

So it shouldnt come as a surprise that Gruden got back on his horse and took another shot at landing his second foundational tackle on Thursday, when he took Alabama blocker Alex Leatherwood with the No. 17 pick.

The move was widely viewed as a reach, as higher-rated tackles such as Virginia Techs Christian Darrisaw and Oklahoma States Teven Jenkins were still on the board at the time, but Gruden and general managerMike Mayock have proven theyre not concerned with conventional wisdom when it comes to evaluating college prospects. They identified Leatherwood as their guy, homed in on him and didnt hesitate to make him a linchpin of the teams reconstructed offensive line.

For all the questions about draft value and reaching and not trading down, the most important way to evaluate the pick will be whether Leatherwood can do the job on the field.

Theres no doubt he was a beast at Alabama, as the 6-foot-4, 312-pound Florida native started his final three years with the Crimson Tide and blocked for some of the most explosive offenses in college football. He earned All-SEC honors in 2019 and 2020, and as a senior last season he was named to the All-America team.

Its easy to see why Gruden fell in love with Leatherwood during the draft process.

The first thing that stands out about Leatherwood is his ability to push defenders downfield in the running game. On this play, he fires off the ball and into the second level, where he targets a linebacker and simply overpowers him, driving him 15 yards past the line of scrimmage and taking him completely out of the play:

Not only does it take mammoth strength to do that, it takes quick feet and good recognition of angles. Leatherwood certainly has those skills.

Watch how fast he gets to the inside linebacker on this play, and then how completely he walls him off from the running lane:

Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs is an expert at slipping through the tiniest of openings; Gruden probably envisions Leatherwood jumping out to the second level and opening up actual holes for Jacobs, allowing him to break big plays on a more regular basis.

The passing game is where Leatherwood will likely need work. His nimble feet dont quite translate to pass protection, as edge rushers were too often able to beat him with quickness and change of direction moves.

Against Notre Dame in the college football playoffs there were some plays where Leatherwood was left grasping at air as his man rushed past him. Here he is beaten so badly and so quickly he is forced to reach back and commit a blatant holding penalty in order to keep his QB from getting killed:

Leatherwood holds up much better when rushers try to take him head-on with power. He can stonewall with the best of them:

The advanced stats seem to mesh with the eye-test conclusion that Leatherwood is a strong run-blocker who has to improve in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, Leatherwood posted a run blocking grade of 85.4 last season, while his pass-blocking grade lagged behind at 73.4.

Ultimately, you'd probably like to get a more refined prospect when using a first-round pick on a lineman, but Leatherwood has talent. The task of molding him into the right tackle Gruden has always wanted will fall to offensive line coach Tom Cable, who has done a good job with the Raiders unit in recent years, so odds are good Leatherwood will get up to speed.

If Las Vegas can iron out the wrinkles and get Leatherwood to reach his full potential, fans probably wont care that he was taken a dozen picks too early on draft day theyll be too busy watching him pave the way for Jacobs and Derek Carr to do their thing.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [emailprotected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

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Analysis: Raiders' top pick Alex Leatherwood is a work in progress - Las Vegas Sun

NEW YORK and PERTH, Australia, April 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --PYC Therapeutics (ASX: PYC), a biotechnology company developing a new generation of precision RNA therapeutics to change the lives of patients with inherited diseases, today announced a first quarter update highlighting the progress of its development pipeline, growth of its U.S. operations and upcoming milestones.

"PYC has had an exciting quarter of progress against our Company objectives. We have achieved continued validation of our PPMO technology in our lead candidate VP-001 for retinitis pigmentosa type 11, further development of our ocular pipeline as well as PYC's first set of preclinical data from our CNS discovery efforts demonstrating superior delivery of RNA therapeutic throughout the brain and spinal cord. The potential of our pioneering PPMO technology is vast and we look forward to advancing this technology to provide solutions for patients with inherited ocular and neurodegenerative diseases for whom treatment options are either limited or unavailable today," said Sahm Nasseri, U.S. Chief Executive Officer of PYC Therapeutics. "This quarter, we also expanded our U.S. operations with key leadership appointments and engagements with the U.S. biotech ecosystem, underscoring the significant steps we are taking towards our transformational goal of becoming a multi-asset clinical stage biotechnology company. PYC is well positioned to maintain this momentum into the second quarter of 2021 with important larger animal studies commencing for VP-001, deeper development of VP-002 and into the balance of 2021 with continued development of our pipeline in both the eye and the CNS."

"This is a transformational time for PYC. For some time, we've had significant excitement in our PPMO technology's potential for impact in treating numerous genetic and acquired diseases and it's truly humbling to see that excitement being translated into results through both our lead program development, and our technology's continued validation," commented Alan Tribe, Chairman of PYC Therapeutics.

Recent Achievements

Inherited Ocular Diseases:

Central Nervous System (CNS) Diseases:

Corporate Initiatives:

"We continue to execute on the strategic goals we laid out to advance our transformation from an Australia-based discovery-focused organization into an Australia and U.S.-based multi-asset clinical stage biotechnology company," continued Mr. Nasseri, U.S. CEO of PYC. "We look forward to sharing continued progress this year, including achieving our preclinical data milestones for all three of our defined programs in ocular diseases and announcing our CNS candidate, as we further validate our PPMO technology platform across indications to develop treatments for patients with a range of significant unmet needs."

About PYC TherapeuticsPYC Therapeutics (ASX: PYC) is a development-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new generation of RNA therapeutics that utilize PYC's proprietary library of naturally derived cell penetrating peptides to overcome the major challenges of current genetic medicines. PYC believes its PPMO (Peptide conjugated Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligomer) technology enables a safer and more effective RNA therapeutic to address the underlying drivers of a range of genetic diseases for which no treatment solutions exist today. The Company is leveraging its leading-edge science to develop a pipeline of novel therapies including three preclinical stage programs focused on inherited eye diseases and preclinical discovery efforts focused on neurodegenerative diseases. PYC's discovery and laboratory operations are located in Australia, and the Company recently launched an expansion into the U.S. for its preclinical, clinical, regulatory and corporate operations. For more information, visit pyctx.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Forward looking statementsAny forward-looking statements in this ASX announcement have been prepared on the basis of a number of assumptions which may prove incorrect and the current intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs about future events are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the Company's control. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from assumptions or expectations expressed or implied in this ASX announcement include known and unknown risks. Because actual results could differ materially to assumptions made and the Company's current intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs about the future, you are urged to view all forward-looking statements contained in this ASX announcement with caution. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

1Preclincial models for Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) delivered DNA therapies have not been demonstration in this in preclinical testing, See Brydon EM, Bronstein R, Buskin A, Lako M, Pierce EA, Fernandez-Godino R. AAV-Mediated Gene Augmentation Therapy Restores Critical Functions in Mutant PRPF31+/- iPSC-Derived RPE Cells. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev. 2019 Nov 11;15:392-402.2Yu-Wai-Man P, et al. The prevalence and natural history of dominant optic atrophy due to OPA1 mutations. Ophthalmology. 2010 Aug;117(8):1538-46, 1546.e1; Lenaers G, Hamel C, Delettre C, et al. Dominant optic atrophy. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2012;7:46. Published 2012 Jul 9. 63GBD 2016 Neurology Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of neurological disorders, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Neurol. 2019 Parkinson included in 'rarer disease' to distinguish from Alzheimer's.

CONTACTS:

INVESTORSDeborah Elson/Matthew DeYoungArgot Partnersdeborah@argotpartners.commatthew@argotpartners.com

MEDIALeo VartorellaArgot Partnersleo@argotpartners.com

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PYC Therapeutics Highlights Continued Progress of Ocular and CNS Pipeline Programs and US Expansion in First Quarter Update - BioSpace