Archive for May, 2020

Hereditary cancer syndromes account for approximately 5% to 10% of all cancers, including those of the female reproductive organs.1 It is important to identify patients at risk for inherited cancer syndromes to manage and prevent various syndrome-associated malignancies.

The management of women at increased risk for hereditary gynecologic cancer specifically has to take into consideration unique concerns regarding fertility and hormonal health, with the use of appropriate fertility preservation strategies and hormone therapy, according to an evidence-based review by the Society of Gynecologic Oncology and American Society for Reproductive Medicine published jointly in Gynecologic Oncology and Fertility & Sterility.2

The most common conditions associated with gynecologic cancers include hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, also known as Lynch syndrome.2 Other genetic cancer syndromes that have been linked to increased risk for gynecologic malignancy include Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and Cowden syndrome.1

Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer accounts for approximately 5% of breast cancers and 10% to 25% of ovarian cancers.2 Mutations of the genes breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) and 2 (BRCA2) account for the majority of hereditary ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal cancers.3

Several other pathogenic variants are associated with an increased risk for ovarian cancer but not breast cancer, including variants in BRIP1, RAD51C, and RAD51D. Other pathogenic variants that are associated with an increased risk for breast cancer without a significantly increased risk for ovarian cancer include variants in TP53, CDH1, CHEK2, and ATM.2

Lynch syndrome is associated with increased risk for various solid malignancies other than gynecologic cancers, especially colorectal cancer, with Lynch genes varying in penetrance.2

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) guidelines detail criteria for genetic risk assessment in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, based on personal or family history of ovarian and breast cancer, age at diagnosis of the breast or ovarian cancer, or having a close relative with a known mutation or a family history indicative of Lynch syndrome.4

Once a mutation is identified, the patient should be counseled regarding risk-reducing surgery, other risk-reduction strategies, and altered screening.

Screening: Although early detection of malignancies may improve prognosis, there are no effective screening tests for ovarian cancer, even in those at high risk for the malignancy. Transvaginal ultrasound and the cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) test may have a role in these cases.2

Chemoprevention: Several classes of drugs have been investigated for chemoprevention of ovarian cancer, but only oral contraceptives were found to potentially reduce risk for the malignancy. However, several studies have reported a possible increased risk for breast cancer with oral contraceptive in the general population and in women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.2

Risk-reducing surgery: Women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations should be offered risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy by age 35 years or when childbearing is complete, but some countries recommend surgery at age 40 years or at an age that is 5 years younger than the youngest affected family member.4 Women with Lynch syndrome should be offered prophylactic total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy after the completion of childbearing, especially after age 40 years, as these measures have been shown to decrease the risk for endometrial and ovarian cancer in this patient population.2

There are multiple fertility-preservation and family-building strategies that can be used to help women achieve their goals, including oocyte and/or embryo cryopreservation; use of donor oocytes, donor embryos, and/or gestational carriers; and adoption.2

Women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic variants should be referred early to reproductive endocrinologists, as discussions with physicians and ovarian reserve testing may help inform patients decisions on if and when to pursue fertility preservation.2

Patients have the option to cryopreserve and store oocytes and/or embryos using assisted reproductive technology. Although embryo cryopreservation is an effective strategy for fertility preservation, the success rate is dependent on multiple factors. The use of fertility drugs is not associated with a greater risk for invasive breast, ovarian, or uterine cancer in the general population. There is also no known increased risk for breast cancer with fertility medications in BRCA mutation carriers, but there are limited data on the risk for ovarian cancer in these patients.2

Additional options for parenthood include hormonally priming the uterus for embryo transfer after risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy. Even women who have undergone hysterectomy but who have retained ovaries can have children using their own gametes through in vitro fertilization with a gestational carrier. Uterine transplantation is still a novel procedure and its role in fertility preservation has not yet been determined.2

Embryo biopsies for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) should be offered to carriers of known pathogenic gene variants. Analysis for monogenic/single gene defects (PGT-M) can aid in selecting embryos for intrauterine transfer and serve as an alternative to prenatal testing. However, one study found that only approximately one-third of high-risk women would theoretically use PGT-M themselves.2

Chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis may be used to assess fetal karyotype and certain chromosomal abnormalities, but as of 2018, it is still considered a screening test primarily for aneuploidy that should not be used for prenatal diagnosis of a cancer risk gene.5

Surgical intervention can result in menopausal symptoms at a young age, including vasomotor symptoms, cognitive changes, increased risk for cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Hormonal therapy may alleviate some of these symptoms, but its use in patients at greater risk for gynecologic and breast cancers is controversial and limited data are available on the safety of hormonal therapy for women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations or those with Lynch syndrome. As the benefits of hormone therapy may outweigh the risks secondary to premature estrogen loss, this option should be considered for women without a personal history of breast cancer.2

Nonhormonal options to reduce vasomotor symptoms include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, dietary and lifestyle changes, and alternative medicine approaches.2

Providers who care for women at risk for hereditary gynecologic cancers must consider the impact of these conditions on reproductive and hormonal health, stated the authors of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology and American Society for Reproductive Medicine review. These considerations include discussions about options for cancer prevention, fertility preservation and family planning, and management of early surgical menopause in these patients.

References

1. Ballinger LL. Hereditary gynecologic cancers: risk assessment, counseling, testing and management. Obs Gynecol Clin N Am. 2012;39(2):165-181.

2. Chen L-M, Blank SV, Burton E, Glass K, Penick E, Woodard T. Reproductive and hormonal considerations in women at increased risk for hereditary gynecologic cancers: Society of Gynecologic Oncology and American Society for Reproductive Medicine evidence-based review. Fertil Steril. 2019;112(6):1034-1042.

3. Shaw PA, Clarke BA. Prophylactic gynecologic specimens from hereditary cancer carriers. Surg Pathol. 2016;9(2):307-328.

4. Mutch D, Denny L, Quinn M; for the FIGO Committee on Gynecologic Oncology. Hereditary gynecologic cancers. Int J Gynecol Obstet. 2014;124(3):189-192.

5. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Practice Bulletins. Practice bulletin No. 163 summary: screening for fetal aneuploidy. Obs Gynecol. 2016;127(5):979-981.

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Management of Fertility and Hormonal Health in Women at Risk for Hereditary Gynecologic Cancers - Endocrinology Advisor

SAN FRANCISCO, May 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA), a leading medical genetics company, today announced financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020.

"We started the year with a very strong quarter, delivering record growth in volume and first quarter revenues and giving us strong momentum as we began experiencing impacts from the pandemic. As healthcare has shifted, we have been able to quickly leverage our pre-existing strengths, notably our telehealth offerings and our ability to deliver genetic testing remotely," said Sean George, co-founder and chief executive officer of Invitae. "Looking ahead, our investments in diversified products, services, technologies and geographies mean we are well-equipped to drive growth across an increasing number of customer segments as we drive genetics into mainstream medicine."

First Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Total operating expense, excluding cost of revenue, for the first quarter of 2020 was $121.6 million. Non-GAAP operating expense, which excludes amortization of acquired intangible assets and acquisition-related stock-based compensation, was $101.9 million in the first quarter of 2020. Interest and other expense, net and net loss are preliminary and subject to change as we finalize acquisition-related adjustments. These adjustments will be incorporated in Invitae's Form 10-Q to be filed with the SEC on or before May 11, 2020.

Preliminary net loss for the first quarter of 2020 was $102.2 million, or $1.03 preliminary net loss per share, compared to a net loss of $37.7 million in the first quarter of 2019, or $0.47 net loss per share. Preliminary non-GAAP net loss was $79.8 million in the first quarter of 2020, or $0.80 preliminary non-GAAP net loss per share.

At March 31, 2020 cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and marketable securities totaled $301.0 million. Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash for the quarter was $61.0 million. Cash burn, including various acquisition-related expenses, was $98.5 million for the quarter; $66.2 million when excluding $32.3 million cash paid to acquire Diploid.

In April, the company completed a public offering of common stock, resulting in gross proceeds of $184.0 million and $173.0 million in net proceeds after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses.

COVID-19 ImpactGlobal stay-at-home orders, lockdowns and shutdown of non-emergency healthcare and elective procedures began impacting Invitae during the second half of March. Invitae took a number of steps in response, including:

The impact of the pandemic on testing volume has and is likely to continue to vary based on clinical area, geography and clinician type. In response, the company has taken a number of steps to reduce cash burn.

The company is continuing to closely monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and plans to continue to reduce previously communicated cash burn through the remainder of 2020.

Given the unknown duration and extent of COVID-19's impact on our business, and the healthcare system in general, Invitae has previously withdrawn its 2020 guidance.

Corporate and Scientific Highlights

Webcast and Conference Call DetailsManagement will host a conference call and webcast today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern / 1:30 p.m. Pacific to discuss financial results and recent developments. The dial-in numbers for the conference call are (866) 324-3683 for domestic callers and (509) 844-0959 for international callers, and the reservation number for both is 9557177. Please note, after dialing in, you will be prompted to enter the Conference ID and then the pound "#" sign to enter the call. Following prepared remarks, management will respond to questions from investors and analysts, subject to time limitations.

The live webcast of the call and slide deck may be accessed by visiting the investors section of the company's website atir.invitae.com. A replay of the webcast and conference call will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call and will be archived on the company's website.

About InvitaeInvitae Corporation(NYSE: NVTA)is a leading medical genetics company, whose mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time, and lower prices. For more information, visit the company's website at invitae.com.

Safe Harbor StatementThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to preliminary financial results, including preliminary net loss and net loss per share; the company's belief that it has been able to quickly leverage its telehealth offerings and its ability to deliver genetic testing remotely; he company's belief that it is well-equipped to drive growth across an increasing number of customer segments as it drives genetics into mainstream medicine; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the company's business, and the measures it has taken or may take In the future with respect thereto; the impact of the company's acquisitions, partnerships and product offerings; and the company's beliefs regarding the growth of its business, its position and impact on the genetic testing industry, its success in executing on its mission and achieving its goals, and the benefits of genetic testing. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the company, and the effectiveness of the efforts it has taken or may take in the future in response thereto; the completion of the closing process, including finalization of acquisition-related adjustments and the magnitude thereof; the company's ability to continue to grow its business, including internationally; the company's history of losses; the company's ability to compete; the company's failure to manage growth effectively; the company's need to scale its infrastructure in advance of demand for its tests and to increase demand for its tests; the risk that the company may not obtain or maintain sufficient levels of reimbursement for its tests; the company's failure to successfully integrate or fully realize the anticipated benefits of acquired businesses; the company's ability to use rapidly changing genetic data to interpret test results accurately and consistently; security breaches, loss of data and other disruptions; laws and regulations applicable to the company's business; and the other risks set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Invitae Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresTo supplement Invitae's consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP), the company is providing several non-GAAP measures, including non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP cost of revenue, non-GAAP operating expense, including non-GAAP research and development, non-GAAP selling and marketing and non-GAAP general and administrative, as well as non-GAAP net loss and net loss per share and non-GAAP cash burn. These non-GAAP financial measures are not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by GAAP and are not necessarily comparable to similarly-titled measures presented by other companies. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in evaluating the company's ongoing operating results and trends.

Management is excluding from some or all of its non-GAAP operating results (1) amortization of acquired intangible assets and (2) acquisition-related stock-based compensation related to inducement grants. These non-GAAP financial measures are limited in value because they exclude certain items that may have a material impact on the reported financial results. Management accounts for this limitation by analyzing results on a GAAP basis as well as a non-GAAP basis and also by providing GAAP measures in the company's public disclosures.

Cash burn excludes (1) changes in marketable securities and (2) cash received from exercises of warrants. Management believes cash burn is a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash consumed by the operations of the business. A limitation of using this non-GAAP measure is that cash burn does not represent the total change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash for the period because it excludes cash provided by or used for other operating, investing or financing activities. Management accounts for this limitation by providing information about the company's operating, investing and financing activities in the statements of cash flows in the consolidated financial statements in the company's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K and by presenting net cash provided by (used in) operating, investing and financing activities as well as the net increase or decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash in its reconciliation of cash burn.

In addition, other companies, including companies in the same industry, may not use the same non-GAAP measures or may calculate these metrics in a different manner than management or may use other financial measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of these non-GAAP measures as comparative measures. Because of these limitations, the company's non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. Investors are encouraged to review the non-GAAP reconciliations provided in the tables below.

INVITAE CORPORATION

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

March 31,2020

December 31,2019

Assets

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$

90,220

$

151,389

Marketable securities

204,388

240,436

Accounts receivable

37,734

32,541

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

25,085

18,032

Total current assets

357,427

442,398

Property and equipment, net

41,085

37,747

Operating lease assets

37,588

36,640

Restricted cash

6,343

6,183

Intangible assets, net

163,378

125,175

Goodwill

177,432

126,777

Other assets

7,635

6,681

Total assets

$

790,888

$

781,601

Liabilities and stockholders' equity

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$

790,888

$

781,601

Certain line items have been condensed as we finalize acquisition-related adjustments. These adjustments will be incorporated in Invitae's Form 10-Q to be filed with the SEC on or before May 11, 2020.

INVITAE CORPORATION

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(in thousands, except per share data)

(unaudited)

Three Months EndedMarch 31,

2020

2019

Revenue:

Test revenue

$

63,078

$

39,619

Other revenue

1,170

934

Total revenue

64,248

40,553

Cost of revenue

40,422

21,254

Research and development

55,668

17,994

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Invitae Reports More Than $64 Million in Revenue Driven by More Than 154,000 Samples Accessioned in the First Quarter of 2020 - PRNewswire

On Maharashtra Day on May 1, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Alumni Council launched a test bus that can reduce the cost of testing by over 80% without compromising on the testing capacity. IIT Alumni Council is a global alumni body for all the twenty three IITs.

The IIT Alumni Council has taken a proactive approach to supporting the Governments efforts in fighting the Covid-19 challenge. We have acted swiftly and set up the IIT C19 Task Force to channelise the energies of the global IIT Alumni for this fight, said Ravi Sharma, President, IIT Alumni Council.

The move is aimed at supporting the health department in tackling the pandemic that has caused 361 deaths and over 11,000 infections in Mumbai alone. Indias testing capacity stood at 177 tests per million, as on April 15.

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The IIT C19 Test Bus is based on the Kodoy architecture model that can facilitate affordable and rapid testing. It involves e-vehicles for sample selection & telemedicine, algorithm based pooled genetic testing and megalabs that are capable of conducting up to five million tests per month per lab.

The Covid-19 Test Bus is based on indigenous technology and to the best of our knowledge, is the first vehicle of its kind in the world with onboard genetic testing, AI-based teleradiology and contactless sample collection. We chose Mumbai as the launch location given the relatively high number of cases in the city, Sharma said.

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At first, a digital chest x-ray would be carried out and sent to the doctors online. The healthcare staff will then use artificial intelligence to see the probability of a person having Coronavirus.

Then we collect the swab from the mouth and throat which is done across a glass screen whilst fully protecting the technician from any kind of contact with the patient, said Dr Muffazal Lakadawala, Chief Medical Officer at the NSCI hub.

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To onboard the lab space on the test bus, the IIT Alumni Council has partnered with Krsnaa Diagnostics, a venture-capital funded laboratory in India.

See also:Googles mobility report reveals that nearly half of Maharashtras workforce went to work despite Coronavirus lockdownAdvertisement

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IIT launches a Covid-19 Test Bus in Mumbai capable of conducting 5 million tests per month - Business Insider India

The great American Zen poet and eco-warrior Gary Snyder turns 90 on Friday. Ive been thinking a lot about Snyder lately, along with other nature-minded writers like Annie Dillard and Barry Lopez, as Ive grown more restless during lockdown and started spending time in the deep woods where I live. (OK, theyre not that deep. But neither was Walden Thoreau brought laundry to his mothers house! and they at least give the illusion of solitude.) Snyders no hermit. One thing I admire about his work is its sense of fellowship: how alert it is to the links between land and politics and culture. He writes about nature, sure, but also about human nature. In honor of his birthday, maybe spend a few minutes reading Axe Handles or Above Pate Valley.

Theres not much nature on this weeks list of recommended titles, but theres plenty of politics and culture. You could read Lawrence Wrights prescient new pandemic thriller, The End of October, if you dare. You say you prefer your world affairs without viruses? In that case we might suggest Dalia Sofers novel Man of My Time, about an Iranian mans path from revolutionary to government interrogator, or Gotz Alys history Europe Against the Jews, about the 19th-century political spasms that led to the Holocaust. Theres In Deep, in which David Rohde investigates the alleged existence of a bureaucratic deep state, or The Inevitability of Tragedy, in which Barry Gewen (a longtime editor at the Book Review) traces the roots of Henry Kissingers political philosophy. Or theres Nobodys Child, Susan Nordin Vinocours incisive look at the problems and promise of the insanity defense as its used in American jurisprudence.

We also recommend a Gothic novel set in the Italian Alps, a story collection about refugees and immigrants in North America, a memoiristic biography of the woman who founded Weight Watchers, and an immersion in the ways of French cooking courtesy of Bill Bufords Dirt which, come to think of it, has a lot to do with nature after all.

Gregory CowlesSenior Editor, BooksTwitter: @GregoryCowles

THE END OF OCTOBER, by Lawrence Wright. (Knopf, $27.95.) The sweeping, authoritative and genuinely intelligent thriller the sort of novel in which the author employs a bulldozer and a scalpel at the same time is a rare specimen, our critic Dwight Garner writes, and The End of October is one of those rarities. The fact that its about the world in shock and ruin because of a virus similar to Covid-19 makes it read as if its been shot out of a cannon.

MAN OF MY TIME, by Dalia Sofer. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.) Sofers second novel traces a mans path from baffled revolutionary in Iran to complicit actor in a ruthless regime sure he can undermine the system from inside. It is a master class in layering together a character who is essentially unforgivable but no less captivating. With Sofers considerable talents, the betrayals (of both self and others) that leave Hamid a brittle shell of a man are fully worthy of our intense gaze, Rebecca Makkai writes in her review.

THE ANCESTOR, by Danielle Trussoni. (Morrow/HarperCollins, $27.99.) When a genetic testing site reveals ordinary Bert Monte to be Countess Alberta Montebianco, heiress to a grand old estate in the Italian Alps, she decides to claim her birthright. Trussonis Gothic novel explores what happens next. The central contradictions in The Ancestor reside in the questions of who we are and where we belong of what divides us and what unites us, Carol Goodman writes in her review. Those are the mysteries were invited to discover in this chilling and inventive novel.

NOBODYS CHILD: A Tragedy, a Trial and a History of the Insanity Defense, by Susan Nordin Vinocour. (Norton, $28.95.) The insanity defense, deployed in fewer than 1 percent of criminal cases and successful only about a quarter of the time, nevertheless looms large in debates about crime and punishment. Vinocour shows the injustices of this sliver of our legal system meant to bring together psychiatric research and criminal law. She makes her case delicately, every page offering an incriminating new piece of evidence, scientific fact or court case that demonstrates just how unjust our legal system is to anyone suffering the misfortune of mental illness, our reviewer, Rachel Louise Snyder, writes.

THE INEVITABILITY OF TRAGEDY: Henry Kissinger and His World, by Barry Gewen. (Norton, $30.) In this magisterial account, Gewen, a longtime editor at the Book Review, traces the historical and philosophical roots of Kissingers famous realism, situating him in the context of Hannah Arendt and a cohort of other Jewish intellectuals who escaped Nazi Germany. The book is a timely and acute defense of the great realists actions, values and beliefs, according to John A. Farrells review. Gewens book is a thoughtful rumination on human behavior, philosophy and international relations,

IN DEEP: The FBI, the CIA, and the Truth About Americas Deep State, by David Rohde. (Norton, $30.) Rohde examines Donald Trumps contention that there is a deep state trying to undermine his presidency, offering a history of the conspiracy theory and concluding that, despite the presence of an institutional government made up of career civil servants, there is no such thing. Some of the books most fascinating passages trace the rise of William Barr, Trumps attorney general, from his time as a C.I.A. intern, Fred Kaplan writes in his review. Rohde highlights Barrs activism, along with a small group of other conservative lawyers, in the Federalist Society and the Catholic Information Center, which now exercise enormous influence. The tale of these groups is worth an entire book.

HOW TO PRONOUNCE KNIFE: Stories, by Souvankham Thammavongsa. (Little, Brown, $26.) Most of the characters in this spare and rigorous debut collection by Thammavongsa, a Canadian writer and poet, are immigrants in unnamed North American cities, struggling with loneliness and the challenges of mastering the English language. Thammavongsas spare, rigorous stories are preoccupied with themes of alienation and dislocation, her characters burdened by the sense of existing unseen, Sarah Resnick writes in her review. Thammavongsas gift for the gently absurd means the stories never feel dour or predictable, even when their outcomes are by some measure bleak.

THIS IS BIG: How the Founder of Weight Watchers Changed the World and Me, by Marisa Meltzer. (Little, Brown, $28.) This is a story of kinship between two women who never met: Meltzer, a journalist, and Jean Nidetch, the founder of Weight Watchers. The two have more in common than their struggles with the scale, as Meltzer frankly details. By toggling between Nidetchs story and her own, Meltzer positions herself and the weight-loss icon as battle buddies of a sort, separated by time and space, yet bound by efforts to lose weight and to thrive within the boundaries imposed on women of their respective generations, our reviewer, Lily Burana, writes. Meltzer has created a singular companionate text for those who know the agony of frustration surrounding weight as an issue, both personal and political.

EUROPE AGAINST THE JEWS: 1880-1945, by Gotz Aly. (Metropolitan/Holt, $32.99.) The origins of the Holocaust, Aly argues, are to be found in the rise of nationalism and the persecution of minorities that began in the late 19th century and solidified in the welter of new nation-states after World War I. Alys reminder of the usefulness of taking a close look at the quiet horrors of Europes interwar years feels all the more valuable today, Steven J. Zipperstein writes in his review. And his acknowledgment that comparisons between now and then once the province of the ill-informed deserve more serious attention from historians and others is just one of many reminders as to how far weve stumbled into an age of troubled sleep.

DIRT: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking, by Bill Buford. (Knopf, $28.95.) Buford, whose last book was about Italian food, here delivers a delightful exploration of his immersion in French cuisine and its soul. This book may well be an even greater pleasure than its predecessor, Lisa Abend writes, reviewing it alongside two other culinary memoirs. He tangles with the btes noires of every Anglophone in France the language, the bureaucracy, the arrogance and embarks, to the great nationalistic dismay of all around him, on a quixotic investigation to prove an Italian origin theory for pot au feu and other French classics.

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10 New Books We Recommend This Week - The New York Times

Market OverviewThe global Cryogenics Equipment market size is expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2025, with a CAGR of xx% in the forecast period of 2020 to 2025 and will expected to reach USD xx million by 2025, from USD xx million in 2019.

The Cryogenics Equipment market report provides a detailed analysis of global market size, regional and country-level market size, segmentation market growth, market share, competitive Landscape, sales analysis, impact of domestic and global market players, value chain optimization, trade regulations, recent developments, opportunities analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, area marketplace expanding, and technological innovations.

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Market segmentationCryogenics Equipment market is split by Type and by Application. For the period 2015-2025, the growth among segments provide accurate calculations and forecasts for sales by Type and by Application in terms of volume and value. This analysis can help you expand your business by targeting qualified niche markets.

By Type, Cryogenics Equipment market has been segmented intoCryogenic TanksCryogenic ValveCryogenic VaporizerCryogenic PumpOther

By Application, Cryogenics Equipment has been segmented into:Energy & PowerChemicalsMetallurgyElectronicsShippingOther

Regions and Countries Level AnalysisRegional analysis is another highly comprehensive part of the research and analysis study of the global Cryogenics Equipment market presented in the report. This section sheds light on the sales growth of different regional and country-level Cryogenics Equipment markets. For the historical and forecast period 2015 to 2025, it provides detailed and accurate country-wise volume analysis and region-wise market size analysis of the global Cryogenics Equipment market.

The report offers in-depth assessment of the growth and other aspects of the Cryogenics Equipment market in important countries (regions), including:North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, etc.)Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

Access Complete Global Cryogenics Equipment Market Report @ https://arcognizance.com/report/global-cryogenics-equipment-market-2020-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2025

Competitive Landscape and Cryogenics Equipment Market Share AnalysisCryogenics Equipment competitive landscape provides details by vendors, including company overview, company total revenue (financials), market potential, global presence, Cryogenics Equipment sales and revenue generated, market share, price, production sites and facilities, SWOT analysis, product launch. For the period 2015-2020, this study provides the Cryogenics Equipment sales, revenue and market share for each player covered in this report.

The major players covered in Cryogenics Equipment are:CryofabEleet cryogenicsBeijing TianhaiCryoquipJSC Cryogenmash

Among other players domestic and global, Cryogenics Equipment market share data is available for global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America separately. Global Info Research analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately.

The content of the study subjects, includes a total of 15 chapters:Chapter 1, to describe Cryogenics Equipment product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market driving force and market risks.Chapter 2, to profile the top manufacturers of Cryogenics Equipment, with price, sales, revenue and global market share of Cryogenics Equipment in 2018 and 2019.Chapter 3, the Cryogenics Equipment competitive situation, sales, revenue and global market share of top manufacturers are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast.Chapter 4, the Cryogenics Equipment breakdown data are shown at the regional level, to show the sales, revenue and growth by regions, from 2015 to 2020.Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to break the sales data at the country level, with sales, revenue and market share for key countries in the world, from 2015 to 2020.Chapter 10 and 11, to segment the sales by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2015 to 2020.Chapter 12, Cryogenics Equipment market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2020 to 2025.Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Cryogenics Equipment sales channel, distributors, customers, research findings and conclusion, appendix and data source.

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Major Point of TOC:

Chapter One: Market Overview

Chapter Two: Manufacturers Profiles

Chapter Three: Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer

Chapter Four: Global Market Analysis by Regions

Chapter Five: North America by Country

Chapter Six: Europe by Country

Chapter Seven: Asia-Pacific by Regions

Chapter Eight: South America by Country

Chapter Nine: Middle East & Africa by Countries

Chapter Ten: Market Segment by Type

Chapter Eleven: Global Cryogenics Equipment Market Segment by Application 11.1 Global Cryogenics Equipment Sales Market Share by Application (2015-2020)11.2 Global Cryogenics Equipment Revenue Market Share by Application (2015-2020)11.3 Global Cryogenics Equipment Price by Application (2015-2020)

Chapter Twelve: Market Forecast 12.1 Global Cryogenics Equipment Sales, Revenue and Growth Rate (2021-2025)12.2 Cryogenics Equipment Market Forecast by Regions (2021-2025)12.2.1 North America Cryogenics Equipment Market Forecast (2021-2025)12.2.2 Europe Cryogenics Equipment Market Forecast (2021-2025)12.2.3 Asia-Pacific Cryogenics Equipment Market Forecast (2021-2025)12.2.4 South America Cryogenics Equipment Market Forecast (2021-2025)12.2.5 Middle East & Africa Cryogenics Equipment Market Forecast (2021-2025)12.3 Cryogenics Equipment Market Forecast by Type (2021-2025)12.3.1 Global Cryogenics Equipment Sales Forecast by Type (2021-2025)12.3.2 Global Cryogenics Equipment Market Share Forecast by Type (2021-2025)12.4 Cryogenics Equipment Market Forecast by Application (2021-2025)12.4.1 Global Cryogenics Equipment Sales Forecast by Application (2021-2025)12.4.2 Global Cryogenics Equipment Market Share Forecast by Application (2021-2025)

Chapter Thirteen: Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers 13.1 Sales Channel13.1.1 Direct Marketing13.1.2 Indirect Marketing13.2 Distributors, Traders and Dealers

Chapter Fourteen: Research Findings and Conclusion

Chapter Fifteen: Appendix 15.1 Methodology15.2 Data Source15.3 Disclaimer15.4 About US

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Cryogenics Equipment Market Size, Share, Analysis, Emerging-Technologies, Growth-Trends, 2020 Projections, Statistics, Applications, Software,...

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COVID-19: Responding to the business impacts of Carob Bean Gum Market Key Developments with Forecast until 2018 2026 - Jewish Life News

Cryogenic Tank Marketresearch Report is an inestimable supply of perceptive information for business strategists. This Cryogenic Tank Market study provides comprehensive data which enlarge the understanding, scope and application of this report.

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This report studies the global Cryogenic Tank Market status and forecast, categorizes the global Cryogenic Tank Market size (value & volume), revenue (Million USD), product price by manufacturers, type, application, and region. Cryogenic Tank Market Report by Material, Application and Geography with Global Forecast to 2024 is an connoisseur and far-reaching research provide details associated with worlds major provincial economic situations, Concentrating on the principle districts (North America, South America Europe, and Asia-Pacific) and the crucial nations (United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, and China).

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Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis coversNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East and Africa

Table of Contents

Global Cryogenic Tank Market Size, Status and Forecast 20241 Market Overview2 Manufacturers Profiles3 Global Cryogenic Tank Sales, Revenue, Market Share andCompetitionby Manufacturer4 Global Cryogenic Tank Market Analysis by Various Regions5 North America Cryogenic Tank by Countries6 Europe Cryogenic Tank by Countries7 Asia-Pacific Cryogenic Tank by Countries8 South America Cryogenic Tank by Countries9 Middle East and Africas Cryogenic Tank by Countries10 Global Cryogenic Tank Market Segment by Types11 Global Cryogenic Tank Market Segment by Applications12 Cryogenic Tank Market Forecast13 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers14 Research Findings and Conclusion15 Appendix

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Cryogenic Tank Market set to record exponential growth by 2024 with Key Companies like Chart Industries, Cryofab, INOX, Linde, VRV, Wessington...

1. First CRISPR test for the coronavirus approved in the United States  Nature.com
2. FDA approves first coronavirus diagnostic test that uses CRISPR technology  ModernHealthcare.com
3. A CRISPR Way  GenomeWeb
4. FDA Approves CRISPR-Based Coronavirus Test  ExtremeTech
5. First gene-editing CRISPR test for coronavirus approved by the FDA, here is how it works  Times Now
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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First CRISPR test for the coronavirus approved in the United States - Nature.com

The agency's guidelines would help companies who are making kits that allow Americans to swab themselves and send the sample into a lab all from the safety of their own home. Meanwhile, CRISPR technology could help cut testing time down to an hour. Meanwhile, as states grapple with testing questions, the porn industry could offer a template for moving forward.

The New York Times:F.D.A. Paves Way For Home Testing Of CoronavirusIn a move that could significantly expand the nations testing capacity, the Food and Drug Administration has posted new guidelines that could pave the way for millions of people to test themselves for the coronavirus at home. The guidelines allow companies to develop and market testing kits with the tools to swab their noses and mail the specimens to any lab in the country. (Jacobs, 5/7)

The Washington Post:FDA Gives Emergency Authorization For CRISPR-Based Diagnostic Tool For CoronavirusThe Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a new diagnostic tool that employs the revolutionary CRISPR gene-editing technology to determine in just one hour if someone is infected with the novel coronavirus. The FDAs emergency use authorization allows only high-complexity laboratories to use the test kit, developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, the Ragon Institute and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and marketed by Sherlock Biosciences of Cambridge, Mass. (Achenbach and McGinley, 5/7)

Boston Globe:Cambridge Biotechs Virus Test Using CRISPR Gene Editing OKd For CrisisA Cambridge biotech startup received emergency clearance Thursday for a faster and radically different laboratory test to diagnose COVID-19, a kit the company says can give results within an hour. The Food and Drug Administration provided an emergency use authorization for the test made by Sherlock Biosciences. It relies on the revolutionary genome-editing tool CRISPR, which edits DNA and has the potential to treat a vast array of diseases but had yet to win FDA approval for any product. The tool was repurposed to create a diagnostic test. (Saltzman, 5/7)

Stat:Could The Porn Industry Offer A Model For Reopening Amid Covid-19?As states and employers furiously develop plans to safely reopen workplaces in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, theyre grappling with what seems like an endless list of questions: where to test, who to test, and how often to test for the virus? Further complicating matters are issues of workers privacy, geography, politics, science, and cost. Its a difficult mandate. But there is one place to look for guidance the adult film industry. (McFarling, 5/8)

CNN:Coronavirus: Rollout Of Antibody Tests Met With Confusion, Little OversightPublic health experts, including members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, have argued accurate Covid-19 antibody tests can support efforts to get Americans back to work by determining who may have overcome the virus. But the rollout of millions of antibody tests in the US has created frustration and division among state health departments due to a mix of questionable tests, shifting federal rules and a hodgepodge of different methods for tracking results. (Devine, Bronstein and Griffin, 5/7)

Kaiser Health News:Trying Out LAs New Coronavirus Testing RegimeLast week, after Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that Los Angeles was offering COVID-19 tests to all city and county residents, I decided to get one myself and test Garcettis bold new promise in the bargain. I was surprised how easily I was able to log on to L.A.s testing website. I answered a few questions about myself, including whether I had any symptoms of the disease the answer was no and within three minutes, I had a same-day appointment at one of eight city-run testing sites. (Wolfson, 5/8)

San Francisco Chronicle:California Clinics, Counties Get $97 Million From Feds To Expand TestingThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $97.3 million to 179 California health centers to expand coronavirus testing in low-income communities, the federal agency said Thursday. The grants are part of $583 million the federal government is distributing to 1,385 health centers that receive funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration, a unit of HHS that seeks to improve health care access for uninsured and vulnerable Americans. The money comes from the federal Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which provides funding for small businesses hurt by the pandemic and economic support for health care providers and testing efforts. (Ho, 5/7)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution:Governor Urges All Georgians To Get Testing For CoronavirusGov. Brian Kemp urged all Georgians to schedule an appointment for coronavirus screening regardless of whether they have symptoms, as the state continues to expand testing for the disease even as the rapid growth has exposed new strains. With the state no longer facing crippling shortages of key supplies, Kemp said Thursday that the capacity for testing now outstrips the publics demand in the weeks after he began to reopen parts of the economy. That has stressed area labs, however, struggling to keep up with record numbers of tests. (Bluestein and Hallerman, 5/7)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution:Ga. Heath Centers To Receive More Than $12.2 Million For COVID TestingNearly three dozen health centers in Georgia will share more than $12.2 million in federal dollars to expand testing forCOVID-19. This infusion of funding is part of nearly $583 million awarded across the U.S. and its territories by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to boost testing capacity. The money is going to centers funded by its Health Resources and Services Administration, which provide health care services to populations that have limited access to health care services. (Mariano, 5/7)

Boston Globe:Maine To Triple Testing Capacity For CoronavirusMaine Governor Janet Mills announced a partnership with IDEXX Laboratories, a local manufacturer, which will allow the state to more than triple its testing capacity in the coming weeks and remove testing criteria for those who believe they may have the virus. The public-private partnership will introduce a new diagnostic testing system to the states health department and bolster the states testing 2,000 tests per week to 7,000 tests per week for the foreseeable future, Mills said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. IDEXX is also lending 3,500 test kits to the states health department. (Berg, 5/7)

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FDA Cutting Red Tape To Speed Development Of In-Home Tests; CRISPR Technology Gets Green Light From Agency - Kaiser Health News

Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes Market has recently been added to its extensive repository by Market Research Intellect. This intelligence report includes research based on current scenarios, historical records and future forecasts. In this research report, specific data on various aspects such as type, size, application and end user were checked. It offers a 360-degree overview of the competitive landscape of industries. The SWOT analysis was used to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by companies. This helps companies understand the threats and challenges ahead. The Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market is growing steadily and the CAGR is expected to improve over the forecast period.

The report includes the latest coverage of the impact of COVID-19 on the Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes industry. The incidence has affected nearly every aspect of the business domain. This study evaluates the current scenario and predicts future outcomes of the pandemic on the global economy.

**Our FREE SAMPLE COPY of the report gives a brief introduction of the Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market, Detailed TOC, key players of the market, list of tables and figures and comprising key countries regions.**

We provide a detailed analysis of key players operating in the Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes Market:

The scope of the Report:

The report analyzes the key opportunities, CAGR, and Y-o-Y growth rates to allow readers to understand all the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market. A competition analysis is imperative in the Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market and the competition landscape serves this objective. A wide company overview, financials, recent developments, and long and short-term strategies adopted are par for the course. Various parameters have been taken into account while estimating market size. The revenue generated by the leading industry participants in the sales of Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes across the world has been calculated through primary and secondary research. The Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes Market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.

By Regions:

* North America (The US, Canada, and Mexico)

* Europe (Germany, France, the UK, and Rest of the World)

* Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, and Rest of Asia Pacific)

* Latin America (Brazil and Rest of Latin America.)

* Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, , South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa)

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Highlights of the Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market study:

Speculations for sales:

The report contains historical revenue and volume that backing information about the market capacity, and it helps to evaluate conjecture numbers for key areas in the Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market. Additionally, it includes a share of every segment of the Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market, giving methodical information about types and applications of the market.

Key point summary of the Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market report:

This report gives a forward-looking prospect of various factors driving or restraining market growth.

It presents an in-depth analysis of changing competition dynamics and puts you ahead of competitors.

It gives a six-year forecast evaluated on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow.

It assists in making informed business decisions by creating a pin-point analysis of market segments and by having complete insights of the Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market.

This report helps users in comprehending the key product segments and their future.

Strategic Points Covered in TOC:

Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product scope, market risk, market overview, and market opportunities of the global Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market

Chapter 2: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the global Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market which consists of its revenue, sales, and price of the products

Chapter 3: Displaying the competitive nature among key manufacturers, with market share, revenue, and sales

Chapter 4: Presenting global Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market by regions, market share and with revenue and sales for the projected period

Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions

Finally, the report global Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes market describes Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes industry expansion game plan, the Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes industry knowledge supply, appendix, analysis findings and the conclusion. It includes a through explanation of the cutting-edging technologies and investments being made to upgrade the existing ones.

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Crispr And Crispr Associated Genes Market 2020 | Growth Drivers, Challenges, Trends, Market Dynamics and Forecast to 2026 - Cole of Duty

1. FDA OKs first-ever use of gene-editing tool CRISPR to tackle Covid-19  Boston Business Journal
2. Feng Zhang's Sherlock gets first-ever CRISPR nod as FDA green-lights Covid-19 test kit  MedCity News
3. FDA Authorizes First-Ever Crispr Application For COVID-19 Coronavirus Test  Forbes
4. A COVID-19 diagnostic that uses CRISPR gets a nod from the FDA  Chemical & Engineering News
5. FDA authorizes CRISPR-based test for COVID-19  The Verge
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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FDA OKs first-ever use of gene-editing tool CRISPR to tackle Covid-19 - Boston Business Journal

ZUG, Switzerland and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CRISPR Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CRSP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases, today announced that Samarth Kulkarni, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of CRISPR Therapeutics, is scheduled to present at the virtual Bank of America Securities 2020 Health Care Conference on Thursday, May 14, 2020, at 11:40 a.m. ET.

A live webcast of the fireside chat will be available on the "Events & Presentations" page in the Investors section of the Company's website at https://crisprtx.com/events. A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Company's website for 14 days following the presentation.

About CRISPR TherapeuticsCRISPR Therapeutics is a leading gene editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary gene editing technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. CRISPR Therapeutics has established a portfolio of therapeutic programs across a broad range of disease areas including hemoglobinopathies, oncology, regenerative medicine and rare diseases. To accelerate and expand its efforts, CRISPR Therapeutics has established strategic partnerships with leading companies including Bayer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals and ViaCyte, Inc. CRISPR Therapeutics AG is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with its wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, CRISPR Therapeutics, Inc., and R&D operations based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and business offices in San Francisco, California and London, United Kingdom. For more information, please visit http://www.crisprtx.com.

Investor Contact:Susan Kimsusan.kim@crisprtx.com

Media Contact:Rachel Eides WCG on behalf of CRISPR617-337-4167reides@wcgworld.com

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CRISPR Therapeutics to Present at the Bank of America Securities 2020 Health Care Conference - Yahoo Finance UK

A team of researchers at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the Ragon Institute, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has developed a new diagnostics platform called STOP (SHERLOCK Testing in One Pot) COVID. The test can be run in an hour as a single-step reaction with minimal handling, advancing the CRISPR-based SHERLOCK diagnostic technology closer to a point-of-care or at-home testing tool. The test has not been reviewed or approved by the FDA and is currently for research purposes only.

The team began developing tests for COVID-19 in January after learning about the emergence of a new virus which has challenged the healthcare system in China. The first version of the teams SHERLOCK-based COVID-19 diagnostics system is already being used in hospitals in Thailand to help screen patients for COVID-19 infection.

The new test is named STOPCovid and is based on the STOP platform. In research it has been shown to enable rapid, accurate, and highly sensitive detection of the COVID-19 virus SARS-CoV-2 with a simple protocol that requires minimal training and uses simple, readily-available equipment, such as test tubes and water baths.

STOPCovid has been validated in research settings using nasopharyngeal swabs from patients diagnosed with COVID-19. It has also been tested successfully in saliva samples to which SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been added as a proof-of-principle.

The team is posting the open protocol today on a new website, STOPCovid.science. It is being made openly available in line with the COVID-19 Technology Access Framework organized by Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. The Framework sets a model by which critically important technologies that may help prevent, diagnose, or treat COVID-19 infections may be deployed for the greatest public benefit without delay.

There is an urgent need for widespread, accurate COVID-19 testing to rapidly detect new cases, ideally without the need for specialized lab equipment. Such testing would enable early detection of new infections and drive effective test-trace-isolate measures to quickly contain new outbreaks. However, current testing capacity is limited by a combination of requirements for complex procedures and laboratory instrumentation and dependence on limited supplies. STOPCovid can be performed without RNA extraction, and while all patient tests have been performed with samples from nasopharyngeal swabs, preliminary experiments suggest that eventually swabs may not be necessary. Removing these barriers could help enable broad distribution.

The ability to test for COVID-19 at home, or even in pharmacies or places of employment, could be a game-changer for getting people safely back to work and into their communities, says Feng Zhang, a co-inventor of the CRISPR genome editing technology, an Investigator at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research and HHMI, and a Core Institute member at the Broad Institute. Creating a point-of-care tool is a critically important goal to allow timely decisions for protecting patients and those around them.

To meet this need, Zhang, McGovern Fellows Omar Abudayyeh and Jonathan Gootenberg, and colleagues initiated a push to develop STOPCovid. They are sharing their findings and packaging reagents so other research teams can rapidly follow up with additional testing or development. The group is also sharing data on the StopCOVID.science website and via a submitted preprint. The website is also a hub where the public can find the latest information on the teams developments.

STOPCovid is not yet approved by the FDA and is currently being used for research purposes.

How it works

The STOPCovid test combines CRISPR enzymes, programmed to recognize signatures of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with complementary amplification reagents. This combination allows detection of as few as 100 copies of SARS-CoV-2 virus in a sample. As a result, the STOPCovid test allows for rapid, accurate, and highly sensitive detection of COVID-19 that can be conducted outside clinical laboratory settings.

STOPCovid has been tested on patient nasopharyngeal swab in parallel with clinically-validated tests. In these head-to-head comparisons, STOPCovid detected infection with 97% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Results appear on an easy-to-read strip that is akin to a pregnancy test, in the absence of any expensive or specialized lab equipment. Moreover, the researchers spiked mock SARS-CoV-2 genomes into healthy saliva samples and showed that STOPCovid is capable of sensitive detection from saliva, which would obviate the need for swabs in short supply and potentially make sampling much easier.

The test aims to ultimately be simple enough that anyone can operate it in low-resource settings, including in clinics, pharmacies, or workplaces, and it could potentially even be put into a turn-key format for use at home, says Omar Abudayyeh, McGovern Fellow at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT.

McGovern Fellow Jonathan Gootenberg adds, Since STOPCovid can work in less than an hour and does not require any specialized equipment, and if our preliminary results from testing synthetic virus in saliva bear out in patient samples, it could address the need for scalable testing to reopen our society.

Importantly, the full test both the viral genome amplification and subsequent detection can be completed in a single reaction, as outlined on the website, from swabs or saliva. To engineer this, the team tested a number of CRISPR enzymes to find one that works well at the same temperature needed by the enzymes that perform the amplification. Zhang, Abudayyeh, Gootenberg and their teams, including graduate students Julia Joung and Alim Ladha, settled on a protein called AapCas12b, a CRISPR protein from the bacterium Alicyclobacillus acidophilus, responsible for the off taste associated with spoiled orange juice. With AapCas12b, the team was able to develop a test that can be performed at a constant temperature and does not require opening tubes midway through the process, a step that often leads to contamination and unreliable test results.

Information sharing and next steps

The team has prepared reagents for 10,000 tests to share with scientists and clinical collaborators for free around the world who want to evaluate the STOPCovid test for potential diagnostic use, and they have set up the website STOPCovid.science to share the latest data and updates with the scientific and clinical community.

To learn more about the STOPCovid technology and point of care nucleic acid testing, visit STOPCovid.science. Kits and reagents can also be requested via a form on the website.

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

*This article is based on research findings that are yet to be peer-reviewed. Results are therefore regarded as preliminary and should be interpreted as such. Find out about the role of the peer review process in researchhere. For further information, please contact the cited source.

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One-step Test Could Provide Rapid and Sensitive COVID-19 Detection - Technology Networks

Something's been brewing in the health care sector, the second-largest group in the S&P 500. Since the start of the second quarter, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR XLV, -0.01% is one of the top asset-gathering exchange traded funds.

The iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF IBB, +0.13%, thanks to plenty of help from Gilead Sciences GILD, +0.18%, is up almost 14% over the past month. Much of the recent biotechnology ebullience is attributable to progress on the coronavirus treatment and vaccine front.

IBB is the largest biotechnology ETF by assets, but it's not the only one delivering impressive returns in recent weeks. Here's a trio of biotech ETFs that are knocking the cover off the ball.

Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (BBC)

The Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF BBC, -0.05% tracks the LifeSci Biotechnology Clinical Trials Index. That benchmark is a collection of companies with drugs and therapies in clinical trials, which means BBC is at the right place at the right time in the battle to quash coronavirus.

BBC's holdings are basically equally weighted, but that doesn't distract from the fact that Moderna MRNA, +8.66% is the fund's top holding. Overall, BBC holds about 90 stocks, most of which dwell at the lower end of large-cap territory or are mid- or small-cap names.

In addition to Moderna, several other BBC components have coronavirus treatment exposure and roughly a dozen are credible takeover targets. That's enough to have BBC up nearly 27% over the past month.

ARK Genomic Revolution ETF (ARKG)

In the health care space, the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF (cboe:ARKG) has been one of the best-performing funds for several years, trouncing traditional health care and biotechnology ETFs for several years, speaking to the capabilities of the fund's active managers.

ARKG typically holds 30 to 50 stocks and currently holds 34, several of which are coronavirus plays and that doesn't even begin to underscore the fund's virus detection exposure, which highlights ARKG's deep CRISPR exposure.

As government officials re-open the US, testing for the COVID-19 virus will be a critical step. A new CRISPR-based test called DNA Endonuclease-Targeted CRISPR Trans Reporter (DETECTR) could help speed the process along, ARK analyst Ali Aurman saidin a recent note.

ARKG is higher by nearly 32% over the past month.

Principal Healthcare Innovators Index ETF (BTEC)

The Principal Healthcare Innovators Index ETF BTEC, +0.45% is a departure from the other funds mentioned here because it's not drug/therapy-centric. Rather, BTEC tilts more toward medical device, equipment and life sciences firms.

The fund invests in companies that are leading the charge toward innovative solutions, rather than spending money on marketing and distribution, according to Principal.

BTEC's nearly 210 holdings are considered research and development-intensive companies and the fund's methodology screens out companies with negative or inconsistent earnings. The fund is higher by almost 25% over the past month.

2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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3 Biotech ETFs Up 10% Or More Over The Last Month - MarketWatch

Oakland, CA A young, female giraffe was brought to Oakland Zoo from Kansas City-based Lee Richardson Zoo on April 29. The move, prompted by a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan to promote genetic diversity in captive giraffe, deemed Kijijis genetics an excellent match for Oakland Zoos male resident giraffe, Mabusu.

Kijijis 30-hour journey from Kansas City was handled by seasoned animal transport company, Premier Animal Logistics, and included frequent stops to check on her during the drive. A modified 136 tall trailer was used, with an enhanced interior for a safe and comfortable transport for the giraffe.

Kijiji is nearly two years old and eleven feet tall. She is still too young to have her own offspring, female giraffe typically show interest in breeding around 4 years of age. When that time comes, Oakland Zoos animal care team hope for a love connection between Kijiji and Mabusu, resulting in her becoming a first-time mother.

For the time being, Kijiji has met Oakland Zoos five other resident giraffe and was warmly welcomed into the herd.She is still learning her way around her new surroundings, and while she has been able to access the giraffe exhibit, she only chose to venture inside it this morning (May 7).For the past several days, she chose only to curiously look into the exhibit from a holding area.

Animal keepers have been watching and observing with quiet and excited anticipation and were thrilled to see her first steps into the exhibit to join the other giraffe today.

Kijiji is doing great. She was in good spirits upon her arrival to Oakland, and she has been eating well and exploring her surroundings. We can already see that she has a curious nature, and were thrilled to have her join our giraffe family, said Ann Marie Bisagno, Zoological Manager at Oakland Zoo Conservation Society of California.

By having giraffe at the zoo, the goal and hope is to bring appreciation and awareness to the giraffe species, including the challenges they face in the wild. Oakland Zoo partners with theReticulated Giraffe Projectin Kenya, a conservation organization dedicated to working with local communities in Africa to help reduce human-wildlife conflict and habitat loss in order to preserve endangered giraffe populations in the wild.

Short URL: http://www.vannuysnewspress.com/?p=37464

See the article here:
Oakland Zoo Welcomes New Giraffe, Kijiji, To The Herd - Van Nuys News Press

Article In Brief

A mouse study shows that select transcription factors to the striatum can effectively and safely convert astrocytes to neurons to treat Huntington's disease.

Delivering two transcription factors to the striatum in a mouse model of Huntington's disease can safely convert astrocytes into neurons with high efficiency, according to a new study in the February 27 issue of Nature Communications.

The neurons grow to and wire up with their targets in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra, and remaining astrocytes proliferate to replace those that have been converted. The treatment extends the lifespan and improves the motor behavior of the mice.

What is exciting about this study is that the authors have clearly made cells that do what they are supposed to do, namely replace dying neurons in existing circuits, said Roger Barker, PhD, professor of clinical neuroscience and honorary consultant in neurology at the University of Cambridge and at Addenbrooke's Hospital, who was not involved in the work. I think the challenge of scaling up this strategy to the human Huntington's disease brain is pretty substantial, but nonetheless, this is an important discovery.

The new study, led by Gong Chen, PhD, builds on discoveries beginning in the mid-2000s showing that a small number of exogenously applied transcription factors could transform skin fibroblasts into stem cells, which could then be further converted to become virtually any cell type. That discovery was quickly followed by advances in direct reprogramming, in which one cell type is directly converted into another, skipping the stem cell intermediate.

Most of that work has taken place in vitro, and most attempts to use the strategy therapeutically have depended on transplantation of stem cells or newly converted cells.

We tried stem cell transplants to the mouse brain 10 years ago, but we couldn't find a lot of functional neurons, said Dr. Chen, professor at Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration of Jinan University in Guangzhou, China.

It was also clear that anything you do in vitro, you eventually have to transplant, and that didn't seem to be a very promising technology, so I said, Let's try this in vivo, and put transcriptions factors directly into the mouse brain.

Dr. Chen initially tried introducing the transcription factor neurogenin 2, but the efficiency of conversion of astrocytes to neurons was very low, so he turned to the transcription factor NeuroD1, which Dr. Chen's group had previously shown could convert astrocytes into excitatory glutamatergic neurons.

In the current study, in order to generate GABAergic neurons, the team combined NeuroD1 with another transcription factor, D1x2, based on previous work showing its importance for generating GABAergic neurons.

The team packed the genes for the transcription factors into a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector (rAAV 2/5) and used an astrocyte-specific promoter to drive the transgene expression so that it preferentially expresses in astrocytes. They first injected the vector into the normal mouse striatum.

Surprisingly, this strategy worked very well at high efficiency, Dr. Chen said. After seven days, all transfected cells expressed astrocyte markers, indicating a high level of specificity in the vector. Of those cells, 81 percent co-expressed the two transcription factors. By 30 days, 73 percent of the cells expressing the transcription factors now expressed neuronal, rather than astrocytic markers, and were primarily GABAergic in character.

Next, Dr. Chen asked whether the remaining astrocytes could repopulate to replace those lost to conversion. Using immunostaining for astrocytes and neurons, as well as other techniques, the team found that the neuron/astrocyte ratio was unchanged, and that some remaining astrocytes could be found at different stages of cell division, suggesting the process facilitated astrocyte proliferation.

Dr. Chen then turned to the R6/2 mouse, the most common mouse model of Huntington's disease. He treated mice at 2 months of age, just as they began to show motor symptoms

As in the wild-type mice, astrocytes were converted to GABAergic neurons at high efficiency without altering the neuron/astrocyte ratio. The researchers observed similar results in a less-severe HD mouse model as well. Treated mice had only about half the degree of striatal atrophy as untreated mice. The converted neurons still contained aggregated huntingtin protein, but less than in native neurons, and similar to the reduced amount found in astrocytes in the mouse brain.

The real test of any cell therapy in neurodegenerative disease is whether the new cells can link into the existing circuits and provide functional benefit, feats that have been hard to achieve with transplanted fetal cells or stem cells.

Examining striatal slices from the treated mice, Dr. Chen found that the converted neurons displayed electrical properties largely identical to those of normal neurons, including resting potential, action potential threshold, firing amplitude, and firing frequency. They integrated into local circuits and behaved similarly to the native neurons around them. By tracking a marker contained in the AAV gene construct, they showed that converted neurons projected axons to the two basal ganglia targets of medium spiny neurons in the striatum, the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra.

Finally, Dr. Chen found that stride length and travel distance were both significantly improved in treated mice, though still falling below those of wild-type mice, and lifespan was significantly extended.

There were no hints of tumors in the mice, Dr. Chen noted. He suggested that in situ conversion is likely intrinsically safer in this regard than using stem cell-derived neurons, since a proliferative astrocyte is being converted into a non-proliferative neuron, with no residual pool of unconverted and potentially tumorigenic stem cells. We are actually reducing the tumor risk, he said.

Why the converted neurons developed appropriate neuronal connections is an important unanswered question, Dr. Chen said. He suggested there were two important factorsfirst, the astrocytes from which they arose are likely developmentally related to neighboring neurons, and thus may express similar position markers that help guide them to the right targets, just like the native neurons. Second, those remaining neurons may also provide guide tracks for the newly growing axons.

This conversion technique is not limited to Huntington's disease, he stressed, noting that his team last year published a paper showing promise in ischemic stroke, and work is underway to test its potential in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, and ALS. He is also moving on to testing in non-human primates, setting the stage for eventual human trials.

I think eventually we will want to correct the Huntington's mutation as well, Dr. Chen said, for instance by using CRISPR, but he pointed out that while that strategy can repair diseased neurons, it cannot make new ones, like astrocyte-to-neuron conversion can.

This study is really elegantly done, commented Veronica Garcia, PhD, who has studied astrocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells from Huntington's disease patients as a postdoctoral scientist working with Clive Svendsen, PhD, in the Regenerative Medicine Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The conversion efficiency is similar between wild-type and disease models, suggesting that the disease process is not interfering with the conversion, she said.

Astrocyte depletion does not seem to be a problem, at least in the short term, but Dr. Garcia noted there is a limit on the number of divisions astrocytes appear able to undergo, after which they lose the ability to proliferate. That may be a problem for chronic treatment, she suggested. Nonetheless, these results really look promising for therapeutic development.

The concept of trying to reprogram cells in situ to take on the phenotype of the cells that are lost is not new, commented Dr. Barker, but being able to do it with any degree of efficiency, to make enough cells to make a significant difference, has been problematic. For that reason, and because the cells grow to their target sites and make connections, these results are surprising.

A major hurdle for clinical trials, he noted, will be scaling up to the human striatum, which has approximately 100 times the volume of that in the mouse. Delivering the vector to such a large volume will be a significant challenge, he said, along with determining whether this approach will really work in a disease that affects many different brain structures such as in HD.

Dr. Chen is co-founder of NeuExcell Therapeutics Inc, which will develop clinical trials in the future. Drs. Barker and Garcia disclosed no conflicts.

Original post:
Researchers Convert Astrocytes to Neurons In Vivo to Treat... : Neurology Today - LWW Journals

The best cleanser for you will depend on your skin type. "It's important to pay attention to what's in your cleanser and what's not in it," says Ciraldo. She recommends avoiding sulfates, which can have a harsh, stripping effect on your face, and looking for actives that suit your needs. "For normal or dry skin, I favor a hydrating cleanser with peptides," she says. "If you're oily or acne-prone, use a mild exfoliating cleanser with salicylic acid, which dislodges the dead cells that can clog pores."

Do this step: Morning and night.

The first product to go on your face? Eye cream. The reason is simplebecause you'll probably forget to do it otherwise. Ciraldo recommends patting eye cream on gently with your ring finger (this way you'll tug less at the delicate skin there) all the way around your eyes, not just underneath them. If you're worried about eye cream causing your concealer or eye makeup to smear, choose a more lightweight option, like a hydrating gel that sinks in quickly and stays put.

For the best results, look for ingredients like peptideswhich help tighten your skin and depuffas well as antioxidants. Rabach recommends formulas that contain hydrating hyaluronic acid, brightening caffeine, and ceramides (these lock in moisture and help strengthen your skin barrier).

Do this step: Morning and night.

Both toners and essences are meant to help further prime your skin to absorb active ingredients, but the one you choose will depend on your skin type. Old-school toners were meant to balance skin pH and counteract alkaline soaps, before soap-free cleansers became popular. Now toner usually refers to liquid formulations geared toward oily skin that's in need of gentle exfoliation and resurfacing. Ciraldo says those with oily or acne-prone skin should look for toners with ingredients like glycolic or salicylic acid.

Essences, on the other hand, tend to be more hydrating. Rabach recommends looking for actives like hyaluronic acid, which will flood your skin with moisture that you can lock in during subsequent steps. To apply, soak a cotton pad in liquid and gently pat it over your face. Alternatively, you can use your hands to do the same thing.

Do this step: Morning and night.

This is the step where you'll deliver the bulk of active ingredients to your toner/essence-primed face, and it's important to do it early on in your routine. "Serums are formulated with smaller molecular-weight actives so they penetrate into deeper skin layers," says Ciraldo. "If you apply your serum after a thicker formulation, the active ingredients may not penetrate as well."

While you should apply serum twice a day, you shouldn't be using the same formulation. "Serum actives differ for day and night," says Rabach. During the day, she likes to choose serums with antioxidants that protect skin from daytime stressors like free radicals (caused by UV rays), pollutants, and blue light. The most popular ingredient for this is vitamin C, which you will have no problem finding in serum form. (Just make sure to choose one that's properly stabilized for maximum effect.) At night, opt for a serum with peptides and growth factors to repair skin.

For both daytime and nighttime serums, Rabach also has a general list of ingredients she likes to look for across both formulations: Niacinamide to reduce redness, hyaluronic acid to pull moisture into your skin, and alpha and beta hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAs), which help boost collagen and even out skin pigmentation. Ciraldo further splits up her preferred serum ingredients by skin type. "For acne-prone skin, look for stem cells, retinol, and green tea," she says. "For dehydrated skin, look for lipids, hyaluronic acid, and peptides. And for hyperpigmented skin, look for vitamin C."

Do this step: At night only.

See original here:
Best Skin-Care Routine: Order of Products to Use Morning & Night - Glamour

World Thalassemia Day is an annual observance day that occurs on May 8th. It is a world-wide campaign to raise awareness about thalassemia and its symptoms. This is done to help the patients living with this genetic disorder. World Thalassemia Day commemorates thalassemia victims and also aims at making thalassemia patients aware about the significance of medical consultation before marriage. This global observance day also tries to debunk myths and misconceptions surrounding the disease. The theme of World Thalassemia Day 2020 is Begin thalassemia prevention from young age, blood test before marriage will make the future generation safe. On this day, here we tell you all about the disease. Also Read - World Thalassemia Day 2019: How to Deal With Thalassemia

It is a genetic blood disorder that significantly reduces your haemoglobin count. Notably, haemoglobin is a protein molecule present in red blood cells. This protein helps RBCs in carrying oxygen and circulating it in the entire body. Also Read - World Thalassemia Day: Risk Factors, Types And Prevention Tips

The signs and symptoms of thalassemia depend on the type of thalassemia you have and its severity. Some common symptoms include fatigue, slow growth, weakness, abdominal swelling, pale skin, dark urine facial bone deformities etc. Usually, either a newborn shows thalassemia symptoms at the time of birth itself or develops it in the first two years of life. Also Read - World Thalassemia Day 2017: Importance of Blood donation and how it helps people with this fatal disease

Thalassemia occurs when the DNA of your body cells responsible for making haemoglobin, undergo mutation. This mutated DNA is passed on to the next generation.

A simple blood test can confirm the disease. Usually, if an expecting mother is known to be suffering from thalassemia, doctors perform a certain tests to find out if the fetus has also inherited the diseases and if yes, what is the severity of the genetic disease. To do that, chorionic villus sampling (testing a tiny sample of placenta) and amniocentesis (examining sample of fluid surrounding foetus) are performed.

In case, you have inherited a minimum number of mutated genes and suffering from mild thalassemia, you do not require treatment. However, in severe case, you may have to go through frequent blood transfusion, chelation therapy, or stem cell transplant.

See the original post here:
World Thalassemia Day 2020: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment of The Disease - India.com

Tabrecta (capmatinib) will treat patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer that has a mutation leading to MET exon 14 skipping. The drug is the first targeted option for patients with lung cancer and this type of mutation.

Tabrecta is the first therapy approved by the FDA specifically to treat NSCLC with mutations that lead to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is MET exon 14 skipping.

Tabrecta is approved for patients who are new to treatment and also those who have received previous therapies, regardless of prior treatment type.

Along with the drug approval, the FDA gave the green light to a companion diagnostic, the FoundationOne CDx assay, which can identify these mutations in patients.

In epithelialmesenchymal transition(EMT), the cells that line an organ lose their polarity and ability to adhere to other cells, giving them the ability to invade tissues and organs. MET exon 14 skipping means that a segment of RNA that should prompt the production of a specific protein stops sending those messages.

The spread of cancer consists of a sequential series of events and MET exon 14 skipping is recognized as a critical event in this process, the FDA stated in a press release about the approval. Mutations leading to MET exon 14 skipping are found in 3% to 4% of patients with lung cancer, the agency stated.

Lung cancer is increasingly being divided into multiple subsets of molecularly defined populations with drugs being developed to target these specific groups, said Dr. Richard Pazdur, director of the FDAs Oncology Center of Excellence and acting director of the Office of Oncologic Diseases in the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in the release.

Taken orally, Tabrecta works by blocking a key protein that drives metastatic NSCLC in these patients. The FDA approved it based on the results of a clinical trial involving patients with NSCLC who had mutations leading to MET exon 14 skipping; their tumors did not express the proteins EGFR or ALK.

The evaluated study population included 28 patients who had never undergone treatment for NSCLC and 69 previously treated patients. The overall response rate (ORR; the percentage of participants who experienced a prespecified amount of tumor shrinkage) for the 28 participants was 68%, with 4% having a complete response and 64% having a partial response.

The ORR for the 69 participants was 41%, with all having a partial response. Of the responding participants who had never undergone treatment for NSCLC, 47% had a duration of response lasting 12 months or longer compared with 32.1% of the responding participants who had been previously treated.

Common side effects for patients taking Tabrecta included swelling of the legs, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, shortness of breath and decreased appetite.

Tabrecta may cause serious side effects including scarring or inflammation of the lungs. It may also cause damage to liver cells or harm a developing fetus or newborn baby. Patients may be more sensitive to sunlight when they take Tabrecta and should take precautions to cover their skin and use sunscreen.

Tabrecta was approved under theFDAs accelerated approval, breakthrough designation and priority review programs, which provide for a quicker review of drugs that treat serious or life-threatening diseases and represent a meaningful advantage over existing treatments.

Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification of these results in confirmatory clinical trials.

Check back for what you need to know regarding this approval.

Originally posted here:
FDA Approves Tabrecta, the First Targeted Drug for Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and MET exon 14 - Curetoday.com

KENILWORTH, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that new data from its oncology program will be presented at the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO20) Virtual Scientific Program from May 29-31. More than 80 abstracts in nearly 20 types of solid tumors and blood cancers have been accepted across Mercks broad cancer portfolio and investigational pipeline, including KEYTRUDA, Mercks anti-PD-1 therapy; LENVIMA (in collaboration with Eisai); LYNPARZA (in collaboration with AstraZeneca); and MK-6482 (formerly PT2977), an investigational, oral hypoxia-inducible factor-2 alpha (HIF-2) inhibitor.

Despite the challenges we all face due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Merck remains fully committed to supporting the cancer community and to advancing important scientific research from our clinical program, said Dr. Roy Baynes, senior vice president and head of global clinical development, chief medical officer, Merck Research Laboratories. The data to be presented at this years ASCO demonstrate how our deep and diverse oncology portfolio continues to show meaningful outcomes for patients in new tumor types and stages of disease, while long-term survival data for KEYTRUDA in non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma and melanoma further support its important role in these types of cancer.

Key abstracts including late-breakers, oral sessions, and select poster discussions and posters to be presented at ASCO include:

Merck Investor Event

Merck will hold a virtual investor event in conjunction with the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program on Tuesday, June 2 at 2 p.m. ET. Details will be provided at a date closer to the event at http://investors.merck.com/home/default.aspx.

Details on Abstracts Listed Above, Additional Presentations and Key Abstracts with Mercks Collaboration Partners

KEYTRUDA

Breast Cancer

Bladder Cancer

Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

Colorectal Cancer

Lung Cancer

Renal Cell Carcinoma

Prostate Cancer

Melanoma

Ovarian Cancer

Head and Neck Cancer

KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA (in collaboration with Eisai)

Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Renal Cell Carcinoma

Endometrial Cancer

LYNPARZA (in collaboration with AstraZeneca)

Ovarian Cancer

MK-6482

Renal Cell Carcinoma

About KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) Injection, 100 mg

KEYTRUDA is an anti-PD-1 therapy that works by increasing the ability of the bodys immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells. KEYTRUDA is a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, thereby activating T lymphocytes which may affect both tumor cells and healthy cells.

Merck has the industrys largest immuno-oncology clinical research program. There are currently more than 1,200 trials studying KEYTRUDA across a wide variety of cancers and treatment settings. The KEYTRUDA clinical program seeks to understand the role of KEYTRUDA across cancers and the factors that may predict a patient's likelihood of benefitting from treatment with KEYTRUDA, including exploring several different biomarkers.

Selected KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) Indications

Melanoma

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma with involvement of lymph node(s) following complete resection.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

KEYTRUDA, in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations.

KEYTRUDA, in combination with carboplatin and either paclitaxel or paclitaxel protein-bound, is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic squamous NSCLC.

KEYTRUDA, as a single agent, is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with NSCLC expressing PD-L1 [tumor proportion score (TPS) 1%] as determined by an FDA-approved test, with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations, and is stage III where patients are not candidates for surgical resection or definitive chemoradiation, or metastatic.

KEYTRUDA, as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic NSCLC whose tumors express PD-L1 (TPS 1%) as determined by an FDA-approved test, with disease progression on or after platinum-containing chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving KEYTRUDA.

Small Cell Lung Cancer

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy and at least 1 other prior line of therapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer

KEYTRUDA, in combination with platinum and fluorouracil (FU), is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic or with unresectable, recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

KEYTRUDA, as a single agent, is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic or with unresectable, recurrent HNSCC whose tumors express PD-L1 [combined positive score (CPS) 1] as determined by an FDA-approved test.

KEYTRUDA, as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with disease progression on or after platinum-containing chemotherapy.

Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), or who have relapsed after 3 or more prior lines of therapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.

Primary Mediastinal Large B-Cell Lymphoma

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with refractory primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL), or who have relapsed after 2 or more prior lines of therapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. KEYTRUDA is not recommended for treatment of patients with PMBCL who require urgent cytoreductive therapy.

Urothelial Carcinoma

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) who are not eligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy and whose tumors express PD-L1 [combined positive score (CPS) 10], as determined by an FDA-approved test, or in patients who are not eligible for any platinum-containing chemotherapy regardless of PD-L1 status. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy.

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of patients with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-unresponsive, high-risk, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without papillary tumors who are ineligible for or have elected not to undergo cystectomy.

Microsatellite Instability-High (MSI-H) Cancer

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR)

This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. The safety and effectiveness of KEYTRUDA in pediatric patients with MSI-H central nervous system cancers have not been established.

Gastric Cancer

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma whose tumors express PD-L1 (CPS 1) as determined by an FDA-approved test, with disease progression on or after two or more prior lines of therapy including fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy and if appropriate, HER2/neu-targeted therapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.

Esophageal Cancer

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus whose tumors express PD-L1 (CPS 10) as determined by an FDA-approved test, with disease progression after one or more prior lines of systemic therapy.

Cervical Cancer

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer with disease progression on or after chemotherapy whose tumors express PD-L1 (CPS 1) as determined by an FDA-approved test. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have been previously treated with sorafenib. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.

Merkel Cell Carcinoma

KEYTRUDA is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.

Renal Cell Carcinoma

KEYTRUDA, in combination with axitinib, is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Endometrial Carcinoma

KEYTRUDA, in combination with LENVIMA, is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma that is not MSI-H or dMMR, who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trial.

Selected Important Safety Information for KEYTRUDA

Immune-Mediated Pneumonitis

KEYTRUDA can cause immune-mediated pneumonitis, including fatal cases. Pneumonitis occurred in 3.4% (94/2799) of patients with various cancers receiving KEYTRUDA, including Grade 1 (0.8%), 2 (1.3%), 3 (0.9%), 4 (0.3%), and 5 (0.1%). Pneumonitis occurred in 8.2% (65/790) of NSCLC patients receiving KEYTRUDA as a single agent, including Grades 3-4 in 3.2% of patients, and occurred more frequently in patients with a history of prior thoracic radiation (17%) compared to those without (7.7%). Pneumonitis occurred in 6% (18/300) of HNSCC patients receiving KEYTRUDA as a single agent, including Grades 3-5 in 1.6% of patients, and occurred in 5.4% (15/276) of patients receiving KEYTRUDA in combination with platinum and FU as first-line therapy for advanced disease, including Grades 3-5 in 1.5% of patients.

Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of pneumonitis. Evaluate suspected pneumonitis with radiographic imaging. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater pneumonitis. Withhold KEYTRUDA for Grade 2; permanently discontinue KEYTRUDA for Grade 3 or 4 or recurrent Grade 2 pneumonitis.

Immune-Mediated Colitis

KEYTRUDA can cause immune-mediated colitis. Colitis occurred in 1.7% (48/2799) of patients receiving KEYTRUDA, including Grade 2 (0.4%), 3 (1.1%), and 4 (<0.1%). Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of colitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater colitis. Withhold KEYTRUDA for Grade 2 or 3; permanently discontinue KEYTRUDA for Grade 4 colitis.

Immune-Mediated Hepatitis (KEYTRUDA) and Hepatotoxicity (KEYTRUDA in Combination With Axitinib)

Immune-Mediated Hepatitis

KEYTRUDA can cause immune-mediated hepatitis. Hepatitis occurred in 0.7% (19/2799) of patients receiving KEYTRUDA, including Grade 2 (0.1%), 3 (0.4%), and 4 (<0.1%). Monitor patients for changes in liver function. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater hepatitis and, based on severity of liver enzyme elevations, withhold or discontinue KEYTRUDA.

Hepatotoxicity in Combination With Axitinib

KEYTRUDA in combination with axitinib can cause hepatic toxicity with higher than expected frequencies of Grades 3 and 4 ALT and AST elevations compared to KEYTRUDA alone. With the combination of KEYTRUDA and axitinib, Grades 3 and 4 increased ALT (20%) and increased AST (13%) were seen. Monitor liver enzymes before initiation of and periodically throughout treatment. Consider more frequent monitoring of liver enzymes as compared to when the drugs are administered as single agents. For elevated liver enzymes, interrupt KEYTRUDA and axitinib, and consider administering corticosteroids as needed.

Immune-Mediated Endocrinopathies

KEYTRUDA can cause adrenal insufficiency (primary and secondary), hypophysitis, thyroid disorders, and type 1 diabetes mellitus. Adrenal insufficiency occurred in 0.8% (22/2799) of patients, including Grade 2 (0.3%), 3 (0.3%), and 4 (<0.1%). Hypophysitis occurred in 0.6% (17/2799) of patients, including Grade 2 (0.2%), 3 (0.3%), and 4 (<0.1%). Hypothyroidism occurred in 8.5% (237/2799) of patients, including Grade 2 (6.2%) and 3 (0.1%). The incidence of new or worsening hypothyroidism was higher in 1185 patients with HNSCC (16%) receiving KEYTRUDA, as a single agent or in combination with platinum and FU, including Grade 3 (0.3%) hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 3.4% (96/2799) of patients, including Grade 2 (0.8%) and 3 (0.1%), and thyroiditis occurred in 0.6% (16/2799) of patients, including Grade 2 (0.3%). Type 1 diabetes mellitus, including diabetic ketoacidosis, occurred in 0.2% (6/2799) of patients.

Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, hypophysitis (including hypopituitarism), thyroid function (prior to and periodically during treatment), and hyperglycemia. For adrenal insufficiency or hypophysitis, administer corticosteroids and hormone replacement as clinically indicated. Withhold KEYTRUDA for Grade 2 adrenal insufficiency or hypophysitis and withhold or discontinue KEYTRUDA for Grade 3 or Grade 4 adrenal insufficiency or hypophysitis. Administer hormone replacement for hypothyroidism and manage hyperthyroidism with thionamides and beta-blockers as appropriate. Withhold or discontinue KEYTRUDA for Grade 3 or 4 hyperthyroidism. Administer insulin for type 1 diabetes, and withhold KEYTRUDA and administer antihyperglycemics in patients with severe hyperglycemia.

Immune-Mediated Nephritis and Renal Dysfunction

KEYTRUDA can cause immune-mediated nephritis. Nephritis occurred in 0.3% (9/2799) of patients receiving KEYTRUDA, including Grade 2 (0.1%), 3 (0.1%), and 4 (<0.1%) nephritis. Nephritis occurred in 1.7% (7/405) of patients receiving KEYTRUDA in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy. Monitor patients for changes in renal function. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater nephritis. Withhold KEYTRUDA for Grade 2; permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 nephritis.

Immune-Mediated Skin Reactions

Immune-mediated rashes, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) (some cases with fatal outcome), exfoliative dermatitis, and bullous pemphigoid, can occur. Monitor patients for suspected severe skin reactions and based on the severity of the adverse reaction, withhold or permanently discontinue KEYTRUDA and administer corticosteroids. For signs or symptoms of SJS or TEN, withhold KEYTRUDA and refer the patient for specialized care for assessment and treatment. If SJS or TEN is confirmed, permanently discontinue KEYTRUDA.

Other Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions

Immune-mediated adverse reactions, which may be severe or fatal, can occur in any organ system or tissue in patients receiving KEYTRUDA and may also occur after discontinuation of treatment. For suspected immune-mediated adverse reactions, ensure adequate evaluation to confirm etiology or exclude other causes. Based on the severity of the adverse reaction, withhold KEYTRUDA and administer corticosteroids. Upon improvement to Grade 1 or less, initiate corticosteroid taper and continue to taper over at least 1 month. Based on limited data from clinical studies in patients whose immune-related adverse reactions could not be controlled with corticosteroid use, administration of other systemic immunosuppressants can be considered. Resume KEYTRUDA when the adverse reaction remains at Grade 1 or less following corticosteroid taper. Permanently discontinue KEYTRUDA for any Grade 3 immune-mediated adverse reaction that recurs and for any life-threatening immune-mediated adverse reaction.

The following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions occurred in less than 1% (unless otherwise indicated) of 2799 patients: arthritis (1.5%), uveitis, myositis, Guillain-Barr syndrome, myasthenia gravis, vasculitis, pancreatitis, hemolytic anemia, sarcoidosis, and encephalitis. In addition, myelitis and myocarditis were reported in other clinical trials, including classical Hodgkin lymphoma, and postmarketing use.

Treatment with KEYTRUDA may increase the risk of rejection in solid organ transplant recipients. Consider the benefit of treatment vs the risk of possible organ rejection in these patients.

Infusion-Related Reactions

KEYTRUDA can cause severe or life-threatening infusion-related reactions, including hypersensitivity and anaphylaxis, which have been reported in 0.2% (6/2799) of patients. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of infusion-related reactions. For Grade 3 or 4 reactions, stop infusion and permanently discontinue KEYTRUDA.

Complications of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT)

Immune-mediated complications, including fatal events, occurred in patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT after treatment with KEYTRUDA. Of 23 patients with cHL who proceeded to allogeneic HSCT after KEYTRUDA, 6 (26%) developed graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (1 fatal case) and 2 (9%) developed severe hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) after reduced-intensity conditioning (1 fatal case). Cases of fatal hyperacute GVHD after allogeneic HSCT have also been reported in patients with lymphoma who received a PD-1 receptorblocking antibody before transplantation. Follow patients closely for early evidence of transplant-related complications such as hyperacute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), Grade 3 to 4 acute GVHD, steroid-requiring febrile syndrome, hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), and other immune-mediated adverse reactions.

In patients with a history of allogeneic HSCT, acute GVHD (including fatal GVHD) has been reported after treatment with KEYTRUDA. Patients who experienced GVHD after their transplant procedure may be at increased risk for GVHD after KEYTRUDA. Consider the benefit of KEYTRUDA vs the risk of GVHD in these patients.

Increased Mortality in Patients With Multiple Myeloma

In trials in patients with multiple myeloma, the addition of KEYTRUDA to a thalidomide analogue plus dexamethasone resulted in increased mortality. Treatment of these patients with a PD-1 or PD-L1 blocking antibody in this combination is not recommended outside of controlled trials.

Embryofetal Toxicity

Based on its mechanism of action, KEYTRUDA can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise women of this potential risk. In females of reproductive potential, verify pregnancy status prior to initiating KEYTRUDA and advise them to use effective contraception during treatment and for 4 months after the last dose.

Adverse Reactions

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Global Stem Cells Market 2020 Global Industry report covers the latest market statistics, industry growth driving factors, size, share, trends, as well as Forecast till 2026. The Global Industrial Stem Cells market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.

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Stem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into specialized cell types. Commonly, stem cells come from two main sources: Embryos formed during the blastocyst phase of embryological development (embryonic stem cells) and Adult tissue (adult stem cells).Both types are generally characterized by their potency, or potential to differentiate into different cell types (such as skin, muscle, bone, etc.).Since the COVID-19 virus outbreak in December 2019, the disease has spread to almost 100 countries around the globe with the World Health Organization declaring it a public health emergency. The global impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are already starting to be felt, and will significantly affect the Stem Cells market in 2020.COVID-19 can affect the global economy in three main ways: by directly affecting production and demand, by creating supply chain and market disruption, and by its financial impact on firms and financial markets.The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought effects on many aspects, like flight cancellations; travel bans and quarantines; restaurants closed; all indoor events restricted; over forty countries state of emergency declared; massive slowing of the supply chain; stock market volatility; falling business confidence, growing panic among the population, and uncertainty about future.

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COVID-19 can affect the global economy in three main ways: by directly affecting production and demand, by creating supply chain and market disruption, and by its financial impact on firms and financial markets. The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought effects on many aspects, like flight cancellations; travel bans and quarantines; restaurants closed; all indoor events restricted; over forty countries state of emergency declared; massive slowing of the supply chain; stock market volatility; falling business confidence, growing panic among the population, and uncertainty about future.

Global Stem Cells market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the TOP PLAYERS including;

For the data information by region, company, type, and application, 2020 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.

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The Stem Cells Market report examines competitive scenario by analyzing key players in the market. The company profiling of leading market players is included in this report with Porters five forces analysis and Value Chain analysis. Further, the strategies exercised by the companies for expansion of business through mergers, acquisitions, and other business development measures are discussed in the report. The financial parameters which are assessed include the sales, profits and the overall revenue generated by the key players of Market.

Stem Cells Breakdown Data by Type:

Stem Cells Breakdown Data by Application:

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Stem Cells Market by Regions:

Key questions answered in the report:

Highlights of the report which will influence the Stem Cells market:

Major Points from Table of Contents:

1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global Stem Cells Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2015-2026)1.4.2 Major-Type1.4.3 Independent-Type1.4.4 Administrator-Type1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Stem Cells Market Share by Application (2015-2026)1.5.2 Commercial1.5.3 Commonweal1.5.4 Other1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered

2 Global Growth Trends2.1 Stem Cells Market Size2.2 Stem Cells Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 Stem Cells Market Size by Regions (2015-2026)2.2.2 Stem Cells Market Share by Regions (2015-2020)2.3 Industry Trends2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market Opportunities

3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 Stem Cells Market Size by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global Stem Cells Revenue by Manufacturers (2015-2020)3.1.2 Global Stem Cells Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2015-2020)3.1.3 Global Stem Cells Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Stem Cells Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players Stem Cells Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into Stem Cells Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans

4 Breakdown Data by Type and Application4.1 Global Stem Cells Market Size by Type (2015-2020)4.2 Global Stem Cells Market Size by Application (2015-2020)

(5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11) United States, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, Central & South AmericaStem Cells Market Size (2015-2020)Key PlayersStem Cells Market Size by TypeStem Cells Market Size by Application

12 International Players ProfilesCompany DetailsCompany Description and Business OverviewStem Cells IntroductionRevenue in Stem Cells Business (2015-2020)Recent Development

13 Market Forecast 2020-202613.1 Market Size Forecast by Regions13.2 United States13.3 Europe13.4 China13.5 Japan13.6 Southeast Asia13.7 India13.8 Central & South America13.9 Market Size Forecast by Product (2020-2026)13.10 Market Size Forecast by Application (2020-2026)

14 Analysts Viewpoints/Conclusions

15 Appendix15.1 Research Methodology15.1.1 Methodology/Research Approach15.1.1.1 Research Programs/Design15.1.1.2 Market Size Estimation12.1.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation15.1.2 Data Source15.1.2.1 Secondary Sources15.1.2.2 Primary Sources15.2 Disclaimer15.3 Author Details

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Britain's index of top shares closed on Thursday over 82 points ahead, or 1.4%, at 5,935

FTSE 100 index closed higher on Thursday on investor optimism ahead of the VE Day bank holiday as US benchmarks also surged

Britain's index of top shares closed over 82 points ahead, or 1.4%, at 5,935.

"Lately there has been a lot of optimism that governments are keen to loosen their lockdown restrictions, so that has fuelled the bullish move in equities," said David Madden, analyst at CMC Markets.

"Dealers have the impression that we are over the worst of it in terms of the lockdowns, so that should the pave the way less stringent restrictions."

Crude prices are also heading north as Saudi Arabia has lifted selling prices for oil, while US producers have curtailed output. In addition, US gas stockpiles have been falling.

Brent crude gained 4.61% to US$31.09 a barrel, while WTI added 8.30% to US$25.98.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones added over 401 points at 24,066, while the S&P 500 gained over 50 points and the Nasdaq surged 140 points.

US indices, as expected, flashed out of the traps on Thursday.

The Dow Jones average was up 283 points (1.2%) at 23,948 and the S&P 500 rose 35 points (1.2%) at 2,884, despite the weekly first-time jobless claims number coming in a bit higher than expected.

US initial jobless claims declined to 3.2mln during the week ending May 2 from 3.8mln in the prior week (consensus: 3.0mln), bringing the total over the last seven weeks to 33.5mln, observed Mickey levy at Berenberg Capital Markets.

Based on the 26m total initial jobless claims between March 15 and April 18, we expect the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to report that U.S. non-farm payrolls declined by 21m in April and that the unemployment rate increased to 16.2% from 4.4% in its Official Monthly Employment Report, scheduled for release tomorrow,2 he added.

In London, the FTSE 100 was up 75 points (1.3%) at 5,930, with little sign of traders closing out positions ahead of the long weekend.

Oil stocks are doing their bit to bolster the index as the price of Brent crude heads US$1.05 higher (3.6%) to US30.78 a barrel; oil prices are firming up despite Saudi Arabia reducing its official selling prices to Asian customers.

Saudi Arabia today (07 May) reduced its official selling prices (OSPs) to Asia in June 2020 and crude oil prices are bouncing 6-9% on the back of that news. It signals that Saudi Arabia sees the June 2020 crude oil market as less of a crowded place and that it will be easier for the producer to place its desired volumes into the market. In a slight parallel to this, we think that it is unlikely to be a wall of surplus oil banging on the door of Cushing Oklahoma in June 2020 comparable to the magnitude of the May 2020 contract, said Bjarne Schieldrop, the chief commodities analyst at SEB, the Nordic investment bank.

The market is concerned that we might get the same kind of end-of-contract disturbances for the June 2020 contract as we got for the May 2020 contract. If so, it is highly unlikely that we would see -$40/bl again since the market now is prepared. It is still possible that the WTI June 2020 contract could come under intense selling pressure over the coming nine trading days as long positions move to exit. The special thing about the WTI contract is of course that it is based and priced inland in Cushing Oklahoma in the US. It is land-locked with flows in and out of the storage hub going by pipelines. If inventories in Cushing are full and pipes out of Cushing are full then prices can crash, he explained.

() was 0.7% higher at 315.8p while PLC () advanced 2.7% to 1,264p.

US indices are tipped to open on the front foot this afternoon despite some slightly iffy jobs numbers.

The Dow Jones average is seen opening its account at around 23,915, up 250 points from last nights close and the S&P 500 is tipped to toddle 35 points higher to 2,883.

First-time weekly jobless claims last week fell to 3.16mln from 3.85mln the week before but were above the consensus forecast of 3mln.

The consensus looked a bit optimistic in light of hard data from Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona, and Google searches for 'file for unemployment', but the trend is falling, said Ian Shepherdson, the chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

Claims continue to decay by about 15-to-18% per week and are now at less than half the 6.9mln peak in the week of March 28. If the current rate of decline continues, claims will dip below 1mln in the second ormore likelythird week of June, though they would remain well above the 665K worst single week after the crash of 2008, Shepherdson noted.

In London, the FTSE 100 was up 56 points (1.0%) at 5,910.

As the morning drew to a close, the FTSE 100 moved into gains consolidation mode.

Londons index of leading shares was up 41 points (0.7%) at 5,894.

It has been another bad morning for travel-related stocks, however, with British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines () sharply lower after its first-quarter results and cruise lines owner () slightly lower after it extended the pause period for some of its brands.

IAG shed 4.3% at 188.3p after it warned the second quarter would be significantly worse than the first quarter. The company is considering making a meaningful return to service in July.

Unfortunately the numbers are going to get worse before they start to smooth out, because the sharp drop off in capacity happened when the quarter had already started; however the same can also be said for a number of the groups cost-saving plans, where were yet to see the benefits in the results. The net effect of these delays is yet to be determined, but one thing we do know is that we will be looking at a very different business on the other side of this storm, said Sophie Lund-Yates, an equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown. Carnival was 0.9% lower at 901p after its Princess Cruises cancelled selected cruises through to the end of the summer season.

Meanwhile, its Holland America Line has decided to extend its pause of global cruise operations and cancel all Alaska, Europe and Canada/New England cruises for 2020.

After a mid-morning dip, the Footsie has kicked on again, despite being weighed down by ().

The index of leading shares up 48 points (0.8%) at 5,902, even with telecoms giant 9.1% lower at 103.8p as it bowed to the inevitable with its overly generous dividend.

The decision to cancel the final dividend for the year to March 2020, pay nothing at all in the period to March 2021 and then halve the annual payment to 7.7p a share in fiscal 2022 saves BT some 3.3 billion and leaves income-hungry shareholders merely with the hope that there will be some long-term gain after this considerable short-term pain, said AJ Bells investment director, AJ Bell.

Confirmation that s and Telefonicas O2 are to mergewill not have helped sentiment towards BT, either.

Housebuilders are doing fine, though, despite a predictably downbeat Halifax house price index reading for April.

According to the mortgage lender, house prices fell 0.6% in March but were still 2.7% higher than in April 2019.

The impact of measures taken to curtail the spread of coronavirus started to filter through to the housing market in April, said the Halifaxs managing director, Russell Galley.

With market activity currently almost at a complete standstill, the limited number of transactions available means that calculating average house prices has inevitably become more challenging. This will lead to a great deal of volatility until more data becomes available, he explained.

Lucy Pendleton of estate agent James Pendleton not exactly a disinterested observer chose to put a positive spin on numbers that she conceded were not statistically significant.

If this data is worth anything at all, it actually betrays a story of strength. The annual growth rate remains nearly 3% and this is yet more evidence of how well the market was doing before the pandemic struck, she said.

This fact will play a significant role in what prices look like when the market restarts. A bullish picture going into this crisis actually means we are likely to see healthy prices when we return. There will be a period in which vendors test the water but you can expect them to stand behind valuations they were confident of achieving before the lockdown began, she opined.

Investors seemed to be on board with that analysis, and pushed the shares of PLC (), Holdings PLC (), PLC () and PLC () higher.

All were posting gains that surpassed the index;s advance; Barratt was up 2.9% at 532p; Berkeley was 1.6% higher at 4,265p; was 2.0% heavier at 2,295p; and was also up 2.0%, at 152.65p.

Ahead of the long weekend, Londons blue-chips are firmer on balance after trade data from China was not as terrible as feared.

The FTSE 100 was up 20 points (0.3%) at 5,873.

This mornings latest China trade numbers for April showed little evidence of a recovery in economic activity despite the lifting of lockdown back at the beginning of March, grumbled Michael Hewson at CMC Markets.

Exports were better than expected, rising 3.5%, probably helped by the shipping of medical products like PPE as the rest of the world wrestled with the virus while in various states of lockdown. In worrying signs that internal demand remains weak imports slid much more than expected, falling sharply, by 14.2%, suggesting that while the economy was reopening activity was far from normal, with consumers behaving more cautiously.

The lack of any signs of a significant rebound in China along with yesterdays ghastly ADP employment report which saw over 20mln people lose their jobs in April is slowly bringing it home to markets the terrible economic toll the coronavirus pandemic is set to inflict on the US economy, as well as the global economy more broadly, Hewson opined, although if markets are getting the message, they are not getting it today.

The s policy makers have estimated that the UK economy will be 30% smaller by the end of the economy, which was a bigger fall than most pointy-headed members of the economic forecasting community were predicting.

Despite that, the Bank has opted not to any major policy changes today in the wake of a conflab between its policy makers.

Of course there is plenty of uncertainty about what will happen later this year and beyond, but we suspect the true path of the recovery will be more gradual. We dont expect the economy to recover its lost ground until at least 2022, and perhaps later, said Kalum Pickering at ING.

Pickering thinks an additional round of quantitative easing will arrive eventually and noted that interestingly two committee members voted for a 100bn extension at this meeting.

The FTSE 100 made a positive start on Thursday in the face of a grim update from the , which has warned that UK GDP could contract by 30% in the second quarter.

The index of UK blue-chips rose 30 points higher to 5,883.54. The London market will be closed tomorrow for the VE Day 75th anniversary bank holiday.

Perhaps acrumb of comfort from the update was the Banks prediction of a rapid recovery from its current dire position.

New BoE governor Andrew Bailey reckoned thus far there is only limited scarring to the economy thanks to financial support such as the Treasurys furlough scheme.

The Bank seems to be in the V-shaped recovery camp, said Neil Wilson of Markets.com.

Of course, the fear is the global economy could be driven into a prolonged and hugely damaging U-shaped recession as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

More monetary support is inevitable after the BoE also opted not to increase its asset purchase scheme and left interest rates on hold, reckons Wilson.

Two things stand out: Firstly, more QE [quantitative easing] is coming, even if its not today, he explained. Two members of the MPC [the Monetary Policy Committee] voted to increase the stock of asset purchases by 100bn at this meeting.

Turning to the market and corporate news, BT () has opted to forego the dividend for the first time in two decades in order to continue investing in its fibre broadband network. While the news was widely reported over the weekend, the stock still came under pressure early on as it slid 5.8%.

Rolls Royce () fell a further 4.4% after a union official was reported as saying the pandemic would be worse for the aero-engines giant than 9/11, adding it would be difficult to save jobs.

() () said it has reached an agreement with XCD Energy Ltds (LON:ASX:XCD) board for a unanimously recommended merger. The prior unsolicited takeover bid had achieved backing of about 18.5% of XCDs shareholders, and the recommended merger comes with improved terms. In the all-paper deal, 88 Energy will issue 2.4 new 88 Energy shares and 0.7 for every listed share option held -up from 1.67 per share and 0.5 per option. XCDs board now recommend that its shareholders accept the offer, in the absence of any superior proposals. They will hold around 20% of the enlarged company as a result of the transaction.

(), the AIM-listed drug discovery company, has announced plans to raise at least 1mln by placing shares at 15p a throw. C4X shares closed at 15.25p yesterday. The net proceeds from the placing will be used to further strengthen the companys balance sheet as its partnering and strategic collaborations progressand will boost working capital during the progression of its pipeline portfolio.

() has signed a clinical and commercial agreement with a US life sciences group for its cutting edge gene-editing technology. Caribou Biosciences will use MaxCytes flow electroporation systems and the companys ExPERT platform in its allogeneic t-cell therapy programmes. MaxCyte will receive undisclosed development and approval milestones as well as sales-based payments and other licensing fees. This important agreement represents another key expansion for MaxCyte, emphasising the value of our technology platform to companies developing pioneering gene-editing and cell therapies, MaxCytes chief executive, Doug Doerfler said in a statement.

() has announced the commencement of a three-week field exploration programme from this weekend on the gold-focused Big Bear property in Ontario, Canada. The main market-listed company, which is focused on mineral exploration in Canada and Australia, said the three-week work sampling and mapping programme, which will build its understanding of possible drill and trench targets is commencing on May 10. It noted that the work will target both orogenic gold and volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) style mineralisation.

() said new positive data relating to its CTX cell therapy candidate have been published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Stem Cells. The developer of cell-based therapeutics said the data was included in a paper entitled "Implantation of the clinical-grade human neural stem cell line, CTX0E03, rescues the behavioural and pathological deficits in the quinolinic acid-lesioned rodent model of Huntington's disease". It said the new data show for the first time that ReNeuron's CTX human neural stem cell line can rescue deficits associated with an accepted animal model of Huntington's disease, a progressive genetic brain disorder.

() has unveiled a new resource statement for the Beaconsfield gold mine in Tasmania. Total resources rise to 1.454mln tonnes at a grade of 10.3 grams per tonnes (g/t), for 483,000 ounces gold. There are 354,000 ounces in measured and inferred resources, 485,000 tonnes at 11.4 g/t in measured for 177,000 ounces and 492,000 tonnes at 11.2 g/t in indicated for 177,000 ounces. A further 477,000 tonnes at 8.4 g/t remains in the inferred resource category, and, the company told investors that significant additional gold potential is still to be assessed.

() has announced that Penny will become the new chair of its board with effect from February 1, 2021, replacing Richard Eyre who will complete nine years as its chairman on May 11, 2020. Ladkin-Brand, who has chaired the Next 15 Audit Committee since 2017, also becomes the companys Senior Independent Director with immediate effect. The group said its board has asked Eyre to continue in the post to the end of the current financial year, and, consequently, he will seek re-election at the AGM and be available to support a smooth transition. Ladkin-Brand is currently chief financial officer at (), the FTSE 250 global multi-platform media company, and she will be moving into a new role of chief strategy officer on June 1, 2020, and will step down from the groups board.

() said its portfolio firm Exscientia has entered into a collaboration with US research centre SRI International to expedite the discovery of molecules for a high value oncology target. The IP investor said the agreement will see the two firms implement a new approach to drug discovery using SRIs automated synthetic-chemistry system with Exscientia's Centaur Chemist system. Frontier IP owns a 2.3% stake in Exscientia.

Eden ResearchPLC () said it is poised to capitalise on new product and market opportunities in 2020 as it predicted more sales for its Cedroz product. Posting its results for the year endedDecember 31, 2019, the biopesticide specialist said it expected to build on the sales achieved in the territories where it received approvals during 2019 and early 2020, including sales for Cedroz in Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom where the applications for registrations have now been outstanding from the early part of 2019. The firm also said it expected US regulators to approve Cedroz and its Mevalone product during 2020, although the pace of approvals hasbeen slowed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

() has agreed to acquirea further 7% interest in the Otjozondu manganese mining project in Namibia. The transaction sees Premier buy a 7% interest in MN Holdings Limited, the projects owner, for US$700,000 paid in new shares. It will increase Premier Africans stake in MN to 19%. This further proposed increase in our holding in MNH is based on the same valuation formula applied to our initial acquisition, George Roach, Premier African's chief executive said in a statement released after the market close on Wednesday.

() has taken another important step towards the global launch of its phase III treatment for the rare skin condition epidermolysis bullosa (EB) by announcing its brand name. AP101 will be launched commercially as FILSUVEZ. This, alongside our recent completion of recruitment into the EASE study, represents further progress as we endeavour to develop a therapy for patients with EB, a rare and distressing genetic skin disorder affecting young children and adults for which there is currently no approved treatment," Amryt chief executive, Dr Joe Wiley said in a statement.

() said it has noted the recent rise in its share price and confirms that it knows of no reason for this movement. As announced on May 1, 2020, the company has completed the sale of Anglo African Oil & Gas Congo S.A.U to Zenith Energy Limited on the terms set out in the announcement of April 17, 2020.

Silence Therapeutics PLC (LON:SLN), a leader in the discovery, development and delivery of novel RNA therapeutics for the treatment of serious diseases, said its annual general meeting will be held on June 9, 2020, at 10.00am at Herons Ghyll, Tilford Road, Tilford, Surrey GU10 2DD. It added that in order to comply with the UK Government's Stay at Home measures, shareholders will not be allowed to attend the meeting in person and are strongly encouraged to, therefore, submit their votes, in respect of all matters of business, via proxy as early as possible. If the situation changes then shareholders will be notified via the company's website at https://www.silence-therapeutics.com and via RNS announcement.

(LON:WBI_, the African focused forestry and timber trading company, has announced that following the release of the audited results for the year ended December 31, 2019 on April 30, the company has made their latest corporate presentation available from the investor centre of the company's website.

() (ASX:BSE), the African mineral sands producer, has announced that the latest investor update presentation is now available from the companys website - http://www.baseresources.com.au - and a pre-recorded webcast of that presentation can be viewed at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/6av8h2ew

After a volatile Wednesday, the London market looks set to start flat for the last session of the short week.

CFD firm IG Markets calls the FTSE 100 up only 4 points, making the price 5,848 to 5851 with just over an hour to go until the start of trading.

With the Friday bank holiday looming and anticipation of the next government decisions on lockdown sentiments are tempered and trading activity may be somewhat muted without other external stimuli.

Thursdays diary will have some important update, not least BTs pending dividend decision, meanwhile, the policy decision is also due later today along with an inflation report.

Michael Hewson, analyst at CMC Markets, suggested that the central banks bond-buying campaign is far from done.

Todays inflation report and virtual press conference at 10am, is likely to paint a dark outlook for the UK economy, not only for this year, but also for the next few years as rising unemployment triggers a tsunami of defaults and bankruptcies.

The growth forecasts are likely to be moved into line with assessments from the likes of the OECD and the IMF, which suggests we could see a figure in the region of -7.5%. It was notable that Andrew Bailey didnt demur too much when a figure of -12% was put to him recently, however this was put to him within a range of -5% to -12%.

He added: With Brexit also a clear and present threat to both the UK and other European economies, the road ahead looks an extremely bumpy and potholed one, and as any driver will tell you, a road full of potholes will prevent you from picking up any sort of acceleration to a steady cruising speed.

Last night saw a mixed close for US equities as the Dow Jones Industrial Average gave up more than 200 points, or 0.91%, to finish at 23,664 and the S&P 500 dipped 0.7% to 2,848 whilst the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.5% to 8,854.

In Asia, Japans Nikkei 225 was a sliver higher at 19,624 and Hong Kongs Hang Seng was 0.76% lower at 23,954. The Shanghai Composite, meanwhile, dipped 0.32% to 2,858.

interest rate decision

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FTSE 100 closes up and nearing 6,000 as investor optimism continues - Proactive Investors UK

In 2014, a sardonic tweet about the differences between mens and womens deodorant descriptors went viral. It read: Women's deodorant scents: rose, cotton, spring, meadow.

Mens: WINTER ICE, SHARKNADO, GLACIER PUNCH, ANTIFREEZE, GUN. The tweet, which was shared more than 24,000 times, inspired scores of similar, fabricated product names poking fun at the gendered way in which skincare and grooming products are typically marketed to men and women.

Read more: Coming Out As Trans Non-Binary To My Boss Taught Me A Lesson About Expecting More

Satire aside, anyone browsing the toiletries aisle cant help but be aware of the invisible barrier and, more often than not, the clearly marked signs separating the droves of baby-pink, pastel and powder-blue womens skincare products from the mostly monochromatic mens grooming choices, reassuring prospective purchasers that they are, in fact, suitable for men. Aside from the potentially harmful psychological effects of gender-specific marketing, the very real pink tax fosters another type of inequity in 2015, a study commissioned by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs uncovered that, on average, personal-care products marketed to women will cost up to 13 per cent more than similar products targeted at men.

As we move towards more inclusive definitions of gender, is gendered skincare simply an antiquated (and sexist) marketing ploy or does it truly cater to the distinct needs of male and female skin compositions?

Read more: These Gender Neutral Salons Are A Pink Tax-Free Zone

Its no secret that industry insiders have known for a while now that gender in consumption is often nothing more than a social construct. Were conditioned from a young age to classify certain colours, toys and products as feminine, while we gradually learn to think of others as specifically masculine. Just think of the toys you giddily unwrapped before tucking into your Happy Meal as a child dolls for the girls, cars for the boys.

This phenomenon continues to inform our thinking well into adulthood, with men tending to be more concerned with maintaining a masculine identity and choosing to buy products that align themselves with that image; its even been shown that men purchase more in the presence of a strong-looking man. Such intelligence is invaluable for marketers determined to bolster their bottom line.

Marketing strategies and social conditioning notwithstanding, is mens skin really different enough to warrant an entirely separate skincare regimen? While its true that mens skin is between 20 and 25 per cent thicker than womens (as it contains more collagen and elastin) and it tends to produce more oil, the American Academy of Dermatology assures us that the basics of our daily skincare regime should be the same, regardless of gender. Instead of thinking of skin as either male or female, the most important factors to look out for when putting together an effective skincare routine are skin type (normal, sensitive, oily, dry or combination) and areas of concern think anti-ageing, blemishes, dark spots, and so on.

With consumers everywhere increasingly casting a critical eye on traditional beauty norms, the past few years have witnessed a sharp rise in gender-neutral skincare. Well-established brands and products that have long positioned themselves as neutral go-tos such as Australian heavyweight Aesop and ubiquitous unisex fragrances, including CK One, are now being joined by up-and-coming newcomers aiming to disrupt the gender-specific market.

Panacea, the K-Beauty-inspired skincare line, continues its hot streak in 2020. The brainchild of Korean-American co-founder Terry Lee, Panacea was conceived with the idea of introducing a gender-agnostic approach to skincare, while reducing the typical (and time-consuming) 10-step, K-Beauty approach to a mere three steps. The newest addition to the ever-expanding roster of universal pampering products is American Eagles in-house wellness and skincare line, Mood. This non-gendered range of hemp-derived CBD products includes everything from face oil and bath bombs to pillow mists.

Also looking to break down gender-specific beauty is Alll, which provides a personalised, DNA-based approach to skincare. Recent studies suggest our genetics account for 50 to 60 per cent of ageing, says Dr Elisabet Hagert, co-founder of Alll. This means how we age really is dependent on our genetic predispositions. Based on an in-depth DNA analysis, a bespoke skincare line is created, targeting individual concerns at a granular level regardless of gender.

As we progress into the new decade, were being spoiled for choice when it comes to skincare and grooming solutions with an emphasis on skin type and areas of concern, rather than gender. The only question that remains is this: with us men being fiercely brand loyal, will we be willing to leave our Sharknado-scented deodorants behind?

More from British Vogue:

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Is The Future Of Beauty Non-Binary? - British Vogue

Donald Trump has excelled at stand-out advice to head off major disasters. Anyone remember his sage exhortation for avoiding worldwide arboreal conflagrations? Yes, rake your forest floors. Last month he surpassed himself much more dangerously with an astonishing suggestion for curing COVID-19 victims - inject them with disinfectant.

As the world races to find answers to the disease, we are still deep in the realms of speculation. Some theories seem more feasible than others, but by comparison with the above, the smorgasbord of theories explored below should seem far less unlikely than they might otherwise appear.

The main COVID-19 risks

In the previous article to this one, several groups were mentioned as being at higher risk.

It's now become more well established that:

We also know that compared to viral pneumonia, higher levels of co-morbidities are involved amongst ICU COVID-19 patients, with high blood pressure, high BMI and diabetes featuring strongly. However, co-morbidities are not the whole answer to why certain people are worse affected.

A study of 28% of all UK hospitalised COVID-19 patients (16,749) found 47% had no documented comorbidity. Among the rest, the most common noted at admission were chronic cardiac disease (29%), uncomplicated diabetes (19%), chronic pulmonary disease excluding asthma (19%) and asthma (14%). (Hypertension was not one of the criteria searched on, but is often mentioned elsewhere.)

The tricky thing about all these associations with the disease is working out which of them actually tell us anything useful. It's very easy to look at each one in isolation and jump to conclusions. It's also difficult to separate differences between the rates of infection (differentiating exposure vs susceptibility), severe symptoms and mortality, which don't always match between groups.

Why are men harder hit?

Contrary to what their partners might suggest, it's not to do with differences in hand-washing. Men and women are equally likely to contract the virus. That's where equality ends. Men are in the majority to be hospitalised with COVID-19 (60%), and to end up in ICU (72%) and, once there, are less likely to survive (51% of the men died, while only 43% of the women did). In the ONS statistics, this translates to men accounting for nearly two thirds of COVID-19 related deaths in the 45-64 and 65-74 age groups. (The proportion lowers with increasing age, as there are more older women.)

An intriguing fact comes out of the Continuous Mortality Investigation's analysis of excess death rates. In week 17, for over 75s, men and women had pretty much the same percentage increase of death rates (+129% to +138%). But whilst younger men were also dying twice as fast as expected, for women rates were up by relatively lower rates: 73% vs expected amongst 45-64 year-olds and 59% if 65-74.

Thoughts so far about the role of testosterone and oestrogen have proved inconclusive, although the latter is being looked at more closely. Female immune systems certainly give general improved protection, producing higher levels of antibodies and preventing as much viral load and inflammation as suffered by men. One of the explanations offered is to do with the X-chromosome, of which female DNA has two. However, none of this explains why the male disadvantage is so pronounced for this type of infection compared to others.

Smoke and mirrors

One suggested explanation for the gender split has been that men more likely to be smokers than women and tend to smoke more heavily. This is especially true in China. However, conflicting data there makes a link look less likely than you'd guess. Although some smokers fared less well with severe symptoms, smokers were very much under-represented amongst patients.

In the UK, the link is also tenuous, as we have now have low numbers of smokers to start with and the ratio of male smokers to female is only 1.3 vs their ratio of arrival for COVID-19 in ICU, being 2.5.

The high rate of severe COVID-19 amongst Asian and Black ethnicities is also a confounder for smoking as a top risk factor. Smoking prevalence in these groups in the UK is about 2/3 of that for whites.

Even more surprisingly, whilst no-one's suggesting taking up smoking, a French study appeared to show that people who smoke are 80% less likely to catch COVID-19 than non-smokers of the same age and sex. This seems counter to other findings that smokers fare less well when it comes to worse symptoms and the fact that smokers have more ACE2 receptors, which are the route in that the virus uses.

A possible explanation is in the difference between incidence and severity. Inhalation of nitric oxide could help prevent infection, whereas once the virus manages to get a grip, the damage already done by smoking makes patients more vulnerable.

Genetics

The King's College Twins study team using the ZOE COVID-19 symptom study app, now with about three million UK users, found from analysing 2,633 twin users of the app that roughly half of the difference in symptoms between people can be explained by underlying variations in their genes, while the rest is due to other factors such as amount of viral exposure (viral load), underlying health conditions, environment and lifestyle.

This lends credence to the idea that genetic differences could explain part of the differences in severity of symptoms and in mortality between the sexes and different races.

The BAME concern

Concerns have been raised about the disproportionately high numbers of people of Black, Asian and mixed ethnicity (BAME) vs White COVID-19 patients. For example, ONS data just out shows Black males are 4.2 times more likely to die from a COVID-19-related death and Black females are 4.3 times more likely than White ethnicity males and females.

As you'd expect, wide differences within ethnic sub-groups exist, making analysis difficult.

Higher levels of diabetes among some groups has been thought to be one potential factor.

Early high level indications had suggested that case fatality rates are no worse than for Whites, after controlling for other factors. This suggested the main problem is exposure in the first place. This can be related to location, occupations in the front line whether in healthcare or service roles, and also factors to do with relative poverty and overcrowded housing.

However, the new ONS data counters that as the whole answer. Controlling for socio-economic background as well as age and sex, all groups, except for Chinese women, showed a higher risk than Whites, with Blacks still being at almost double the risk.

Solutions ruled out or being tested

Apart from those New Yorkers discovering ingestion of disinfectant results in internal burns, many other more plausible things have been tried and don't seem to help much or are being tested but results aren't out yet. Among the don't help list are:

Among the longshots being tested for symptomatic relief or immunity are:

Rays of hope

Despite the horrifying numbers we've been seeing, we can at least be heartened by the falls in case numbers of late and the speed at which researchers of all sorts are throwing light on the facts which will ultimately help us better defend ourselves against this horrible virus.

On a lighter note, we could find that Trump is right for once, when it comes to the benefits of sunlight. Not only is UV light a known disinfectant, but the race is on to determine the correlations between COVID-19 experience and exposure to the sun. It's hypothesized that benefits of sunlight on the skin - vitamin D and nitric oxide production - act to reduce vulnerability due to factors such as hypertension, obesity, blood clotting problems and immune dysfunction.

Release of lockdown into the sunny weather could be just what the doctor ordered.

Ruth Gilbert heads up insuringchange.co.uk

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COVID-19: Rays of hope amid the gloom - COVER

]]> An oil drilling rig in the North Sea. Credit: Erik Christensen.

While much of the oil and gas industry begins to focus its efforts on decommissioning, and transitioning to a world where oil production, if not oil usage, will form a smaller part of the global energy mix, there are a few companies continuing to invest in and extend the lives of their projects.

Equinors Statfjord field is perhaps the most obvious example, with the company recently announcing that the Statfjord A platform will continue to produce oil into 2027, close to its 50thyear of active operation. The field is estimated to have generated $180bn in income over its lengthy lifespan, and with the drilling of 100 new wells planned, the operators seem to be confident that despite the general trend of the industry, profit and productivity remain in the field.

But its not just majors who are engaging in asset life extension, with this optimistic approach trickling down to smaller players in the North Sea. One such company is Rockrose Energy, a UK-based independent that announced earlier this year that production at its Ross and Blake fields in the North Sea will be extended by five years, pushing the fields expected lifespans into 2029.

With the operators expanding the fields potential production by more than two million barrels of oil equivalent, the project is an identical case study in optimism and a focus on the bottom line to Equinors expansion, but on a more local scale. Yet it remains to be seen if Rockroses project will prove financially viable in the long-term, and how the expansion work will fit into an industry that, despite a few examples, seems committed to decommissioning.

Decommissioning is becoming an increasingly vital aspect of the North Sea oil and gas industry. Oil and Gas UK reported at the end of 2019 that the UK offshore sector is expected to spend over $19bn on decommissioning over the next decade, with well decommissioning in particular accounting for 45% of the forecast expenditure for oil and gas companies over the next ten years.

Yet Rockrose is undeterred, with managing director Peter Mann noting that it is part of the companys strategy to extend field life and push back decommissioning. Plans at Ross and Blake are in line with that.

The firm plans to invest $250m into the two fields, in which it owns a 30.8% stake, to fund new drilling work that will see two additional infill wells constructed

This optimistic investment follows a productive few years for the companythat has encouraged Rockrose to take a more proactive, expansionist approach to its assets, at a time where much of the industry is looking towards decommissioning. Rockrose has seen productivity increase at its operations in recent years, posting an increase in annual production across all of its operations across the North Sea of 117% in 2019 compared to 2018 figures.Furthermore,with over 100 million barrels of oil equivalent beneath its platforms in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) alone, the firm is optimistic that its projects will continue to be productive and profitable.

Mann was also eager to point out Rockroses recent commitment to proactive asset acquisition and ensuring high standards of occupational health and safety, both of which could help stabilise the company and its assets in an industry whose future is increasingly uncertain, creating a coherent identity for the firm to unite its operations across its assets.

Rockrose has established HSE policies in place, which ensure the safety and wellbeing of its employees and contractors, he said. This was reflected at Brae, where in 2019 the total number of HSE incidents fell by 39% to 17, with only seven of these taking place post-completion of the acquisition of the Marathon UK deal, which included the Brae assets.

As a result, Rockrose has aimed to position itself as an active and dynamic actor in a sector often considered backward-looking and resistant to change; last July, for instance, the company completed the $95m acquisition of Marathon Oil, a deal which saw assets worth 28 million barrels of oil equivalent come under the operation of Rockrose, significantly expanding the companys influence in the North Sea.

Rockroses approach appears to have yielded financial dividends, at least in the short term, with dramatic improvements in raw production figures and profits over the last year. The company saw a 311% increase in gas production from 2018 to 2019, alongside a 55% increase in oil production over the same period, and a total increase in revenues of 64% across its oil and gas operations.

In the companys annual report, executive chairman Andrew Austin echoed this sentiment, predicting a 9% increase in production between 2019 and 2020 that would see the firms total output reach around 21,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day

Yet while these figures are undoubtedly impressive, they are undermined by the companys vast capital expenditure, which has been enough to keep the company producing in the short term, yet it is unclear as to the sustainability of this level of investment; between 2018 and 2019, capital expenditure increased by a dramatic 624% to $76.9m. Perhaps most concerning, however, is the 292% increase in abandonment expenditure, with RockRose spending over $9m on abandonment work in 2019, despite its broad aims to delay decommissioning work where possible.

In 2017, Rockrose commissioned oil and gas evaluation firm ERC Equipoise to assess the companys long-term financial viability, and the companys conclusions could be a concern for Rockrose. ERC Equipoise predicted that cost inflation would increase from 1.02% in 2018 to 1.4% in 2034, which could drive up operational expenses for a company that has already invested a significant sum across its operations.

Yet according to Mann, this ever-increasing spend is simply part of a changing oil and gas landscape in the UK.

The UK North Sea continues to represent a significant opportunity, said Mann. There is a changing of the guard in the UKCS, with some of the larger international companies refocusing elsewhere, which leaves opportunities for smaller, flexible and ambitious companies with strong balance sheets, like Rockrose, to take on the assets and maximise their economic recovery and potential.

Should the oil and gas landscape shift away from major companies with decades-old projects, towards these smaller, more agile firms with fewer assets, Rockroses vision of smaller projects with significant financial margins could be realised. Despite investment of $248m into the Ross and Blake fields as part of the latest round of expansion alone, the firm still posted an end-of-year balance of $203m at the end of 2019, compared to $38m at the end of 2018.

Financial risks certainly remain for those eager to pursue asset expansion at this point in time, but Rockrose is proving that there could be a way forward for independent companies willing to take these kindsof financial risks.

Continued here:
Asset life extension: viable in the long term for oil and gas? - Offshore Technology