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Four-Car Pileup on Vientiane to Vang Vieng Expressway

Four two-car pileups on Vientiane to Vang Vieng Expressway in one day

Several road accidents occurred throughout the country over the weekend, with three deaths reported, including a four-car pileup on the Vang Vieng Expressway on Sunday night.

Thai Pigs Smuggled Into Cambodia Via Laos

Thai pigs smuggled into Cambodia via Laos
Authorities test health of Thai pigs smuggled into Cambodia via Laos (Photo: Phnom Penh Post)

Over 100 pigs originating in Thailand have been smuggled into Cambodia via Laos.

JH Education Announces 2020 Annual Results: A Sharp Increase of 51% in Profit Attributable to Owners of the Company

Enrollment Scale and Business Network continues to expand Leading Position in Regional Industry is consolidated

 

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 Mar 2021 – JH Educational Technology INC. (“JH Education” or the “Company“, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group“, stock code: 1935.HK) is pleased to announce its audited annual results for the year ended 31 December, 2020 (the “Year“).

During the Year, the revenue of the Group increased by 16% to RMB561.3 million, the gross profit rose by 30% to RMB334.3 million, and the profit for the Year increased 43% to RMB325.6 million. Due to the increase in the number of new student enrollment and student enrollment, profit attributable to owners of the Company recorded a significant increase of approximately 51% to RMB265.9 million as compared to the same period last year. And the Group recorded a core net profit of approximately RMB331.8 million during the Year. The Board of Directors recommended a final dividend of HK5.00 cents and a special final dividend of HK6.25 cents per ordinary share for the Year.

Enrollment Scale Continues to Expand and the Leading Position in Regional Industry is Continuously Consolidated

Benefited from the widely-recognized educational quality and smooth progress of the campus expansion plan of the Group during the Year, new student enrollments of schools operated by the Group experienced a significant growth. New enrollment of Zhejiang Changzheng Vocational & Technology College (“Changzheng College”) in Zhejiang Province in 2020/2021 school year was 13,542 students, an increase of 18% year-on-year, which was ranked No. 1 among student enrollment programs of private junior colleges in Zhejiang province. The new enrollment of Zhengzhou College of Economics and Business (“College of Economics and Business”) in Henan Province in the 2020/2021 school year increased 12% year-on-year to 24,147 students, which was top-ranking among all undergraduate enrollment programs of private undergraduate colleges in Henan province. Over the years, the Group is committed to providing high-quality private education to students, dedicating resources to designing comprehensive and diversified curriculums for equipping students with readily applicable and practical skills, and creating and regularly updating major offerings with labor market orientation. Therefore, the employment rates for graduates from Changzheng College and College of Economics and Business have been consistently higher than similar colleges in the respective provinces.

Innovative Teaching Methods and Stable Operation during the Pandemic

There was an outbreak of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) across China in early 2020. The Group strictly accorded top priority to the personal safety and health of its teachers and students and comprehensively implemented the requirements under “level 1 response” to effectively prevent the spread of the pandemic into the campus. Closed-end management has been adopted for the campus and the time for students to return to school for the spring semester has been postponed. During the outbreak of the pandemic, the Group strengthened the tutoring for students and implemented the policy of suspension of classes but no suspension of learning. Teaching plans and management plans during this special period have been formulated scientifically by actively utilizing the “Internet+” model to launch remote educational and teaching activities or online learning programs. Benefited from the innovative teaching methods and reasonable measures adopted by the Group, the remote academic tutoring was launched in an orderly manner. All teaching goals have been completed on schedule and the Group’s operation was stable. Upon evaluation, the Group considered that the outbreak of COVID-19 has had no obvious negative impact on the operation and financial condition of the Group.

The Strategy of “Acquisition + Campus Expansion” accelerates the Business Expansion

To strengthen the position as the largest private provider of formal higher education in Zhejiang province, the Group actively promotes the dual cultivation of “Acquisition + Campus Expansion” in order to accelerate the expansion of the school network and meet the growing demand for school quotas.

On one hand, the Group actively seeks potential investment opportunities in the market and plans to acquire or invest in schools that offer higher education with relatively low utilization rates and/or have substantial growth potential in the PRC. The Group prefers to acquire qualified undergraduate colleges and/or junior colleges whose school sponsors have elected them to be for-profit private schools in central China, eastern China and southern China. At present, the acquisition plan is preparing and advancing steadily.

On the other hand, except for acquisitions, the Group plans to establish a new campus of College of Economics and Business in Kaifeng, Henan Province, that will primarily offer undergraduate courses. The estimated student capacity is approximately 15,000 students. Moreover, the Group plans to establish a new campus of Changzheng College with an aggregate expected enrollment of not less than 5,000 students. Given the continuous expansion of enrollment scale, the Group also actively promotes the expansion of the campus and extends the school network to provide guarantee for the expansion of enrollment. In 2020, the Group completed the expansion of the main campus of College of Economics and Business by constructing three additional student dormitories and two new teaching buildings with an aggregate gross floor area of 27,000 sq.m.. From the new school year beginning in September 2020, student capacity of College of Economics and Business has increased to 24,809 students. In 2020, the Group completed the expansion of the existing campus of Changzheng College and the student capacity of Changzheng College has increased to 13,900 students starting from 2020/2021 school year. The Group is planning to further expand the main campus of College of Economics and Business and Changzheng College to increase the student capacity.

Mr. Chen Yuguo, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of JH Education said, “Education is a never-ending business. In 2020, in face of complex economic environment, people’s demand for education have never diminished. The growing demand for education promotes the development of quality education. In order to better meet the needs of talent training and labor market, the state has continuously introduced favorable policies to support the development of education. Over the years, JH Education has adhered to the educational philosophy of ‘people-oriented education, moral cultivation, serve the society and pursuit of excellence’, and is committed to providing high-quality private higher education. Looking forward, JH Education will continue to focus on providing high-quality private higher education, seize the market opportunities, actively achieve sustainable development, expand the business scale and school network, optimize the operation, and bring substantial returns to shareholders.”

About JH Educational Technology INC.

JH Educational Technology INC. (“JH Education”) is a leading private higher education institution in Zhejiang Province. In addition to providing higher education services, JH Education also provides secondary education services to high school students in Zhejiang Province. There are three subsidiary schools controlled and operated by JH Education, including Zhengzhou College of Economics and Business, Zhejiang Changzheng Vocational & Technology College and Yueqing Jingyi Secondary School, which provides students with high-quality education including undergraduate education, junior college education and high school education. With more than 20 years’ private school operating experience and teaching quality, the subsidiary schools operated by JH Education have received many awards and commendations from the people’s governments at all levels and relevant education bureaus, including the “Outstanding Private School” awarded by the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government to Zhejiang Changzheng Vocational & Technology College , and the “Outstanding Private School” awarded by the Henan Provincial Department of Education to Zhengzhou College of Economics and Business.

Crypto exchange Bityard has launched forex trading service for global investors

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach – 26 March 2021 – Bityard, the world’s leading cryptocurrency derivative exchange, has launched its forex trading service in more than 150 countries. From now on, the contract for difference (CFD) trading pairs on Bityard cover multiple asset types including cryptocurrency, index, commodity, and forex.

Facing possible coming drop of active crypto traders, Bityard begins to offer forex trading service, providing more options for global investors.

Before the bull market started in 2020, Bityard focused on its crypto CFDs service, which allowed Bityard users to make profits with smaller cryptocurrency market price fluctuation. When Bitcoin prices went up in late 2020, Bityard launched spot trading service to let its users buy and sell Bitcoin as well as other types of popular altcoins. Bityard aims to provide different types of trading services, which helps global users to trade and invest in crypto assets in both bull and bear markets.

The bull market began with the large amount of Bitcoin purchase and hold actions from many institutes including Greyscale, and Bitcoin have surpassed its all-time high record multiple times since then. Due to increasing profit taking actions by some of the institutes, Bitcoin price became more unstable and went down many times. Right now, there is not yet any clear sign showing that the bull market is over, but current asset selling actions from big crypto investors might indicate that Bitcoin is somewhere near its peak in the current bull run.

Fortunately, global investors still can switch to crypto CFDs or trade other type of assets to make profits on Bityard if the crypto bull market really ends early.

Zhenro Properties Announces Annual Results 2020

Focus on High-Quality Growth Core Profit up by 18.9%

Deep Penetration of First- and Second-Tier Regions

Focus on Enhancing Management Efficiency

Maintain Financial Soundness

Substantial Decline of Average Cost of Borrowings

Financial Highlights:

RMB mn

For the year ended 31 December

Changes

2020

2019

Revenue

36,126

32,558

+11.0%

Profit for the Period

3,559

3,094

+15.0%

Core profit1

3,304

2,779

+18.9%

Proposed final dividend (HKD)

0.15

0.10

+50.0%

As at 31 December

Changes

Cash on hand

42,973

35,307

+21.7%

Net debt to total equity ratio

64.7%

75.2%

– 10.5 pts

Short-term debt to total debt ratio

29.1%

34.2%

– 5.1 pts

Cash to short-term debt ratio

2.20x

1.76x

+44.0 pts

Onshore other borrowings to total borrowings ratio

5.9%

20.4%

-14.5 pts

Weighted average cost of borrowings

6.5%

7.5%

-1.0 pts

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 March 2021 – Zhenro Properties Group Limited (“Zhenro Properties” or “the Group”; stock code: 6158), a leading PRC property developer, announced its audited annual results for the year ended 31 December 2020 (the “Year”). Besides, the Company is pleased to announce that Mr. Liu Weiliang has been appointed as vice chairman of the Board and Mr. Li Yang has been appointed as an executive director and executive vice president of the Company. Mr. Liu and Mr. Li have abundant experience in the real estate industry. Both of them are talents cultivated by Zhenro Properties and have held various key positions successively in the Group, and the Company believes their appointments will further enable the Group to achieve a “high-quality growth”.

Results

During the Year, the Group achieved a solid growth in results. Its revenue increased by 11.0% year-on-year to RMB36.13 billion. Profit for the Year was RMB3.56 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 15.0%. Net profit margin was 9.9%. The core profit1 was RMB3.30 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.9%. Core profit margin was 9.1%. The Board recommends the payment of a final dividend of HKD0.15 per share.

Innovative Targeted Marketing in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the first half of 2020, in response to the impact brought by COVID-19 pandemic, the Group established a “Pofeng Action (破風行動)” team which was responsible for the smooth resumption of construction projects, punctual supply of units and minimization of risks associated with unit delivery, and attained project resumption rate of 100% within 45 days of the shutdowns. In addition, through integrating big data resources and unifying online traffic platform across the country, the Group quickly carried out online-to-offline marketing, including the launch of an online sales app of “Zhenro Home (正榮置家)” and JD Zhenro flagship store to provide a new experience of virtual reality online tour of residential units. The Group also launched a series of innovative and targeted online live streaming marketing activities to draw more attention and sales in the market. During 2020, the Group recorded aggregated contracted sales of RMB141.9 billion, successfully achieving contracted sales target for the Year.

Deep Penetration of First- and Second-Tier Regions with Equal Emphasis on Quality and Equity Interests of Investment

The Group pursues the strategy of “regional penetration” by expanding its market share in the metropolis and their surrounding areas, laying a foundation for the future continuously high-quality development. During 2020, the Group acquired 46 parcels of land with total estimated GFA of approximately 7.14 million sq.m. in 21 cities. Of the Group’s newly acquired land bank, 43% and 31% is located respectively in the Yangtze River Delta region and the Western Taiwan Straits region, which are two core areas where the Group has considerable advantages. In terms of the tiers of cities, 77% of the Group’s newly acquired land bank is located in first- and second-tier cities with good economic fundamentals. Besides, the overall equity interests in the newly acquired land bank was approximately 70% in 2020. As at 31 December 2021, the Group had a land bank with GFA of about 28.45 million sq.m. in 32 cities in the PRC, 82% of the land bank is located in first- and second-tier cities. The Group’s equity interests in the land bank as at 31 December 2021 increased to 58% from 55% as at the end of 2019.

Optimized Financial Structure and Decreased Finance Cost

In 2020, the Group succeeded in raising funds despite the significant fluctuations in the global capital markets. It successfully seized several opportunities for financing, including being the fore-runner to issue senior notes at the beginning of the recovery in the offshore bond market in May 2020 after a heavy shock to the global capital markets. Besides, the Group took a crucial step forward in green finance practice by issuing green senior notes for twice, which received positive response from the markets. In the domestic capital market, the Group continued to deepen cooperation with various financial institutions in both traditional financing and capital markets financing, and meanwhile, continued to reduce its reliance on financing with higher costs and shorter tenor to optimize its debt structure and lower its financing cost.

Benefiting from the optimized debt structure, cash collection and cash flow management, the Group’s major financial ratios and credit ratio were further improved. As of 31 December 2020, the Group’s net debt-to-total equity ratio decreased substantially by 10.5 percentage points to 64.7%, and its cash-to-short term debt ratio was improved to approximately 2.2 times with the proportion of short-term debts decreasing to 29.1%. The onshore other borrowings to total borrowing ratios fell significantly by 14.5 percentage points to 5.9%. The Group also recorded a decrease in the cost of its newly raised financing in both the domestic and offshore capital markets and optimized the debt structure. As at the end of 2020, the weighted average cost of borrowings substantially decreased to 6.5%.

The Group has been recognized by credit rating agencies for its prudent financial management and overall strength. During the Year, Zhenro Property Holdings Company Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, was assigned “AAA” corporate credit rating (which is the highest rating) with a stable outlook by China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd. (中誠信國際信用評級有限責任公司) and Dagong Global Credit Rating Co., Ltd. (大公國際資信評估有限公司). Despite the increasingly complicated global situation, Moody’s and Fitch Ratings maintained the credit ratings of B1 (stable) and B+ (stable), respectively for the Company.

Improvement and Upgrade of Products, Enhancement of Management Efficiency

The Group continued to strive for improvement and upgrade of products, as well as enhancement of operation effectiveness and efficiency, so as to achieve a sustainable “high-quality growth”. During the Year, the Group focused on improving standardization, premiums, and quality of products. Having positioned itself as “Home Upgrade Master”, the Group has explored the possibilities of product innovation by taking factors such as natural environment, culture and health into account and is committed to continuously improving and upgrading the properties to suit the various needs of customers in their daily life. The Group launched the “Zhenro Oasis Community Plan (正榮綠洲社區計劃)” for building an ideal and modern community to live in. The plan aimed at comprehensively upgrading the system of intelligent security systems, community facilities and property service standards and strives to enhance customers’ living experience, providing green and comfortable property products.

In order to improve management results and efficiency, the Group has adjusted the corporate organizational structure in three aspects to improve the management effectiveness and efficiency. Firstly, the Group integrated and upgraded the functional management center of the headquarters and enhanced the strategic positioning and development planning of each management center; secondly, the Group strengthened the business standardization and refined management; finally, the Group consolidated resources of regional companies, carried out differentiated management according to the development maturity of each regional company and ensured ordered authorization, to improve decision-making efficiency. During the Year, the Group continued to improve the efficiency of project development, including the average period for a project to confirm its positioning after land acquisition has been shortened to less than a month; the average initial sale period of a project was approximately seven months; the average sell-through rate at the initial launch exceeded 70%.

Sound Corporate Governance and Enhancement of ESG Management

The Group’s investment value has been well recognized for its prudent corporate image, good operational results and excellent brand value. In the capital markets, the Group has received equity and fixed-income research coverages and positive commentaries by over 20 well-known domestic and overseas investment banks and securities houses. Besides, the Group received a number of awards and honors in 2020, including “Most Progress in IR Award” by Hong Kong Investor Relations Association, “Most Impressive Corporate Issuer 2020” by GlobalCapital China, “Asia’s Best CEO (Investor Relations)” and “Best Investor Relations Company (China)” by Corporate Governance Asia, “Certificate for Excellence in Investor Relations” by IR Magazine, “Best Investor Relations (Investment Grade & High Yield)” and “Best Use of Debt (Investment Grade & High Yield)” by Institutional Investor, “Triple A Sustainable Capital Markets Regional Awards 2020 – Corporate Issuer of the Year 2020” and “Triple A Sustainable Capital Markets Regional Awards 2020 – Best Green Bond (Real Estate)” by The Asset.

In terms of green development and environmental protection issues, the Group has put the construction of environmental-friendly green buildings as the core of its internal environmental policies, and has invested capital in supporting product design innovations, aiming at the effective utilization of materials, energy and space, and protecting the environment from the sources. Currently, Zhenro Properties has 10+ projects that obtained 2-star or 3-star green building certificates in PRC. In terms of green financing, in August 2020, Zhenro Properties established the “Zhenro Properties Green Bond Framework”, and engaged Sustainalytics, an authoritative independent ESG rating agency, to conduct an independent external review over the framework and obtain its second-party opinion. The Company then issued two rounds of green senior notes in September and November 2020, respectively. The bond issuances received overwhelming responses from the capital markets and attracted the participation from various ESG and green funds. Besides, since the beginning of 2021, the Group has issued two more rounds of green senior notes with an aggregated amount of USD700 million, with the coupons rates of 6.63% and 6.7%, respectively, and tenors of 5 years and 5.5 years, respectively, further lowering the Group’s finance cost. During the Year, the Group participated in the ESG ratings or evaluations conducted by four international institutes, of which MSCI upgraded the Company’s ESG rating to BB in December 2020. In the long run, the Company believes that the Group’s contribution to the environment will enhance the value of shareholders and investors, as well as the Company’s brand and reputation. Zhenro Properties on one hand actively fulfills its corporate social responsibilities, while on the other hand continues to enhance information disclosure of relevant topics and ratings.

Prospects

Looking ahead, Mr. Huang Xianzhi, Chairman of the Board said, “The PRC government will continue to focus on the implementation of the policies of ‘houses are for living in, not for speculation’ and ‘stabilizing land prices, property prices and expectations’, in order to facilitate the healthy and stable development of the industry. It is expected that there will be limited relaxation of various policies in the property industry in the foreseeable future, and the property industry will go through another round of deleveraging, and the gap among cities and property developers will diverge further. The essential housing demand will surge in cities and their metropolitan circles with strong economic fundamentals and fast-growing population. The property market remains strong in the long-term. The large-scale branded property developers with sound financial positions are expected to further expand their market shares relying on their own products, brands, capital, talents and operational advantages. The Group will seize opportunities for investment and focus on improving both the operational quality and efficiency. All these will enable the Group to achieve a ‘high-quality growth’.

Mr. Huang Xianzhi continued, “2021 is the final year of Zhenro Properties’ ‘New Three-Year Strategy’. To achieve the goal of ‘high-quality growth’, the Group will continue to enhance its management structure and talent echelon; the Group will continue to enhance its operational and management capabilities by improving the decision-making mechanism and standardization management to achieve management upgrade; the Group will stick to the principle of prudent investment, pay close attention to market changes, put investment at a reasonable and appropriate pace, and focus on first and second-tier cities and their metropolitan circles; the Group will focus on improving the capital efficiency and effectiveness driven by the ‘cash flow and profit’ management, and further improve its credit ratings, reduce operating expenses and finance costs, and increase profitability”.

1 Defined as profit excludes changes in fair values of investment properties and financial assets, exchange gain or loss, impairment loss and the relevant deferred taxes

About Zhenro Properties Group Limited

Zhenro Properties Group Limited is a leading property developer in the PRC with nationwide business presence in six key economic regions. The Group achieved contracted sales of RMB141.9 billion in 2020 and was ranked the top 20 in the Best 200 China Property Developers by Comprehensive Strength in 2020. Upholding its brand position of “Home Upgrade Master”, the Group focuses on bringing quality residences to middle class and affluent home upgraders. Zhenro Properties was listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2018. It is a constituent stock in the Hang Seng Composite LargeCap/MidCap Index, Hang Seng Large-Mid Cap Value Tilt Index and the MSCI China Index and is included in the list of eligible stocks for southbound trading of the Shenzhen/ Shanghai – Hong Kong Stock Connect.

Takeda Begins Regulatory Submissions for Dengue Vaccine Candidate in EU and Dengue-Endemic Countries

  • European Medicines Agency to Conduct First-Ever Parallel Assessment of a Medicinal Product, Takeda’s Dengue Vaccine Candidate (TAK-003), for use in the EU; Countries Outside of the EU through the EU-M4all (Previously Article 58) Procedure
  • Takeda Intends to Submit Regulatory Filings in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand During 2021
  • TAK-003 is Being Studied for the Prevention of Dengue Due to any Dengue Virus Serotype in Individuals Ages Four to 60

OSAKA, JAPAN, and CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS – Media OutReach – 26 March 2021 – Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) (“Takeda”) today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted the Company’s filing packages for its dengue vaccine candidate (TAK-003) which is being investigated for the prevention of dengue due to any dengue virus serotype in individuals ages four to 60. Takeda intends to submit regulatory filings in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand during 2021.

“Submission of regulatory filings for our dengue vaccine candidate, TAK-003, marks an important development for people who are living in or traveling to communities burdened by the threat of dengue,” said Derek Wallace, VP, Dengue Global Program Leader at Takeda. “Dengue outbreaks, which result in half a million hospitalizations globally each year, can overwhelm communities and governments because of the broad impact on the health care system. With limited options to prevent the disease, there is a pressing need for widely available dengue vaccines. Takeda is committed to working with regulatory authorities and recommending bodies to support evaluation of our submissions and achieve access for TAK-003.”

Takeda is participating in the EMA’s first-ever parallel assessment of a medicinal product for use in the European Union (EU), and through the EU-M4all (previously Article 58) procedure for countries outside of the EU. Along with the scientific opinion issued by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), national regulators in countries participating in the EU-M4all procedure will conduct their own assessments to determine if national marketing authorizations for TAK-003 are granted. Takeda is also seeking approval of TAK-003 in dengue-endemic countries that are not participating in the EU-M4all procedure.

Regulatory submissions for TAK-003 include long-term safety and efficacy data through 36 months from the ongoing pivotal Phase 3 Tetravalent Immunization against Dengue Efficacy Study (TIDES) trial. Takeda intends to present and publish details of the 36-month data at a scientific meeting and in a peer-reviewed journal this year.

Takeda also intends to submit regulatory filings in the United States, followed by additional countries in Asia and Latin America.

EU-M4all[i]

EU-M4all (or EU-Medicines for all) is a procedure designed to facilitate patient access to essential medicines or vaccines intended to prevent or treat diseases of major public health interest. Through the EU-M4all procedure (previously known as the Article 58 procedure), the EMA, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), can provide scientific opinion on medicines and vaccines for public health priority diseases that are intended for markets outside of the EU.

About TAK-003

Takeda’s tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate (TAK-003) is based on a live-attenuated dengue serotype 2 virus, which provides the genetic “backbone” for all four vaccine viruses.[ii] Clinical Phase 2 data in children and adolescents showed that TAK-003 induced immune responses against all four dengue serotypes, in both seropositive and seronegative participants, which persisted through 48 months after vaccination, and the vaccine was found to be generally safe and well tolerated.[iii] The pivotal Phase 3 TIDES trial met its primary endpoint of overall vaccine efficacy (VE) against virologically confirmed dengue (VCD) at 12 months follow-up and all secondary endpoints at 18 months follow-up for which there were a sufficient number of dengue cases, including VE against hospitalized dengue and VE in baseline seropositive and baseline seronegative individuals.[iv],[v] Efficacy varied by serotype. The results demonstrated TAK-003 was generally well tolerated, and there have been no important safety risks observed to date.

About the Phase 3 TIDES (DEN-301) Trial

The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 3 TIDES trial is evaluating the safety and efficacy of two doses of TAK-003 in the prevention of laboratory-confirmed symptomatic dengue fever of any severity and due to any of the four dengue virus serotypes in children and adolescents.[iv] The TIDES trial is Takeda’s largest interventional clinical trial to date and enrolled over 20,000 healthy children and adolescents ages four to 16 years living in dengue-endemic areas. Study participants were randomly assigned to receive either TAK-003 0.5 mL or placebo by subcutaneous injection on Day 1 and Day 90.[iv] The study is comprised of five parts. Part 1 and the primary endpoint analysis evaluated vaccine efficacy (VE) and safety through 15 months after the first dose (12 months after the second dose).[iv] Part 2 continued for an additional six months to complete the assessment of the secondary endpoints of VE by serotype, baseline serostatus and disease severity, including VE against hospitalized dengue.[iv] Part 3 is evaluating VE and long-term safety by following participants for an additional two and a half to three years.[vi] Part 4 will evaluate safety for 13 months following booster vaccination and Part 5 will evaluate long-term safety for one year after completion of Part 4.[vi]

The trial is taking place at sites in dengue-endemic areas in Latin America (Brazil, Colombia, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua) and Asia (Philippines, Thailand and Sri Lanka) where there are unmet needs in dengue prevention and where severe dengue is a leading cause of serious illness and death among children.[iv] Baseline blood samples were collected from all individuals participating in the trial to allow for evaluation of safety and efficacy based on serostatus. Takeda and an independent Data Monitoring Committee of experts are actively monitoring safety on an ongoing basis.

About Dengue

Dengue is the fastest spreading mosquito-borne viral disease and was one of the WHO’s top 10 threats to global health in 2019.[vii],[viii] Dengue is mainly spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and, to a lesser extent, Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. It is caused by any of four dengue virus serotypes, each of which can cause dengue fever or severe dengue. The prevalence of individual serotypes varies across different geographies, countries, regions, seasons and over time.[ix] Recovery from infection by one serotype provides lifelong immunity against only that serotype, and later exposure to any of the remaining serotypes is associated with an increased risk of severe disease.

Dengue is pandemic prone, and outbreaks are observed in tropical and sub-tropical areas and have recently caused outbreaks in parts of the continental United States and Europe.[x],[xi] Approximately half of the world now lives under the threat of dengue, which is estimated to cause 390 million infections and around 20,000 deaths globally each year.[x],[xi] The dengue virus can infect people of all ages and is a leading cause of serious illness among children in some countries in Latin America and Asia.[x]

Takeda’s Commitment to Vaccines

Vaccines prevent 2 to 3 million deaths each year and have transformed global public health.[xiii] For the past 70 years, Takeda has supplied vaccines to protect the health of people in Japan. Today, Takeda’s global vaccine business is applying innovation to tackle some of the world’s most challenging infectious diseases, such as dengue, COVID-19, Zika and norovirus. Takeda’s team brings an outstanding track record and a wealth of knowledge in vaccine development, manufacturing and global access to advance a pipeline of vaccines to address some of the world’s most pressing public health needs. For more information, visit www.takedavaccines.com/.

Important Notice

For the purposes of this notice, “press release” means this document, any oral presentation, any question and answer session and any written or oral material discussed or distributed by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”) regarding this release. This press release (including any oral briefing and any question-and-answer in connection with it) is not intended to, and does not constitute, represent or form part of any offer, invitation or solicitation of any offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction. No shares or other securities are being offered to the public by means of this press release. No offering of securities shall be made in the United States except pursuant to registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom. This press release is being given (together with any further information which may be provided to the recipient) on the condition that it is for use by the recipient for information purposes only (and not for the evaluation of any investment, acquisition, disposal or any other transaction). Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws.

The companies in which Takeda directly and indirectly owns investments are separate entities. In this press release, “Takeda” is sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Takeda and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and any materials distributed in connection with this press release may contain forward-looking statements, beliefs or opinions regarding Takeda’s future business, future position and results of operations, including estimates, forecasts, targets and plans for Takeda. Without limitation, forward-looking statements often include words such as “targets”, “plans”, “believes”, “hopes”, “continues”, “expects”, “aims”, “intends”, “ensures”, “will”, “may”, “should”, “would”, “could” “anticipates”, “estimates”, “projects” or similar expressions or the negative thereof. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements: the economic circumstances surrounding Takeda’s global business, including general economic conditions in Japan and the United States; competitive pressures and developments; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; challenges inherent in new product development, including uncertainty of clinical success and decisions of regulatory authorities and the timing thereof; uncertainty of commercial success for new and existing products; manufacturing difficulties or delays; fluctuations in interest and currency exchange rates; claims or concerns regarding the safety or efficacy of marketed products or product candidates; the impact of health crises, like the novel coronavirus pandemic, on Takeda and its customers and suppliers, including foreign governments in countries in which Takeda operates, or on other facets of its business; the timing and impact of post-merger integration efforts with acquired companies; the ability to divest assets that are not core to Takeda’s operations and the timing of any such divestment(s); and other factors identified in Takeda’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and Takeda’s other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available on Takeda’s website at: https://www.takeda.com/investors/ reports/sec-filings/ or at www.sec.gov. Takeda does not undertake to update any of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule. Past performance is not an indicator of future results and the results or statements of Takeda in this press release may not be indicative of, and are not an estimate, forecast, guarantee or projection of Takeda’s future results.

Medical information

This press release contains information about products that may not be available in all countries, or may be available under different trademarks, for different indications, in different dosages, or in different strengths. Nothing contained herein should be considered a solicitation, promotion or advertisement for any prescription drugs including the ones under development.


References

[i] The European Medicines Agency. Medicines for use outside the EU — EU-M4all. July 2020. Retrieved March 2021.

[ii] Huang CY-H, et al. Genetic and phenotypic characterization of manufacturing seeds for tetravalent dengue vaccine (DENVax). PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2013;7:e2243.

[iii] Tricou, V, Sáez-Llorens X, et al. Safety and immunogenicity of a tetravalent dengue vaccine in children aged 2-17 years: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet. 2020. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30556-0.

[iv] Biswal S, et al. Efficacy of a tetravalent dengue vaccine in healthy children and adolescents. N Engl J Med. 2019; 2019;381:2009-2019.

[v] Biswal S, et al. Efficacy of a tetravalent dengue vaccine in healthy children aged 4-16 years: a randomized, placebo controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2020. 2020;395:1423-1433.

[vi] ClinicalTrials.Gov. Efficacy, Safety and Immunogenicity of Takeda’s Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine (TDV) in Healthy Children (TIDES). Retrieved March 2021.

[vii] World Health Organization. Factsheet. Dengue and Severe Dengue. April 2019. Retrieved February 2021.

[viii] World Health Organization. Ten threats to global health in 2019. 2019. Retrieved February 2021.

[ix] Guzman MG, et al. Dengue: a continuing global threat. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 2010;8:S7-S16.

[x] Knowlton K, et al. Mosquito-Borne Dengue Fever Threat Spreading in the Americas. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). 2009. Retrieved February 2021.

[xi] Chan E, et al. Using web search query data to monitor dengue epidemics: a new model for neglected tropical disease surveillance. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011;5:e1206.

[xii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Dengue: What You Need to Know. May 2019. Retrieved February 2021.

[xiii] UNICEF. Vaccination and Immunization Statistics. 2019. Retrieved February 2021.

About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE: 4502/NYSE: TAK) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments, guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Genetic and Hematology, Neuroscience, and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people’s lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries. For more information, visit https://www.takeda.com.

/>This press release and any materials distributed in connection with this press release may contain forward-looking statements, beliefs or opinions regarding Takeda’s future business, future position and results of operations, including estimates, forecasts, targets and plans for Takeda. Without limitation, forward-looking statements often include words such as “targets”, “plans”, “believes”, “hopes”, “continues”, “expects”, “aims”, “intends”, “ensures”, “will”, “may”, “should”, “would”, “could” “anticipates”, “estimates”, “projects” or similar expressions or the negative thereof. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements: the economic circumstances surrounding Takeda’s global business, including general economic conditions in Japan and the United States; competitive pressures and developments; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; challenges inherent in new product development, including uncertainty of clinical success and decisions of regulatory authorities and the timing thereof; uncertainty of commercial success for new and existing products; manufacturing difficulties or delays; fluctuations in interest and currency exchange rates; claims or concerns regarding the safety or efficacy of marketed products or product candidates; the impact of health crises, like the novel coronavirus pandemic, on Takeda and its customers and suppliers, including foreign governments in countries in which Takeda operates, or on other facets of its business; the timing and impact of post-merger integration efforts with acquired companies; the ability to divest assets that are not core to Takeda’s operations and the timing of any such divestment(s); and other factors identified in Takeda’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and Takeda’s other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available on Takeda’s website at: https://www.takeda.com/investors/ reports/sec-filings/ or at www.sec.gov. Takeda does not undertake to update any of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule. Past performance is not an indicator of future results and the results or statements of Takeda in this press release may not be indicative of, and are not an estimate, forecast, guarantee or projection of Takeda’s future results.

Confiscated Tiger Carcasses Donated to National University for Study

Tiger Carcasses Donated to National University for Study
Tiger Carcasses Donated to National University for Study.

Khammouane Provincial authorities have provided the bodies of three deceased tigers to the Faculty of Forest Science at the National University of Laos (NUOL) for study.

World Green Building Leaders Join Forces to Support Hong Kong’s First “Advancing Net Zero” Ideas Competition for Carbon Neutrality

Chair of the WorldGBC, Mr William McDonough, Ms Meaghan Lloyd of Gehry Partners and Professor Jiang Yi from Tsinghua University will be on the Jury Panel to offer professional insights to the contestants

 

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 March 2021 – The Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC), a non-profit organisation dedicated to transforming the city into a greener built environment, announced today the launch of Hong Kong’s first “Advancing Net Zero” Ideas Competition along with Swire Properties (1972.HK) as Principal Partner of the project.

The Competition invites international industry stakeholders, designers, academia, and technology experts to contribute ideas on how to move Hong Kong’s building sector towards carbon neutrality – a net-zero position – for a sustainable future. Winners and shortlisted candidates will be eligible for a total of HK$1.2 million in prize money.

Some world-renowned names are sitting on the influential Jury Panel which include Ms Tanya Cox, Chair of the World Green Building Council; Professor Jiang Yi, Director of the Building Energy Research Centre of Tsinghua University; Mr William McDonough, architect and globally recognised leader in sustainable development and design, and founding partner of William McDonough + Partners; and Ms Meaghan Lloyd, Partner at Gehry Partners, the acclaimed firm founded by Pritzker Prize Laureate Frank Gehry.

The effects of global warming are already stressing our ecosystem, so combating climate change, and reducing our carbon footprint has become a vitally important mission for the entire global community. A special report published by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2018, stated that total man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions need to halve by 2030 and reach a “net-zero” position by around 2050 in order to limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees and avoid a climate catastrophe for our planet.

According to the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), buildings currently account for 39% of energy-related carbon emissions globally. In densely populated Hong Kong, however, more than 60% of carbon emissions are ascribed to buildings, and 15% to 20% of the lifecycle carbon footprint of buildings is attributable to construction. Reducing these figures through green building practices is therefore critical.

“Advancing Net Zero” (ANZ) is a worldwide initiative launched by the WorldGBC to promote net-zero carbon buildings. This is in line with the Hong Kong Government’s environmental target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The ANZ Ideas Competition consists of two categories: (i) Future Building and (ii) Existing Building. Ar. Ada Fung, Chairperson of the Organising Committee of the ANZ Ideas Competition said, “The overall aim is to stimulate innovative and valuable carbon reduction insights from multi-disciplinary professionals, raise public awareness, generate new ideas and solutions, enhance learning and knowledge sharing on Advancing Net Zero, and to push the boundaries to design future-ready buildings and retrofit existing building stock to advance net zero emissions economy by 2050. The Competition also aims to accelerate the building industry to adopt and develop low/zero carbon design and technologies, and to stimulate the reviews of current regulations and code of practices to facilitate the development of eco-technology where appropriate.”


Mr Cheung Hau-wai, Chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council said,
“Hong Kong is one of the world’s top tier metropolises and is famous for its high-rise architecture. Its subtropical climate with immense building density means it is crucial for us to implement low carbon strategies and generate energy-efficient design solutions for buildings. We look forward to interacting and exchanging ideas with multi-talented experts around the world in the hope of creating a low carbon future for our community.”

Mrs Elizabeth Kok, Director and Senior Advisor of Swire Properties Limited said, “As part of Swire Properties’ long-term commitment to sustainable development, we’re excited to be supporting the first ANZ Ideas Competition, which can inspire our industry to take action and bring positive change to the built environment and beyond. As Principal Partner, we’re supporting this unique initiative by offering extensive data harnessed from two of our advanced buildings at Taikoo Place; this will help facilitate in-depth analysis of real cases, and foster original solutions that can advance to net zero buildings in a high-density city like Hong Kong.”

Leading industry influencers as Jury Panel

The “Advancing Net Zero” Ideas Competition has been well received by local and international industry leaders who also sit on the Jury Panel. Ms Tanya Cox, Chair of the World Green Building Council said, “Accelerating a net zero built environment is one of the surest ways to combat climate change. To unlock the 1.5 degrees ambition of the Paris Agreement, we need to encourage and incentivise net zero solutions. HKGBC’s “Advancing Net Zero” Ideas Competition provides the motivation we need to bring these ambitious ideas and innovation to life.”

About the HKGBC “Advancing Net Zero” Ideas Competition: https://anzideascompetition.hkgbc.org.hk

About the HKGBC: www.hkgbc.org.hk.

About Swire Properties and its SD efforts: www.swireproperties.com.