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Nona Biosciences Integrates Cutting-Edge AI Technology to Enhance Its Fully Human Antibody Platform, Accelerating Antibody Discovery Across Key Therapeutic Areas

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Nona Biosciences, a global biotechnology company providing integrated solutions from “Idea to IND” (I to ITM), today announced to unveil its innovative AI-assisted drug discovery engine, Hu-mAtrIxTM. This new platform, powered by advanced artificial intelligence, integrates seamlessly with the company’s proprietary Harbour Mice® technology platform, aiming to accelerate antibody discovery across multiple key therapeutic areas, including neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, and more.

Nona’s cutting-edge technology platform enables a fully integrated antibody discovery from protein design and single cell-based antibody screening to next-generation sequencing, antibody modeling and engineering. The Hu-mAtrIxTM platform is designed to significantly shorten discovery timelines, increase efficiency, and improve the overall success rate of antibody drug development by introducing a creative paradigm of antibody discovery empowered by AI and automation technologies.

Hu-mAtrIxTM offers integrated solutions to identify the best antibodies with high efficiency. It allows the exploration of large libraries of human antibody sequences to identify the best sequence with the desired target specificity and binding affinity. Furthermore, it can predict the key antibody properties such as stability, manufacturability and immunogenicity, mitigating development risks in the early stages of discovery.

In addition, Nona Biosciences is developing a new AI model to expand its core technology platform HCAb PlusTM. The new model leverages the unique capabilities of its HCAb Harbour Mice®, the industry’s leading fully human heavy-chain-only transgenic mouse platform, and the proprietary HCAb dataset, to push the boundaries of antibody discovery, enabling the identification of rare, highly specific antibodies with greater precision and efficiency.

“We are excited to introduce the Hu-mAtrIxTM platform, an assistant tool to complement and enhance our existing antibody discovery solutions,” said Dr. Jingsong Wang, Chairman of Nona Biosciences. “By combining our proprietary Harbour Mice® with the power of AI, we are addressing key challenges in drug discovery—reducing time-to-market, increasing the likelihood of successful candidates, and providing our partners with more targeted therapeutic options.”

About Nona Biosciences

Nona Biosciences is a global biotechnology company committed to cutting edge technology innovation and providing a total solution from “Idea to IND” (I to ITM), ranging from target validation and antibody discovery through preclinical research. The integrated antibody and antibody-related discovery services with multiple modalities range from antigen preparation, animal immunization, single B cell screening, to antibody lead generation and engineering, developability assessment and pharmacological evaluation, leveraging advantages of Harbour Mice® platforms and the experienced therapeutic antibody discovery team.

Harbour Mice® generates fully human monoclonal antibodies in classical two light and two heavy chain (H2L2) format, and heavy chain only (HCAb) format. Integrating Harbour Mice® and a single B cell cloning platform, Nona Biosciences is focused on driving global inventions of transformative next-generation drugs. For more information, please visit: www.nonabio.com.

LEADING WITH HEART – The Women of PHKL Shaping the Future of Healthcare

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Healthcare is more than science—it is compassion, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to healing. Behind every life saved and every family given hope, there are extraordinary individuals who dedicate themselves to the well-being of others. This International Women’s Day, Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (PHKL) honours the women who do just that—exceptional doctors who not only break barriers in medicine but also touch lives in ways beyond measure.

From left to right: Dr Siti Laura, Dr Poongkodi Nagappan, and Dr Nur Fadlina.
From left to right: Dr Siti Laura, Dr Poongkodi Nagappan, and Dr Nur Fadlina.

From mending the tiniest hearts to pioneering advancements in cancer care, these women are more than just doctors; they are healers, mentors, and changemakers. Their hands have held those in pain, their voices have comforted the fearful, and their expertise has brought light to the darkest moments. Beyond individual patient care, their contributions are shaping a more sustainable healthcare system—one that ensures quality treatment is not just a privilege, but a right for future generations.

Yet, the path for women in medicine has not always been easy. In a field where leadership was historically male-dominated, these doctors have defied the odds—not just by excelling in their fields but by inspiring future generations to dream bigger. Their work extends beyond hospital walls, shaping policies, mentoring young doctors, and advocating for better healthcare access for all. By leading advancements in medical education, research, and access to care, they are ensuring a healthcare system that is not only effective today but sustainable for years to come.

Their journeys remind us that the best doctors are not just skilled practitioners—they are those who lead with heart, who uplift others, and who redefine what it means to care.

Dr Siti Laura, Consultant Paediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon

Mending Tiny Hearts, Giving Life a Second Beat

A child’s heartbeat is a powerful symbol of life, yet for many born with congenital heart conditions, it’s also a fragile one. Dr Siti Laura has dedicated her career to giving these children a fighting chance, proving that even the smallest hearts deserve the biggest care.

Her journey began at Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) in 2004, where she spent 14 years performing life-changing surgeries on young patients. Driven by an unwavering commitment to excellence, she pursued further training at Birmingham Children’s Hospital in the UK, completing a Fellowship in Paediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery. This experience not only honed her surgical skills but also deepened her understanding of the profound impact her work has on families.

In 2020, Dr Siti Laura played a pivotal role in establishing the Paediatric Cardiothoracic Service at Serdang Hospital, a groundbreaking initiative that ensured underprivileged children had access to life-saving care. Today, as a Consultant at PHKL, she continues to restore not just tiny hearts, but the hopes and dreams of countless families. Her work is a testament to the power of expertise, compassion, and perseverance.

“That moment when you see the difference you can make in a child’s life—giving them the chance to play, run, and laugh with no care in the world—it’s indescribable,” she shares. “Paediatric heart surgery is more than just a procedure; it’s a responsibility to give children the fighting chance they deserve. With every tiny heart I help mend, I am giving a second chance at a new life.”

Dr Poongkodi Nagappan, Consultant Urologist

Breaking Barriers in Urology: Championing Women’s & Children’s Health

When it comes to urology, there’s a common misconception that it’s a medical speciality exclusively for men. This belief likely stems from the fact that urologists often treat conditions more commonly associated with men, such as prostate issues, erectile dysfunction, and male infertility. However, urology is a broad field that deals with the urinary tract and reproductive systems in both men and women, as well as certain conditions in children. It’s a speciality that touches lives across all genders and ages, yet women’s urological health often remains overlooked or misunderstood.

At PHKL, Dr Poongkodi is on a mission to change that narrative. As one of only two NSR-certified female urologists in Malaysia, she brings a unique perspective and a deep understanding of women’s and children’s urological health. Her journey in urology began in 2009, where she gained hands-on experience across multiple hospitals before earning her Malaysian Board of Urology certification and FRCS (Urol) (Glasg) in 2012. Driven by a passion to serve the underserved, she further specialised in Paediatric Urology in the UK, bringing invaluable expertise back to Malaysia.

Since 2015, Dr Poongkodi has been a steadfast advocate for greater awareness and access to specialised urological care, particularly for women who often delay seeking treatment due to stigma, embarrassment, or lack of awareness. “Many women live with urological issues in silence, thinking it’s just something they have to endure,” she says. “My goal is to change that by providing compassionate, specialised care that makes them feel heard, supported, and empowered to take control of their health.”

Dr Nur Fadhlina, Consultant Clinical Oncologist:

Fighting Cancer with Knowledge, Compassion, and Innovation

Cancer is more than a diagnosis—it is a life-altering journey that tests the strength of patients and their families in unimaginable ways. For Dr. Nur Fadhlina (Nina), the fight against cancer is deeply personal. Every patient she treats, every breakthrough she contributes to, and every young doctor she mentors is a step closer to turning fear into hope.

Her journey began with rigorous training at University College London and Barts NHS Trusts, where she honed her expertise in oncology. With an FRCR and a Master’s in Clinical Oncology from the Institute of Cancer Research, London, Dr Nina returned home with a mission—to push the boundaries of cancer treatment and education in Malaysia.

But her impact goes far beyond the walls of a hospital. As the driving force behind the Cancer ECHO UM project, she connects doctors across the country, ensuring that even those in rural areas have access to the latest knowledge in oncology. She has led groundbreaking research and clinical trials in Head & Neck and Breast cancers, earning international recognition, including the CIC Award for Highest Research Grant procured (2021) and being named a Japan Society Medical Oncology Rising Star in Asia (2023).

Despite these accolades, Dr Nina measures success not in awards, but in the faces of survivors—the mothers, fathers, and children who get to celebrate another birthday because of early detection, better treatment, and relentless research.

“Knowledge is power, and in cancer care, it can be the difference between life and death. My mission is to ensure that patients and doctors alike have access to the latest advancements in treatment,” she shares.

Empowering Women, Inspiring Generations

These remarkable women at PHKL represent more than medical excellence; they symbolise resilience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to their patients. Their stories remind us that breaking barriers in healthcare is not just about being the first or the only—it’s about making a lasting impact.

This International Women’s Day, PHKL celebrates not just their achievements, but the hope, healing, and inspiration they bring to their patients and the future of healthcare.

Learn more about these incredible women and their contributions to medicine at www.pantai.com.my/kuala-lumpur. This International Women’s Day, let’s honour the women who make healing possible.

About Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur
For 5 decades now, Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (PHKL) has remained the heartbeat of Kuala Lumpur, steadfastly dedicated to delivering exceptional care and accessible cutting-edge technology to patients from all walks of life. Our journey began in 1974, with just 68 beds and a team of 20 medical specialists. Fast forward to the present day, we stand as a healthcare icon, operating 380 beds and home to over 200 consultants, each specialising in diverse medical and surgical disciplines.

At Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, we are unwavering in our commitment to provide quality healthcare services while fostering clinical research and trials. We take pride in championing clinical excellence, service quality, and operational efficiency. Our pursuit of excellence has earned us accreditations from the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) and the Joint Commission International (JCI). Additionally, we are honoured to hold certification as a Baby Friendly Hospital and a preferred hospital in Malaysia by the World Health Organization (WHO).

As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur reaffirms its role as a pillar of the city, offering world-class healthcare services, innovative treatments, and a legacy of excellence.

SHEIN and SHEIN Foundation Pledge Commitment to Women’s Empowerment Through a US$700,000 Multi-Year Collaboration with Dress for Success Affiliates

Builds on SHEIN’s previous collaborations with six Dress for Success affiliates, that have supported over 2,400 women in 2024

SINGAPORE, March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SHEIN, a global online fashion and lifestyle retailer, and SHEIN Foundation, SHEIN’s newly-established philanthropic partner that aims to build more inclusive communities and sustainable ecosystems, have announced a multi-year financial commitment of over US$700,000 to four Dress for Success (DFS) affiliates in the UK, US and SingaporeGreater London, Indianapolis, Chattanooga and Singapore – with the donations to DFS Indianapolis and Chattanooga channelled  through the SHEIN Foundation. This funding from SHEIN and SHEIN Foundation will support programs and services offered by the four DFS affiliates in UK, US and Singapore, as well as special initiatives such as the sponsorship of fundraising events.

In 2024, SHEIN had donated US$430,000 to support local affiliates of DFS, a global not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing them with the tools, resources, and support they need to thrive in work and life. These donations supported the various DFS affiliates in carrying out the following initiatives:  

  • London, United Kingdom – SHEIN sponsored the annual Power of Women Award ceremony to raise funds and awareness for DFS Greater London, and provided a ‘Stylist’s Edit’ of 500 pieces of fashion-forward clothing to help DFS’s clients feel confident for interviews. DFS Greater London served 960 women in 2024.
  • Singapore –In October 2024, SHEIN, DFS Singapore, and students from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) collaborated to launch a specially-designed capsule collection to help women feel confident as they navigate the daily hustle of work, errands and family responsibilities. DFS Singapore served 268 women in 2024.
  • Chattanooga, United States – In 2024, DFS Chattanooga achieved a major milestone by expanding their programs and services, including the launch of the Professional Women’s Group monthly meetings to provide former DFS clients with a regular platform for support, as well as the CelebrateHer Fashion Show and fundraising event. DFS Chattanooga served over 173 women in 2024, a 275% increase in the number of women served the year before.
  • Indianapolis, United States – SHEIN served as the title sponsor for the Stepping Out in Style fundraising dinner and fashion show, which raised over US$640,000 to support DFS Indianapolis’s programs and services. In 2024, DFS Indianapolis provided over 860 styling appointments, as well as career coaching, mentoring, and ongoing professional development support to women in need.
  • Rome, Italy – In June 2024, DFS Rome launched its first multifunctional center, creating a community space for training and support services, where they served approximately 150 women in 2024.
  • Milan, Italy – The DFS Milan office is being transformed into a hub to serve more women and is scheduled to open in May 2025.

Leonard Lin, President of EMEA, Global Head of Public Affairs, and General Manager of Singapore said, “It is inspiring to see how SHEIN’s support has benefited many DFS affiliates across many different geographies—from funding programs to providing resources that can help enhance the career prospects of the women they serve. We are proud to have empowered many women through our partnership with DFS and remain dedicated to creating more opportunities for more of DFS’s clients through our continued support and financial contributions.”

Juanita Ingram, Founder & Board President of Dress for Success Chattanooga & Greater London, and Global Ambassador for Dress for Success Singapore, said, “Empowerment is not just about what we provide—it’s about the lasting change we create. Through SHEIN’s visionary partnership, we have mobilized resources, expanded opportunities, and ignited meaningful impact across multiple regions worldwide. This collaboration has strengthened our ability to equip women with the tools, confidence, and networks needed to achieve sustainable careers and economic independence. Leading this global initiative has been a profound and worthwhile endeavor—one that reinforces the power of collective action in transforming lives and breaking barriers for women everywhere.”

About SHEIN Foundation

The SHEIN Foundation is SHEIN’s philanthropic partner dedicated to fostering more inclusive and sustainable growth in the communities that SHEIN engages with across its global footprint. Through the programmes it supports, the SHEIN Foundation reinforces and amplifies SHEIN’s commitment to empower the communities we reach and give back to the global community.

Innovating with AI: Drive Techco Value Creation to New Heights

BARCELONA, Spain, March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — James Chen, President of Huawei Carrier Business, delivered a keynote speech “Innovating with AI: Drive Techco Value Creation to New Heights”. Chen pointed out that transformation is not the end. The ultimate goal of transformation is to create value.

With the rapid development of technologies such as 5.5G, cloud, and AI, carriers are transforming from traditional connection service providers to digital service providers. Huawei proposes the “Five Ones” capability model to facilitate the carrier transformation to technology companies (techcos). This will help carriers reshape business, operations and maintenance (O&M), and infrastructure, and better enable them to seize the opportunities of transformation and continuously create value.

James Chen, President of Huawei Carrier Business, delivering a keynote speech
James Chen, President of Huawei Carrier Business, delivering a keynote speech

One monetization model: Building a new model for differentiated experience monetization

New personal service scenarios, such as livestreaming, business travel, and gaming, are emerging. To deliver differentiated network experience for different users and service scenarios and monetize such offerings, carriers need new service models that are enabled by new technologies.

AI can help carriers accurately recommend packages to users, dynamically adjust network experience that best suits users’ needs, and display experience improvement results intuitively to users in real time.

So far, more than 35 carriers around the world have adopted the experience monetization models using rate-based and experience-based charging.

One service entry: Building home AI services that support multi-modal interaction

Homes are becoming more and more intelligent. Carriers can provide personalized services by establishing a unified intelligent home service portal and upgrade from bandwidth providers to AI service providers.

For example, carriers in China and South Korea have launched home AI hubs that include AI agents. These hubs seamlessly connect to various smart home devices through multi-modal interaction and quickly invoke intelligent applications on the cloud based on user intents.

One-stop cloud platform: Operating a cloud platform for B2B services

To seize the opportunities brought by digital and intelligent transformation of industries, carriers need to provide a cloud platform that features multi-service convergence to tap into more B2B service scenarios. The platform needs to be equipped with new capabilities such as cloud marketplace and intelligent code generation. Such capabilities will quickly onboard carriers with the ecosystem and help developers innovate and launch applications more rapidly.

A carrier in Northern Africa has successfully used the multi-cloud platform to help thousands of enterprises and customers in more than 10 industries embrace digital transformation.

One telecom foundation model: Introducing general AI agents and digital twins

AI technologies based on foundation models can help carriers reimagine O&M efficiency. By building the digital twins of networks and services, carriers can convert data and scenarios into knowledge and capabilities. Carriers can then embed telecom foundation model technologies into the digital twins or AI agents, and continuously train and optimize the models, in this way applying AI technologies to routine O&M.

In an intelligent O&M success case, AI technologies have been used to quickly diagnose and rectify network faults, shortening the troubleshooting time to less than 30 minutes.

One synergetic architecture: Building the infrastructure for all-element collaboration

In the age of AI, the communications infrastructure will include multiple resources, such as networking, storage, cloud, and computing resources. It is critical to plan an architecture that integrates all of these resource elements.

This architecture should support the following three features: Intelligent connectivity, with which carriers can provide deterministic assurance and lossless connections for users; an intelligent cloud, which supports heterogeneous computing power in distributed deployment and provides cloud services and intelligent computing services on demand; intelligent collaboration, which synergizes all resource elements from planning to operations.

Finally, James Chen said that innovating with AI will accelerate carriers’ transformation to techcos. With leading products and solutions, Huawei is working with customers to reshape business, O&M, and infrastructure to continuously create greater value together and seize the vast opportunities in the age of AI.

Akeso Announces The Publication of Its Phase III Clinical Trial Results for Ivonescimab in Head-to-Head Comparison with Pembrolizumab in The Lancet

HONG KONG, March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Akeso, Inc. (9926.HK) (“Akeso” or the “Company”) is excited to announce that the groundbreaking results of the Phase III clinical study (HARMONi-2/AK112-303) of its first-in-class PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, ivonescimab, as a monotherapy compared to pembrolizumab monotherapy in the first-line treatment of PD-L1 positive (PD-L1 TPS ≥1%) locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been published in The Lancet.

The Lancet is a prestigious international medical journal, and the publication of the HARMONi-2 study results in The Lancet is a strong recognition by the academic community to the breakthrough clinical potential of ivonescimab.  Previously, clinical research on using ivonescimab for the treatment of various malignant tumors has been published in renowned international medical journals such as JAMA, Journal of Thoracic Oncology, eClinical Medicine (a sub-journal of The Lancet), and Drugs.

At the 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), the results of the HARMONi-2 study were presented as an oral report by the principal investigator of the study, Professor Zhou Caicun, a renowned oncology expert who is the President-Elect of IASLC, and the director of the Department of Oncology at the Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University.

The HARMONi-2 study demonstrated that in the intent-to-treat population, ivonescimab monotherapy significantly extended progression-free survival (PFS) compared to pembrolizumab monotherapy, reducing the risk of disease progression by 49% (PFS HR 0.51, P<0.0001). Subgroup analyses revealed that regardless of patients' age, gender, ECOG performance status, PD-L1 expression, histological type, or the presence of liver or brain metastases, the ivonescimab group showed significant improvement in efficacy compared to the pembrolizumab group. The ivonescimab HARMONi-2 study is the world's first randomized, double-blind, controlled Phase III clinical trial to achieve significantly positive results compared to pembrolizumab.

Based on these promising results, the sNDA for ivonescimab monotherapy as a first-line treatment for PD-L1 positive NSCLC is under review with priority status in China. Ivonescimab in combination with chemotherapy for EGFR-TKI-resistant non-squamous NSCLC, has already been approved and included in the 2024 China National Reimbursement Drug List. The growing body of clinical evidence from multiple Phase II and Phase III studies continues to validate ivonescimab’s efficacy benefit and safety profile. These results are often published in major international conferences and in top-tier journals, providing oncologists strong scientific basis for treatment decisions.

Akeso has strategically positioned ivonescimab within a comprehensive development plan, aiming to reshape the landscape of cancer immunotherapy and establish a new global standard of care. Ivonescimab, in combination with chemotherapy, has been approved in China for the treatment of EGFR-TKI-resistant, non-squamous NSCLC. The New Drug Application (sNDA) for ivonescimab monotherapy as a first-line treatment for PD-L1-positive NSCLC (in comparison to pembrolizumab) is currently under review and has been granted priority status in China.

Three international multicenter Phase III clinical trials, led by our partner Summit Therapeutics, are progressing efficiently or are being initiated:

  • The HARMONi study, an international multicenter Phase III clinical trial evaluating ivonescimab in combination with chemotherapy for non-squamous NSCLC with progression after third-generation EGFR-TKI treatment, has had patient enrollment completed and has received Fast Track Designation (FTD) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
  • The HARMONi-3 study, an international multicenter Phase III clinical trial comparing ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for both squamous and non-squamous NSCLC (versus pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy),
  • The HARMONi-7 study, an international multicenter Phase III clinical trial evaluating ivonescimab monotherapy as first-line treatment for PD-L1 high-expressing NSCLC (versus pembrolizumab).

Several Phase III clinical trials are progressing efficiently or are being initiated in China, including:

  • Ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for squamous NSCLC (vs. tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy, HARMONi-6/AK112-306),
  • Ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for biliary tract cancer (vs. durvalumab combined with chemotherapy, HARMONi-GI1/AK112-309),
  • Ivonescimab combined with AK117 (CD47) as first-line treatment for PD-L1 positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (vs. pembrolizumab, SOLO-10/AK117-302),
  • First-line treatment for triple-negative breast cancer (HARMONi-BC1/AK112-308).

 

Fortified Rice Project Launched to Help Reduce Malnutrition in Laos

Signed off on a project ceremony aiming to strengthen large-scale food fortification in Laos

On 6 March, the Government of Laos and the United Nations country representative signed off on a project aiming to strengthen large-scale food fortification in Laos. 

HAUTON RD CHILDCARE PTY LTD ANNOUNCES OFFERING OF AUD 6,454,165 SENIOR SECURED LOAN NOTE OFFER

MELBOURNE, Australia, March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Hauton Rd Childcare Pty Ltd ACN 681 910 707 is seeking to raise a total of AUD 6,454,165 in funds by the issue of loan notes, according to an announcement today by the underwriter Banner Capital Management Limited (the Arranger/Underwriter).  The issue comprises progressively drawn notes as detailed below.

The following is a text of the announcement:

Banner Capital Management Limited as Arranger and Underwriter has announced today that the Issuer is seeking to raise AUD 6,454,165 through an offer of a series of debentures (in the form of loan notes) for the purposes set out below.  

The loan notes (the Notes) to the issued represent a loan commitment of up to AUD 6,454,165.

The offer is made to investors who are qualified as ‘wholesale investors’ as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).  The Underwriter has agreed to initially subscribe for the issued Notes on 28 February 2025 and will underwrite the issue for progressive draws.     

This open letter constitutes an offer of the Notes for the purposes of the ‘public offer test’ in section 128F(3)(d) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (Cth), for exemption from Australian interest withholding tax.

Financiers and those in the business of dealing in debentures, or the buying and selling of loan notes or other debt interests and who are interested in subscribing for the Notes will be required to give customary representations, warranties and information about their status, to assist the Issuer to demonstrate compliance with section 128F of the Income Tax Assessment Act (Cth). 

KEY FEATURES OF THE OFFER

Issuer/Borrower

Hauton Rd Childcare Pty Ltd ACN 681 910 707

Financier/Underwriter and Arranger

Banner Capital Management Limited ACN 600 738 181 as trustee of the Banner Wholesale Real Estate Credit Fund

The Offer

An offer to subscribe for Loan Notes on the terms described in the transaction documents. The general terms of the transaction documents are set out in this Term Sheet.

Security and Ranking

 

  • First ranking mortgage over 364 Hauton Road, Burpengary QLD (Property);
  • General security deed over the Issuer;
  • Guarantee from director

Purpose

The proceeds of the issue of the Loan Notes will be used by the Issuer to settle the purchase of the Property and to fund construction draws.

Settlement Date

28 February 2025

Term

18 months from the settlement date (with a 12 month minimum term)

Type of Instrument

Senior Loan Notes

Issue amount

AUD 6,454,165 (noting the Facility Limit will reduce to $4,693,340 unless a permit for 121 places is issued)

Interest Rate

7.5% coupon per annum capitalising monthly and a 13% IRR per annum

Transferability

The Notes are freely transferable without the consent of the Issuer

Governing Law

Queensland, Australia

The Issuer reserves the right in its absolute discretion to vary the terms set out above and accept or reject any offer.  This offer will expire on 7 May 2025.

For further information please contact Brett Macgillivray at Banner Capital Management Limited – on +61 (3) 9929 6400 Email: enquiries@bannerassetmanagement.com 

Restrictions in certain jurisdictions, including Australia

The distribution of this announcement and the offering and sale of the Notes in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. This message does not constitute an offer, invitation or solicitation to participate in the offer and be issued Notes in any jurisdiction where, or to any person or entity to whom, it would be unlawful to make such an offer, invitation or solicitation.

This message is not a prospectus or disclosure document and it has not been lodged with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act). The offer of Notes is only available to domestic and foreign investors who are qualified as “professional investors” or “sophisticated investors” as defined under the Corporations Act (Wholesale Investors). By accepting the offer, an offeree represents that the offeree is a Wholesale Investor. No Notes will be issued or sold in circumstances that would require the giving of a disclosure document under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.

The Notes referred to in this message have not been nor will they be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and may not be offered, sold or delivered within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. There will be no public offering of the Notes referred to in this message in the United States.

About Banner

Banner Capital Management Limited is an Australian based alternate asset manager specialising in actively managed property debt and has provided attractive risk-adjusted returns to its investors since 2012.

Xinjiang’s efforts to advance opening-up bear fruit

Xinjiang: Region ‘filled with changes and vitality’

BEIJING, March 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A report from Chinadaily.com.cn

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has made “unprecedented” efforts in expanding multilevel practical cooperation with Central Asian countries in recent years, as part of China’s efforts to boost high-level opening-up, the chairman of the region said.

Under the framework of jointly building the Belt and Road, Xinjiang, as a frontier area of China neighboring Central Asia, has adopted a more proactive opening-up strategy with the countries in that region by developing itself as the core area of the Belt and Road Initiative and the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone, said Erkin Tuniyaz, chairman of Xinjiang, in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

“We have been pushing forward multilevel exchanges and practical cooperation with Central Asian countries with unprecedented efforts,” he said, adding that the region will continue to strengthen in-depth cooperation in key areas including economic and trade investment, energy resources and cultural tourism.

By enhancing such cooperation, Xinjiang has committed to building itself into a golden corridor linking Asia and Europe and to serving as a gateway for opening-up efforts in western China, he said.

In particular, the Xinjiang pilot FTZ, established in November 2023, has become a hub for reform and opening-up in the region, which has strengthened top-level design and promoted the high-standard development of the pilot FTZ, Erkin Tuniyaz said.

“By continuously releasing policy dividends, it has effectively promoted the high-quality development of Xin­jiang’s economy and society,” he added.

The Xinjiang pilot FTZ encompasses three iconic areas — Urumqi, Kashgar and Horgos — and is the first FTZ in China’s northwestern border region.

From 2022 to 2024, the annual total import and export volume in Xinjiang reached 246.36 billion yuan ($34 billion), 357.33 billion yuan and 435.11 billion yuan, respectively. Furthermore, the import and export volume of the Xinjiang pilot FTZ reached about 189.98 billion yuan last year, accounting for 43.66 percent of Xinjiang’s total volume.

Besides continuing to develop the Xinjiang pilot FTZ, the region will also accelerate the process of developing itself as the core area of the BRI, Erkin Tuniyaz said.

“We will step up efforts to build the regional capital of Urumqi into a regional center for international trade and logistics, an international inbound cargo distribution center, and a multifunctional international aviation hub geared toward Central and West Asia,” he said.

The economy of the region has continued to develop rapidly, and social undertakings have progressed comprehensively, he said.

“Xinjiang has embarked on a great journey from backwardness to progress, from poverty to prosperity, and from isolation to openness. The vast land of over 1.6 million square kilometers is filled with changes and vitality,” said Erkin Tuniyaz.

In particular, since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, efforts have been made to vigorously promote high-quality development, expand high-level opening-up, create a high-quality life for the people, adopt efficient governance, ensure high-level security, and drive historic changes in all undertakings in Xinjiang, he said.

He added that the region, which this year is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its establishment, enjoys a good situation of social stability and people living and working in peace and contentment, while China’s modernization has made solid new strides in Xinjiang.

The region’s GDP has increased from 930.69 billion yuan in 2015 to 2.05 trillion yuan in 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 6.1 percent. The average annual per capita disposable income of residents increased from 16,859 yuan to 30,899 yuan in that same period, with an average annual growth rate of 7 percent.

Meanwhile, the construction of transportation infrastructure in the region has been comprehensively accelerated, with the total operating mileage of railways reaching 9,092 kilometers and the total mileage of first-class expressways reaching 12,400 km. The region also has 27 civil airports.

The improved transportation network has made traveling to and within Xinjiang easier and faster than ever, Erkin Tuniyaz said.

Furthermore, the region has continuously increased investment in people’s livelihoods, with over 77 percent of the regional government’s financial expenditure being used for that purpose, he said.

He added that developing new quality productive forces has become an important focus for promoting high-quality development, and the region has made plans to further develop in areas such as new and clean energy as well as computing power.