October 24, 2022

Taconic Biosciences Launches First and Only Super Immunodeficient Mouse Models Lacking Residual Murine Fc Gamma Receptors, for Improved Antibody Therapy Assessment

FcResolv NOG Models Provide Greater Clarity and More Translatable Data

RENSSELAER, N.Y., Oct. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Taconic Biosciences, a global leader in providing drug discovery animal model solutions, has launched the FcResolv NOG portfolio, the first and only super immunodeficient mouse models lacking residual murine Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs) known to confound results in antibody-based therapy studies.

Murine FcγRs can cause false positives or false negatives, leading to incorrect conclusions and derail drug discovery. FcResolv NOG models knock out these receptors for greater clarity in antibody-based drug studies, affording investigators greater confidence and more translatable data with fewer studies and fewer animals. With applicability in oncology, immuno-oncology, and autoimmune disease, FcResolv NOG models are suitable for engrafting a wide range of human cells and tissues, including simultaneous human tumor engraftment and immune system humanization.

“Antibody-based therapies represent one of the fastest-growing classes of drugs, creating a pressing need for better preclinical tools to assess therapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and bispecific antibodies,” said Dr. Michael Seiler, vice president of commercial products at Taconic. “Taconic’s FcResolv NOG portfolio enables researchers to evaluate drug candidates like these on their own merits, free of interference from residual murine Fc gamma receptor activity.”

FcResolv NOG models eliminate the false negatives that occur when an antibody-based therapeutic’s Fc domain interacts with murine FcγRs as well as the false positives that result when FcγRs trigger residual murine immune activity. They also eliminate costly deconvolution steps otherwise needed to distinguish true drug efficacy from off-target effects mediated through the mouse immune system. With more reliable answers, researchers can target their drug discovery investments more strategically and effectively.

The FcResolv NOG model portfolio is based on the super immunodeficient CIEA NOG mouse^®. The portfolio currently includes two models:

FcResolv NOG, for tumor xenografts using cell lines or patient-derived tumors, engraftment of other normal or pathological human cells and tissues, and immune system humanization studies
FcResolv hIL-15 NOG, which supports engraftment of human NK cells and is suitable for efficacy studies on antibody-based therapeutics with an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) mechanism of action

To learn more about the FcResolv NOG portfolio, visit www.Taconic.com/fcresolv. Or call 1-888-TACONIC (888-822-6642) in the US, +45 70 23 04 05 in Europe, or email info@taconic.com.

About Taconic Biosciences, Inc.

Taconic Biosciences is a fully licensed, global leader in genetically engineered rodent models and services. Founded in 1952, Taconic provides the best animal solutions so that customers can acquire, custom-generate, breed, precondition, test, and distribute valuable research models worldwide. Specialists in genetically engineered mouse and rat models, microbiome, immuno-oncology mouse models, and integrated model design and breeding services, Taconic operates service laboratories and breeding facilities in the U.S. and Europe, maintains distributor relationships in Asia and has global shipping capabilities to provide animal models almost anywhere in the world.

Media Contact:

Louise Baskin, Senior Director New Product Pipeline

303-432-2495

Louise.Baskin@taconic.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8670208

October 24, 2022

Taconic Biosciences lance le premier et le seul modèle de souris super immunodéficientes dépourvus de récepteurs Fc Gamma murins résiduels, pour une évaluation améliorée de la thérapie par anticorps

Les modèles FcResolv NOG offrent une plus grande clarté et des données plus traduisibles

RENSSELAER, New York, 24 oct. 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Taconic Biosciences, un leader mondial dans la fourniture de solutions de modèles animaux pour la découverte de médicaments, a lancé le portefeuille FcResolv NOG, les premiers et seuls modèles de souris super immunodéficientes dépourvus de récepteurs Fc Gamma murins résiduels (FcyRs) connus pour fausser les résultats dans les études thérapeutiques à base d’anticorps.

Les FcyRs murins peuvent provoquer de faux positifs ou de faux négatifs, ce qui conduit à des conclusions erronées et fait dérailler la découverte de médicaments. Les modèles FcResolv NOG éliminent ces récepteurs pour une plus grande clarté dans les études médicamenteuses à base d’anticorps, offrant aux chercheurs une plus grande confiance et des données plus traduisibles avec moins d’études et moins d’animaux. Avec une applicabilité en oncologie, en immuno-oncologie et en maladie auto-immune, les modèles FcResolv NOG sont adaptés à la greffe d’un large éventail de cellules et tissus humains, y compris la greffe de tumeurs humaines simultanée et l’humanisation du système immunitaire.

« Les thérapies à base d’anticorps représentent l’une des classes de médicaments à la croissance la plus rapide, créant un besoin urgent de meilleurs outils précliniques pour évaluer des traitements tels que les anticorps monoclonaux, les conjugués anticorps-médicaments et les anticorps bispécifiques », a déclaré le Dr Michael Seiler, vice-président des produits commerciaux chez Taconic. « Le portefeuille de récepteurs FcResolv NOG de Taconic permet aux chercheurs d’évaluer des médicaments candidats tels que ceux-ci selon leurs propres mérites, sans interférence de l’activité résiduelle du récepteur Fc Gamma murin. »

Les modèles FcResolv NOG éliminent les faux négatifs qui se produisent lorsqu’un domaine Fc thérapeutique à base d’anticorps interagit avec les FcyRs murins, ainsi que les faux positifs qui en résultent lorsque les FcyRs déclenchent une activité immunitaire murine résiduelle. Ils éliminent également les étapes de déconvolution coûteuses nécessaires pour distinguer une véritable efficacité médicamenteuse des effets hors cible induits par le système immunitaire de la souris. Grâce à des réponses plus fiables, les chercheurs peuvent cibler leurs investissements dans la découverte de médicaments de manière plus stratégique et plus efficace.

Le portefeuille de modèles NOG FcResolv est basé sur la souris^® NOG CIEA super immunodéficiente. Le portefeuille comprend actuellement deux modèles :

FcResolv NOG, pour les xérogreffes tumorales utilisant des lignées cellulaires ou des tumeurs dérivées des patients, la greffe d’autres cellules et tissus humains normaux ou pathologiques, et les études d’humanisation du système immunitaire
FcResolv hIL-15 NOG, qui supporte la greffe des cellules NK humaines et convient pour des études d’efficacité sur les thérapies à base d’anticorps avec un mécanisme d’action de cytotoxicité cellulaire dépendant des anticorps (ADCC)

Pour en savoir plus sur le portefeuille de FcResolv NOG, rendez-vous sur www.Taconic.com/fcresolv. Vous pouvez également appeler le 1-888-TACONIC (888-822-6642) aux États-Unis, le +45 70 23 04 05 en Europe, ou envoyer un e-mail à l’adresse info@taconic.com.

À propos de Taconic Biosciences, Inc.

Taconic Biosciences est un leader mondial pleinement agréé dans les modèles et les services de rongeurs génétiquement modifiés. Fondée en 1952, Taconic offre les meilleures solutions animales afin que les clients puissent acquérir, générer d’une manière personnalisée, élever, pré-conditionner, tester et distribuer des modèles de recherche précieux dans le monde entier. Spécialiste des modèles de souris et de rats génétiquement modifiés, du microbiome, des modèles de souris pour l’immuno-oncologie et des services de conception de modèles intégrés et d’élevage, Taconic exploite des laboratoires de services et des établissements d’élevage aux États-Unis et en Europe, entretient des relations de distribution en Asie et dispose de capacités d’expédition mondiales pour fournir des modèles animaux presque partout dans le monde.

Contact auprès des médias :

Louise Baskin, directrice principale du nouveau Pipeline de produits

303-432-2495

Louise.Baskin@taconic.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8670426

October 24, 2022

Taconic Biosciences Lança Primeiro e Único Modelo de Camundongo Super Imunodeficiente Sem Receptores Gama Fc Murino Residuais, para Avaliação de Terapia de Anticorpo Aprimorada

Modelos FcResolv NOG proporcionam dados mais claros e mais traduzíveis

RENSSELAER, NY, Oct. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Taconic Biosciences, líder global no fornecimento de soluções de modelo animal para descoberta de medicamentos, lançou o portfólio FcResolv NOG, o primeiro e único modelo de camundongo superimunodeficiente sem receptores Fc gama murinos residuais (FcγRs) conhecidos por confundir os resultados nos estudos de terapia com base em anticorpos.

Os FcγRs murinos podem causar falsos positivos ou falsos negativos, levando a conclusões incorretas e afetar a descoberta de medicamentos. Os modelos FcResolv NOG eliminam esses receptores para maior clareza nos estudos de medicamentos com base em anticorpos, proporcionando aos investigadores maior confiança e dados mais traduzíveis, com menos estudos e menos animais. Com aplicabilidade em oncologia, imuno-oncologia e doença autoimune, os modelos FcResolv NOG são adequados para enxertos de uma ampla gama de células e tecidos humanos, incluindo enxerto simultâneo de tumor humano e humanização do sistema imunológico.

“As terapias com base em anticorpos são uma das classes de medicamentos de crescimento mais rápido, criando uma necessidade urgente de melhores ferramentas pré-clínicas para a avaliação terapêutica, como de anticorpos monoclonais, conjugados anticorpo-droga e anticorpos biespecíficos”, disse o Dr. Michael Seiler, vice-presidente de produtos comerciais da Taconic. “O portfólio FcResolv NOG da Taconic permite que pesquisadores avaliem candidatos a medicamentos como esses por si próprios, sem interferência da atividade residual do receptor Fc gama murino.”

Os modelos FcResolv NOG eliminam os falsos negativos que ocorrem quando o domínio Fc de um terapêutico com base em anticorpos interage com os FcγRs murinos, bem como os falsos positivos que resultam quando os FcγRs desencadeiam atividade imune murina residual. Eles também eliminam as etapas dispendiosas de desconvolução que normalmente são necessárias para distinguir a verdadeira eficácia do medicamento dos efeitos fora do alvo mediados pelo sistema imunológico do camundongo. Com respostas mais confiáveis, os pesquisadores podem direcionar seus investimentos em descoberta de medicamentos de forma mais estratégica e eficaz.

O portfólio do modelo FcResolv NOG tem como base o CIEA NOG mouse^® superimunodeficiente. Atualmente, o portfólio inclui dois modelos:

FcResolv NOG, para xenoenxertos de tumores com linhagens celulares ou tumores derivados de pacientes, enxerto de outras células e tecidos humanos normais ou patológicos, e estudos de humanização do sistema imunológico
FcResolv hIL-15 NOG, que aceita enxertos de células NK humanas e é adequado para estudos de eficácia em terapêutica com base em anticorpos com um mecanismo de ação de citotoxicidade celular dependente de anticorpos (ADCC)

Para mais informação sobre o portfólio FcResolv NOG, visite www.Taconic.com/fcresolv. Ou ligue para 1-888-TACONIC (888-822-6642) nos EUA, +45 70 23 04 05 na Europa, ou envie email para info@taconic.com.

Sobre a Taconic Biosciences, Inc.

A Taconic Biosciences é uma líder global totalmente licenciada em serviços e modelos geneticamente modificados. Fundada em 1952, a Taconic oferece as melhores soluções/modelos de pesquisas em murinos, para que os clientes possam adquirir, customizar, criar, pré-condicionar, testar e distribuir valiosos modelos de pesquisa em todo o mundo. Especializada em modelos de camundongos e de ratos geneticamente projetados, microbioma, modelos de camundongos imuno-oncologia, e serviços de design e criação de modelos integrados, a Taconic opera laboratórios de serviços e instalações de criação nos EUA e na Europa, mantém relações com distribuidores na Ásia , e tem capacidades de entrega em nível global para oferecer modelos em quase qualquer lugar no mundo.

Contato com a Mídia:

Louise Baskin, Diretora Sênior de Pipeline de Novos Produtos

303-432-2495

Louise.Baskin@taconic.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8670426

October 24, 2022October 25, 2022

More than half of world’s unregistered children under 5 in Africa – UNICEF

ADDIS ABABA, 24 October 2022 — Of the 164 million unregistered children under 5 worldwide, more than half (around 91 million) live in Africa, according to a new statistical update on birth registration in Africa, published by UNICEF in partnership with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

Nearly half of all African children under 5 are unregistered, but levels vary widely across countries and regions.

Around 20 countries on the continent are on a good track to achieve universal birth registration by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target 16.9. However, substantial acceleration would be needed for Africa as a whole to achieve the target.

“A birth certificate is a vital tool to help children access their rights. It is the basis upon which they can establish a nationality, avoid the risk of statelessness, access social services and seek protection from violence and exploitation,” said Mohamed Malick Fall, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.

The poorest children in Africa continue to be left behind, with the gap in birth registration between the richest and poorest children widening over two decades, most notably in Central Africa. With sustained progress, Africa could continue to see fewer unregistered children in the years to come.

“Evidence from UNICEF-supported programmes across the continent points to a few critical interventions that could shift the needle towards ensuring every child’s right to birth registration, as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” said Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “By twinning birth registration with newborn health and immunisation services, making sure all children who are in contact with these services during their first year of life are also registered, countries could see birth registration rates increase dramatically.”

The new statistical update is being launched during African Union Commission and UNECA hosted Experts Group Meeting of the 6th Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 24-27 October 2022.

Legal identity for all in Africa — starting from birth — could be a game-changer in closing the global identity gap and fulfilling the promise to leave no one behind. UNICEF is calling on African Union member states to:

Revise laws and policies to remove all discriminatory provisions and make registration and certification free within the legally permissible time period and beyond.

Adopt a one-stop approach for newborn registration and certification that is entirely interoperable with health and immunisation systems, including in humanitarian contexts.

Take a gradual approach to digitization of systems, while adhering to safe and innovative practices, based on a holistic approach to ensure the universal civil registration of all vital events and identity management

The Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015, include a dedicated target (16.9) under Goal 16 — namely, to provide legal identity for all, including birth registration, by 2030. The UN Legal Identity Agenda, supported by UNICEF, also calls for a holistic approach to ensure the universal civil registration of all vital events, production of vital statistics, and the establishment and maintenance of population registers and identity management apparatus from birth to death.

Since the adoption of the SDGs, great strides have been made in raising the levels of birth registration in Africa, but a substantial acceleration of progress will be required to fulfil the promise of universal birth registration by 2030.

Source: UN Children’s Fund

October 24, 2022October 25, 2022

Data shows impacts of rising prices and shrinking aid on forcibly displaced people

A new data visualization reveals how the ripple effects of the Ukraine war are impacting refugees and internally displaced people in parts of the world far from the media spotlight.

The consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for refugees and internally displaced people have reached well beyond Europe. The war has pushed up food and fuel prices and disrupted supply chains at a time when millions of forcibly displaced people were already struggling with the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather, and long-running conflicts.

But just as needs are increasing, the costs of delivering humanitarian assistance to forcibly displaced people have also risen exponentially – another consequence of the war in Ukraine. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi warned recently that without an injection of US$700 million in additional funding before the end of the year, UNHCR will be forced to cut vital aid to forcibly displaced people across the world.

Today, UNHCR is releasing a new data visualization — Out of the Spotlight — which looks at the mounting hardships refugees and internally displaced people are facing in forgotten corners of the globe, and how those hardships could multiply unless funding shortfalls can be bridged.

In 12 countries where UNHCR works, most of them in Africa and the Middle East, the situation is particularly serious. Forcibly displaced people are already being forced to choose between buying medicines for elderly relatives or food for their children.

The data visualization looks at several countries where the triple burden of conflict, COVID and climate change had already drained displaced people’s reserves and made them more reliant on humanitarian assistance, even before the war in Ukraine sent shock waves through the global economy.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, decades of conflict have pushed 27 million people into hunger and created the largest internal displacement crisis in Africa, with over 5.5 million people having fled their homes. Continued violence in the east has newly displaced hundreds of thousands of people this year, but funding for the humanitarian response has not kept pace. UNHCR’s operations in the country were only 40 per cent funded by the end of September.

Such shortfalls leave UNHCR facing tough decisions about which essential programmes to cut. Some of the devastating consequences for forcibly displaced people are outlined in the data visualization: from less cash assistance for refugees in Iraq and Jordan to less money to educate refugee children in Uganda, or even to provide soap.

“People forced to flee already pay the price for conflicts that have ravaged their homelands. Further suffering this year and next can be reduced with swift international action,” said Dominique Hyde, Director of UNHCR’s Division for External Relations. “I appeal to all donors to help us save lives by finding these resources in the coming days and weeks – millions of people depend on it.”

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

October 24, 2022

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Announces Additional Support to Promote Locally Led R&D; Calls for Proposals

BRUSSELS, Oct. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced a series of initiatives and a call for proposals to advance locally-led innovation that supports work by scientists and researchers in developing economies. The announcement was made at the Grand Challenges Annual Meeting earlier today.

This year’s meeting focuses on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the need for high-impact R&D platforms, partnerships, and policies that effectively bridge the gap between innovation and equitable access. The meeting brings together researchers from around the world to share work, learn about cutting-edge advances in the health care field, and collaborate with other investigators.

“Health equity shouldn’t just be a statement of why we do this work. It should guide how we do it,” said Kedest Tesfagiorgis, deputy director of Global Partnerships & Grand Challenges at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “When we support locally led innovation, we maximize impact by bringing different kinds of knowledge and perspectives to the fore.”

As part of the Grand Challenges Global Call to Action, a 10-year initiative announced at last year’s meeting to help ensure scientists and institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) play a central role in shaping the global R&D agenda, the foundation announced two new Grand Challenges initiatives:

Pathogen Genomic Surveillance and Immunology in Asia : This is an invitation for proposals from investigators in South and Southeast Asia to design and pilot a genomic surveillance program or develop capacity for immunology and immune sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 to inform epidemic response. Up to $300,000 per year for up to two years will be available for each project, with potential additional funding for projects that include a focus on monoclonal antibody discovery.
Building Data Modeling Capacity for Gender Equality : This is an invitation for proposals from investigators in low- and middle-income countries for projects aimed at addressing disparities and gaps affecting women and girls in health. This initiative is focused on innovative approaches to modeling that advance gender equality. Each project will receive up to $500,000 over one to three years.

“Societies measure what they value, and for most of history, society hasn’t valued women. This means we’re trying to tackle global health and development challenges with missing information,” said Anita Zaidi, president of the Gender Equality division at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “It is long past time to put women and girls at the center of the data modeling that guides our solutions.”

In partnership with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), the foundation will also provide grants to researchers investigating and detecting emerging pathogens in LMICs. Researchers will receive up to $200,000 each for up to two years, as well as operational support and technical training from the ChanZuckerberg Biohub (CZ Biohub). This funding commitment builds on a 201 8 partnership between the foundation, CZI, and the CZ Biohub that is focused on building metagenomics capacity in LMICs through a Global Grand Challenges initiative.

The 2022 Grand Challenges Annual Meeting in Brussels is hosted by Global Grand Challenges and the European Commission, and co-sponsored by Grand Challenges Canada, USAID, Wellcome, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The two-day event features dozens of leaders from across the global health innovation landscape, as well as Gates Foundation leadership, including Bill Gates (co-chair and trustee); Anita Zaidi; and Trevor Mundel (president, Global Health Division). The plenary sessions will be posted shortly after the meeting at grandchallenges.org/annual –meeting.

About Grand Challenges

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recognizes that solving the most pressing challenges in global health and development requires more of the world’s brightest minds working on them. The Grand Challenges family of initiatives seeks to engage innovators from around the world to solve these challenges. Grand Challenges initiatives are united by their focus on fostering innovation, directing research to where it will have the most impact, and serving those most in need. To learn more, visit grandchallenges.org.

About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.

Media contact: media@gatesfoundation.org