Mosa Meat Becomes B Corp Certified

Cultivated meat pioneer joins the global community of businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental impact.

Maastricht, Netherlands, Sept. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mosa Meat, a leader in cultivated beef production, announced today to have become a Certified B Corporation™. This marks a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to creating a more sustainable food system and bringing together partners, investors and suppliers who use business as a force for good. Upon certification, Mosa Meat became the first cultivated meat company worldwide to become B Corp™ Certified.

Founded in 2016, Mosa Meat gained international acclaim in 2013 when its founders, Mark Post and Peter Verstrate, introduced the world’s first cultivated beef hamburger grown directly from cow cells. Since then, the company has been dedicated to producing real beef in a manner that benefits people, animals, and the planet. Mosa Meat’s B Corp™ Certification validates its mission to fundamentally reshape the global food system, showcasing its environmental and social performance, commitment to accountability, transparency and leadership in driving economic systems change.

“We are thrilled to become B Corp Certified,” said Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat. “This certification validates our commitment to sustainable practices and ethical foundations as well as strengthens our position as trendsetters in the global cellular agriculture movement. We believe in creating real, delicious meat that positively impacts the climate and our food system and are optimistic that these values will be shared across the many stakeholders in our nascent field of cellular agriculture.”

Leonardo DiCaprio, advisor and investor said “Mosa Meat continues to be a champion for change. I am proud to see Mosa Meat be the first cultivated meat company in the world to become B Corp Certified and hope it is the first of many.”

To receive B Corp™ Certification businesses are assessed on performance, accountability, and transparency in their social and environmental impact. They are holistically evaluated on aspects ranging from governance and mission to environmental practices, workers’ welfare and supply chain practices. With this certification Mosa Meat joins a community of caring, responsible and courageous leaders like Patagonia, Amy’s Kitchen, and Ben & Jerry’s that have become a Certified B Corporation™ previously.

After more than a year of thorough evaluation, Mosa Meat became B Corp™ Certified with two Impact Business Models (IBMs): ‘Resource Conservation’ and ‘Mission Locked’.

  • Resource Conservation recognizes products/services that reduce resource use (energy and water)
  • Mission locked recognizes companies that protect their mission and ability to formally consider stakeholders in decision making through their corporate structure or corporate governing documents

For an IBM certification, companies need to demonstrate principles that are specific, material, verifiable, lasting, and extraordinary. While the B Corp™ process is quite selective for companies to go through, gaining an IBM is considered to be even more challenging.

To realise the biggest positive climate impact, Mosa Meat is focused on cultivating beef over other types of meat first, and uses 100% renewable energy at their production facility. According to an independent, peer-reviewed Life Cycle Analysis study, cultivated beef production could reduce climate impact by 92%, air pollution by 93%, use 95% less land and 78% less water when compared to industrial beef production. Additionally, cultivated beef production offers the opportunity to free up land for more regenerative agriculture and re-wilding of habitats, which would further reduce negative impacts of food production. The automated process through which cultivated meat is produced, and the clean environment of its manufacturing, will also drastically reduce the need for antibiotics use and the risk of pathogens, contaminants and foodborne illnesses associated with intensive animal farming.

ABOUT MOSA MEAT
Mosa Meat is a global food technology company pioneering a cleaner, kinder way of making real beef. Our founders introduced the world’s first cultivated beef hamburger in 2013, by growing it directly from cow cells. Founded in 2016, Mosa Meat is now scaling up production of the same beef that people love, but in a way that is better for people, animals, and the planet. A diverse and growing team of food-loving problem-solvers, we are united in our mission to fundamentally reshape the global food system. Headquartered in Maastricht, The Netherlands, Mosa Meat is a privately held company backed by Lowercarbon Capital, Bell Food Group, Nutreco, Mitsubishi Corporation, Leonardo DiCaprio and others.

Follow Mosa Meat on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram or visit mosameat.com to learn more about why people #cravechange.

Attachments

Tim van de Rijdt
Mosa Meat
press@mosameat.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8916610

Resonac Partners with Matmerize to Pioneer 6G Technology Advancement using Innovative AI Software

ATLANTA, Sept. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a significant collaboration, Matmerize, Inc., a materials AI innovator, and Resonac Corporation have formed a strategic partnership aimed at revolutionizing the landscape of 6G technology. Building on the strong collaborative foundation, Resonac will leverage the power of Matmerize’s PolymRize™ AI software technology to accelerate the development of exceptional high-performance neat and composite materials for 6G technology and beyond.

In January 2023, Resonac Corporation announced plans to develop new semiconductor materials for 6G, the next-generation telecommunication system standard following 5G. With 6G set to be 100 times faster than 5G, new semiconductor materials are needed to substantially reduce the transmission loss associated with the increased communication speed. To meet this requirement, Resonac will identify optimal materials with the required characteristics through computational and Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods in a collaborative venture with Matmerize, Inc. Where manual testing using traditional techniques would demand three months to assess a single materials combination, Matmerize’s AI software, PolymRize™, reduces the time required to a single day and can evaluate up to 90 combinations within the same three-month span. The result promises to be a fusion of materials engineering and artificial intelligence, poised to redefine the development of 6G technology.

PolymRize™ harnesses Matmerize’s proprietary data or client-specific data to construct predictive models. Once built, these models rapidly predict the properties of novel, yet-to-be-synthesized polymers, composites, and formulations, complete with their associated uncertainties. The software employs automated and generative design tools to recommend ideal candidates that meet property requirements for subsequent rounds of physical experimentation. PolymRize™ thus accelerates the journey towards target materials, drastically reducing both time and costs. Moreover, it introduces a framework for data management and organization, and has emerged as a dependable digital aide for chemists and process engineers.

In a pilot initiative, Resonac evaluated Matmerize’s capabilities. Predictive models were constructed using PolymRize™ and 3rd party software for key material properties relevant to 6G technology. Properties included bandgap, dielectric constant, refractive index, glass transition temperature, and coefficient of linear expansion. The performance of PolymRizeTM and third-party models were assessed by making property predictions for identical unseen test cases. PolymRizeTM predictions consistently out-performed third-party models in speed and accuracy (see figure showing Performance of models).

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on the image or link below:

Resonac PR: Performance models comparison

“Collaborating with Resonac on the development of 6G technology is a remarkable opportunity for Matmerize,” said Rampi Ramprasad, Co-Founder and CEO of Matmerize. “Aligned with Resonac’s vision to revolutionize next-generation technologies and powered by Matmerize’s commitment to advance AI algorithms, architectures, and virtual materials design capabilities, we are poised to usher in a new era of accelerated intelligent materials design”.

For more information on the innovative PolymRizeTM platform please visit: https://www.matmerize.com/polymrize

For Resonac’s announcement of development of new semiconductor materials for 6G
https://www.resonac.com/news/2023/03/13/2391.html

About Matmerize:

Matmerize, a recent spin-out from the Georgia Institute of Technology, is at the forefront of pioneering solutions that bridge the gap between AI and materials engineering. Matmerize’s PolymRizeTM platform utilizes virtual screening and AI algorithms to identify the most optimal materials, enabling technologists to focus their experimental efforts on the most promising options, thus significantly accelerating the materials engineering process. PolymRizeTM represents a paradigm shift in industry, propelling clients ahead of the competition and driving innovation at an unprecedented pace.

About Resonac:
The Resonac Group is a new company established as a result of the integration of the Showa Denko Group and the Showa Denko Materials Group (former Hitachi Chemical Group) in January 2023. The Group’s annual sales of semiconductor and electronic materials amount to about 400 billion yen, accounting for about 30% of the Group’s annual net sales. The Group especially has global top share of semiconductor materials for packaging process. The integration of the two companies has enabled the Resonac Group to design functions of materials as well as to develop them in-house, going all the way back to raw materials. The new trade name “RESONAC” was created as a combination of two English words, namely, the word of “RESONATE” and “C” as the first letter of CHEMISTRY. The Resonac Group will make the most of its co-creative platform, and accelerate technological innovation with semiconductor manufacturers, material manufacturers, and equipment manufacturers inside and outside Japan.

For details, please refer to our website: Resonac Holdings Corporation: https://www.resonac.com/

Contact: 
Matmerize, Inc.
https://www.matmerize.com
E: info@matmerize.com
Y: Watch Matmerize Videos on YouTube
L: Follow our LinkedIn Page

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8917638

GMAC Expands Global Representation in Board and School Membership

New board chair, board members and member school span footprint from Asia to America

RESTON, Va., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a global association of leading graduate business schools, today announced changes to its board of directors. Themin Suwardy, a GMAC board member since 2019 and associate provost of postgraduate professional education at Singapore Management University, has been elected to chair the GMAC board. Ana María Zermeño Padilla, director of operations and academic experience at Tecnológico de Monterrey’s EGADE Business School in Mexico, as well as Curtis Ferguson, managing partner at Ventech China, have joined the GMAC board as its newest members.

In addition, GMAC welcomed Asia School of Business (ASB) as its 227th member school. Based in Kuala Lumpur, ASB was established in 2015 by the central bank of Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia, in collaboration with MIT Sloan School of Management in response to the need for world-class talent in Malaysia, the region and emerging world. Today, ASB’s award-winning MBA degree program has been hailed as one of the most innovative MBA programs in the world.

“GMAC research has shown that business schools in Asia Pacific are attracting more talent in-region than prior to the pandemic despite rebounding international mobility, while those in Latin America are benefiting from growing international applications,” said Joy Jones, CEO of GMAC. “I am thrilled to have these talented individuals and the esteemed ASB organization deepening their engagement with the Council, enhancing our board diversity and membership roster. They are bringing valuable perspectives and critical insights to GMAC’s global mission of helping business schools and talent discover and evaluate each other.”

More about New Directors on GMAC Board

Ana María Zermeño Padilla has a proven track record as an academic leader at several institutions among Tec de Monterrey System, including Virtual University and TecMilenio. At EGADE Business School, she oversees all student academic and life experience, administrative operations, and logistics for in-person and online students. She is a member of the board for Somos El Cambio and Instituto de Formacion y Perfeccionamiento Policial de San Pedro, both academic institutions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, a master’s in education and a Ph.D. in education innovation from Tecnológico de Monterrey in addition to a master’s in business analytics from EGADE Business School.

Curtis Ferguson is a managing partner of Ventech China, where he leads investment in the country’s fast-growing consumer markets. He was a former executive at The Coca-Cola Company for nearly four decades and most recently the president of The Coca-Cola Greater China, Korea & Mongolia Business Unit. He has been actively involved in education, having served as the chairman of Cairo American College and on the Dean’s Advisory Council of his alma mater Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. His initiative of a scholarship program benefiting disadvantaged students from the Middle East and Africa has led to him and Coca-Cola being awarded the U.S. State Department Award for Corporate Citizenship. Mr. Ferguson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Indiana University Kelley School and is a graduate of the Executive Development Programs at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

While GMAC welcomes the new leadership and addition to its board, GMAC also recognizes and thanks its outgoing board chair, Jon Erickson, former president of education and career services at ACT, and outgoing board member, Katy Montgomery, former associate dean of degree programmes at INSEAD.

“I have in the past years worked alongside Jon and Katy, witnessing firsthand their dedication as we together advocate for the graduate management education community. I am grateful for their contributions,” said Themin Suwardy, the newly elected GMAC board chair. “I look forward to leading the board, including our new additions Ana María and Curt, to create more values for the schools and candidates we so tirelessly serve.”

More about Asia School of Business and GMAC Membership

Asia School of Business (ASB) – the first GMAC member school from Malaysia – aspires to be a premier school of management in Asia recognized for its ability to develop transformative and principled leaders who will contribute to a better future and to the advancement of the emerging world. Their approach to learning focuses on classroom rigor combined with onsite action learning experiences throughout Asia. Besides the MBA degree program, ASB also offers an executive MBA, a master in central banking, and a master in management degree to be launched later this year.

To be considered for membership in GMAC, a school must maintain a selective admissions process; offer a master’s program in business administration, management subjects or equivalent; and demonstrate support of GMAC’s mission of providing the tools and information necessary for schools and talent to discover and evaluate each other.

About GMAC

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) is a mission-driven association of leading graduate business schools worldwide. GMAC provides world-class research, industry conferences, recruiting tools, and assessments for the graduate management education industry as well as resources, events, and services that help guide candidates through their higher education journey. Owned and administered by GMAC, the Graduate Management Admission Test™ (GMAT™) exam is the most widely used graduate business school assessment.

More than 12 million prospective students a year trust GMAC’s websites, including mba.com, to learn about MBA and business master’s programs, connect with schools around the world, prepare and register for exams and get advice on successfully applying to MBA and business master’s programs. BusinessBecause and GMAC Tours are subsidiaries of GMAC, a global organization with offices in China, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.gmac.com

Media Contact:

Teresa Hsu
Sr. Manager, Media Relations
Mobile: 202-390-4180
thsu@gmac.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8916819

eLichens is introducing the first Natural Gas Detector integrating NB-IoT/LTE-M Connectivity from Sequans

Avolta Natural Gas Detector with NB-IoT/LTE-M Connectivity

eLichens is introducing the first Natural Gas Detector integrating NB-IoT/LTE-M Connectivity

GRENOBLE, France, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — eLichens, a leading provider of non-dispersive infrared sensors and detectors, is thrilled to announce the collaboration with Sequans, resulting in the latest evolution of its Avolta, Natural Gas Detector (NGD). This new edition of Avolta harnesses the power of NB-IoT/LTE-M technology, utilizing the Sequans’ Monarch-2 platform.

Avolta is a battery-operated NGD device with a longevity of 10 years. Avolta offers near-infrared spectroscopy to detect methane’s unique signature on the light spectrum, delivering unparalleled accuracy while effectively mitigating the risk of interference from other household chemicals.

The core mission of Avolta is to drive a significant reduction in methane emissions, safeguard the future of energy resources, and ensure the safety of individuals and the environment.

Avolta becomes an essential part of the net zero program that is reshaping the global economy.

“Accelerating the deployment of natural gas detection across the entire energy value chain is an essential part of global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Wahid Issa, eLichens CEO. “Avolta integrating Sequans’ Monarch-2 connectivity enables gas utilities to deploy ubiquitous NGD at an optimized cost of ownership, and ensures compliance with FirstNet certification and standards such as UL1484 and EN50194-1.”

“Monarch-2 GM02S is a LTE Cat M1/NB1/NB2 module based on Sequans’ second-generation Monarch 2 chipset platform. Monarch 2 includes Sequans’ RF Single-SKU™ front end and incorporates the Common Criteria EAL5+ secure enclave, enabling secure key storage and embedded SIM (iSIM),” said Georges Karam, CEO and President of Sequans.

For more information on Avolta: www.elichens.com/avolta-gas-leak-detector

About eLichens
eLichens mission is to provide solutions for detecting and monitoring climate issues related to environmental greenhouse gases. eLichens relies on a portfolio of patents and expertise that allow it to develop innovative and disruptive smart infra-red sensors and industrial IOT devices. eLichens is based in Grenoble, France with offices in the USA. Visit www.elichens.com

Contact: info@elichens.com

About Sequans
Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) is a leading developer and supplier of cellular IoT connectivity solutions, providing chips and modules for 5G/4G massive and broadband IoT. Founded in 2003, Sequans is based in Paris, France with offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Finland, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Visit Sequans online at www.sequans.com, and follow us on Twitter and Linked-In.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bd8a6db5-ae53-4d61-ae85-7108ba3d68b7

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000838118

Zoom introduces Zoom AI Companion — available at no additional cost with paid Zoom user accounts

New generative AI-powered assistant helps improve collaboration and productivity

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) announced that Zoom AI Companion (formerly Zoom IQ), the company’s generative AI digital assistant, is now included at no additional cost for customers with the paid services in their Zoom user accounts¹. AI Companion reinforces Zoom’s vision to deliver limitless human connection on one platform, empowering people by increasing their productivity, enhancing their skills, and improving team effectiveness. Zoom also announced today that Zoom IQ for Sales, its conversational intelligence software, will be renamed Zoom Revenue Accelerator.

Since Zoom introduced generative AI in early June, thousands of companies have benefited from free trials of Team Chat compose and Meeting summary. Beginning this fall, Zoom will significantly expand its generative AI offering across its platform with the launch of AI Companion, at no additional cost with paid Zoom user accounts.

Zoom’s federated approach to AI delivers high-quality results and lowers costs by dynamically incorporating its own large language models, along with third-party models such as Meta Llama 2, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

Rooted in this unique approach, Zoom AI Companion delivers powerful, real-time digital assistant capabilities to help users improve productivity and work together more effectively. Zoom customers can expect to see AI Companion throughout the entire platform, from Meetings, Team Chat, Phone, Email, and Whiteboard, with additional features on the roadmap.

“We are transcending the hype in generative AI by delivering tangible products and disrupting the industry’s pricing model, making it easy for businesses and people like you and me to leverage generative AI’s full benefits in our day-to-day work,” said Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom. “We were founded on doing what’s right for our customers, and we firmly believe that offering Zoom AI Companion at no additional cost to our paid Zoom user accounts delivers tremendous value as we all navigate the challenges facing us today. We are excited to see our customers and users start using AI Companion and about our strong roadmap for further innovation underpinned by a commitment to responsible AI.”

How Zoom is Putting Customer Privacy First with Generative AI

Zoom’s goal is to invest in AI-driven innovation that enhances user experience and productivity while prioritizing trust, safety, and privacy. In August, Zoom shared that it does not use any customer audio, video, chat, screen-sharing, attachments, or other communications-like customer content (such as poll results, whiteboards, or reactions) to train Zoom’s or third-party artificial intelligence models. Additionally, AI Companion is turned off by default — account owners and administrators control whether to enable these AI features for their accounts. Zoom provides admins and users control and visibility when AI features are being used or activated. By putting its customers’ privacy needs first, Zoom is taking a leadership position, enabling its customers to use AI Companion and its capabilities with confidence.

Modern Work Powered by Zoom AI Companion

AI Companion makes it easy and frictionless to collaborate and become more productive, removing repetitive tasks and distractions, and helping teams collaborate more effectively.

AI Companion incorporates several new real-time AI capabilities immediately, with additional capabilities expected to launch over the next few months. AI Companion is transforming modern work in the following ways:

  • With Zoom Meetings, users can watch recordings faster through highlights and smart chapters, and review summaries and next steps, so they can easily catch up on a missed meeting. In the meeting, if enabled by the meeting host, attendees can catch up quickly without disrupting the meeting flow by discreetly submitting questions via the in-meeting AI Companion side panel to receive an AI-generated answer on what they missed. Post-meeting, hosts can receive an automated meeting summary to share with attendees and those who were unable to attend a meeting. These capabilities help team members who may be in different time zones catch up asynchronously. Planned for spring 2024, users will also have the ability to receive real-time feedback on their presence in meetings, as well as coaching on their conversational and presentation skills.
  • Zoom Team Chat is critical for real-time and asynchronous work, but it is easy to get lost in the volume of messages. AI Companion allows users to quickly draft messages based on the context of a chat thread, as well as change tone and length, so they can spend less time composing replies. In the coming weeks, users will be able to catch up on long chat threads through generative AI summarization, and by early 2024, users will have the ability to auto-complete chat sentences and schedule meetings from a chat.
  • This fall, Zoom Whiteboard users will get help from AI Companion with generating and categorizing ideas, and by spring 2024, users will be able to harness their whiteboard content to generate images and populate whiteboard templates.
  • Additionally, in early fall, Zoom Mail users will be able to get draft email suggestions. By spring 2024, users will be able to add meeting summaries to Zoom Notes and summarize SMS threads and calls with Zoom Phone.
  • In spring 2024, users will be able to interact with AI Companion through a conversational interface that will be able to understand the context of questions and support users with their content across the Zoom platform, such as prior meetings, chats, and select connected third-party apps, even initiating actions on their behalf. For example, users will be able to interact with AI Companion to get help with:
    • Pre-meeting preparation: Ask AI Companion to find the status of key projects to prepare for an upcoming customer meeting. AI Companion will be able to surface knowledge from meetings, chats, whiteboards, emails, documents, and, with users’ permission, from third-party applications on behalf of the user, to provide the latest updates.
    • In-meeting real-time support: Ask AI Companion real-time questions during the meeting to catch up on key points in the discussion, create and file a support ticket on an issue raised during a call, or provide a draft response to a question raised during the meeting.
    • Post meeting: Ask AI Companion to summarize the meeting that was held, automatically identify action items and key stakeholders, and surface the next steps to the relevant stakeholders in Team Chat or, with users’ permission, in their third-party applications.

Easy intuitive interface

Users will be able to access AI Companion from within their existing workflows such as within Zoom Meetings, Zoom Team Chat, and Zoom Whiteboard for capabilities such as Meeting summaries, Team Chat compose, and Whiteboard generation with a simple, easy-to-use experience. Starting now, users can additionally have interactive capabilities with AI Companion via a side panel by accessing these directly within the Meetings experience; this capability will expand across the Zoom platform in spring 2024, as capabilities are added.

For more information on AI Companion, visit the Zoom website.

About Zoom
Zoom is an all-in-one intelligent collaboration platform that makes connecting easier, more immersive, and more dynamic for businesses and individuals. Zoom technology puts people at the center, enabling meaningful connections, facilitating modern collaboration, and driving human innovation through solutions like team chat, phone, meetings, omnichannel cloud contact center, smart recordings, whiteboard, and more, in one offering. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more info at zoom.com.

Zoom Public Relations
Lacretia Taylor
press@zoom.us

________________________________
¹ Zoom AI Companion may not be available for select verticals and select regional customers.

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8916139

Zenas BioPharma Announces Strategic License and Collaboration Agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb to Develop and Commercialize Novel Bi-Functional Antibody Obexelimab in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia

Collaboration furthers Zenas’ vision to bring innovative immunology-based medicines to patients around the world by leveraging Bristol Myers Squibb’s long-standing expertise in immune-mediated diseases

Zenas will receive a $50 million up-front cash payment and an equity investment from Bristol Myers Squibb, along with additional potential milestone-based payments and royalties in the licensed territory

WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zenas BioPharma, a global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of immunology-based therapies, today announced that it has entered into a license and collaboration agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb Company to develop and commercialize obexelimab for autoimmune diseases in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.

Obexelimab is an investigational bifunctional, non-cytolytic, humanized monoclonal antibody that binds CD19 and FcγRIIb to inhibit B cells, plasmablasts, and CD19-expressing plasma cells. Obexelimab is currently being studied as a subcutaneous injection in a global Phase III trial in patients with IgG4-Related Disease (IgG4-RD), a disease for which there are currently no approved treatments. The compound is also being studied in a global Phase II/III trial in patients with warm antibody Auto-Immune Hemolytic Anemia (wAIHA).

“This collaboration marks an important step forward in realizing our vision for obexelimab to benefit patients living with auto immune diseases globally,” said Lonnie Moulder, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zenas BioPharma. “The deeply experienced and passionate team at Bristol Myers Squibb is an ideal partner based on their proven development, regulatory and commercial capabilities in Japan and throughout the licensed territory.”

“This collaboration represents an important opportunity to address unmet needs for people living with IgG4-RD, for which there are no approved treatment options,” said Steve Sugino, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Japan, Bristol Myers Squibb. “We are excited to work with Zenas BioPharma to expand the reach of obexelimab in the licensed territory and to make an impact on the lives of patients that are waiting.”

Under the terms of the license agreement, Zenas will receive a $50 million up-front cash payment and is eligible to receive additional payments in connection with the achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on net sales of obexelimab in the licensed territory. In exchange, Bristol Myers Squibb will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize obexelimab in the licensed territory. In addition, Bristol Myers Squibb is making an equity investment in Zenas.

About Obexelimab

Obexelimab is an investigational Phase 3-stage, bifunctional, non-cytolytic, humanized monoclonal antibody that mimics the action of antigen-antibody complexes by binding CD19 and FcγRIIb to inhibit B-lineage cell activity. In several early-stage clinical studies, including in various autoimmune diseases, 198 subjects were treated with obexelimab. In these clinical studies, obexelimab demonstrated inhibition of B cell function without depleting the cells, resulting in encouraging treatment effect in patients with various autoimmune diseases. Zenas acquired exclusive worldwide rights to obexelimab from Xencor, Inc.

More information on the Phase 3 (INDIGO) study for the treatment of IgG4 Related Disease is available at clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05662241. More information on the Phase 3 (SApHiAre) study is available at clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05786573.

About IgG4-related disease

IgG4-RD is a chronic, immune-mediated fibro-inflammatory disease that can affect multiple organs including the major salivary glands, orbits, lacrimal glands, pancreas, biliary tree, lungs, kidneys, and retroperitoneum. Approximately 20,000 patients are diagnosed with IgG4-RD in the United States alone. Despite its increasing recognition, there remains a need for further research and effective therapeutic options for individuals living with this debilitating disease.

Across the world, the use of glucocorticoids is widely considered to be the standard of care for treating IgG4-RD. There are no approved treatment options for this condition. While commonly used, glucocorticoids and available B cell depleting therapies rarely lead to long-term, treatment-free remissions, and are associated with a high risk of toxicity in these patients. Such therapies may also impair vaccine responses, including those for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza.

About Zenas BioPharma

Zenas BioPharma is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of immunology-based therapies for patients around the world. With clinical development and operations globally, Zenas is advancing a deep and balanced global portfolio of potential first- and best-in-class autoimmune therapeutics in areas of high unmet medical need while meeting the value requirements of the dynamic global healthcare environment. The company’s pipeline continues to grow through our successful business development strategy. Our experienced leadership team and network of business partners drive operational excellence to deliver potentially transformative therapies to improve the lives of those facing autoimmune and rare diseases. For more information about Zenas BioPharma, please visit www.zenasbio.com and follow us on Twitter at @ZenasBioPharma and LinkedIn.

Investor and Media Contact:
Joe Farmer, President & COO
Zenas BioPharma
IR@zenasbio.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8916029