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JustLogin and MyCLNQ Health collaborate to integrate digital healthcare services

JustLogin, the pioneer of cloud-based HR solutions in Southeast Asia, announced today the integration of JustLogin with MyCLNQ Health, a leading healthtech app based in Singapore. With the touch of a button on the JustLogin mobile app, JustLogin users can access a wide range of digital healthcare services from telemedicine, medical transport booking, to digital health screening via Single Sign-On (SSO). The collaboration makes JustLogin the first HR tech company in Singapore to integrate digital healthcare services into its platform, enabling Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and their employees to benefit from MyCLNQ Health’s comprehensive, yet affordable ecosystem. Employees can take care of their healthcare needs with a convenient, one-stop solution fully integrated with their HR system, while SMEs can easily manage their health and wellness programmes to improve employee satisfaction. “Employee wellbeing is increasingly critical for SMEs, not only to ensure productivity among your talent but also to retain them over time. Through our collaboration with MyCLNQ Health, JustLogin is leading the industry and enabling the convergence of HR tech and healthtech for the benefit of our customers,” said Kwa Kim Chiong, Chief Executive Officer at JustLogin. “This integration will progressively extend across JustLogin’s entire suite of features, including Benefit, Leave and Payroll, to seamlessly address the administration of healthcare for employers and employees alike,” he added. “MyCLNQ Health is excited to partner with JustLogin to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. With a comprehensive family healthcare ecosystem readily available via JustLogin, employees are empowered to take care of themselves and be more engaged in getting personalised care and self-care decisions, while employers benefit from a happy, healthy workforce minus the hassle of sourcing and implementing complex programmes,” said Anwar Rafique, Chief Executive Officer at MyCLNQ Health. JustLogin customers are now able to use MyCLNQ Health as part of their subscription, chargeable on a per consultation basis. To support SMEs in their adoption of an integrated healthcare programme, JustLogin and MyCLNQ Health are extending an exclusive waiver of consultation fees for the first five consultations per company and 20% off any subsequent consultations in the first three months of MyCLNQ usage.

India demands 30 million digitally skilled professionals by 2026- Report

TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, India’s fastest growing apprenticeship program, from the TeamLease Services group, has released a niche report for CHROs on ‘Skills Strategies for a Strong, Sustainable and Balanced World of Work.’ The report, which analyses the current market sentiment, highlights a varied range of effective skill strategies that can help organizations assess and augment their existing skill-development programmes to improve productivity, revenue and bottom line growth. According to the report, India will need 30 million digitally skilled professionals by 2026 and 50% of the current workforce would need to re-skill themselves in areas of emerging technologies. Sharing her views on the need for conducive skill strategies, Ms. Rituparna Chakraborty, Co-Founder & Executive Director, TeamLease Services, said, “Today India has about 500 million people of working age and despite that we continue to face a skill crisis. Industry data suggests that only 49% of total youth (age group of 22-25 years) in the country is employable. In fact, our own surveyed have indicated that 75% of companies face skill gap in the industry. Even among people, who can stay in their current jobs, 40% of fundamental abilities are likely to change and thus re-aligning the skill strategy will be crucial for companies.” The report from TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship highlights a seven-step skills strategy for corporates, which can directly impact their workforce productivity, revenue and growth. From developing a skills matric, conducting skill audit to targeting specific learning journeys and intermingling upskilling within the company culture; a comprehensive skill development strategy will lead to a more sustainable future of work. The proposed recommendation also includes having an effective outcome focused learning approach with structured impact evaluation metrics. According to the World Economic Forum, investment in upskilling could potentially boost India’s economy by $570bn by adding 2.3 million jobs by 2030. According to TeamLease’s CHRO focused report, comprehensive skill programs based on real-life practices will be the future of skilling. The report also highlights prominent brand case studies (Accenture and Henkel, Amazon, AT&T, Infosys, HSBC), outlining the impact of advanced integrated skilling methods. Skills Strategies for a Strong, Sustainable and Balanced World of Work’ is a comprehensive report, designed to be a source of market information that helps CHROs step up and fundamentally reexamine their skill development strategy as well as to assist in establishing a complete plan for the organization’s future skill-development programme. In this regard, a detailed analysis of skill strategies initiated by the global companies for their core employees are listed in the report along with a detailed action oriented skill strategy for CHROs. Additionally, it includes self-assessment questionnaire which is designed to help organizations assess their skill strategies.

Assentia, Inc. Expands Global Footprint with Opening of Asia-Pacific Office

Assentia, Inc., a worldwide provider of clinical research services headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, announced today that it has expanded its global presence by opening an office in Mumbai, India. The formation of this subsidiary and office enables Assentia to establish a hub in the expanding Asia-Pacific clinical trial market, providing support to their staff members in over 12 Asia-Pacific countries. The Mumbai office adds to Assentia’s rapid international growth as the leader in global Clinical Trial Agreement negotiation and Site Payment services. “As the clinical trials industry puts further emphasis on Asia-Pacific inclusion in global studies, it is essential that Assentia expands with the market in order to provide the highest level of in-country expertise to our clients. Our Mumbai office is the next element of our global expansion plan,” said Alexa Spain, Vice President of Operations for Assentia.

Biomerics, expanding manufacturing operations, creating new jobs

Biomerics, the leading vertically integrated medical device contract manufacturer in the interventional device market, announced the completion of a 24,000 sq. ft. expansion of manufacturing operations at their Athens, TX, facility. Driven by growth in the single-use endoscopy market, this investment includes 8,500 sq. ft. of production space and the expansion of Biomerics’ Center of Excellence for Balloons & Balloon Catheters with a 4,900 sq. ft. engineering laboratory adjacent to a CNC-machining (computer numerical control machining) tool shop. “This expansion reflects our 30-year pursuit of innovation and manufacturing excellence. I’m thrilled to see our vertical integration on full display in one building,” stated Chris Richardson, President of Biomerics Interventional Advanced Catheter. “Our Center of Excellence for Balloons & Balloon Catheters in Athens has a long history of producing class-leading interventional products for our customers. The expansion will fuel our growth with best-in-class speed-to-market capabilities.” The expansion increases the Athens campus to approximately 100,000 sq. ft. and includes an exterior refresh, additional engineering and lab space, manufacturing space and an employee break room. The Biomerics balloons and Interventional Advanced Catheter business operates out of three locations: Athens, TX; Brooklyn Park, MN; and Cartago, Costa Rica. Biomerics will celebrate the completion of the new campus expansion with a ribbon-cutting event today. “The new building expansion in Athens Industrial Park is such a great demonstration of our partnership with Biomerics. They are a great corporate citizen and one of our largest employers. We are excited about the increase in investment, new jobs and what the future holds,” stated Joanie Ahlers, Director of Athens Economic Development Corporation. “I am thrilled Biomerics continues to expand and reinvest in Athens,” Mayor Toni Clay said. “Here in Athens, we have some of the best talent in the nation. This makes our city and state a perfect fit for innovative companies like Biomerics. I look forward to seeing the continued growth and furthering our partnership for many years to come.” “This investment says a lot about the performance of this team, our markets and our commitment to this community,” commented Travis Sessions, Chief Executive Officer of Biomerics. “We appreciate the support of the local community, state leaders and our many supply partners.”

BestDoc to set up headquarter in Dubai, creating 50 high-quality jobs

BestDoc, an Indian health-tech provider offering a suite of omni-channel end-to-end patient relationship management products, has expanded its operations to the city of Dubai. The startup established its regional headquarters in Dubai last year and the move was supported and facilitated by Dubai International Chamber. Within a short period of time, the company has already acquired association with some of the most sought-after names in UAE such as Burjeel Royal Hospital, Al Ain, and Emirates International Hospital and they are currently working on a pilot project with the Saudi German Hospital, Dubai. BestDoc has invested over $0.5 million in Dubai with primary focus on establishing a robust brand presence, setting up a local entity, and building dedicated sales and support teams to better serve their customers in the region. The company is ambitiously planning to increase their investments in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region by three to four times over the next 3 to 5 years with a significant share earmarked for Dubai. BestDoc was a part of the shortlisted startups in Dubai Tech Tour organised by Dubai Chamber in 2020. After having significantly invested in Dubai, the company seeks to expand to 100 hospitals in the UAE, and over the next two to three years, in Bahrain and other GCC countries. This expansion is expected to quadruple its current sales and support teams over the next five years, creating at least 50 high-quality jobs in Dubai.

Liberation Labs Secures $30 Million in Equipment Funding for Biomanufacturing Facility

Liberation Labs, industrial biotech’s fabrication partner, has secured $30 million in equipment financing to advance development of its first commercial-scale biomanufacturing facility in Richmond, Indiana. The new facility will have a fermentation capacity of 600,000 liters with a fully dedicated downstream process (DSP). Groundbreaking is expected in June 2023 with initial plant startup by the end of 2024. Liberation Labs is focused on enabling the commercial availability of bioproducts that will meet the growing demand from existing major CPG and ingredient brands as well as from the emerging crop of precision fermentation-focused startups. The new facility will be the first purpose-built commercial-scale precision fermentation plant in the United States. The company has commenced the detailed design engineering phase and has placed orders for all of the major engineered equipment, including its 150,000 liter fermenters and DSP separation and drying units, all while continuing to build out the engineering and operations teams. “This new financing, combined with our seed raise, allows us to not only secure all the needed equipment, but also to continue investing in our team to move the overall project forward at speed,” said Mark Warner, co-founder and CEO of Liberation Labs. “Traditionally it is challenging to secure this kind of funding for a first-of-a-kind facility, but this lease financing reflects the belief in our vision and strong team by our committed equity and equipment finance investors.” The facility comes at a time of increasing focus on both the importance of a domestic biorefining industry, and the current lack of major projects. In September 2022, President Biden launched a National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative designed to stimulate development and create domestic jobs, build stronger supply chains, lower costs for Americans. The new facility, the first in the US fully dedicated to novel bioproducts, could catalyze market demand, commercializing innovation among food, chemical and materials biotechnology companies and their associated economic, health and environmental benefits.

Genentech unveils new biologics manufacturing facility, adds local 150 jobs

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group,announced the construction of a new biologics manufacturing facility at its Oceanside, CA campus, marking the occasion with a groundbreaking ceremony. The new facility will harness transformational digital technologies to move medicines from production to patients faster and more sustainably, making it one of the most modern commercial-scale biotech manufacturing facilities in the world. Sustainable design has been integrated into the facility from construction to production, making it more environmentally friendly than traditional manufacturing facilities, and the modular design will enable simultaneous production of multiple medicines as well as the ability to quickly pivot from producing one medicine to another. When operational in early 2025, the facility will be the first location in the company’s global manufacturing network designed specifically for the fast, efficient and sustainable commercial production of biologics for smaller patient populations, including rare diseases and personalized medicines. Genentech’s Oceanside campus was selected for this new manufacturing facility due to its proximity to world-class biotech talent and the company’s Clinical Supply Center in South San Francisco, CA. In addition to location, the standardized design of both facilities will enable Genentech to transfer production between the two sites at unprecedented speed, reducing the traditional six to eighteen month timeline for this process to just a few days, and ultimately getting medicines to patients faster. Genentech is investing approximately $450 million in advanced manufacturing capabilities at its Oceanside campus, and plans to add approximately 150 local, full-time jobs to support operations in addition to the trades who will be engaged during construction. “As the founder of the biotechnology industry, Genentech pioneered the processes and technologies used to manufacture complex biologic medicines,” said Alexander Hardy, chief executive officer, Genentech. “After more than four decades of manufacturing innovation, we remain committed to our home state of California and continue to invest in new ways to bring medicines to patients quicker and more sustainably.”

SK bioscience plans to establish a vaccine-biopharmaceutical hub

SK bioscience, a global innovative vaccine and biotech company committed to promoting human health from prevention to cure across the globe, announced that the company’s board of directors has officially decided to initiate the establishment of the ‘Songdo Global Research & Process Development Center (The R&PD Center). The establishment of the R&PD Center will be proceeded on a 30,413.8㎡ site in Songdo, Republic of Korea with a total investment of 261 million USD(325.7 billion KRW), including the previous investment of 33 million USD(41.9 billion KRW). Once the establishment of the R&PD Center is completed in the first half of 2025, the headquarters and the research and development (R&D) center currently located in Pangyo will move to Songdo area. SK bioscience aims to secure the newest technologies covering the entire process from basic research to commercial manufacturing and to ultimately create a global vaccine ecosystem to preemptively respond to new infectious diseases through the establishment. To achieve the goal, SK bioscience plans to operate the ‘Open Lab’ in the R&PD Center to strengthen a global vaccine network. The Open Lab will be utilized as a joint research space for international organizations and biopharmaceutical companies around the world to develop new vaccines together with SK bioscience. In addition, SK bioscience plans to operate a pilot plant to strengthen global competitiveness in the C(D)MO market. A pilot plant, a small-scale test facility utilized before commercializing a new method or a product, will be established at the R&PD. The plant will be designed as a cGMP-level production facility, the highest demanding standard worldwide. The plant will also be utilized for new tasks under the main growth strategies of SK bioscience such as CGT (Cell and Gene Therapy) mRNA, and viral vectors platforms research. As SK bioscience is planning a future strategy to advance to new markets through JV (Joint Venture) and M&A, the pilot plant is expected to play a key role in leading cooperation and investment with other biopharmaceutical companies. Since the plant can produce samples for non-clinical, clinical, and commercial-scale, SK bioscience will accelerate expanding its new pipeline through synergy with ‘L-HOUSE´, a vaccine manufacturing facility located in Andong area. Jaeyong Ahn, CEO of SK bioscience said, “The establishment of the R&PD Center will be a crucial milestone for us to advance the entire vaccine and biopharmaceutical industry beyond Korea to the world. We will ultimately organize the ‘Dream Team’ of the global health network to protect a safe tomorrow for people around the world.”

Forecyte Bio to open new state-of-the-art GMP facility

Forecyte Bio, a new global leader in cell and gene therapy contract development and manufacturing, officially opened its 17,000 square feet, state-of-the-art GMP facility . Maryland Commerce officials, State delegates, Partners, Vendors, and cell and gene therapy colleagues from the region attended the opening ceremony. “We are very proud to be able to complete the cGMP facility with such speed and quality,” said Dr. Yujian You, the General Manager of Forecyte Bio USA, “This great milestone is just the beginning for Forecyte. We will partner with cell and gene therapy developers to offer our 4×4TM CGT CDMO services to accelerate their product development with speed, agility, and quality from concept to patients.” The new cGMP production facility consists of individual cleanroom suites for plasmid DNA, viral vectors and cell therapies, as well as laboratory space for process development and quality control testing. They are equipped with state-of-the-art bioreactors and purification apparatus such as XDR-200 and AKTA Ready. They are ready to support your programs to accelerate patients’ access to cell and gene therapies.

Canadian Health Science Innovations Attract Global Investment at the Sixth OBIO Investment Summit

Global investors and strategic pharma licensing teams met with some of Canada’s most promising early-stage health science company leaders and our top research institutions at the OBIO® Investment Summit from February 8-10, 2023. The sixth edition of the annual Summit, held at First Canadian Place in Toronto, showcased Canada’s early-stage life science industry to the global investment community. The Summit brings together Canada’s most promising early-stage life science companies to share their state-of-the-art innovative technologies with global investors, showcasing the strength of our industry and the opportunity for investment across Canada,” said Dr. Maura Campbell, OBIO® President and CEO. “The Summit continues to build on the success of the Canadian ecosystem, and we are proud of our efforts to help companies anchor in Canada and develop their innovative technologies at home.” The OBIO® Investment Summit attracts investment to Canada and Ontario, and since 2018, Canadian companies that presented at the Summit have raised more than CAD $1.3 B. “Each year we build on our past success,” added Dr. Campbell. “The 2023 Summit featured our first-ever Pharma Licensing Forum, where 9 global pharmaceutical companies met with Canadian biotechnology companies looking to out-license their technologies and develop research collaborations.” OBIO® has received support from the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to assist with various programs including the, CAAP®, EAHN™ and WiHI. “Providing better health care for Canadians means investing in the organizations that support innovators and research institutions. The work that OBIO® is doing helps grow Canadian-made health technologies and encourages participation of women in leadership roles in the health sector,” said the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. “OBIO’s Investment Summit is an important networking opportunity that is strengthening our healthcare institutions for the health and wellbeing of all Canadians.” “Part of building Ontario is ensuring that companies, innovators and entrepreneurs have the support they need to succeed and advance next-generation technologies,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “The OBIO® Investment Summit has provided Ontario’s life sciences sector a great opportunity to showcase their world-class talent and ingenuity, and our government is proud to have supported this event. Together, we’re building Ontario and ensuring that our province remains at the forefront of life sciences innovation and a global leader in life sciences.” The OBIO® Investment Summit’s success, and that of the entire industry, can only be achieved with the support of a strong, collaborative ecosystem. These include Canada’s pre-eminent research and post-secondary academic institutions, technology incubators and accelerators, entrepreneurs, start-ups, healthcare organizations and multinationals, all of whom are working together to develop the industry and pursue every opportunity for growth. “Having a strong ecosystem to help new companies accelerate commercialization of their innovations is important to attracting investment to the Canadian life science industry,” says Anne Woods, Managing Director of Life Sciences and Healthcare at Silicon Valley Bank in Toronto. “Investors and licensing professionals rely on the Canadian ecosystem to support health science businesses to develop their intellectual property and scale domestically.” “We were delighted to present at the OBIO® Investment Summit,” says Dr. Wendy Naimark, Chief Technology Officer, Ripple Therapeutics, a clinical stage ophthalmic therapeutics company focused on sustained drug delivery without the use of polymers or excipients. “OBIO® gave us the skills we needed to present our novel therapeutics and the right forum to foster relationships with investors outside of our network.” OBIO® looks forward to collaborating with our ecosystem partners to develop the life science industry and foster investment in Canada through future summits.