YONGIN, South Korea, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — GC Cell, a leading cell and gene therapy company, announced the successful completion of its first thought leadership symposium in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event was organized in collaboration with PT Bifarma Adiluhung (Bifarma), a pioneer in Indonesia’s stem cell therapy sector, and showcased GC Cell’s innovative cancer immunotherapy, Immuncell-LC.

Insights into Immuncell-LC’s mechanisms of action, real-world treatment experiences, and clinical case studies were key focus areas of the symposium. Indonesian oncologists engaged with renowned Korean medical professionals experienced in applying the therapy in clinical trials, fostering fruitful in-depth discussions about its clinical potential.

“As the first-ever overseas event for a cell therapy created in Korea, this symposium marks is a significant milestone for the industry,” said a GC Cell spokesperson. “By building trust and visibility in the Indonesian market, we are accelerating the global commercialization of Immuncell-LC and establishing it as a leading treatment option for cancer patients around the world.”

Strengthening Global Partnerships

Since signing a licensing agreement with Bifarma in September 2024, GC Cell has been actively transferring the necessary technology to support local production and quality control. The six-month program, conducted at GC Cell’s headquarters, is on track to enable Bifarma to launch Immuncell-LC in the Indonesian market by 2025.

A participant in the symposium commented, “This event provided a unique opportunity to understand the impact cell therapies can have on oncology in Indonesia, while underscoring the high level of interest among local healthcare providers. Immuncell-LC has the potential to transform cancer treatment here, and we are excited to see this unfold.”

GC Cell’s collaboration with Bifarma is part of its broader strategy to expand its presence in global markets, offering innovative cell therapies to improve patient outcomes across borders and establishing a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving global biotechnology landscape.

SINGAPORE, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Blackpanda, Asia’s leading digital emergency response firm, is thrilled to be named by Frost & Sullivan for Best Practices Company of the Year Award in the Asia Pacific Incident Response Industry. This award underscores Blackpanda’s unwavering commitment to democratizing cyber resilience through strategic partnerships and delivering cyber security solutions that address the growing complexity of threats in the region.

Blackpanda’s success is driven by its robust partnerships with leading telecommunications providers, Managed Service Providers (MSPs), and Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) across Asia. The company’s distributor model plays a pivotal role in expanding its services, leveraging alliances with strategic partners such as Singtel in Singapore, HGC Global Communications in Hong Kong, Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau (CTM), and SB C&S in Japan. These partnerships enable Blackpanda to integrate its incident response solutions seamlessly into partner ecosystems, enhancing the cybersecurity capabilities of businesses across diverse industries.

Gene Yu, Founder & CEO, Blackpanda, said “The future of cyber preparedness lies in proactive, collaborative approaches to managing vulnerabilities—not just within organizations, but across entire sectors and regions. Partnerships play a critical role in this journey. By working closely with our distribution partners, we can scale the availability of IR-1 across Asia Pacific, ensuring that businesses of all sizes have access to best-in-class incident response at an affordable price. Together, we are building a more resilient digital ecosystem, empowering businesses to navigate the evolving threat landscape with confidence.”

With an enterprise-grade incident response SaaS platform, Blackpanda has demonstrated exceptional growth potential in markets that demand rigorous compliance with industry regulations. The company’s collaborations with telecommunications and IT distribution leaders allow it to offer proactive cybersecurity solutions tailored to meet the needs of high-stakes industries, ensuring readiness and resilience against evolving threats.

About Blackpanda

Blackpanda is Asia’s leading local cyber incident response firm, dedicated to delivering world-class digital emergency response services to businesses in the region. We help businesses strengthen their cyber resilience and secure their digital operations by supporting them with incident response delivered by local experts. Our mission is to make cyber resilience achievable for all, with services and solutions designed for the Asian market.

For more information, please visit www.blackpanda.com. 

SINGAPORE, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Digital travel platform, Agoda, announces the launch of its fourth Eco Deals program at the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) in Malaysia, expanding its ongoing partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). In line with the forum’s theme, “Unity In Motion: Shaping ASEAN’s Tourism Tomorrow,” this initiative supports the protection of wildlife and the conservation of critical habitats in Asia.

Agoda has set a donation target of USD 1.5 million surpassing the previous year’s goal of USD 1 million in 2024. This year, the program expands to include Japan and Korea, covering 10 markets in total. Similar to previous editions, Agoda will donate USD 1 towards WWF`s conservation efforts for every program booking made at a participating hotel.

The Eco Deals initiative will fund a wide array of conservation activities, including restoring wetlands in Japan, protecting spoonbills in Korea, and ongoing projects such as advancing tiger conservation in Malaysia, protecting whale sharks in the Philippines, conserving elephants in Thailand, safeguarding saolas in Viet Nam, restoring ecosystems in Indonesia, developing urban wetlands in Laos PDR, and supporting rangers in Cambodia. The Eco Deals program will be open to consumers for bookings from 20 January 2025 to 19 December 2025. 

As part of the Eco Deals framework for 2025, Agoda is also introducing the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund in collaboration with WWF-Singapore and UnTours Foundation. The fund provides affordable and flexible investment capital to support change-making businesses addressing sustainability challenges in the tourism sector. Agoda is designating USD 100,000 to the fund, with the potential to increase to USD 150,000 upon reaching the $1.5 million donation target.

Damien Pfirsch, Chief Commercial Officer at Agoda, said “With Eco Deals 2025, we are committed to doing even more to support efforts to protect Asia’s remarkable destinations and wildlife. In partnership with WWF, our goal is to ensure that future generations can explore the world affordably while preserving its natural beauty. The Eco Deals Program has been an important initiative for our hotel partners since its inception in 2022, offering them an accessible way to support wildlife protection and habitat conservation projects. Building on past successes, we are scaling up this year by increasing our donation potential to USD 1.5 million and expanding our impact to projects in 10 markets. This expansion creates enhanced opportunities for hotels to participate in this meaningful effort. Additionally, the launch of the Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund will provide crucial support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), empowering them to adopt sustainable practices and contribute meaningfully to the tourism industry’s future.”

Through the Eco Deals program, hotel partners can offer customers discounted rates of up to 15%. In exchange, these participating partners receive the Eco Deals badge and are featured prominently across various Agoda platforms, including social media, banner promotions, customer emails, and in-app notifications, enhancing their visibility. Additionally, customers can easily find Eco Deals through Agoda’s dedicated landing pages, designed for seamless browsing on desktop and mobile devices.

Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing said, “We encourage both public and private sectors to engage actively in fostering sustainable practices across ASEAN. As the chair of ASEAN Tourism Ministers Meeting 2025, we are pleased to see the collaboration between Agoda and WWF promoting travel that gives back to destinations which is in step with our theme “Unity In Motion: Shaping ASEAN’s Tourism Tomorrow,” and aligns with the focus of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 to develop sustainability in the tourism industry in Malaysia and beyond.”

Vivek Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of WWF-Singapore, added “Biodiversity is the foundation of life on Earth, intricately tied to the health of our planet and our well-being. Now in the fourth year of our impactful partnership, Agoda and WWF have made meaningful contributions to conservation across the region—supporting the protection of tiger populations in Malaysia, restoring degraded forest landscapes in Indonesia, and addressing human-elephant conflict and poaching in Thailand. This year, with our reach expanding to Japan and Korea, we’re poised to create an even greater impact. With WWF’s 2024 Living Planet Report revealing a devastating 73% decline in global wildlife populations, the urgency to act has never been more pressing. Together with Agoda, we remain steadfast in our commitment to building a future where people and nature thrive together.”

The Sustainable Tourism Impact Fund is designed to provide investment capital to MSMEs in the tourism sector across several Southeast Asian markets, fostering innovation and advancing conservation to help shape the future of travel in a more sustainable way. 

Under the fund scheme, eligible MSMEs seeking funding to enhance their sustainability efforts in the travel sector can apply for low-interest loans ranging from USD 10,000 to USD 25,000. The fund is managed by UnTours Foundation, ensuring effective application and screening processes, while Agoda contributes financing, investment decisions, and mentorship, with WWF-Singapore assisting in environmental guidance and due diligence. Interested businesses can submit their applications via the fund’s official webpage at https://untoursfoundation.org/sustainable-tourism-impact-fund. 

With its global network encompassing diverse accommodations, and experiences, Agoda furthers its dedication to a more sustainable future for travel. Collaborations with organizations like WWF and UnTours Foundation bolster Agoda’s efforts, ensuring a positive ecological and socio-economic impact can be made through every journey.

TAIPEI, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Cathay United Bank (CUB), a subsidiary of Cathay Financial Holdings—the largest financial group in Taiwan—has firmly established its presence in Cambodia for over a decade, actively supporting local government’s initiatives. Recently, Cathay United Bank Cambodia (CUBC) received approval from Cambodia’s Trust Regulator to offer escrow services. This milestone underscores CUBC’s commitment to fostering economic growth across diverse sectors and boosting investor confidence in Cambodia.

Since the enactment of Cambodia’s Law on Trust in 2019 and the establishment of the Trust Regulator in 2021, the trust business in Cambodia has witnessed remarkable growth. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Cambodia, the country’s GDP is projected to grow 6% in 2024 and accelerate to 6.3% in 2025, with an average growth rate projected to be above 6.6% from 2026 to 2027.

Kevin Yeh, President of CUBC, emphasized the significance of the new escrow service: “Cambodia’s economy continues to grow steadily, with real estate transactions being a key focus of the local market. Given the large transaction amounts involved, ensuring secure payments between buyers and sellers is crucial. This escrow service provides a secure platform for holding and disbursing funds. CUBC will safeguard the transaction funds and release them to the seller only after all contractual conditions are met, ensuring the smooth completion of transactions. We have high expectations for the future growth of escrow services.”

CUBC is dedicated to enhancing customer experience through its customer-centric approach and comprehensive financial services. In 2023, CUBC became the first Taiwanese bank in Cambodia to offer KHQR payments by integrating with the National Bank of Cambodia’s Bakong system. Additionally, for eligible corporate customers, CUBC provides a dedicated support team and video customer service to streamline processes and save time.

CUBC also offers its Global MyB2B service, which is secure, simple, and convenient. This platform enables easy access to global account consolidation, trade finance, cash management, and other financial services, helping clients optimize operational efficiency and create seamless financial experience across online and offline channels. CUBC will continue to prioritize the needs of its customers by offering bespoke solutions, and plans to further strengthen its digital development and enhance the customer experience.

HONG KONG, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Akeso, Inc. (9926.HK) (“Akeso” or the “Company”) is excited to announce that the prestigious medical journal Nature Medicine published the results of the company’s independently developed PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody cadonilimab in combination with oxaliplatin and capecitabine for the first-line treatment of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) adenocarcinoma in a Phase III clinical study (COMPASSION-15/AK104-302). The results of the COMPASSION-15 study were previously orally presented at the 2024 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting.

This recognition represents an additional validation of cadonilimab’s clinical value in addressing critical unmet need. Previously, clinical research findings on cadonilimab in the treatment of various malignancies have been published in internationally renowned journals such as The Lancet, The Lancet Oncology, Nature Medicine, Drugs, and Clinical Cancer Research.

The Phase III clinical data in the Nature Medicine publication indicates that, regardless of PD-L1 expression, cadonilimab combined with chemotherapy regimen significantly improves overall survival benefits for the entire population of advanced gastric cancer patients and reduces the risk of disease-related death (OS HR 0.62). Even for the PD-L1 low-expressing and negative group, the cadonilimab regimen demonstrated a meaningful survival benefit for patients (OS HR 0.70), effectively addressing the current limitations of PD-1 monoclonal antibody first-line treatment for PD-L1 low-expression and negative gastric cancer.

In September 2024, the cadonilimab regimen for the first-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer was approved and is now widely used in clinical practice, offering a comprehensive and efficacious immunotherapy option for patients. A Phase III clinical trial of cadonilimab combined with a VEGFR-2 monoclonal antibody for PD-1/L1 inhibitor-pretreated advanced gastric adenocarcinoma and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma patients is currently advancing on scheduling. Akeso’s comprehensive clinical strategy for both first-line and subsequent-line treatments in various cancer types will further expand cadonilimab’s indications, providing a novel and effective solution for these patients. Cadonilimab’s ability to target both PD-1 and CTLA-4, two key immune checkpoints, demonstrates its synergistic anti-tumor mechanisms, further demonstrating Akeso’s leadership in the global bispecific antibody field for cancer immunotherapy.

Currently, cadonilimab is being investigated in over 23 clinical studies across 16 indications, targeting tumor types such as gastric cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, cervical cancer, and pancreatic cancer. In addition to the already approved indications for recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer and first-line gastric cancer, as well as the first-line cervical cancer indication currently under review, cadonilimab is also undergoing five Phase III clinical trials for liver cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and gastric cancer. Research across multiple indications, including cervical cancer, gastric cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer, has demonstrated that cadonilimab exhibits breakthrough efficacy across “broad population”, demonstrating clinically meaningful positive outcomes for PD-L1 high-expressing, low-expressing, and even PD-L1-negative patient populations. Clinical benefit across multiple cancer types and tumor PD-L1 expression status shows that cadonilimab not only advances current cancer immunotherapies, but also significantly broadens their patient coverage. Cadonilimab holds the potential to become a cornerstone drug in the next generation of cancer immunotherapy and is expected to be widely used in combination with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and other high-potential targets.

JERICHO, N.Y., Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On the first day of the new presidential administration in the United States, global consulting firm J.S. Held unveils its annual report focused on critical areas impacting industries and economies worldwide. Explore the 2025 J.S. Held Global Risk Report here.

In an increasingly uncertain and volatile global landscape, businesses, governments, and investors face a growing array of challenges that demand immediate attention and innovative solutions. The 2025 J.S. Held Global Risk Report explores five interconnected topics that organizations must consider in managing risk and opportunity in the year ahead. These include:

1. Sustainability Investments & Headwinds: With various ESG regulations across jurisdictions and increasing scrutiny over corporate environmental and social practices, experts explore how organizations can align with evolving frameworks while driving innovation.
2. Global Supply Chain Challenges: From geopolitical conflicts to climate disruptions, the report analyzes how companies can build more resilient and sustainable supply chains.
3. Artificial Intelligence, Data & Digital Regulatory Response: With Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems reshaping industries, experts examine the regulatory, ethical, and operational challenges, as well as the competitive advantages for organizations that harness this transformative technology responsibly.
4. Cybersecurity Complexities: From AI-powered cyberattacks to evolving data protection laws, the report provides insights into how organizations can safeguard operations and maintain customer trust in a rapidly shifting digital environment.

The 2025 J.S. Held Global Risk Report includes an analysis of these categories of risk and actionable opportunities for companies to gain a competitive edge while addressing critical vulnerabilities.

“The 25 technical, scientific, financial, and strategic advisory experts who contributed to the J.S. Held Global Risk Report have collaboratively parsed not only each risk independently but also at their unique points of intersection to create a framework to support business decision-making,” noted Greg Esslinger, Executive Vice President and Global Investigations Practice Leader.

“Our experts’ deep understanding of the external factors related to the topics that keep CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CLOs, and Boards of Directors up at night drives the curated insights shared in the report and helps clients navigate risks and capitalize on emerging opportunities in the year ahead,” adds John Peiserich, Esq., Executive Vice President and Environmental, Health, & Safety Practice Leader.

The depth and breadth of J.S. Held’s work in the insurance market provides a strong foundation in risk assessment, data analysis, global awareness, regulatory compliance, technological adaptability, and risk mitigation. Collectively, these skills better equip the firm’s experts to assess business risk across diverse geographies, geopolitical landscapes, compliance frameworks, and digital advancements. “In a world where uncertainty is the only constant, there is a need for something solid you can hold onto,” observes J.S. Held Chief Executive Officer Jonathon Held. “Our name is our promise,” he adds. “Our role as strategic advisor is emblematic of this promise, even in the face of the most daunting risks, clients have the expertise and guidance to act with confidence.”

“Agile, collaborative, and creative client-centric teams provide solution-forward advisory to our clients across the globe, no matter the scope or complexity of a project; the J.S. Held Global Risk Report is reflective of the trusted advisor role we have earned over the last 50 years,” noted J.S. Held President and Chief Operating Officer Lee Spirer.

J.S. Held’s expertise in strategic advisory is built upon five decades of experience in the most rigorous venues – state, federal, and international courts – and spans more than 150 different industry segments.

If you have any questions or would like to further discuss the risks and opportunities outlined in the report, please email GlobalRiskReport@jsheld.com.

About J.S. Held

J.S. Held is a global consulting firm that combines technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations.

More than 1,500 professionals serve organizations across six continents, including 81% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 70% of the Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies (85% of the NAIC top 50 Property & Casualty Insurers), and 65% of the Fortune 100 Companies.

J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not law firms and do not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights reserved.

Media Contact

Kristi L. Stathis, J.S. Held, +1 786 833 4864, Kristi.Stathis@JSHeld.com, JSHeld.com

What truly differentiates VinCSS is its ability to enable organizations, OEM manufacturers, and service providers to adopt FDO standards without investing in building their own infrastructure from scratch.

SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Frost & Sullivan recently assessed the internet of things (IoT) security industry and based on its analysis results, recognizes VinCSS with the 2024 Global Transformational Innovation Leadership Award. The company has emerged as a cybersecurity trailblazer in passwordless authentication technology using FIDO2 (Fast IDentity Online 2) standards and is a pioneer in FIDO device onboarding (FDO) adoption for IoT device security.

VinCSS

VinCSS has positioned itself as a pioneer in the IoT security industry through its commitment to innovation, standardization, and strategic partnerships. It became the world’s first company to introduce a commercial IoT security platform and ecosystem designed to simplify IoT onboarding and ensure secure device management using the FDO standards. By adopting the FDO standards, VinCSS addresses critical security vulnerabilities and the growing risk of cyberattacks with a unified, automated solution that enhances security across IoT deployments. The company has further solidified its leadership by becoming the first in the industry to achieve three FDO certifications from the FIDO Alliance. FDO technology is transforming the IoT landscape by automating device onboarding, significantly reducing time and effort, particularly when it concerns thousands of devices. This innovation replaces labor-intensive, manual processes prone to human error and high costs, making FDO a game changer for secure and efficient IoT management.

VinCSS’s FDO solutions minimize the risks of mistakes and security vulnerabilities to ensure consistent, secure onboarding. Its automated FDO protocol cuts onboarding time by up to 90%, enabling organizations to save time, effort, and costs in deploying devices. It also enhances the reliability and security of the onboarding process by eliminating human involvement and freeing IT teams to focus on more strategic initiatives rather than being bogged down by repetitive, manual tasks. The FDO protocol leverages advanced authentication standards that allow devices to be securely onboarded with minimal manual intervention, making it a viable approach for large-scale deployments, such as smart cities or industrial IoT environments, where managing thousands of devices can quickly become unmanageable and error-prone without automation. In addition, VinCSS’s FDO solution integrates seamlessly with organizations’ existing security ecosystems using a zero-touch onboarding approach that enables the addition of existing devices to a network without direct human involvement, which is crucial in scenarios where scalability and stability are vital, such as manufacturing plants, smart healthcare systems, or expansive sensor networks in smart cities.

Anh Tien Vu, Industry Principal, Global Cybersecurity Practice, Frost & Sullivan, observed, “VinCSS delivers game-changing IoT security solutions that address current challenges and set new benchmarks for the future. It is one of the first companies to commercialize products and services integrated with FDO standards. While many organizations are still exploring the potential of FDO since its introduction by the FIDO Alliance in 2021, VinCSS has taken decisive steps to implement this technology in real-world scenarios.”

VinCSS has gone beyond merely adopting the FDO protocols by building a comprehensive, turnkey FDO infrastructure and setting a benchmark in the IoT security industry with the Device Onboarding Services, FDO-enabled devices, and the Rendezvous Server. Unlike market players that only provide fragmented products, VinCSS’s comprehensive ecosystem offers an end-to-end onboarding ecosystem that allows seamless integration for IoT deployments. With VinCSS’s comprehensive solutions, organizations can quickly achieve FDO compliance, facilitating device enrollment. By providing this capability, VinCSS positions itself as a provider of IoT security solutions and a key partner for hardware manufacturers and service providers looking to adopt FDO standards while maintaining high security and overcoming the barriers of cost and complexity for a faster time to market. Infrastructure development is a significant achievement as it helps lower the barrier to entry for IoT security, which encourages wider adoption of secure onboarding protocols across various industries. VinCSS’s leadership in building a scalable, FDO-certified infrastructure has made it a catalyst for industry transformation and provides other vendors with the tools they need to secure their devices more effectively. By launching multiple FDO-enabled solutions, including integrated cameras, Wi-Fi routers, smart car parking sensors and network deployment solutions, VinCSS has gained a competitive edge as a first mover to gain traction across multiple sectors, including smart cities, healthcare, manufacturing, and automotive. VinCSS is a market leader with its unique and comprehensive product ecosystem, innovative approach, and robust industry partnerships.

“VinCSS is not only responding to current industry needs but also proactively shaping the future of IoT security through its early adoption and practical application of FDO technology, by providing automated, secure onboarding solutions and actively leading standardization efforts. With the likelihood of FDO becoming widely adopted or mandatory in specific industries, much like the FIDO2 standard and passkey today, VinCSS is well positioned to lead industry transformation moving forward,” added Vu.

With its strong overall performance, VinCSS earns Frost & Sullivan’s 2024 Global Transformational Innovation Leadership Award in the IoT security industry. It is also the third consecutive time VinCSS has been awarded by Frost & Sullivan.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a product with innovative features and functionality that is gaining rapid acceptance in the market. The award recognizes the quality of the solution and the customer value enhancements it enables.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in various regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan

For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, megatrends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Tarini Singh
E: tarini.singh@frost.com