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BOE, UNESCO co-organize Science Decade side event at 5th WCBR in Hangzhou

HANGZHOU, China, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves (WCBR) opened in Hangzhou on September 22, welcoming participation from over 100 countries and territories. This marks the first time that the event has taken place in China and the Asia-Pacific region. As the first Chinese technology company to be a strategic partner of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD), BOE co-organized a side event dedicated to the Science Decade with UNESCO’s Natural Sciences Sector during the 5th WCBR. Distinguished guests present at the event included Ms. Lidia Brito, Assistant Director-General, Natural Sciences Sector, UNESCO; Mr. Hu Shaofeng, Director, Division of Science Policies and Basic Sciences, Natural Sciences Sector, UNESCO; and Mr. Si Da, Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, BOE. They were joined by representatives from countries like South Africa and Armenia and those from various international organizations and enterprises. The event offered a full picture of how BOE leverages technology to help less developed regions like Africa enhance their science and technology capabilities for development, and to advance the Science Decade initiative in the Asia-Pacific region.

BOE and UNESCO, alongside other partners, launched the Windows to STEM initiative earlier in 2025, with the aim to improve Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education across Africa. In August this year, the first Windows to STEM workshop for teachers was held in Nairobi, Kenya. With the aid of BOE’s smart education devices and instructional materials, the workshop brought together local teachers for hands-on learning in programming and teaching with AI. BOE and its partners plan to hold a launch ceremony at the end of the year and will work together to extend the initiative to the broader Africa.

BOE embeds the concept of sustainable development into every aspect of production, manufacturing, and operations. In April this year, BOE released the first sustainability brand in China’s display sector – “ONE” (Open Next Earth), in a move to build an organic system that can create sustainable value. In September, the company unveiled its sustainable development strategy, setting an example for Chinese technology companies to practice the ESG concept amid the wave of globalization.

Going forward, BOE will stick to the path of market-oriented, international, and professional development and continuously invest in science popularization, digital innovation, green and low-carbon development, and other undertakings to champion global sustainable development.

iQOO 15 to Feature New Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Platform, as Announced at Qualcomm Summit

DONGGUAN, China, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — iQOO has confirmed that the upcoming iQOO 15 will be among the first smartphones equipped with the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip. Qualcomm held the first day of its 2025 Snapdragon Summit, unveiling the next-generation flagship mobile platform.

During the summit, Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon presented the company’s vision for the future of mobile technology in the AI era. Manufactured based on TSMC’s 3 nm N3P process, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 offers higher transistor density compared to the previous generation.

In terms of CPU architecture, the platform adopts a fully self-developed Oryon design instead of the standard ARM solution. It features an innovative “2+6” all-big-core configuration, including two high-performance cores running at up to 4.74 GHz and six efficiency cores at 3.63 GHz. The total cache has been increased to 32 MB, which enhances multitasking capability and sustained performance.

Earlier reports indicate that iQOO 15 has already appeared on Geekbench, showcasing impressive benchmark results. The device is expected to launch in the coming months as the new flagship model from iQOO.


 

Tescan acquires FemtoInnovations and launches Laser Technology Business Unit

TAIPEI, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Tescan Group today announced the acquisition of FemtoInnovations, a leading innovator in ultrafast laser technologies, and the creation of a dedicated Laser Technology Business Unit (LT BU) headquartered at the University of Connecticut (UConn) Tech Park. The new unit expands Tescan’s correlative and multimodal portfolio for semiconductor, biomedical device manufacturing, and advanced research markets. 

Tescan launches its Laser Technology Business Unit at UConn Tech Park.
Tescan launches its Laser Technology Business Unit at UConn Tech Park.

FemtoInnovations brings to TESCAN a unique and disruptive laser platform — technology already proven in demanding workflows and attracting strong interest from leading global players across semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and high-tech industries. 

 “Bringing FemtoInnovations into the Tescan family is a strategic step that strengthens our ability to deliver end-to-end workflows. By combining ultrafast laser micromachining with our leading imaging and analysis platforms, we’re enabling customers to move faster from problem to insight across failure analysis, sample preparation, R&D, and advanced manufacturing,” said Jean-Charles Chen, Chief Executive Officer, Tescan Group.  

Tescan will unveil the portfolio at ISTFA 2025 (Pasadena, CA) in November. 

“Our team has always been driven by the pursuit of innovation and the development of disruptive laser processing technologies. By combining our ultrafast laser systems with Tescan’s leading imaging and analysis platforms, we are creating a powerful new dimension of integrated workflows. This partnership will accelerate discovery and redefine what’s possible for our customers. We are excited to combine forces and contribute to Tescan’s legacy of excellence and innovation,” said Sina Shahbazmohamadi, Co-Founder, FemtoInnovations

The Laser Technology BU will be headquartered at the University of Connecticut Tech Park (UConn), tapping into its research ecosystem, talent and infrastructure. It will work in close synergy with Tescan’s Electron Microscopy and Micro-CT business units to deliver integrated workflows beginning in 2026. 

A new FLAME Center (FemtoInnovations Laser Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering) will be established at the Innovation Partnership Building of UConn Tech Park to fast-track R&D, applications and workflow development. 

From a strategy standpoint, the decision centered on three things: the caliber of the FemtoInnovations team, the maturity of its ultrafast-laser platform for real-world workflows, and a clear cultural fit with customer-driven problem solving.  

About FemtoInnovations 

FemtoInnovations is a UConn Startup that develops laser systems, nanomachining solutions, imaging tools, and image-analysis software. By integrating expertise in lasers, microscopy, spectroscopy, AI, and software engineering, the company delivers intelligent, automated solutions for industries including microelectronics and biomedical.  

About UConn Tech Park/Innovation Partnership Building 

The Innovation Partnership Building (IPB) at UConn Tech Park is a 113,700-square-foot applied research facility built with $175 million in state investment to drive innovation and economic growth in Connecticut. Since opening in 2018, Tech Park has become a hub for academic-industry collaboration, housing over $50 million in advanced instrumentation and more than 20 affiliated research centres. To date, these research centres have attracted aggregate investment exceeding $450 million, including more than $100 million from industry partners.

About Tescan Group 

Tescan builds advanced imaging systems that help scientists and engineers explore the micro and nano worlds. In doing so, we help turn observation into insight and questions into progress. Established by a small team of five engineers in 1991, Tescan has grown into a global company with over 800 employees in 11 countries, united by a brand platform to Accelerate the Art of Discovery. Now Tescan technologies play a central role in laboratories around the world, supporting materials research, failure analysis, and nanoscale imaging with nearly 4,500 systems installed in over 80 countries. 

Celebrating Chinese opera’s heritage: embracing timeless traditions

BEIJING, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A report from China Daily

Actors perform at a previous Chinese Opera Culture Week.
Actors perform at a previous Chinese Opera Culture Week.

Chinese opera is an important feature of the country’s art and culture, with a long history and diverse elements such as literature, music, dance and martial arts. The ninth Chinese Opera Culture Week, to be held from Monday to Oct 5 in Beijing Garden Expo Park, is a golden opportunity for visitors to learn more about Chinese opera.

Performances in the event’s main venues will cover 23 opera genres and 33 professional troupes, with nearly 100 shows in total. It will also feature cultural and tourism consumption, with more than 150 merchants on site.

The history of traditional Chinese opera can be traced back to a time before the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). In the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the art reached its peak, and Yuan zaju, a genre known for its profound social content and artistic techniques, became a treasure in the history of Chinese opera.

Given China’s vast territory, different regions developed their own distinctive opera styles. According to incomplete statistics, there are about 360 local opera styles in China, with Peking Opera, Yueju Opera, Huangmei Opera, Pingju Opera, and Yuju Opera, collectively known as the five major opera styles of China.

Chinese opera culture insists on promoting good and punishing evil. It fully affirms good people and virtuous deeds, such as Dou E in Injustice to Dou E, and criticizes evil deeds, often targeting those who abandon their wives after becoming rich, like Chen Shimei in Qin Xianglian.

Opera culture also opposes feudal dictates and pursues romantic happiness. Many famous works focus on themes of love and marriage, such as The Peony Pavilion, The Romance of the Western Chamber, and The Butterfly Lovers. These works criticize feudal dictates such as obedience to parental decisions and celebrate so-called “transgressive” and “rebellious” acts of choosing one’s own partner and pursuing free love.

As an important representative of Chinese culture, traditional Chinese opera plays a significant role in international cultural exchanges.

In recent years, various Chinese opera troupes have performed abroad multiple times, bringing outstanding forms such as Peking Opera and Yueju Opera to the world stage, allowing more foreign audiences to understand and appreciate traditional Chinese opera.

 

Four Seasons Hotel Tianjin: Where Nature Meets Luxury

TIANJIN, China, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Autumn paints Tianjin in a golden vibe, a season ideal for slowing down and discovering the city’s nostalgic charm. 

And there’s no better place to do it than Four Seasons Hotel Tianjin, which offers the perfect base for exploring the city. Guests are just steps away from streets lined with historic European-style mansions. To celebrate the season, Four Seasons launches WeChat Mini Program with thoughtful perks: guests book rooms via Four Seasons Mini Program can enjoy breakfast up to two persons.


A Design Story Through the Seasons

Located in the heart of the city, Four Seasons Hotel Tianjin is designed with the Seasons Turn in Tianjin as the central narrative, the art deco embodies the grandeur of the Haihe River and draws inspiration from the beautiful natural scenery and profound culture of Tianjin.

Autumn

The majestic and elegant two-story-high lobby features a lotus pond with copper bamboo under the glow of a gorgeous chandelier. Golden light shines through the bamboo, like the glistening sunshine on the surface of the Haihe River in autumn. This interplay of light and shadow not only reminds everyone of Tianjin’s standing as a coastal port city, but also captures the coziness of the autumn season.

Winter

Looking across the carved wall of the reception area, guest can almost feel the winter tranquility of the Haihe River. This seamless and innovative transition indulges guests with a more intimate stay.

Spring

On the third floor, the white relief wall of the spacious corridor becomes the focal point featuring a three-dimensional depiction of a magnificent bamboo forest. Bamboo leaves stretch out like waves, while deer adopt their graceful poses among the trees in spring.

Summer

Take the elevator to the eighth floor and let the refreshing scent of summer waves wash over you. The picturesque swimming pool, which stretches into the city skyline, is covered in tiles with Tahitian plant patterns and yellow oyster shells.

Rooms: An Artistic Tribute to Tianjin

Four Seasons Hotel Tianjin offers 259 elegant and cozy guest rooms, including 44 suites, which are located from level 11 to 26. The interior of the rooms is furnished with wooden furniture and light-coloured linens to create a relaxing, home-like ambience. Along the corridors, black-and-white photos of Tianjin landmarks nod to the city’s dockside history and architectural heritage.

For those seeking a touch of grandeur, The Presidential Suite, with its exquisite design, sets a new benchmark for luxury and class. The 319-square-meter penthouse offers a breathtaking view over the vibrant city. A tapestry mural of perched birds echoes the city’s natural ecology, while the openwork screens nicely complement the custom-made, European-style bed canopy imported from France. This perfect fusion of oriental beauty and classical romance ensures a relaxing holiday stay.

Taste in Carefully Curated Settings

At Jin House Chinese Restaurant, the ceiling is transformed into a starry sky, with flowing springs and golden bowls. The restaurant specializes in authentic Cantonese cuisine with a classic touch. Cielo Western Restaurant, with walls decorated with wooden furnishings like the waves of the Haihe River, blends European flavours with Tianjin’s eclectic urban personality in a harmonious, delicious way. Aria on 9 Sky Garden resembles a cleverly designed shallow water courtyard. As the sun sets, sip a refreshing drink while admiring the colorful canvas in the sky above the prosperous city to add a touch of romance to the urban retreat.

For reservations or enquiries call +86 (22) 2716 6688.

 

Singapore fintech sees surge in investments despite global trade fragmentation and tariff escalation: KPMG’s Pulse of Fintech H1’25


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 September 2025 – Singapore’s fintech sector recorded a strong rebound in the first half of 2025, attracting close to US$1.04 billion in investments across 90 deals, according to KPMG’s Pulse of Fintech H1’2025 report.

This makes it the highest amount of investments the country has seen since the first half of 2023, where investments had hit US$1.59 billion across 125 deals. Compared to H1 2024, deal values had risen by about 87 percent year-on-year, and 28 percent from H2 2024.

Investments were predominantly driven by deals in the payments, cryptocurrency and AI and machine learning verticals, which accounted for the lion’s share of the total deal size recorded for Singapore. Deals in the payment vertical were spread equally across early and late-stage deals, while cryptocurrency and AI and machine learning verticals largely saw early-stage deals.

Global fintech investments saw $44.7 billion across 2,216 deals in H1 2025, a dip from the $54.2 billion recorded across 2,376 deals in H2 2024.

“The data for Singapore shows that the country is seen as a strategic hub for fintech innovation, supported by robust regulatory frameworks that have shaped a financial ecosystem known for its efficiency, resilience, and trustworthiness,” said Anton Ruddenklau, Partner, Head of Financial Services, KPMG in Singapore and Global Head of Fintech and Innovation for Financial Services, KPMG International.

“In a climate shaped by global trade tensions, the ability to enable decentralised, tech-driven, and non-traditional financial solutions will be critical. As traditional financial flows face disruption, the demand for agile, resilient infrastructure will see higher demand,” he added.

Fintech verticals Singapore Global
Ranking Deal Size

US$ (million)

Ranking Deal Size

US$ (million)

Payments #1 474.66 #4 4,644.02
Crypto #2 254.10 #1 8,371.1
AI & ML deals #3 234.50 #2 7,220.16
InsurTech #4 147 #3 4,800
Reg Tech #5 39.80 #5 2,079.3
Cybersecurity #6 6.50 #9 115.2
ESG (New) #7 0* #6 1,134.77
Proptech #8 0* #7 331.0
WealthTech #9 0 #8 214.2

*Deal sizes were not revealed despite some deals being recorded

Singapore’s fintech payments sector defies global trends

In Singapore, fintech investments in the payments sector climbed to US$475 million in the first half of 2025—an almost eightfold increase from H2 2024. Globally, the payments segment saw US$4.6 billion in H1 2025.

In Singapore, this rise was anchored by mega-deals such as Airwallex’s US$301 million raise, positioning the country as a regional epicenter for digital payments innovation.

“Singapore’s fintech firms are capitalising on the demand for agile, interoperable payment platforms that can navigate tariff-induced complexities,” said Mr Ruddenklau.

Deal records indicate that the top three deals targeting companies focused on cross-border payment solutions.

This trend highlights not only the sustained demand for digital payment applications, but also a growing appetite for infrastructure that enables real-time, cross-border retail and commercial transactions. As global commerce becomes increasingly digital and interconnected, investors are prioritising scalable, tech-enabled platforms that can address the complexities of international payments—such as compliance, currency conversion, and settlement speed—while maintaining security and user trust.

Singapore’s digital assets and currencies sector leads in deal activity amid global momentum

Singapore’s digital assets and currencies sector recorded 48 deals in H1 2025—the highest number of deals among all fintech verticals—despite a slight dip from 53 deals in H2 2024. With US$254.1 million in investments, the sector ranked second in deal value, underscoring its resilience and investor appeal.

The two largest deals were secured by protocol provider Giants Planet and blockchain intelligence and tooling platform Coinseeker.co, each raising US$30 million.

This could be early signs of an emerging trend where institutional stakeholders are driving the demand for regulated financial services, pushing up demand for infrastructure that allows for scalability, interoperability, and real-world utility.

Investors are increasingly backing platforms that can support secure, compliant, and high-throughput ecosystems. The emphasis on infrastructure also reflects growing demand for enterprise-grade solutions that can integrate with traditional financial systems while enabling decentralised innovation.

AI-powered fintech continues to surge in Singapore

Singapore’s AI-powered fintech sector saw a new high in H1 2025, with the artificial intelligence and machine learning vertical attracting US$234.5 million across 22 deals— surpassing previous records seen in 2023 and 2024.

A large share of these investments was directed toward business productivity tools and financial software, reflecting a strong appetite for AI solutions that enhance operational efficiency and support digital transformation.

Looking ahead, we could possibly see more hyper-personalised financial services, where AI tailors products and advice to individual user behaviours and preferences. Regulatory technology (RegTech) is also set to expand, with AI streamlining compliance and risk management in increasingly complex financial environments.

Global Key Highlights for H1’25

  • Global fintech investment saw the softest six-month period since H1’20, with just $44.7 billion in investment across 2,216 deals.
  • Global M&A deal value fell from $26.7 billion in H2’24 to $19.9 billion in H1’25, while PE investment fell from $4.4 billion to $1.4 billion; global VC investment remained steady over the same timeframe, rising marginally from $23 billion to $23.4 billion.
  • The EMEA region was the only major region to see fintech investment grow—from $11.1 billion across 780 deals in H2’24 to $13.7 billion across 759 deals in H1’25.
  • The Americas attracted the most fintech investment in H1’25, with $26.7 billion invested across 1,092 deals in H1’25—down from $35.7 billion across 1,150 deals in H2’24.
  • The ASPAC region had the softest level of fintech investment, with just $4.2 billion across 363 deals in H1’25, compared to $7.3 billion across 444 deals in H2’24.
  • At the sector level, digital assets, AI, and regtech were all trending well ahead of 2024’s investment levels at mid-year. Digital assets had $8.3 billion in investment in H1’25—compared to $10.7 billion during all of 2024, while AI saw $7.2 billion in investment—compared to $8.9 billion in all of 2024.

“Given the geopolitical situation globally, much of the fintech investment globally we’ve seen so far in 2025 has been very strategic, rather than broad-brush speculative investments. Firms were more focused on cost cutting and on divesting non-core and underperforming assets than new deals. The increase in AI-focused fintech investment dovetails with that. Both investors and institutional users are very keen on the potential of generative AI and agentic AI—and startups that are to improve efficiencies and drive value through GenAI will command premium valuations and significant investment. Fintech-focused AI is only going to get hotter headed into the back half of 2025,” he added.
Hashtag: #KPMGInternational #Fintech

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About KPMG International

KPMG is a global organization of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. KPMG is the brand under which the member firms of KPMG International Limited (“KPMG International”) operate and provide professional services. “KPMG” is used to refer to individual member firms within the KPMG organization or to one or more member firms collectively.

KPMG firms operate in 143 countries and territories with more than 265,000 partners and employees working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. Each KPMG member firm is responsible for its own obligations and liabilities.

KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.

SUNMI Named Google Android Enterprise Gold Partner and Earns AER Certification, Setting a Global Benchmark for Smart Commercial Devices

SINGAPORE, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SUNMI, a global leader in smart commercial devices, announced a dual milestone with recognition from Google. The company has officially been named a Google Android Enterprise Gold Partner, becoming the first enterprise-focused provider in the Asia-Pacific region to receive this honor. At the same time, SUNMI’s flagship mobile point-of-sale (POS) terminal, the SUNMI L3, has earned the Google Android Enterprise Recommended (AER) certification. These two internationally recognized certifications consolidate SUNMI’s leadership in the global Android enterprise ecosystem. They also demonstrate the company’s world-class expertise in technology innovation, regulatory compliance, and enterprise-grade service capabilities, establishing a new global standard for connected commercial devices. Notably, this recognition positions SUNMI within the ranks of global technology leaders recognized by Google.

Dual Certifications Deliver Enterprise Value: Raising the Bar for Security, Efficiency, and Total Cost of Ownership

In global scenarios—including cross-border e-commerce and smart retail—SUNMI’s dual certifications create measurable advantages for enterprise customers.

  • One-click secure deployment: Built on the Google Android Enterprise platform, customers can configure and manage SUNMI devices seamlessly across international operations, protecting corporate data while safeguarding personal privacy.
  • Future-ready investment: Google’s guaranteed Android version and security patch updates extend the lifecycle of hardware deployments, ensuring a higher return on enterprise investments.

Technology Leadership: From Compliance to Real-World Impact

  • Scenario leadership: As an AER-certified BIoT mobile POS solution, the SUNMI L3 sets a benchmark, with more SUNMI products expected to follow. This achievement goes beyond baseline compatibility, demonstrating how SUNMI’s engineering is purpose-built to meet the demands of high-value global applications.
  • Global standards: Within the Android enterprise ecosystem, SUNMI has reached the industry’s top tier.

Earning the Google Gold Partner certification not only validates SUNMI’s technology leadership but also represents an important milestone in its global strategy. Frank Yuan, Head of Product at SUNMI, stated: “The dual honors are the outcome of SUNMI’s ‘technology + scenario’ strategy. We will continue to deepen our collaboration with Google to accelerate digital transformation across industries such as retail and food service, further positioning SUNMI as the partner of choice for businesses worldwide.” For corporate customers, SUNMI remains dedicated to delivering best-in-class products and a comprehensive Android enterprise platform.

CSL Vifor and Travere Therapeutics Recognize Updated KDIGO Clinical Practice Guidelines for IgA Nephropathy

FILSPARI® (sparsentan) suggested for IgA Nephropathy patients who are at risk of progressive kidney function loss

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland, and SAN DIEGO, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CSL Vifor and Travere Therapeutics, Inc., (NASDAQ: TVTX) support the recent publication of the updated clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of IgA Nephropathy (IgAN), Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2025 clinical practice guideline for the management of IgA Nephropathy and Immunoglobulin A vasculitis. The updated guidelines define diagnostic criteria, treatment goals and treatment approaches, aiming for progress for people living with IgAN and the clinicians who treat them.

The 2025 update defines remission of proteinuria (<0.5 g/day, or ideally at <0.3 g/day) and slowing eGFR decline as key treatment goals. To achieve these goals, the guidelines recommend a treatment approach with therapies simultaneously targeting IgAN-induced nephron loss and IgA-formation.

Within the guidelines it is mentioned that treatment with FILSPARI® (sparsentan), the only Dual Endothelin Angiotensin Receptor Antagonist (DEARA), may be an appropriate first-line approach to manage the responses of IgAN-induced nephron loss in contrast to the RASi-first approach. The guidelines also highlight FILSPARI as the only therapy with proven efficacy compared to optimized RASi in clinical trials — with more patients enrolled in PROTECT than in all prior RASi trials combined.

“The updated KDIGO guidance represents an important step forward for the IgA Nephropathy community,” said Prof. Dr. med. Jürgen Floege, Senior Professor, Div. Nephrology and Clinical Immunology at the University Hospital, RWTH Aachen, Germany. “For patients and clinicians, this provides greater clarity and confidence in navigating treatment decisions, with the ultimate goal of improving long-term kidney outcomes.”

“The new IgA Nephropathy management recommendations provide important guidance for clinicians treating this rare disease. The inclusion of FILSPARI in the KDIGO guidelines is a reflection of its benefit-risk profile and reinforces its role in helping eligible patients reduce proteinuria and slow kidney function loss, while being generally well-tolerated”, said Dr. Achim Obergfell, Global Medical Head Nephrology Portfolio CSL Vifor.  “The updated KDIGO guidelines mark an important milestone for the IgA nephropathy community, reflecting advances in disease understanding, more sophisticated risk assessment and therapies,” said Jula Inrig, M.D., chief medical officer of Travere Therapeutics. “The placement of FILSPARI underscores the strong clinical evidence supporting its role as a foundational treatment and offers clinicians with clear, evidence-based guidance to improve patient care.”

The now published KDIGO clinical practice guidelines represent a focused update of Chapter 2: IgA Nephropathy/IgA Vasculitis from the KDIGO 2021 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Glomerular Diseases. It sets out to provide a comprehensive and evidence-based framework for healthcare professionals to diagnose, treat, and manage these two types of glomerular diseases. The full guidance was presented at the International Symposium of IgA Nephropathy in September 2025 and will be published as a supplement to the Official Journal of the International Society for Nephrology.

FILSPARI is a non-immunosuppressive therapy for the treatment of IgA Nephropathy approved in the United States (U.S.) and Europe, and in addition to the U.S. has been launched in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and UK.

About the PROTECT Study

The PROTECT Study is one of the largest interventional studies to date in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and the only Phase 3 head-to-head trial in this rare kidney disease. It is a global, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, parallel-arm, active-controlled clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of 400 mg of FILSPARI (sparsentan), compared to 300 mg of irbesartan, in 404 patients ages 18 years and up with IgAN and persistent proteinuria despite receiving at least 50% of max label dose and maximally tolerated ACE or ARB therapy.

The trial met the pre-specified primary endpoint which showed that after 36 weeks patients receiving FILSPARI (n=202) achieved a mean reduction in proteinuria from baseline of 49.8%, compared to a mean reduction in proteinuria from baseline of 15.1% for irbesartan-treated patients (n=202, p<0.0001). In the final analysis conducted after two years, FILSPARI reduced the rate of decline in kidney function from baseline to Week 110 compared to irbesartan. Treatment emergent adverse events were well-balanced between FILSPARI and irbesartan, except for dizziness and hypotension. 

About CSL Vifor

CSL Vifor is a global partner of choice for pharmaceuticals and innovative, leading therapies in iron deficiency and nephrology. We specialize in strategic global partnering, in-licensing and developing, manufacturing and marketing pharmaceutical products for precision healthcare, aiming to help patients around the world lead better, healthier lives. Headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland, CSL Vifor also includes the joint company Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (with Fresenius Medical Care). The parent company, CSL (ASX:CSL; USOTC:CSLLY), headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, employs 29,000+ people and delivers its lifesaving therapies to people in more than 100 countries.

For more information about CSL Vifor, visit CSL.com.

About Travere Therapeutics

At Travere Therapeutics, we are in rare for life. We are a biopharmaceutical company that comes together every day to help patients, families and caregivers of all backgrounds as they navigate life with a rare disease. On this path, we know the need for treatment options is urgent – that is why our global team works with the rare disease community to identify, develop and deliver life-changing therapies. In pursuit of this mission, we continuously seek to understand the diverse perspectives of rare patients and to courageously forge new paths to make a difference in their lives and provide hope – today and tomorrow. For more information, visit travere.com.

About IgA Nephropathy

IgA Nephropathy, also called Berger’s disease, is a rare progressive kidney disease characterized by the abnormal buildup of immunoglobulin A (IgA), an antibody that helps the body fight infections, in the kidneys. The deposits of IgA cause a breakdown of the normal filtering mechanisms in the kidney, leading to blood in the urine (hematuria), protein in the urine (proteinuria) and a progressive loss of kidney function. Other symptoms of IgA Nephropathy may include swelling (edema) and high blood pressure.

While rare, IgA Nephropathy is the most common type of primary glomerular disease worldwide and a leading cause of kidney failure. IgA Nephropathy is estimated to affect more than 250,000 people in the licensed territories.

About FILSPARI (sparsentan)

FILSPARI is an innovative, non-immunosuppressive, single-molecule, dual endothelin angiotensin receptor antagonist (DEARA) with high selectivity for the endothelin A receptor (ETAR) and the angiotensin II subtype 1 receptor (AT1R).

FILSPARI was developed by Travere Therapeutics and has been granted Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of IgA Nephropathy in the UK, Europe and the U.S. FILSPARI is currently available in the U.S. and first markets in Europe. CSL Vifor has been granted exclusive commercialization rights for FILSPARI in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and certain other countries.  For more information, please refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC).

CSL Vifor Media Contact

Thomas Hutter

+41 79 957 96 73

media@viforpharma.com 

Travere Therapeutics:

Investors

Media

888-969-7879

888-969-7879  

ir@travere.com

mediarelations@travere.com