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The United Laboratories and Novo Nordisk announce exclusive license agreement for UBT251, a GLP-1/GIP/glucagon triple receptor agonist


GUANGDONG, CHINA AND BAGSVÆRD, DENMARK – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 March 2025 – The United Laboratories International Holdings Limited (TUL) and Novo Nordisk A/S (Novo Nordisk) today announced that Novo Nordisk and TUL’s wholly-owned subsidiary The United Bio-Technology (Hengqin) Co., Ltd. (United Biotechnology), have entered into an exclusive license agreement for UBT251, a triple agonist of the receptors for GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon in early-stage clinical development for the treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other diseases.

Under the license agreement, Novo Nordisk will obtain exclusive worldwide rights (excluding Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) to develop, manufacture, and commercialize UBT251. United Biotechnology will retain the rights for UBT251 in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. United Biotechnology is eligible to receive an upfront payment of 200 million US dollars and potential milestone payments of up to 1.8 billion dollars from Novo Nordisk, as well as tiered royalties on net sales outside of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

“Novo Nordisk is dedicated to providing improved treatment options for people living with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other cardiometabolic diseases. The addition of a candidate targeting glucagon, as well as GLP-1 and GIP, will add important optionality to our clinical pipeline, as we look to develop a broad portfolio of differentiated treatment options that cater to the diverse needs of people living with these highly prevalent diseases,” said Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president for Development at Novo Nordisk. “We look forward to building on United Biotechnology’s scientific work and further exploring the potential best-in-class properties of UBT251 across cardiometabolic disease indications.”

United Biotechnology recently completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1b trial in China designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of multiple subcutaneous injections of UBT251 in people with overweight or obesity.

A total of 36 patients were enrolled in three different dose groups (1mg, 1mg/3mg, 1mg/3mg/6mg). Each group adopted a dose titration method, with subcutaneous injection once a week for 12 consecutive weeks.

The safety profile of UBT251 was consistent with incretin-based therapies. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal and the vast majority were mild to moderate in severity. In the highest dose group, the average weight of the people who completed the trial decreased by 15.1% from baseline, while the average weight of people in the placebo group increased by 1.5% from baseline.

“We are pleased to announce our exclusive license agreement with Novo Nordisk for UBT251. As a leading global biopharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk holds a strong position in the treatment of chronic diseases,” said Mr. Tsoi Hoi Shan, the Chairman of TUL. “TUL is committed to strengthening its presence in the treatment of chronic diseases, including endocrine and metabolic disorders, while actively expanding its footprint in global markets. We believe that Novo Nordisk’s expertise will play a key role in accelerating the global development of UBT251.”

This collaboration represents a pivotal milestone in TUL’s ongoing efforts to establish a global strategic presence and demonstrates its commitment to innovation-driven transformation. TUL will continue to foster scientific innovation, advance high-quality and sustainable development, and accelerate the establishment of a globally competitive framework for manufacturing, R&D, and commercialization.

The closing of this transaction is subject to applicable regulatory clearance and other customary closing conditions.
Hashtag: #TUL

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

About UBT251

UBT251 is a long-acting synthetic peptide triple agonist targeting the receptors for GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and glucagon. It has demonstrated potent activity on all three receptors in a preclinical setting.

UBT251 is categorized as a Class 1 innovative drug in China, being developed by United Biotechnology for multiple indications. To date, UBT251 has been approved for clinical trials in China in adult type 2 diabetes, overweight or obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and chronic kidney disease (CKD), and for clinical trials in the United States in adult type 2 diabetes, overweight or obesity, and CKD.

United Biotechnology recently initiated a phase 2 trial for UBT251 in people with overweight or obesity in China.

About TUL and United Biotechnology

Founded in 1990, TUL (HKEX: 3933) is mainly engaged in the research and development, production and sales of pharmaceuticals, and ranks among the leading integrated pharmaceutical companies in China. TUL currently boasts seven production bases, covering intermediate products, bulk medicine , finished products, veterinary drugs, empty capsule casings, and medical devices, with the sales networks dotted across nearly 80 countries and regions. United Biotechnology, located in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, serves as the biopharmaceutical R&D headquarter of TUL. United Biotechnology focuses on the development of high-end biopharmaceuticals to treat major chronic diseases. For more information, please visit .

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases, built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 76,300 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit , , , and .

Contractor Sentiment Generally Positive as the Worst of Price Pressures Ease, According to Office Fit Out Vendors Across Asia Pacific

  • Six Greater China cities are ranked in the top 20 most expensive office fit out markets in Asia Pacific
  • Hong Kong moves up four places to rank as fifth most expensive fit out market in Asia Pacific, remains most costly in Greater China

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 March 2025 – The cost to fit out an office in key locations across Asia Pacific has continued to rise, although at a slowing rate, according to findings from Cushman & Wakefield’s Asia Pacific Fit Out Cost Guide 2025.

The global real estate service provider’s annual report showed that fit out costs range from US$195 per square foot (psf) in Tokyo as the most expensive market, to US$58 psf in Jakarta as the least expensive. In Greater China markets, Hong Kong was at US$160, Beijing at US$100, and Shanghai at US$96.

Similarly to previous years and in line with expectations, Japanese cities were the most expensive markets while Southeast Asian cities were the most affordable locations for office fit outs. While there was some fluctuation at a market level and within local currencies, the ranking of most to least expensive fit out costs in US$ per square foot remained largely unchanged, though gaps have narrowed between some markets. Hong Kong was a notable market mover, moving up from ninth to fifth in the Asia Pacific listing, overtaking Auckland, Seoul, Sydney, and Melbourne, due to the strong US$ and consequently the HK$.

Report author Dr Dominic Brown said changes to local fit out costs were largely aligned with the economic outlook of each market and the related office leasing activity.

“As a region, Asia Pacific is one of the more expansionary, and we have seen more growth and slightly more positive sentiment about the market by contractors here than in other regions.

“Measured by both contractor sentiment and actual cost, it appears that the worst of the pricing pressure from recent years has resolved and prices for raw materials are on the way down while tight labour markets continue to drive some wage inflation.”

In local currency, North Asian cities including Tokyo, Seoul and Osaka saw the greatest fit out cost inflation of around 16%, followed by Australian cities, which averaged 11%. India recorded steady inflation of around 3% in most cities. In contrast, slower economic conditions in the Chinese mainland served to dampen contractor pricing change.

Top 10 most expensive locations for average fit out costs in Asia Pacific

RANK CITY AVERAGE COST

(US$ PSF)

1 Tokyo 195
2 Osaka 191
3 Nagoya 187
4 Canberra 172
5 Hong Kong 160
6 Auckland 158
7 Seoul 156
8 Sydney 153
9 Melbourne 150
10 Brisbane 146

Top six most expensive locations for fit out costs in Greater China

RANK CITY Basic Hybrid

(US$ PSF)

Collaborative Hybrid (US$ PSF)

(USD PSF)

Advanced Hybrid

(US$ PSF)

1 Hong Kong 96 160 257
2 Taipei 61 110 202
3 Beijing 68 100 150
4 Shanghai 70 96 164
5 Shenzhen 68 94 156
6 Guangzhou 65 92 156

In the Chinese mainland, against the dual backdrop of a slowdown in domestic economic growth and escalating international trade conflicts, tenants have adopted a more cautious approach in their office leasing decisions. Meanwhile, the construction market continues to undergo structural adjustments, and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has remained at a low level for a long period of time. Office fit out costs in Chinese mainland Tier 1 cities have seen a degree of decline compared to the previous year, as reflected in the 2025 report.”

Read the full report here.
Hashtag: #Cushman&Wakefield

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

About Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global commercial real estate services firm for property owners and occupiers with approximately 52,000 employees in nearly 400 offices and 60 countries. In Greater China, a network of 23 offices serves local markets across the region. In 2024, the firm reported revenue of $9.4 billion across its core services of Valuation, Consulting, Project & Development Services, Capital Markets, Project & Occupier Services, Industrial & Logistics, Retail, and others. Built around the belief that Better never settles, the firm receives numerous industry and business accolades for its award-winning culture. For additional information, visit or follow us on LinkedIn ().

SonicWall Partner Focus Drives Key Business Momentum in Transformational Year

SonicWall’s Wide-ranging Platform of Cybersecurity Solutions and Growth with Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs) Underpin Portfolio and Business Transformation

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 March 2025 – SonicWall today announced continued business momentum powered by its relentless focus on partners, strategic partnerships and innovation across its portfolio. In addition to the company’s focus on Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs), SonicWall is experiencing unprecedented growth in its Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and other Cloud Secure Edge Solutions as further evidence that SonicWall is quickly becoming a market leader in the broader cybersecurity SMB space.

While maintaining its market dominance in firewalls and network security appliances for the small to midsized market, SonicWall is quickly transforming its ecosystem of over 17,000 partners globally to offer cloud native solutions and co-managed security solutions including Managed XDR backed by the SonicSentry team of 24×7 cybersecurity professionals.

“SonicWall’s inside-out approach, kicked off almost 3 years ago, has uniquely positioned us to anticipate and meet the evolving needs of our partners and customers more effectively than ever,” said SonicWall CEO and President, Bob VanKirk. “By listening and acting on partner feedback, expanding our world-class cybersecurity offerings, and bringing to market solutions designed specifically for MSPs we are ensuring that our partners have the support they need to thrive, and empower them to keep their customers safe. Together, we are not just keeping pace with industry demands; we are setting the standard for success in cybersecurity.”

Debasish Mukherjee, Vice President of Sales, APJ at SonicWall, said, “SonicWall’s growth in APJ is a testament to our commitment to delivering innovative, scalable cybersecurity solutions that empower our partners. By equipping MSSPs and MSPs with advanced threat protection, cloud-native security, and flexible service models, we enable them to safeguard businesses of all sizes while driving long-term success. As cyber threats evolve, our focus remains on providing the right tools, intelligence, and support to help our partners stay ahead, ensuring they can meet the security needs of their customers with confidence and efficiency.”

Financial Growth and Partner Expansion

SonicWall’s most recent financial results demonstrate strong growth, fueled by new customer acquisitions and the success of its partner initiatives:

  • Managed Security Services (MSS) Bookings: Drove a 68% year-over-year increase.
  • Zero Trust / Cloud Secure Edge (CSE) Bookings: Grew 70% year-over-year, with transacting partners climbing almost 40% quarter-over-quarter.
  • Service Provider Program Growth: Generated a 91% increase in partners, underscoring the high demand for SonicWall’s MSP/MSSP solutions.
  • Partner Growth: Four consecutive quarters of year-over-year growth in transacting partners, displaying the active momentum of SonicWall’s channel-first strategy.


Going “Beyond the Wall”

“Last year was pivotal for SonicWall as we capitalized on the acquisitions we made in 2023 and integrated them into our portfolio, our platform and our most valuable asset – our partner ecosystem,” said SonicWall Chief Strategy Officer, Matt Neiderman. “As we have expanded our offerings to include key capabilities like ZTNA and MXDR, our focus has been on designing them and bringing them to market in a way that supports the needs of the MSP and broader partner community. Now more than ever, we have a more complete set of tools that partners of every size can leverage to protect their customers and compete in an evolving IT services market.”

SonicWall’s expanded offerings have strengthened its cybersecurity portfolio and market position, helping to enable its partners to protect their customers across the threat landscape. These additions have enabled the company to introduce flexible, subscription-based pricing tailored to MSPs, enhance managed security services for more comprehensive protection (i.e., protecting the protectors), and advance zero trust /cloud security solutions that support businesses in their digital transformation.

With a strong foundation built on financial growth, partner expansion, and broad cybersecurity portfolio, SonicWall is poised for continued success in the coming year. The company remains committed to:

  • Enhancing its cybersecurity portfolio with next-generation security solutions, delivering powerful capabilities through an intuitive, cloud-native platform designed for ease of use.
  • Expanding its partner community, equipping MSSPs and MSPs with the tools and platform needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.
  • Driving continued innovation to address evolving threats and market demands, ensuring seamless, scalable protection with a focus on simplicity and efficiency.

By aligning its offerings with partner needs, SonicWall continues to build momentum, demonstrating its ability not just to adapt but to lead in the cybersecurity landscape. SonicWall continues to set new benchmarks for success in cybersecurity. For more information about SonicWall visit www.sonicwall.com.
Hashtag: #SonicWall

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

About SonicWall

is a cybersecurity forerunner with more than 30 years of expertise and is recognized as the leading partner-first company. With the ability to build, scale and manage security across the cloud, hybrid and traditional environments in real-time, SonicWall provides seamless protection against the most evasive cyberattacks across endless exposure points for increasingly remote, mobile and cloud-enabled users. With its own threat research center, SonicWall can quickly and economically provide purpose-built security solutions to enable any organization—enterprise, government agencies and SMBs—around the world. For more information, visit or follow us on , , and .

Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA Boosts Business Productivity and Efficiency with New Scalable Agentic AI Solutions

  • New Lenovo agentic AI and hybrid AI factory platforms include NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra support and usher in the new age of AI reasoning through faster deployment of customized AI agents
  • Integrated use cases have been tested, proven and scaled at Lenovo automating content creation up to 8x faster, enhancing customer service efficiency by 50%, and boosting productivity across workflows with knowledge assistants
  • Hybrid AI adoption enhances patient care, supports faster medical diagnostics and powers scientific discoveries around the world

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 March 2025 – At NVIDIA GTC, Lenovo unveiled new Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA solutions designed to accelerate AI adoption and boost business productivity by fast-tracking agentic AI that can reason, plan and take action to reach goals faster. The validated, full-stack AI solutions enable enterprises to quickly build and deploy AI agents for a broad range of high-demand use cases, increasing productivity, agility and trust while accelerating the next wave of AI reasoning for the new era of agentic AI.

New global IDC research commissioned by Lenovo reveals that ROI remains the greatest AI adoption barrier, despite a three-fold spend increase1. AI agents are revolutionizing enterprise workflows and lowering barriers to ROI by supporting employees with complex problem-solving, coding, and multistep planning that drives speed, innovation and productivity. As CIOs and business leaders seek tangible return on AI investment, Lenovo is delivering hybrid AI solutions that unleash and customize agentic AI at every scale.

The AI solutions combine Lenovo’s full-stack AI portfolio and ready-to-customize use cases with new platform options that will support the latest NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra platform, NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs, and networking innovations to empower organizations everywhere to accelerate applications, such as AI reasoning, agentic AI and real-time video generation.

“Lenovo continues to drive smarter AI for all, bringing together AI models, data and computing power – running on devices, edge, and cloud, and connected with network- to deliver AI solutions that empower human innovation and enable productivity gains,” said Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang. “Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA integrates cutting-edge services and the next evolution of Blackwell accelerated infrastructure to help enterprises easily scale agentic AI across private and public AI models that deliver substantial benefits in effectiveness, cost, efficiency, security, accessibility and customization.”

“AI agents that can reason and adapt are redefining how we work,” said NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang. “NVIDIA and Lenovo are providing the essential infrastructure to power AI inference and reasoning at scale—bringing generative and agentic AI from research labs into real-world enterprise applications.”

Hybrid AI Defines the Next Era and Fuels Agentic AI

Data exists everywhere – in manufacturing, retail, banking, healthcare business locations, enterprise data centers and in the public domain. Hybrid infrastructure allows data to be collected, stored, processed, and then fed into enterprise AI models for training in the hybrid cloud, and provides inferencing at the edge or on devices with training models.

The new offerings leverage Lenovo’s leadership in hybrid infrastructure and the recently announced Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA to efficiently scale agentic AI across business locations using a factory-type approach that turns data intelligence from everywhere into transformational outcomes.

Fully Validated and Tested Agentic AI Use Cases

The Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA framework includes the Lenovo AI Library, which consists of a portfolio of customized, tested and proven use cases empowering teams to be more productive and deliver AI. Agentic AI can be uniquely accessed on personal devices, workstations, and data centers across enterprise locations and enable ROI in key areas, such as:

  • Content Generation – Automating content creation up to 8x faster, enhancing quality, and personalizing customer interactions.1
  • Customer Service – Improving customer service efficiency by 50% with reduced response times, automating chatbot interactions, and reducing handling times by 20%2
  • Knowledge Assistants – Breaking down data silos, enhancing enterprise knowledge sharing, and automating workflows, such as faster contract reviews. For legal teams, for example, this has boosted productivity by up to 80% and enhanced accuracy by 45%.3

At NVIDIA GTC, Lenovo debuted the Lenovo AI Knowledge Assistant, a digital human assistant that engaged in real-time conversation with attendees to transform their event experiences and navigation. Powered by the Lenovo agentic AI platform, the solution enables organizations to rapidly customize Lenovo AI Library use cases and operationalize new AI agents and assistants within weeks. The demo was customized using the digital human NVIDIA AI Blueprint and NVIDIA NIM™ microservices, running on a Lenovo PX ThinkStation.

Attendees used natural voice and language to interact with the AI assistant about relevant event details, maps, schedules and meeting locations, maximizing their time and optimizing navigation. The demo brings to life how Lenovo’s tested and proven solutions can help businesses get customized agentic AI up and running faster, connecting and collaborating with customers and employees on a whole new level to improve outcomes and experiences.

The Lenovo agentic AI platform, the industry’s most complete on-prem agentic AI solution, simplifies deployment so customers can scale agentic AI across personal, enterprise, and public environments to automate workflows, boost productivity, and accelerate decision-making. Fully integrated with the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform, it includes essential software toolkits, advanced data tools, pre-trained models, and automated deployment features. Lenovo AI services and experts provide guidance to streamline adoption while ensuring AI delivers real value. The platform also prioritizes security and trust with a Responsible AI framework and a GenAIOps dashboard for centralized AI management, performance monitoring, and bias detection.

Enterprise-Ready Hybrid AI Factory for Scalable Growth

As the world transitions to accelerated computing for AI workloads, Lenovo is helping businesses quickly build, scale and operate their own AI factories — high-performance, scalable and protected environments for delivering trusted AI solutions. These new platforms help organizations efficiently build, scale and integrate agentic AI across business locations using validated designs that support multiple workloads with standardized, modular, hybrid deployment options. The factories simplify AI training, inferencing, and deployment—whether on-premises, in the cloud, or at the edge.

Delivering full-stack data center infrastructure that includes workstations, servers, networking, storage, partner solutions and services, the hybrid AI factory platforms are built with Lenovo Validated Designs based on NVIDIA Enterprise Reference Architectures and NVIDIA-Certified Lenovo ThinkSystem servers. The factory options include the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675, 680, 685 servers and storage solutions using NVIDIA Hopper GPUs, NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs, NVIDIA Grace™ CPUs, NVIDIA Spectrum-X networking, and NVIDIA BlueField DPUs.

For data centers, the Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675 V3 server, equipped with NVIDIA H200 NVL, NVIDIA Networking and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform delivers exceptional performance for AI and HPC workloads. The platform scales from a single server, with just 4 GPUs as a starter environment, to a rack scalable unit (SU), offering a turnkey infrastructure solution that enables enterprises of all sizes to quickly deploy a hybrid AI factory or extend their existing IT infrastructure.

Lenovo’s AI factory ecosystem also includes:

  • AI-ready Lenovo ThinkStation PX workstations with NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Workstation Edition and NVIDIA AI Workbench for developers.
  • Lenovo Neptune liquid-cooled AI infrastructure, efficiently powering AI at scale and built with the next generation of NVIDIA accelerated computing for cloud service providers tackling LLM workloads.
  • Lenovo AI Fast Start services for rapid deployment, integration, and scaling that helps businesses deploy use cases and prove business value in 90 days or less.

Driving the Next AI Breakthroughs

Across industries, Lenovo hybrid AI solutions are already transforming healthcare, finance, manufacturing and retail—from summarizing medical research and automating compliance reporting to enhancing customer experiences with intelligent recommendations. Lenovo and NVIDIA are working with leading institutions and enterprises to unlock AI’s potential. In Germany, Lenovo secured the first NVIDIA GB200 project with the Technical University of Darmstadt to advance scientific discoveries. The project will feature the new energy-efficient Lenovo ThinkSystem SC777 V4 Neptune systems, advanced high-performance servers powered by Lenovo’s 6th generation Neptune direct water-cooling platform and services. This collaboration builds on the strong partnership between Lenovo and Technical University of Darmstadt, further enhancing the sustainable and high-performance ‘Lichtenberg NHR-Stage 1’ Supercomputer with a pioneering next-gen Grace-Blackwell partition.

To optimize the patient experience and medical evaluations in preventive health check-ups, the healthcare software development company, Artificial Intelligence System for Human Analysis (AISHA) trained an AI model to analyze MRI scans using a Lenovo and NVIDIA hybrid AI solution. The AI model can analyze a full-body scan in just 30 minutes—over 99% faster than manual analysis—providing doctors with rapid insight and enhancing the patient check-up experience.

“Without the power of the Lenovo and NVIDIA solution, the model would simply not be able to exist. Lenovo and NVIDIA are unmatched in the field of AI,” said Dr. Juan Pablo Reyes Gonzalez, Head of AISHA.

The Future of AI is Hybrid

By simplifying AI adoption and scalability, Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA solutions are helping organizations across industries unlock data from anywhere to harness AI for real business value. For more information, visit: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/servers-storage/solutions/ai/.

1 Based on internal data from Lenovo’s Solutions and Services Group marketing team
2 Based on internal data from Lenovo’s Service Delivery team
3 Based on internal data from Lenovo’s legal department

Hashtag: #Lenovo

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

About Lenovo

Lenovo is a US$57 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #248 in the Fortune Global 500, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company with a full-stack portfolio of AI-enabled, AI-ready, and AI-optimized devices (PCs, workstations, smartphones, tablets), infrastructure (server, storage, edge, high performance computing and software defined infrastructure), software, solutions, and services. Lenovo’s continued investment in world-changing innovation is building a more equitable, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY). To find out more visit , and read about the latest news via our .

LENOVO, THINKSYSTEM, THINKSTATION and NEPTUNE are trademarks of Lenovo. NVIDIA and RTX are trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2025 Lenovo Group Limited.

CTF Life Introduces “GBA MediAccess” Outpatient Insurance Plan

Leverages CTF Group’s Diverse Conglomerate to Address Medical Needs of Families in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area

  • Offers Market-first Family Coverage for Three Members, Providing One-stop Chinese and Western Medical Treatments, Dental Services Along with Health Management Value-Added Services

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Neswire – 24 March 2025 – CTF Life announces today the launch of its “GBA MediAccess” Outpatient Insurance Plan (“GBA MediAccess” or “the Plan”), tailored for customers who travel frequently between Hong Kong, Macau, and designated Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities*. By harnessing the robust medical network of The GBA Healthcare Group (GBAH), a member of Chow Tai Fook (CTF) Enterprises, the Plan provides convenient and quality medical services. Fully leveraging CTF Group’s diverse conglomerate, CTF Life is committed to delivering quality experiences for customers and creating value beyond insurance. Notably, CTF Life has become the first insurer to partner with GBAH to offer traditional Chinese medical outpatient consultations.

CTF Life launches "GBA MediAccess" Outpatient Insurance Plan to enable customers who travel frequently between Hong Kong, Macau, and designated cities in the Greater Bay Area* to receive convenient and quality medical services provided by the robust medical network of GBAH. From left to right: Jarita Kwan, Chief Product Officer of CTF Life; Denise Au-Yeung, Chief Strategy Officer of CTF Life; Dr. Felix Lee, Co-CEO of GBAH; and Peter Fang, Chief Insurance Officer of GBAH.
CTF Life launches “GBA MediAccess” Outpatient Insurance Plan to enable customers who travel frequently between Hong Kong, Macau, and designated cities in the Greater Bay Area* to receive convenient and quality medical services provided by the robust medical network of GBAH. From left to right: Jarita Kwan, Chief Product Officer of CTF Life; Denise Au-Yeung, Chief Strategy Officer of CTF Life; Dr. Felix Lee, Co-CEO of GBAH; and Peter Fang, Chief Insurance Officer of GBAH.

Three plan levels are available, covering designated GBA cities*, as well as Hong Kong and Macau. It offers market-first1 coverage for both Western and traditional Chinese medical practitioner outpatient consultations, as well as dental scaling and health management value-added services for the customer and up to two designated family members2. The Plan provides a comprehensive range of services, including online3,4 and offline general practitioner outpatient consultation3,5, with up to three days of prescribed basic medication, traditional Chinese medical outpatient consultation3,6, dental scaling3,7, and two value-added services offering proactive health management3,8 and chronic disease management3,9. This one-stop solution addresses the needs of customers and their families2 in areas ranging from health screening, continuous monitoring to health education, providing reliable, affordable, and accessible healthcare management. It sets a cornerstone for personal and family health, ensuring customers peace of mind as they travel within the GBA.

CTF Life formed a strategic partnership with GBAH in early 2024, creating a tripartite alliance with the 3A hospitals in the GBA under GBAH’s network to deliver one-stop premium medical services. This collaboration not only enhances medical efficiency and reduces healthcare costs, but also elevates the customer service experience. The deepened collaboration further strengthens this partnership, actively supporting the Hong Kong SAR government’s efforts to develop the GBA by providing high-quality medical services to customers who travel frequently across the region.

Jarita Kwan, Chief Product Officer of CTF Life, said: “With the rapid development of the GBA, there is a growing demand for healthcare coverage across the region. ‘GBA MediAccess’ is specifically designed to meet the evolving lifestyles of our customers and the increasing popularity of integrated Chinese and Western medical treatments. It enables customers and their families in the GBA to benefit from the CTF Group’s diverse conglomerate, accessing premium Chinese and Western healthcare services provided by GBAH. The Plan introduces market-first1 family coverage for up to three members2 to co-use services under a single plan, including Western and traditional Chinese medical outpatient services and dental scaling, fully underscoring CTF Life’s commitment to being people-focused and customer-centric. Moreover, CTF Life is the first insurer to partner with GBAH to offer Chinese medical outpatient consultations. We look forward to further strengthening our collaboration with GBAH to launch more services that cater to customer needs, creating value beyond health.”

Dr. Felix Lee, Co-CEO of The GBA Healthcare Group, stated: “Our deepened collaboration with CTF Life strategically addresses evolving cross-border lifestyles and retirement needs in the GBA, while pioneering the integration of insurance and healthcare innovation. Through ‘GBA MediAccess,’ customers and their families can book appointments with internationally accredited GOLDTM-certified family doctors, accessing a suite of healthcare services. These include General Practice consultations in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, Traditional Chinese Medicine services in the GBA*, Video Consultations, Chronic Disease Management, Proactive Health Management, and the convenience of Cross-border Direct Billing for Insurance. By leveraging GBAH’s end-to-end healthcare expertise – from preventive care to treatment – our expansive cross-border network, and the region’s unparalleled medical resource advantages, we deliver multi-generational healthcare continuity across the GBA. This ensures families achieve holistic health stewardship, from preventive interventions to health legacy planning. Moving forward, building upon our professionally accredited healthcare ecosystem and trusted standards in the GBA, we will jointly propel the development of an internationally recognised value-based care model, while collaboratively pioneering innovative solutions to advance client-centered health stewardship.”

Key features of the Plan include:

1) Market-first1 family coverage for three members:

  • The Plan provides coverage for the customer and up to two of their designated family members2 to take care of the family’s needs, offering comprehensive health protection and medical support in daily life.

2) Online3,4 and offline general practitioner outpatient consultation services:

  • Regardless of whether the customer chooses a face-to-face or online consultation, the insured and designated family members2 can receive up to three days’ supply of prescribed basic medication with free delivery service (online consultations only). Three plan levels are available, with face-to-face outpatient consultation service covering designated cities in the GBA*, as well as Hong Kong and Macau.
  • Customers enrolled in Plan 3 can enjoy unlimited online general practitioner consultations conducted by designated clinics within the medical network, as well as medication delivery services in Mainland China10.

3) Traditional Chinese outpatient consultation and dental tooth polishing services:

  • In addition to conventional Western medical outpatient services, upon referral by a GOLDTM doctor of GBAH, customers can receive traditional Chinese medical treatment services at designated clinics within the medical network located in designated GBA cities*. The services include consultations, diagnosis, prescribed traditional Chinese medicine for up to three days, and related traditional Chinese medical services and treatments.
  • The Plan also offers annual dental scaling and dental care service.

4) Health management value-added services:

  • Proactive health management: This attentive service is conducted by GOLDTM doctors and nurses from GBAH, and includes an evaluation of a patient’s family medical history, the setting of annual health targets, education about preventive care, recommendations for a healthier lifestyle, etc. Follow-up consultations can be arranged for customers if needed.
  • Chronic disease management programme: GOLDTM doctors and nurses from GBAH shall offer customers and their family members education about chronic disease prevention, including regular check-ups, diabetes screening, medication management, and lifestyle advice, in a bid to achieve early prevention, early detection, and early treatment.

Remarks:
* “Designated GBA cities” refers to the six cities in Guangdong Province of the People’s Republic of China – Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, and Zhongshan.
1. “Market-first” refers to the Plan providing coverage for the customer and up to two of their family members, and it offers both Western and traditional Chinese medical practitioner outpatient consultation, as well as dental scaling and health management value-added services. “Market-first” is the result of a comparison of similar protection plans from major life insurers in Hong Kong, as of 24 March 2025.
2. Family member / Designated Family Member shall be up to 2 immediate family members (i.e. Policy Owner’s legal spouse, child, or parent) designated by the Policy Owner (i.e. the Insured) at application or renewal. Designated Family Member cannot be changed within the same Policy Year. The issue age of the Insured ranges from 18 to 80 years old, while the issue age of the Designated Family Members ranges from 15 days old to 80 years old.
3. For each outpatient consultation, the Insured and/or Designated Family Member is required to pay a co-payment of HKD 20 / MOP 20 / RMB 8. If the Insured and/or Designated Family Member receives any medical services, treatments, and/or medications that are not covered under this plan during any outpatient consultation or health management services provided by GBAH, the Insured and/or Designated Family Member will be responsible for covering the costs of such medical services, treatments, and/or medications.
4. The general practitioner online consultation is only applicable to the Insured and/or Designated Family Member whose attained age is 7 or above on the day of the online consultation. The Insured or Designated Family Member may choose to receive online consultation conducted by registered medical practitioners of the designated clinics under the Medical Network in Mainland China of GBAH and prescribed basic medication for a duration of up to 3 days, including basic medication delivery services, provided that the address of the Insured or Designated Family Member is in the same geographical area as the clinic of the registered general practitioner who provides such online consultation. If the Insured and/or Designated Family Member is located in a different geographical area from the clinic of the registered medical practitioner during the online consultation, the service of the Plan shall not cover such online consultation nor any outpatient services. The Company shall not be liable for any losses incurred by the Insured or Designated Family Member.
5. The Insured and/or Designated Family Member can receive face-to-face outpatient consultations conducted by registered medical practitioners of the designated clinics under the Medical Network within Designated GBA Cities, Hong Kong or Macau (subject to the area of coverage according to different plan levels as specified in the At-a-Glance Table in the product brochure), and prescribed basic medication for a duration of up to 3 days.
6. If the Insured and/or Designated Family Member suffers from a Disability, and following an initial referral confirmed by a GOLDTM doctor of GBAH as Medically Necessary for traditional Chinese medical treatment, the Insured or Designated Family Member shall receive traditional Chinese medical treatment services at designated Chinese medical clinics under the Medical Network within the Designated GBA Cities of GBAH for such Disability. Service shall include consultations, diagnosis, prescribed traditional Chinese medicines for a duration of up to 3 days, and related traditional Chinese medical services and treatments, up to 100 Chinese yuan per outpatient consultation.
7. The Insured or Designated Family Member shall receive dental scaling and dental care service at designated dental service centres under GBAH once per Policy Year.
8. Upon completion of enrolment for this service under the Plan by the Insured and/or the Designated Family Member, GBAH will proactively reach out the Insured and/or the Designated Family Member. With their consent, an initial assessment of proactive health management to be conducted via face-to-face or online will be arranged by the GOLDTM doctors from GBAH for the Insured and/or Designated Family Member. The first assessment of proactive health management and any subsequent follow-up assessments shall each be considered as 1 outpatient consultation, subject to the maximum number of outpatient consultations per Policy Year.
9. GBAH shall offer patients with education of chronic disease prevention. This programme is provided by GOLDTM doctors and nurses of GBAH for the Insured and/or Designated Family Member and which is limited to the Medical Network in Mainland China. Visits to clinics or service centres under Medical Network of GBAH by the Insured and/or Designated Family Member for this Chronic disease management programme shall not be considered as outpatient consultation and shall not be subject to the maximum numbers of outpatient consultation per Policy Year.
10. For general practitioner online consultations that exceed the annual policy limit for outpatient services, the Insured and/or Designated Family Member will be responsible for covering the costs of medications and delivery fees.

Important Notice:

  • The information contained in this press release is intended as a general summary of information for reference only. For more details, please refer to relevant product brochures, promotion leaflets, and policy documents. For details regarding the CTF Life “GBA MediAccess” Outpatient Insurance Plan, the terms and conditions of the Plan shall prevail.
  • This press release does not contain the full provisions of “GBA MediAccess” Outpatient Insurance Plan, and the full terms can be found in the Policy documents. “GBA MediAccess” Outpatient Insurance Plan may serve as standalone plan(s) without bundling with other type(s) of insurance product. Please refer to the main product brochure and policy terms and conditions, as well as the explanatory documents provided by your licensed insurance intermediary, to fully understand the details and complete terms and conditions regarding the mentioned definitions, fees, product features, exclusions, and compensation payment conditions related to “GBA MediAccess” Outpatient Insurance Plan.
  • Please refer to the product brochure for more information on “GBA MediAccess” Outpatient Insurance Plan: https://www.ctflife.com.hk/pdf/en/products/life-insurance/health/gba-mediaccess-product-brochure.pdf
  • For further details, please contact CTF Life’s Customer Service Hotline on +852 2866 8898.
  • This press release is intended to be distributed in Hong Kong only and shall not be construed as an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy or provision of any of our products outside Hong Kong. Chow Tai Fook Life Insurance Company Limited hereby declares that it has no intention to offer to sell, to solicit to buy or to provide any of its products in any jurisdiction other than Hong Kong in which such offer to sell or solicitation to buy or provision of any product of Chow Tai Fook Life Insurance Company Limited is illegal under the laws of that jurisdiction.

Hashtag: #CTFLife

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

About CTF Life

Chow Tai Fook Life Insurance Company Limited (“CTF Life”) is proud of its rich, 40-year legacy in Hong Kong. CTF Life is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CTF Services Limited (Hong Kong Stock Code: 659) and one of the most well-established life insurance companies in Hong Kong. As a member of Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited, CTF Life consistently strengthens its collaboration with the diverse conglomerate of the Cheng family (“Chow Tai Fook Group” or “the Group”) to support customers and their loved ones in navigating life’s journey with personalised planning solutions, lifelong protection and diverse lifestyle experiences. By leveraging the Group’s robust financial strength and strategic investments across the globe, CTF Life aspires to become a leading insurance company in Asia while continuously creating value beyond insurance.

About the GBA Healthcare Group (GBAH)

The GBA Healthcare Group (GBAH) was established in 2014, a mission driven healthcare company founded in Hong Kong that has been pioneering private public partnerships for healthcare services with various regional governments in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). GBAH is a strategic, controlling healthcare investment of Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited, the flagship private investment holding company of the Cheng Family in Hong Kong. Since its establishment, GBAH has delivered primary care training and accreditation to over 3,500 GOLDTM-certified family doctors and nurses in the GBA, jointly built over 220 GOLDTM private-public-partnership clinics in partnership with regional governments, and operated GOLDTM Hong Kong-Macau Residents Healthcare Services Centers within large-scale top-tier public hospitals, offering full-spectrum outpatient and inpatient care. Through such a vast service network, GBAH is creating innovative alternative payment models with commercial health insurers, based on family medicine and preventive care practices, to implement value-based health insurance propositions. The goal of GBAH is to give everyone access to trusted and affordable healthcare, so that everyone can freely pursue their dreams without worrying about their health.

Laos Ranks 7th in ASEAN for Education Amid Thailand’s Rejection

Laos school (Photo: Radio Free Asia)

Laos has been ranked 7th in ASEAN and 102nd in the world for education, according to the latest assessment by World Population Review.  

Hang Lung Leads Industry Dialogue on Net Zero Transition with Groundbreaking Discussion Paper

Hang Lung presents an innovative in-depth analysis of its potential journey to net zero as a model for the real estate sector, calling for greater transparency and improved benchmarks to drive real estate decarbonization


HONG KONG SAR & SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OuReach Newswire – 24 March 2025 – Hang Lung Properties Limited (SEHK stock code: 00101) (the “Company” or “Hang Lung”) has published a first-of-its-kind discussion paper, “Our Journey to Net Zero: Our Scenarios and Actions to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions to 2050.”

While many companies have made net zero commitments, few have carefully examined how to achieve these commitments. Hang Lung has risen to this challenge, adopting an innovative approach based on a decarbonization model with more than 1,000 internal and external data inputs. From this thorough analysis, it has developed two main scenarios to understand potential pathways for the Company to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 2050.

From a starting point of around 1,000,000 tonnes of GHG in 2023, Hang Lung’s emissions could drop to fewer than 100,000 tonnes by 2050—and even go as low as 16,000 tonnes. The scale of new construction and the emissions intensity of available construction materials will play a critical role in shaping this reduction.

The Journey to Net Zero paper concludes that the Company has the potential to fully achieve net zero by 2050. However, doing so will require consistent effort and sustained focus, including strategic collaboration with suppliers. The Company will also need to leverage advancements in technologies.

While the paper’s analysis is based on a close examination of Hang Lung’s emissions pathways, it also raises issues applicable to peers and standard setters. For instance, the paper highlights overlooked sources of emissions, discusses key carbon accounting issues for the sector, and calls for greater transparency and standardized benchmarking for construction materials.

“The real estate sector has a responsibility to reduce its carbon emissions,” Mr. Adriel Chan, Chair of Hang Lung Properties and Chair of the Sustainability Steering Committee, said. “But we need to form a long-term vision together. By addressing key issues head-on—including the impact of business expansion, decarbonization of construction supplies and energy, and emissions blind spots—Hang Lung is demonstrating in this paper that we take our net zero commitment seriously. We also encourage our peers and partners to embrace greater transparency, so we can all learn from and collaborate with one another.”

Illustrating its commitment to catalyzing change in real estate, Hang Lung has outlined eight key actions it is pursuing to support its long-term journey to net zero emissions by 2050:

  • Advancing energy efficiency
  • Expanding renewable energy procurement
  • Improving material efficiency
  • Reducing the GHG intensity of construction materials
  • Collaborating with suppliers
  • Exploring ways to repurpose existing properties
  • Improving lifecycle refrigerant management practices; and
  • Collaborating with tenants to reduce emissions.

These actions are discussed in greater detail in the paper: https://www.hanglung.com/en-us/media/sustainability-publications.

Expert Reactions

“This effort is truly a milestone and a commendable example for the real estate sector.” – Wei Li, Principal, RMI China.

“Candid, collaborative and practical, this report redefines how companies should report on net zero progress.” – Raefer Wallis, Founder and Chief Executive Offier, GIGA/RESET Standard.

“I believe methodologies and insights from this report can effectively enhance capacity and encourage industry action.” – Da Zhang, Associate Professor, Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy, Tsinghua University.

“The scenario-based approach is very enlightening, with open analysis of uncertainty rather than strategizing with the hope of a magically smooth curve down to zero carbon emissions.” – Jenny Zhang, Director of Sustainability, APAC, Urban Land Institute.

Note to Editors:
Hang Lung’s sustainability achievements:

With support from top management and a long-term vision, Hang Lung aims to become one of the most sustainable real estate companies in the world. Through clear and measurable sustainability goals, including 25 Targets to be achieved by 2025, 2030 Sustainability Goals and Targets, and net zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the Company has gained recognition from stakeholders for its pioneering sustainability initiatives in real estate. Hang Lung obtained more than 45 ESG awards in 2024.

The Company is on the CDP “Corporate A List,” with an “A” rating for Climate Change and an “A-” rating for Water Security. Since 2021, Hang Lung has received a 4-star performance rating for standing investments from the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), and maintained an “AA” rating in the MSCI ESG Ratings assessment and a “low ESG risk” rating from Sustainalytics. The Company has also been a constituent stock of the FTSE4Good Index Series and the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index (Mainland and Hong Kong) since 2021 and 2010 respectively.

Hang Lung has also demonstrated its sustainability leadership in renewable energy, low carbon construction and tenant partnerships. Since April 2024, 50% of Hang Lung’s operating properties in mainland China have been powered by renewable energy. For low carbon construction, Plaza 66 Pavilion Extension’s building structure in Shanghai is Hang Lung’s first Mainland project to use almost 100% low carbon emissions steel. And the Company has partnered with 49 tenants representing 11% of its total leasable area on sustainability initiatives through its nationwide Changemakers Program for all tenants, and its first-of-its-kind sustainability collaboration with LVMH Group in 2022.

For more details, please visit: https://www.hanglung.com/en-us/sustainability

Hashtag: #HangLungProperties

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

About Hang Lung Properties

Hang Lung Properties Limited (SEHK stock code: 00101) creates compelling spaces that enrich lives. Headquartered in Hong Kong, Hang Lung Properties develops and manages a diversified portfolio of world-class properties in Hong Kong and the nine Mainland cities of Shanghai, Shenyang, Jinan, Wuxi, Tianjin, Dalian, Kunming, Wuhan and Hangzhou. With its luxury positioning under the “66” brand, the company’s Mainland portfolio has established its leading position as the “Pulse of the City.” Hang Lung Properties is also recognized for leading the way in enhancing sustainability initiatives in the real estate industry, all the while pursuing sustainable growth by connecting customers and communities.
At Hang Lung Properties – We Do It Well.
For more information, please visit .

Laos Achieves Trade Surplus of USD 310 Million in February

Laos Achieves Trade Surplus of USD 310 Million in February 2025
Laos Achieves Trade Surplus of USD 310 Million in February 2025

Laos recorded a trade surplus of USD 310 million in February, as the total value of imports and exports (excluding electricity) reached approximately USD 1,540 million.