Breakthrough

BREAKTHROUGH PRIZE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES STUDENT WINNER OF NINTH ANNUAL BREAKTHROUGH JUNIOR CHALLENGE SCIENCE VIDEO COMPETITION

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 7, 2024

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Breakthrough Prize Foundation today announced Sia Godika, 17, a senior at Neev Academy, an international school in Bangalore, India, as winner of the ninth annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a global science video competition designed to inspire creative thinking and communications skills around fundamental concepts in the life sciences, physics, and mathematics.

Key Points: 
  • The Breakthrough Junior Challenge will award a total of $400,000 in educational prizes for Sia, her science teacher, and her school.
  • Sia was informed of her win by her older brother Samay Godika, who is himself a previous winner of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, topping the competition with his original video on circadian rhythms.
  • Having watched him receive the prize six years ago, Sia will now be honored alongside the 2024 Breakthrough Prize laureates at a ceremony in Los Angeles this spring.
  • Sia's submission is titled Yamanaka Factors, and explores discoveries made by 2013 Breakthrough Prize winner and Nobelist, Shinya Yamanaka.

Breakthrough Institute Endorses Bill to Improve Climate Data Coordination at USDA

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 1, 2024

WASHINGTON, Feb. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Breakthrough Institute endorses the Improving Coordination of Agriculture Research and Data Act , introduced this week by Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA), along with Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX).

Key Points: 
  • WASHINGTON, Feb. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Breakthrough Institute endorses the Improving Coordination of Agriculture Research and Data Act , introduced this week by Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA), along with Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX).
  • This legislation includes proposals for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a new scientific advisory committee focused on agriculture climate research; create a “Rural Climate Alliance Network'' to strategically align agricultural climate research, data systems, and technology transfer; and direct USDA to issue a report to Congress that identifies the research, data systems, and technical assistance needs of farmers, ranchers, foresters and rural communities.
  • These efforts will ensure the federal agriculture climate research agenda is driven by science and coordinated with producers to address both immediate and long-term climate challenges.
  • As the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices continue to expand, it is now more important than ever that USDA programs and agencies actively coordinate their climate research, data collection, and monitoring efforts.

Alberta Cancer Foundation announces initial investment of its novel philanthropic Breakthrough Fund to support early-stage cancer research

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 23, 2024

This Fund evolves the traditional model of philanthropy, positioning donors as investors in the health and wealth of the community.

Key Points: 
  • This Fund evolves the traditional model of philanthropy, positioning donors as investors in the health and wealth of the community.
  • “The Alberta Cancer Foundation recognized the need to actively move ideas from research through to market in order to truly transform patient outcomes, survival rates and quality of life,” said Wendy Beauchesne, CEO, Alberta Cancer Foundation.
  • Earlier this month, the Alberta Cancer Foundation was pleased to announce Entos Pharmaceuticals and 48Hour Discovery were each awarded $100,000 to advance their research in cancer treatment options.
  • Recent cancer immunotherapy treatment advancements demonstrate the effectiveness of personalized DNA vaccines and Entos plans to use Breakthrough funding to propel its research to the next stage.

Cibus Announces Major Breakthrough in Wheat Regeneration from Single Cells

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Breakthrough believed to represent the world’s first successful regeneration of a wheat plant from single cells – a major breakthrough for Cibus and for the seed industry.

Key Points: 
  • Breakthrough believed to represent the world’s first successful regeneration of a wheat plant from single cells – a major breakthrough for Cibus and for the seed industry.
  • Provides another single cell regeneration system to make Cibus’ High Throughput Breeding Process (the “Trait Machine™ System”) operational for a key cereal crop integral to food security globally.
  • Wheat breakthrough demonstrates the Company’s continued success in developing scalable high throughput breeding platforms that can operate as extensions of seed company breeding programs.
  • This is a major breakthrough for Cibus as well as for the industry.

Healthpeak Properties Enters into a New $236 Million Joint Venture with Breakthrough Properties on the Callan Ridge Lab Campus in Torrey Pines

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Key Points: 
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240111758459/en/
    Callan Ridge Campus - Torrey Pines, California (Photo: Business Wire)
    The formation of the 65% Breakthrough / 35% Healthpeak joint venture values Callan Ridge at $236 million, or $1,275 per square foot, and represents a stabilized cash capitalization rate of 5.3% based on the initial annual rental rate of approximately $67 per square foot.
  • Healthpeak began construction on the 185,000 square foot Callan Ridge campus in 2021.
  • Callan Ridge has numerous sustainable building features, including a photovoltaic canopy, electrochromic windows, recycled steel and concrete, and drought-tolerant landscaping.
  • The joint venture will pursue LEED Gold certification upon completion of development.

Benenson Strategy Group Announces Two Promotions to Partner and a New Managing Director

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 11, 2024

NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Benenson Strategy Group (BSG), the strategic research and polling firm, is excited to announce the promotion of Lindsay Vermeyen and Patrick Toomey to Partner and the appointment of Michael Kulisheck to Managing Director.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Benenson Strategy Group (BSG), the strategic research and polling firm, is excited to announce the promotion of Lindsay Vermeyen and Patrick Toomey to Partner and the appointment of Michael Kulisheck to Managing Director.
  • In their new roles as partner, Lindsay and Patrick will lead BSG's independently-run, women- and queer-led boutique Democratic polling operation, Breakthrough Campaigns.
  • Breakthrough has an outstanding record helping progressive candidates and issue campaigns win and succeed, including in red states and on tough issues.
  • "Patrick and Lindsay have been instrumental in the success of our firm," says Amy Levin, President of Breakthrough Campaigns and Managing Partner at BSG.

Vaxcyte Provides Clinical and Regulatory Progress Update on Potential Best-in-Class Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) Franchise

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 4, 2024

-- Enrollment in Ongoing VAX-24 Infant Phase 2 Study Continues to Progress; Topline Data from Primary Immunization Series Expected by End of First Quarter of 2025, Followed by Topline Data from Booster Dose by End of 2025 --

Key Points: 
  • Vaxcyte’s carrier-sparing PCV franchise candidates, including VAX-24, a 24-valent PCV proceeding to Phase 3, and VAX-31, the Company’s next-generation 31-valent PCV, are being studied for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).
  • The VAX-24 Phase 2 infant study continues to enroll participants in the second and final stage of the study.
  • This is a randomized, observer-blind, dose-finding two-stage clinical study evaluating the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of VAX-24 in healthy infants.
  • Topline safety, tolerability and immunogenicity data from the ongoing adult Phase 1/2 study in the third quarter of 2024.

Biocomposites' investee Renovos Biologics receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its synthetic nanoclay bone fusion gel, RENOVITE® BMP-2

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 4, 2024

RENOVITE® BMP-2, based on a proprietary synthetic nanoclay gel, is in development as a safer and more effective alternative to currently available bone graft materials.

Key Points: 
  • RENOVITE® BMP-2, based on a proprietary synthetic nanoclay gel, is in development as a safer and more effective alternative to currently available bone graft materials.
  • The nanoclay gel enables safe, highly-targeted bone fusion, as it does not leach BMP-2, with the gel biodegrading as new bone forms.
  • Dr Agnieszka Janeczek, Chief Executive Officer of Renovos Biologics, said: "We are very pleased with the Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA, being among just one hundred or so companies granted this designation in orthopaedics since the programme's launch in 2015.
  • The designation will allow Renovos to have more frequent interaction with the FDA's regulatory experts when preparing its submissions, followed by prioritised reviews.

Biocomposites' investee Renovos Biologics receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its synthetic nanoclay bone fusion gel, RENOVITE® BMP-2

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, January 4, 2024

RENOVITE® BMP-2, based on a proprietary synthetic nanoclay gel, is in development as a safer and more effective alternative to currently available bone graft materials.

Key Points: 
  • RENOVITE® BMP-2, based on a proprietary synthetic nanoclay gel, is in development as a safer and more effective alternative to currently available bone graft materials.
  • The nanoclay gel enables safe, highly-targeted bone fusion, as it does not leach BMP-2, with the gel biodegrading as new bone forms.
  • Dr Agnieszka Janeczek, Chief Executive Officer of Renovos Biologics, said: "We are very pleased with the Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA, being among just one hundred or so companies granted this designation in orthopaedics since the programme's launch in 2015.
  • The designation will allow Renovos to have more frequent interaction with the FDA's regulatory experts when preparing its submissions, followed by prioritised reviews.

BioNTech and DualityBio Receive FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Antibody-Drug Conjugate Candidate BNT323/DB-1303 in Endometrial Cancer

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 21, 2023

The designation is based on encouraging topline data from a Phase 1/2 study ( NCT05150691 ) with BNT323/DB-1303 in patients with HER2-expressing advanced endometrial cancer.

Key Points: 
  • The designation is based on encouraging topline data from a Phase 1/2 study ( NCT05150691 ) with BNT323/DB-1303 in patients with HER2-expressing advanced endometrial cancer.
  • Endometrial or uterine cancer is the second most common gynecologic cancer globally, with over 400,000 cases occurring each year1,2 and both incidence and mortality are increasing3,4.
  • “The Breakthrough Therapy designation for BNT323/DB-1303 shows the potential of our ADC candidate to address current treatment challenges for patients with advanced HER2-expressing endometrial cancer who progressed under several lines of systemic therapy.
  • The BNT323/DB-1303 program received FDA Fast Track designation for the treatment of endometrial cancer in January 2023.