SHANGHAI, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Immunofoco, a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing innovative CAR-T cell therapies for solid tumors, recently announced clinical data from its Phase I/IIa study of IMC002, a VHH-based anti-CLDN18.2 CAR-T therapy, in patients with advanced gastric cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJ). The data were presented as a poster (Abstract No. 398) at the 2026 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (ASCO GI 2026).

The study is a multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation Phase I/IIa trial designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of IMC002 in patients with CLDN18.2-positive, locally advanced or metastatic GC/GEJ who had failed at least two prior lines of systemic therapy. The results presented at ASCO GI 2026 focus on the GC/GEJ cohort.

As of the data cutoff on August 8, 2025, 16 patients had received a single infusion of IMC002 and were included in the safety analysis, with 15 patients evaluable for efficacy. IMC002 demonstrated a favorable and manageable safety profile, with no dose-limiting toxicities observed during the dose-escalation phase. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in all patients but was limited to Grade 1 or 2, and no Grade ≥3 CRS, ICANS, or treatment-related deaths were reported.

In evaluable patients, IMC002 achieved an objective response rate (ORR) of 66.7% (10/15). Survival data were immature at the time of analysis, with a median progression-free survival (mPFS) of 7.0 months (95% CI: 3.9, NA) and a median overall survival (OS) of 10.3 months (95% CI: 6.1, NA).

Notably, one patient in the 2.5×10⁸ CAR-T cell dose cohort achieved a complete response (CR) and has remained tumor-free for 60 weeks, demonstrating antitumor activity following IMC002 treatment in a heavily pretreated setting.

Further analyses indicated that IMC002 provided clinically meaningful PFS benefits in third-line and later-line GC/GEJ patients, comparing favorably with historical outcomes reported for this population. Together with its well-tolerated safety profile, these findings support the continued clinical development of IMC002 and its potential evaluation in earlier-line treatment settings.

“IMC002 demonstrated a controllable safety profile and encouraging antitumor activity in patients with advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers, including those who had failed multiple prior lines of therapy,” said Professor Jianming Xu, corresponding author of the study and Professor at the First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital. “Of particular clinical significance, one patient achieved a complete response lasting for more than one year. These findings provide important clinical evidence supporting the application of CLDN18.2-targeted CAR-T therapy in solid tumors, and the favorable safety profile also opens the possibility for future exploration in earlier-line settings and strategies aimed at long-term clinical benefit.”

IMC002 is a novel CLDN18.2-targeted CAR-T cell therapy incorporating a highly specific VHH domain, designed to enhance tumor targeting while maintaining a favorable safety profile in solid tumors. Based on the encouraging results from this Phase I/IIa study, a Phase III randomized controlled trial of IMC002 in late-line GC/GEJ patients has been initiated.

The presentation at ASCO GI 2026 highlights Immunofoco’s continued progress in advancing CAR-T cell therapies for solid tumors and underscores the therapeutic potential of CLDN18.2-targeted approaches in addressing significant unmet medical needs in advanced gastrointestinal cancers.

About Immunofoco

Immunofoco is a clinical-stage biotech company, devoted to developing innovative immune cell therapies for patients with solid tumors worldwide. The company was established in September 2020 in Zhangjiang, Shanghai, by a team of renowned scientists and industry experts who achieved the approval of the first CAR-T product in China.

Immunofoco has developed several innovative platforms that overcome the treatment challenges of solid tumors. These platforms, such as Peri Cruiser, SNR, T-Booster, FOCO-CAR, Solid Guard  are designed to improve the safety and efficacy of CAR-T products by 1) limiting CART entry to normal tissues, 2) counteracting tumor heterogeneity, 3) enhancing CART activation, proliferation and infiltration,  We also developed iMagic platform that utilizes a noval fusogen and T-cell targeting modules to allow effecient T-cell transduction and CART generation in vivo.  

Committed to addressing unmet clinical needs, our company has built a diverse and robust product pipeline. Notably, IMC002, a CLDN18.2-targeted CAR-T therapy, has progressed to a Phase III pivotal trial in China. This milestone follows the U.S. FDA and Chinese NMPA approvals of its Investigational New Drug (IND) applications in April 2023. IMC002 has also received significant regulatory recognitions from the U.S. FDA, including Fast Track Designation (FTD), Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation, and Orphan Drug Designation for both gastric cancer and pancreatic cancer. Similarly, our IMC001 (EpCAM CAR-T) product obtained ODD from the U.S. FDA in August 2023, and its IND application has been approved in both the U.S. and China in February 2024, followed by the approval of a second IND in China in March 2025. The IMC008 (SNR CAR-T) product has rapidly moved to the IIT stage and received two ODD approvals from the U.S. FDA in August 2023. IMV101（in vivo CAR-T）has also rapidly moved to the IIT stage.

In August 2022, we successfully completed the construction validation of our nearly 2500m² GMP plant in Suzhou and commenced operations. In December 2025, the company established its operational headquarters in the Shenzhen Qianhai Free Trade Zone to further promote the comprehensive development of the company’s international business.

The company upholds the development concept of “collaboration, aspirations, striving for new heights,” by assembling industry talents and expert support to jointly develop innovative cell therapies that provide long-term survival benefits to patients with solid tumors. For more information about Immunofoco, please visit the company’s website at www.immunofoco.com.

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SKF will publish its Q4 results for 2025 on 30 January at approximately 07:30 (CET).

Investors, analysts and media are invited to join an audio webcast, which will be held in English, at 09:00 (CET).

To join the webcast, please login at least 10 minutes before the start using the below link or phone numbers:
Link to web event: https://www.investis-live.com/skf/693960f58464df0010f99a3e/napwr
Sweden: +46 8 5051 0031
UK / International: +44 207 107 0613

All information regarding the results will be made available on the Group’s IR website: https://www.skf.com/group/investors/financials/quarterly-reports?page=1  

Media: To book interviews with Rickard Gustafson, President and CEO, please contact Carl Bjernstam on carl.bjernstam@skf.com.

Aktiebolaget SKF
      (publ)

For further information, please contact:
Press Relations: Carl Bjernstam, +46 31-337 2517; +46 722 201 893; carl.bjernstam@skf.com
Investor Relations: Sophie Arnius, +46 31-337 8072; +46 705 908072; sophie.arnius@skf.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/skf/r/skf-to-publish-q4-report-on-30-january,c4291407

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LONDON, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Marking two decades since its inception, the Henley Passport Index 2026 reveals a widening divide between the world’s most and least mobile populations. Based on exclusive Timatic data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the index ranks all global passports by the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. While a record number of passports now cluster at the top of the rankings, those at the bottom remain increasingly isolated, underscoring a growing global mobility gap.

Singapore retains its position as the world’s most powerful passport, offering visa-free access to 192 destinations. At the opposite end, Afghanistan once again ranks last, with access to just 24 destinations. The resulting 168-destination gap illustrates the scale of global mobility inequality in 2026 — a dramatic widening since 2006, when the difference between the then top-ranking US passport and Afghanistan was only 118 destinations.

“Over the past 20 years, global mobility has expanded significantly, but the benefits have been distributed unevenly,” says Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman at Henley & Partners. “Today, passport privilege plays a decisive role in shaping opportunity, security, and economic participation.”

This imbalance is intensifying even as international travel demand continues to grow. IATA forecasts that airlines will carry more than 5.2 billion passengers globally this year.

“A record number of people are expected to travel in 2026,” says IATA Director General Willie Walsh. “But as many governments look to tighten their borders, technological advances such as digital ID and digital passports should not be overlooked by policymakers. Convenient travel and secure borders are possible.”

UK Records the Steepest Year-on-Year Losses, US Back in the Top 10

Japan and South Korea rank joint 2^nd in 2026, each offering visa-free access to 188 destinations. Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland follow in 3^rd place with access to 186 destinations, ahead of an unprecedented group of 10 European countries tied for 4^th.

Europe continues to dominate the upper tiers, with notable exceptions including UAE (5^th), New Zealand (6^th), Australia (7^th), Canada (8^th), and Malaysia (9^th).

The US has returned to the Top 10 after briefly dropping out in late 2025, but this recovery masks a longer-term decline for both the US and the UK, which jointly held 1^st place in 2014. Over the past year, both countries recorded their steepest annual losses in visa-free access, shedding seven and eight destinations respectively. Over the past two decades, the US has fallen six places to 10^th, while the UK has dropped four places to 7^th.

“Passport power ultimately reflects political stability, diplomatic credibility, and the ability to shape international rules,” says Misha Glenny, award-winning journalist and Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. “As transatlantic relations strain and domestic politics grow more volatile, the erosion of mobility rights for countries like the US and UK is less a technical anomaly than a signal of deeper geopolitical recalibration.”

Biggest Risers and Fallers Over the Decades

The UAE stands out as the strongest performer on the Henley Passport Index over the past 20 years, adding 149 visa-free destinations since 2006 and climbing 57 places to 5^th on the rankings with access to 184 destinations visa-free, driven by sustained diplomatic engagement and visa liberalization.

Countries across the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe have also made significant gains, led by Albania (+36 to 43^rd), Ukraine (+34 to 30^th), Serbia (+30 to 34^th), and North Macedonia (+27 to 38^th).

Bolivia is the only country on the index to have seen an overall decline in visa-free access over the past 20 years, falling 32 places to rank 61^st in 2026.

If we consider just the past decade, Kosovo has recorded the biggest rise, climbing 38 places, while China has risen 28 places, positioning both countries as joint 59^th on the index, with access to 81 destinations visa-free.

Open Borders, Closed Doors

While US passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 179 destinations, America allows only 46 nationalities to enter without a prior visa, ranking 78^th globally on the Henley Openness Index — one of the widest gaps worldwide between outbound mobility and inbound access.

China, by contrast, now permits visa-free entry to 77 nationalities and ranks 62^nd, following the addition of more than 40 countries over the past two years.

“There is a visible shift underway in the global balance of power, marked by China’s renewed openness and the USA’s retreat into nationalism,” says Dr. Tim Klatte, Partner at Grant Thornton China. “As countries increasingly compete for influence through mobility, openness is becoming a critical component of soft power.”

Analysis commissioned for the Henley Global Mobility Report 2026 warns that a late-2025 proposal by US Customs and Border Protection could effectively end visa-free travel under the Visa Waiver Program. Citizens of 42 allied nations may be required to submit extensive personal, biometric, and digital data, with implementation possible as early as February.

“This level of data collection enables real-time ideological screening and creates the risk that personal information could be shared, repurposed, or weaponized,” warns Greg Lindsay, non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

These proposals follow the most extensive simultaneous expansion of US travel bans in modern history. From 1 January 2026, full or partial entry restrictions now apply to 39 countries.

Mobility Planning Accelerates as Risk Management Becomes a Priority

Demand for additional residence and citizenship rights continues to rise. In 2025, Henley & Partners received applications from 100 nationalities, with overall volumes up 28% year-on-year. The US is now the firm’s largest client market.

“Americans are continuing their scramble for alternative residence and citizenship amid ongoing political turbulence,” says Prof. Peter J. Spiro, Professor at Temple University Law School. “What was once seen as an extreme contingency has become a mainstream form of risk management.”

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