Author: malaysiang

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TEKEK HEALTH CLINIC MATERNITY CENTRE IN PULAU TIOMAN WELCOMES FIRST BABY

KUANTAN, The Tekek Health Clinic in Pulau Tioman today welcomed the birth of a baby boy, the first baby born at its Maternity Centre since it was upgraded last year.

Pahang State Health Director Datuk Dr Nor Azimi Yunus said the 35-year-old mother safely delivered her third child, weighing 3.2 kilogrammes, at 7.32 am.

“The baby was received by trained staff. Both the mother and the baby are in a stable and good condition,” she said in a statement today.

Dr Nor Azimi further explained that the maternity centre was upgraded with the latest medical equipment thanks to the allocation of RM2.9 million from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

“The Pahang State Health Department is grateful for His Majesty’s allocation to the Tekek Health Clinic on Pulau Tioman.

“This good news has also been shared with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who has agreed to make a donation to the family and the baby through Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASNB) in the baby’s name,” she said.

Dr Nor Azimi said the department, through the Tekek Health Clinic Maternity Centre, remains committed to providing the best services, especially to expectant mothers in Pulau Tioman.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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31 AREAS AT RISK OF LANDSLIDES NATIONWIDE DUE TO NORTHEAST MONSOON – JMG

PUTRAJAYA, The Department of Mineral and Geoscience Malaysia (JMG) has identified 31 hotspots at risk of landslides nationwide during the Northeast Monsoon season.

The department’s director-general, Datuk Zamri Ramli said among the areas at risk are around the Klang Valley; Tanjung Bungah and Paya Terubong in Penang; Ipoh and Cameron Highlands in Perak; Kundasang in Sabah; and Bau in Sarawak.

As part of preparations to tackle any landslides during the Northeast Monsoon season, which is expected to start this month, he said JMG has implemented the monitoring of 254 critical slopes nationwide.

“A total of 104 slopes have been classified as high-level critical slopes, 97 as average critical slopes and 53 as low-level critical slopes,” he said in a statement today.

Based on monitoring, Zamri said mitigation action had been taken on 37 slopes, while similar action is being taken on 15 other slopes and 202 slopes are being monitored to determine the next course of action.

Zamri said JMG has also carried out mapping in seven eco-forest park locations that have the potential for the occurrence of geological disasters from debris flows.

The eco-forest parks are Lata Iskandar in Perak; Sungai Tua (Selangor); Jeram Toi (Negeri Sembilan); Chamang (Pahang); as well as Lata Payung, Chemerong and Air Menderu in Terengganu.

The JMG advised those in high-risk areas, such as places which had experienced landslides to be wary of the surrounding conditions, such as any collapse or small movement of slopes, cracks or fissures on walls, columns or pillars of houses as well as any signs of humps, cracks or deposits on the road and trees that continue to lean.

If there are any of these signs, the public is advised to contact and relay information to the JMG or the relevant authorities for assistance.

Members of the public can also seek more information and lodge complaints with JMG via the link at https://mygems.jmg.gov (aduan bencana).

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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MONTH-LONG FREE TOLL IN CONJUNCTION WITH OPENING OF SPE – NANTA

KUALA LUMPUR, Motorists can enjoy a month-long free toll, starting today, in conjunction with the opening of the Setiawangsa-Pantai Expressway (SPE) here.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the free access will involve the Chan Sow Lin toll plaza, Ampang toll plaza from the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) leading to SPE and Setiawangsa toll plaza (southbound and northbound) until 11.59 pm on Dec 2.

“After that period, motorists will be charged a toll rate of RM3.50 for Class 1 vehicles (cars),” he told reporters after the opening ceremony.

Nanta said SPE involves four sections namely Kerinchi-Salak (Section 1), Salak-Pandan (Section 2), Pandan-Setiawangsa (Section 3) and Setiawangsa-Taman Melati (Section 4) with a total distance of 20.7 km, adding that Section 4, with a distance of 4.4 km, was opened to motorists on Dec 21, 2021.

“The full opening of the SPE, which serves as a shortcut to several destinations, will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the government’s efforts to ease traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur during peak hours by up to 30 per cent, in addition to enhancing infrastructure for the comfort of the residents.

“For example, the peak-hour travel time from Kerinchi, Petaling Jaya to Taman Melati in Gombak and vice versa is expected to take only 35 minutes compared to one hour and 30 minutes using the current route thus benefitting about 10,000 motorists,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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BATU GAJAH PPA DETAINEES GRATEFUL FOR SULTAN NAZRIN SHAH’S SPECIAL BIRTHDAY TREAT

BATU GAJAH, The detainees at the Batu Gajah Moral Rehabilitation Centre (PPA) are grateful and thankful for the special lunch treat by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah in conjunction with his 67th birthday celebration today.

A total of 480 detainees at the PPA received food donations presented by the Orang Besar Jajahan Kinta Datuk Ab Wahab Azizul Hassan, who represented His Royal Highness. Also present was Batu Gajah PPA director, assistant prisons commissioner Marzuki Azmi Bidi.

A detainee known as Langs, 31, from Sabah, expressed his gratitude for Sultan Nazrin Shah’s kindness in providing meals for the detainees at the PPA.

“We are grateful to His Royal Highness for his compassion towards the welfare of detainees like us. It indirectly motivates us to continue transforming our lives after we are released,” he said.

Another detainee, Erieyna, 26, said the contribution proves that people like them are not left out.

“We (detainees) need encouragement for a second chance, and this sponsorship indirectly reflects His Royal Highness’ kindness towards us,” said Erieyna, who is determined to change her life when released from the centre.

Earlier, Sultan Nazrin Shah treated 7,100 individuals who are serving their sentences at Tapah Prison, Taiping Prison, Kamunting Correctional Centre and Batu Gajah PPA.

The lunch treat was from Sultan Nazrin Shah’s own funding due to his deep concern and kindness for the welfare of the prisoners and detainees.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Internationally Renowned Public Health Expert Sten Vermund Appointed President of the Global Virus Network (GVN)

Brings Decades Of Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Prevention Experience Enhancing GVN’s Abilities To End Viral Threats & Advance Pandemic Preparedness

BALTIMORE, Nov. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Global Virus Network (GVN) today announced the appointment of Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, as President of the GVN. Dr. Vermund is the Anna M.R. Lauder Professor of Public Health, former Dean of the Yale School of Public Health (2017-2022) and serves as a Professor in Pediatrics at the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Vermund transitions into his new role as Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, ends his second term as GVN President, becoming Vice Chairman of the GVN Board of Directors.

Said Mathew L. Evins, GVN Board of Directors Executive Chairman and Treasurer, “The GVN is delighted to have such an accomplished and distinguished professional as Sten to lead our indispensable organization into the future while building upon the exceptional foundation Christian Brechot established over the last six years. I look forward to working closely with Sten to enhance the GVN’s abilities to combat viral diseases through international collaborative research, surveillance, professional training, public health solutions and policy guidance, as well as partnering and collaborating with agencies, businesses and other organizations dedicated to advancing global health.”

Dr. Vermund was nominated by Robert Gallo, MD to succeed Dr. Brechot as GVN President and was unanimously supported by GVN leadership to serve the appointment. Dr. Gallo, who conceived and co-founded the GVN, is distinguished and revered for his pioneering discovery of human retroviruses known as Human T cell Leukemia Virus-1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2), co-discovery of HIV as the cause of AIDS and development of the HIV blood test. The GVN concept began back in the 1980’s when Dr. Gallo realized that virtually no working virologist had a global directive for researching the cause of AIDS during the earliest years of the epidemic. Conversely, important groups such as the World Health Organization which did have a global mandate for combatting the new disease had virtually no resident expertise in the kind of virus that was subsequently shown to be the cause of AIDS, namely, a retrovirus. Examining the history of other great epidemics of the 20th century, Influenza, Polio, and the more recent outbreak of SARS-Cov-2 as well as several other viruses, reveals similar disconnects between available expertise and the urgent public need to identify causation and prevention modes.

Dr. Vermund’s research has mainly focused on health care access, adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights, and prevention of HIV transmission among general and key populations, including mother-to-child. Dr. Vermund became increasingly engaged in health policy, particularly related to sustainability of HIV/AIDS programs and their expansion to non-communicable diseases, the coronavirus pandemic response and prevention, and public health workforce development.

“I have been engaged with the GVN these past several months and am extremely impressed with the work it has accomplished to date under Christian’s guidance. The commitment and passion of GVN’s members throughout the world are the core for the essential and unique GVN role,” said Dr. Vermund. “The COVID-19 pandemic conclusively demonstrated the compelling need for an independent, global organization committed to the preparedness, defense and first collaborative research response to emerging, existing, and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health. The GVN must ensure that the world will never again be unprepared, untrained, ill-equipped, and uninformed to deal with viral threats.”

“It has been an honor leading and serving the GVN these past six years,” said Dr. Bréchot. “We were able to grow the GVN and make an impact in the field. Sten inherits an organization well-positioned to be a go-to resource for organizations and governments seeking science-driven solutions and data to make informed public health decisions and advance research initiatives. I am extremely pleased to continue as part of GVN’s leadership and serve as Vice Chairman of GVN’s Board of Directors.”

Continued Mr. Evins, “During Christian’s tenure as President, he positioned the GVN on the world stage; significantly enhanced our credibility and visibility; expanded the Network; developed the GVN Academy, which currently consists of five programs with more than 120 alumni; established our Task Forces, Watch Groups and Webinars; created the GVN Rising Stars and Postdoctoral Fellowship programs; forged important partnerships with USF Health at the University of South Florida Tampa and the Centre Scientifique de Monaco among others. I have had the privilege and pleasure of working side-by-side with Christian over the last six years and I very much look forward to continuing our partnership as he becomes Vice Chairman of the GVN board and President Emeritus.”

Said Dr. Vermund at the GVN’s recently concluded Annual Scientific Meeting in Monaco, “I look forward to expanding our programing, enhancing our capabilities, increasing our financial and operational resources, developing new private/public partnerships and forging stronger collaborative relationships with the European Union and the World Health Organization, as well as such other agencies as the African, Chinese and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to firmly establish the GVN as go-to resource for governments at a local, national, and international level. I also look forward to adding and diversifying GVN’s leadership, providing even more opportunities to emerging economies, while maintaining independence to promote data-driven science.”

About the Global Virus Network (GVN)
The GVN is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense, and first research response to emerging, existing, and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health. Working in close coordination with established national and international institutions, the GVN is a coalition comprised of eminent human and animal virologists from 71 Centers of Excellence and 9 Affiliates in 40 countries, working collaboratively to train the next generation, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines, and treatments to combat them. No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than the GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues, and problems posed by pandemic viruses. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit https://gvn.org/. Follow us on X at @GlobalVirusNews.

Media Contact:
Nora Samaranayake
+1 443 823 0613
nsamaranayake@gvn.org

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8971598

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Doug Balut joins Meltwater as Senior Vice President of Global Alliances and Partnerships

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a leading global provider of social, media and consumer intelligence, today announces the appointment of Doug Balut as Senior Vice President of Global Alliances and Partnerships.

In this pivotal role, Doug will spearhead the development of a dynamic partner ecosystem, build a robust channel sales organization, and drive go-to-market strategies, all aimed at propelling Meltwater’s growth, creating more value for customers and solidifying its position as an enterprise-grade suite of solutions.

Balut brings more than 25 years of experience and an impressive track record in the technology industry to Meltwater, most recently serving as the Senior Vice President of Global Alliances at Sprinklr. In his role at Sprinklr, he played a central role in establishing a partner organization and a successful methodology for growth, culminating in Sprinklr’s IPO in 2021. Additionally, Balut is a three-time recipient of CRN Channel Chiefs Award in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Prior to his tenure at Sprinklr, Balut held a number of sales leadership positions in both direct and indirect partner sales at Cisco, leading teams across the globe and partnering with organizations including SAP, Accenture, Deloitte, IBM, Intel, and more.

At Meltwater, Balut will be integral to the company’s growth and commitment to customers, focusing on establishing a mutually beneficial partner program, fostering strategic relationships that put Meltwater customers at the core of success, leveraging social channel partnerships and ensuring that clients reap the full benefits of Meltwater’s offerings.

Balut expressed his enthusiasm for joining Meltwater, saying, “I am really excited to join Meltwater and to build out a new partner ecosystem to support Meltwater’s growth and Enterprise transformation plans. The timing is right to focus on large account growth across the globe, as the next evolution in Meltwater’s exciting history. Partnerships are a catalyst for this growth, and I am ready to build an organization and network of influential partners to help achieve those goals.”

“I am thrilled to welcome Doug Balut to the Meltwater team as our new SVP of Alliances & Partnerships. Doug brings over 25 years of experience in building and leading strategic alliances, channel sales, and business development in the SaaS industry. He has a proven track record of driving revenue growth, expanding market reach, and creating value for customers and partners. Doug will play a key role in strengthening our partner ecosystem and accelerating our global expansion. I look forward to working with him to deliver the best media, social and consumer intelligence solutions to our clients,” said John Box, CEO of Meltwater.

For more information, please contact:
Kelly Costello
Corporate Communications Director
pr@meltwater.com

About Meltwater
Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social, consumer and sales intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents and 2,300 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact. Learn more at meltwater.com.

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8971034

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Fortrea Completes Expansion of Clinical Pharmacology Solutions Following Targeted Investments at its Four Clinical Research Units in U.S. and U.K.

Adds speed and agility with cGMP production at on-site pharmacies, adds capacity, improves flexible therapeutic capabilities and enhances experience for study volunteers

DURHAM, N.C., Nov. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) (the “Company”), a leading global contract research organization (CRO), today announced that it has completed a multi-year effort to expand its clinical pharmacology solutions and capacity, which are now fully available for customers. The expansion includes a 100,000 square feet state-of-the-art facility in Leeds, U.K. as well as approximately 20,000 square feet of new or renovated space, adding capacity and capabilities across its clinical research units (CRUs) in Dallas, Texas; Daytona, Florida; and Madison, Wisconsin.

“The increasing complexity of clinical pharmacology studies demands fit-for-purpose infrastructure, experience and expertise to protect the safety of study participants and the integrity of critically important data,” said Oren Cohen, M.D., Fortrea’s president of Clinical Pharmacology and chief medical officer. “Our integrated platform of services includes best-in-class infrastructure and experienced professionals who are fully dedicated to clinical pharmacology, including physicians, nurses, clinical scientists, CRAs and pharmacokineticists. The investments we have made target the capabilities and capacity that customers need to accurately assess early pipeline candidates and speed those with promise to later-phase development and ultimately to patients who need them.”

Facility enhancements following the completed expansion include Fortrea’s new CRU in Leeds as well as purpose-built rooms in Madison and Daytona designed for flexibility in executing complex early phase clinical studies. Improvements in recreational, living and “work-from-home” spaces at Fortrea CRUs have been constructed to enhance the experience of volunteers participating in research at the sites.

The expansion of Fortrea’s early clinical development pharmacy services facilities includes new state-of-the-art cGMP pharmacies in the Leeds and Daytona CRUs. All Fortrea CRUs will now have cGMP pharmacies within them. This enables on-site manufacture of sterile and non-sterile drug product. The design of its GMP-compliant facilities provides safe handling and delivery of GMP-quality drug product for the unique demands of clinical pharmacology studies, focusing on efficiency and flexibility with the level of controls expected by regulatory authorities and sponsors.

Enhancements in science and technology include the addition of artificial intelligence-enabled programs that optimize bed space utilization and clinic scheduling, and the application of failure modes and effects analysis to de-risk study execution before a study begins. Following investments in data collection systems, all clinical pharmacology study data collected within Fortrea’s CRUs are input directly into a digital bedside data capture system, which can also be used as an efficient electronic data capture solution.

“I believe Fortrea’s early clinical development solutions set a new standard for what the research industry should expect from its partners,” said Dr. Cohen. “I’m so proud of this team and know they will also benefit from the changes we have made. Just as they are inspired by our mission of bringing life-changing treatments to patients faster, I’m inspired by their dedication each day as we deliver solutions to our customers.”

About Fortrea

Fortrea (Nasdaq: FTRE) is a leading global provider of clinical development and patient access solutions to the life sciences industry. We partner with emerging and large biopharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostic companies to drive healthcare innovation that accelerates life changing therapies to patients in need. Fortrea provides phase I-IV clinical trial management, clinical pharmacology, differentiated technology enabled trial solutions and post-approval services.

Fortrea’s solutions leverage three decades of experience spanning more than 20 therapeutic areas, a passion for scientific rigor, exceptional insights and a strong investigator site network. Our talented and diverse team of more than 19,000 people working in more than 90 countries is scaled to deliver focused and agile solutions to customers globally.

Learn more about how Fortrea is becoming a transformative force from pipeline to patient at Fortrea.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) @Fortrea.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release, particularly those relating to the anticipated financial and other benefits, including, but not limited to, whether the investments at clinical research units in U.S. and U.K. will add capacity, improve therapeutic capabilities, enhance experience for study volunteers, speed development to later-phase trials and improve the integrity of data and whether the addition of artificial intelligence-enabled programs will optimize bed space utilization and clinic scheduling, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Actual results could differ materially from expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements if one or more of the underlying assumptions or expectations prove to be inaccurate or are unrealized. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such expectations are and will be detailed in Fortrea’s registration statement on Form 10 initially filed with the SEC on May 15, 2023 (as amended and further supplemented), Fortrea’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 14, 2023, and in Fortrea’s other filings with the SEC. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to certain risks, uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Fortrea does not undertake responsibility for updating these statements, and these statement speak only as of the date of this press release.

Fortrea Contacts:

Fortrea Media: Sue Zaranek – 919-943-5422, media@fortrea.com
Fortrea Media: Kate Dillon – 646-818-9115, kdillon@prosek.com
Fortrea Investors: Hima Inguva – 877-495-0816, hima.inguva@fortrea.com