Home Blog Page 894

Desert Diamond Hues Take Centre Stage On The Red Carpet At The 79th British Academy Film Awards


LONDON, UK – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 March 2026 – At this year’s British Academy Film Awards, the red carpet was illuminated with natural diamonds worn by some of the acting world’s most beloved stars, with Desert diamonds reigning supreme.

Desert diamond hues take centre stage on the red carpet at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. From top left to bottom right: Nathalie Emmanuel, Gillian Anderson, Archie Madekwe, Audrey Nuna, Regé-Jean Page
Desert diamond hues take centre stage on the red carpet at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. From top left to bottom right: Nathalie Emmanuel, Gillian Anderson, Archie Madekwe, Audrey Nuna, Regé-Jean Page

In evocative shades of champagne, honey, cognac, brown, and whiskey, these unique colours were seen on some of our most beloved actors and actresses- showcased in an exquisite array of cuts and designs, they blended timeless elegance with contemporary style.

Gillian Anderson, together with Nathalie Emmanuel, led the Desert diamond way with striking diamonds by Brazilian jeweller Ara Vartanian. Gillian woreasymmetric stone earrings featuring exceptional brown and white diamonds with complementing rings, whilst Nathalie wore an elongated drop earrings punctuated with brown diamonds, a bracelet and rings. K-Pop Demon Hunter star Audrey Nuna wore Desert diamond ear climbers from ANANYA.

Once reserved for jewellery boxes, brooches have become a go-to on the red carpet amongst the most decerning of wearers- Rising Star nominee Archie Madekwe paired his custom Dior suit with Ara Vartanian white diamond brooch and Desert diamond vintage rings whilst Regé-Jean Page looked to fauna as his inspiration in a Desert diamond dragonfly brooch by Hirsh London.

Poppy Delevingne attended the British Vogue and GǪ Fashion and Film Party adorned in Desert diamonds by Ara Vartanian
Poppy Delevingne attended the British Vogue and GǪ Fashion and Film Party adorned in Desert diamonds by Ara Vartanian

Actress and Model Poppy Delevingne attended the British Vogue and GǪ Fashion and Film Party adorned in Desert diamonds by Ara Vartanian.

For the occasion, Poppy chose to wear a curated selection of pieces in Desert diamond hues, included a striking necklace from the new Empirea collection, set with 17.34 carats of brown diamonds.

These extraordinary moments on the red carpet remind us that natural diamonds are born of the wild, their enduring beauty and unique nature express both style and glamour, as well as timelessness and cultural legacy.

#adiamondisforever #naturaldiamonds #diamonds #BAFTA #DesertDiamonds

Hashtag: #DeBeersGroup #NaturalDiamonds #diamonds #Desertdiamonds #BAFTA #adiamondisforever




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

About De Beers Group

Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining, marketing and retailing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with diamond mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of De Beers Group’s strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers that span the diamond value chain, including its jewellery houses, De Beers Jewellers and Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives Tracr and GemFair. De Beers Group also provides leading services and technology to the diamond industry in the form of education and laboratory services via De Beers Institute of Diamonds and a wide range of diamond sorting, detection and classification technology systems via De Beers Group Ignite. De Beers Group is committed to ‘Building Forever,’ a holistic and integrated approach for creating a better future – where safety, human rights and ethical integrity continue to be paramount; where communities thrive and the environment is protected; and where there are equal

opportunities for all. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American PLC group. For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.

Everyware Limited Launches Caterlord Checkout to Redefine Self-Service Payments for Restaurants in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Everyware Limited today announced the launch of Caterlord Checkout, a new self-service payment solution designed to help Hong Kong restaurants speed up bill settlement, reduce labour pressure, and deliver a smoother guest experience. Fully integrated with the Caterlord POS platform, Caterlord Checkout enables restaurants to turn tables faster while maintaining accurate, secure, and fully digital payment workflows.

Caterlord Checkout
Caterlord Checkout

A new era of self‑payment

Caterlord Checkout is a dedicated self-checkout kiosk that allows guests to review their bill and pay independently at the end of their meal. The system retrieves orders by QR code, synchronises instantly with table and order status in Caterlord POS, and ensures that every transaction is recorded in real time. With automated payments and error-free posting back to the POS, operators can free front-of-house staff to focus on hospitality, allowing each waiter to cut time spent on traditional cashiering tasks by an average of 90 minutes per day.

Designed for modern diners

The solution supports multiple digital payment methods, including popular e-wallets (Octopus, Alipay, WeChat Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay), and card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, China Union Pay, American Express, JCB), so guests can pay the way they prefer. A multilingual, user-friendly interface guides customers step by step, helping even first-time users complete payment quickly during peak hours. Restaurants can also use the Caterlord Checkout kiosk home screen as a built-in advertising space to promote new menus, seasonal campaigns, or loyalty programmes at the point of payment.

Fast deployment and flexible setup

Caterlord Checkout integrates natively with existing Caterlord POS deployments, simplifying rollout for both single-site operators and growing groups. The hardware is available in flexible formats such as wall-mount, floor-stand, and tabletop configurations, allowing restaurants to match their store layout and customer flow. Quick installation and cloud-based management mean new locations can go live with minimal disruption to day-to-day operations.

Trusted by leading Hong Kong brands

Several forward-thinking Hong Kong F&B brands have already adopted Caterlord Checkout to enhance service efficiency, including Ging Sun Ho (堅信號), Yeh Lam Kwok (椰林閣), Wan Chuen (雲川), Veggie Factory (菜籽), My Cafe (木椰), Horse Tea (馬茶). These early adopters are using the solution to shorten queues at peak time, support leaner staffing models, and capture more data around guest payment behaviour. Their deployment underscores the growing demand for smarter, guest-led payment experiences across the city’s competitive dining scene.

About Everyware Limited:

Everyware Limited was founded with the vision of revolutionizing the restaurant industry through advanced cloud technology. Acknowledging the challenges faced by restaurateurs, the company developed Caterlord, an all-in-one platform that streamlines every aspect of restaurant management. Recognized as one of the most advanced and robust POS systems in Asia-Pacific, Caterlord has been widely acclaimed for its ability to support all F&B concepts, from single-unit cafes to multi-store chains. Trusted by leading F&B groups, Caterlord continues to set the standard for innovation.

Infobip is set to launch AgentOS to orchestrate autonomous AI-driven customer journeys at scale

New platform reinforces Infobip’s shift to AI-first customer experience in its 20th year

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Global AI-first cloud communications platform Infobip, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is set to launch its AI-native fully managed solution AgentOS. The new platform builds on Infobip’s recently launched AI Agents, the intelligent foundation for autonomous customer communications. AgentOS is a major step in Infobip’s evolution from communications platform to intelligent orchestration layer for the AI era, enabling businesses to move from campaigns and workflows to autonomous, goal-driven interactions.

Infobip set to launch AgentOS to orchestrate autonomous AI-driven customer journeys at scale
Infobip set to launch AgentOS to orchestrate autonomous AI-driven customer journeys at scale

AI communication models enable autonomous customer communications, hyper-personalization and highly engaging content across multiple channels. However, AI agents need a unified view of all customer touchpoints to deliver such benefits. Businesses must eliminate data silos. Yet readiness is low. Few enterprise AI agent projects reach production due to unstructured data and internal barriers. AgentOS overcomes these barriers, operationalizing AI safely and at scale across the enterprise.

AgentOS combines Infobip’s Conversational Customer Data Platform with real-time journey orchestration to deliver one and two-way contextual engagement across all natively integrated channels. The platform unites marketing, sales and support into one AI-native platform to connect every customer touchpoint into a seamless journey. This means fewer disconnected tools, faster execution and measurable improvements in customer conversion, satisfaction and lifetime value.

Infobip’s real advantage lies in its human-in-the-loop model, where AI manages scalability and efficiency, and human specialists intervene to address complex issues, continuously training and refining the AI agents. Retailers and eCommerce companies are at the forefront, delivering hyper-personalized experiences, while healthcare and finance sectors are quickly embracing AI-powered solutions to improve patient care with a strong focus on trust, security, and regulatory compliance.

Moreover, modular components, MCP interfaces, open APIs, and intuitive user interface elements enable fast deployment, integration or standalone use. Brands can start with one use case, enhance customer experience and scale to other use cases quickly. Built-in security and compliance ensure every interaction is trusted, giving enterprises the confidence to automate without losing control. Automation and analytics power hyper-personalized engagement and operational efficiency at scale.

Krešo Žmak, Chief Innovation Officer at Infobip, said: AgentOS is the control layer where AI agents, data, channels and customer intent come together to decide what happens next in every interaction. It leverages our omnichannel foundation to enable AI agents to operate autonomously across SMS, RCS, email, WhatsApp, voice, and more, adapting in real-time to optimize content, channel and timing based on customer context. With more than 15 natively integrated channels, Infobip is uniquely positioned to deliver agentic AI at scale.”

Infobip has integrated Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers into its platform to provide AI agents with communication superpowers. By creating a universal language where AI agents can interact with third-party systems, Infobip’s MCP servers enable AI agents to book flights, set up two-factor identification and more. No matter if a brand uses an Infobip or third-party agent, they can make the most of Infobip’s global omnichannel communications platform to complete real AI-first customer tasks end-to-end.

AgentOS is available directly from Infobip on 1 April. More about AI agents here: https://www.infobip.com/ai-agents

About Infobip (Infobip Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd Company No: 201001014145/898379-U)

Infobip is a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected experiences across all stages of the customer journey, with AI as the driving force of innovation. Through a single, natively built platform, Infobip delivers omnichannel engagement, identity, user authentication and contact centre solutions that help businesses and partners overcome the complexity of consumer communications while driving growth and increasing customer loyalty. Infobip is focused on enabling and accelerating AI adoption as it continues its transformation into an AI-first company. Infobip’s technology has the capacity to reach over seven billion mobile devices in 6 continents connected to over 10k+ connections of which 800+ are direct operator connections. The company was established in 2006 and is led by its co-founders, CEO Silvio Kutić and Izabel Jelenić.

SK Telecom CEO Unveils ‘AI Native’ Strategy at MWC26, Driving Korea’s Leap in AI Innovation

–       Seizing the golden time for a major transformation, with ‘Customer Value & AI’ as the top two priorities for driving change

–       Major overhaul of systems and infrastructure, the foundation of telecommunications, centered on AI

–       Redesigning customer-friendly products, promoting integrated AI agents, and strengthening communication with customers

–       Advancing hyperscale AI data centers, developing 1000B AI models, and focusing on manufacturing AI to help Korea become one of the world’s top three AI leaders

BARCELONA, March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM, hereinafter referred to as “SKT”) has announced a major transformation to lead the era of AI.

SK Telecom CEO Unveils ‘AI Native’ Strategy at MWC26, Driving Korea’s Leap in AI Innovation
SK Telecom CEO Unveils ‘AI Native’ Strategy at MWC26, Driving Korea’s Leap in AI Innovation

On March 1, SKT CEO Jung Jai-hun held a press conference in Barcelona, Spain, and announced the company’s ‘AI Native’ innovation strategy, which includes a reorganization of AI infrastructure and large-scale investment plans.

This strategy reflects SKT’s ambition to redesign its telecommunications leadership DNA into an AI-driven DNA, building on its core strengths, and to lead Korea’s leap toward becoming one of the world’s top three AI leaders through bold challenges and change. 

CEO Jung Jai-hun stated, “SKT is currently at a golden time of transformation, where the two tasks of ‘customer value innovation’ and ‘AI innovation’ intersect in a borderless, converged environment that goes beyond telecommunications. SKT defines ‘the customer as the very essence of our business,’ and through innovation driven by AI, we will evolve into a company that makes meaningful contributions to our customers and to Korea.”

  • Maximizing Customer Value with AI-powered Telco 

SKT plans to build stronger relationships with customers and significantly enhance customer-perceived value by applying AI across all areas of telecommunications.

To achieve this, SKT will undertake a major overhaul of its integrated IT systems, the foundation of its telecom services, redesigning them to be optimized for AI.

SKT will build all integrated systems, including sales IT, line management, and billing systems, around AI, enabling the company to promptly design and provide personalized plans and memberships tailored to each customer’s needs.

In particular, SKT will establish a Zero Trust information security framework across all systems, strengthening security through rigorous authentication, access control, network segmentation, and AI-based integrated security monitoring.

SKT is also accelerating its ‘autonomous network operations’ strategy, which leverages AI to automate network management.

SKT is set to transition from human-centered operations to AI-driven autonomous systems across wireless quality management, traffic control, and network equipment and facility operations, with the goal of maximizing customer-perceived quality. With AI-RAN technology, the company plans to deliver ultra-fast, seamless, and ultra-low latency communications.

  • Customer-Friendly Redesign Across All Touchpoints, from Services to Customer TouchpointsEnhancing Two-Way Communication with Customers

SKT plans to redesign its telecom services and products to be more customer-friendly, while also strengthening two-way communication with customers.

For services such as pricing, roaming, and membership, SKT will prioritize customer convenience by restructuring them into simple and intuitive formats and automatically offering personalized packages.

SKT is also developing an ‘integrated AI agent’ that connects the dispersed customer experiences across various touchpoints, such as T world (SKT’s main customer portal) and T Direct Shop (SKT’s official online store).

By quickly analyzing customers’ daily patterns and needs with AI, SKT aims to create a single agent that delivers personalized experiences at every touchpoint. In addition, SKT will enhance its AI Contact Center (AICC), enabling all customer service representatives to use AI for accurate and prompt support.

Offline stores will also leverage AI to shift from sales-focused operations to providing deeper customer experiences, accurately identifying needs, and automatically offering personalized recommendations even after a visit—delivering highly tailored curation services. 

In addition, SKT plans to create ‘AI Personas’ to analyze digital behavior data across various customer segments, enabling a comprehensive understanding of each customer’s needs and preferences through natural, conversational Q&A. This approach will allow SKT to communicate more effectively with all customers.

SKT is further advancing ‘A. phone (A-DoT phone),’ developing it into a true AI agent that can automatically organize call notes and schedules, connect customers to personalized services, and even perform related actions. 

SKT plans to expand opportunities for employees to engage directly with customers in the field, fostering two-way communication. This year, SKT plans to actively listen to a wide range of customer groups, as well as experts from industry and academia, and thoroughly reflect their voices in all aspects of company management.

  • Building 1GW-Class AI Data Centers Nationwide to Establish Asias Largest AIDC Hub

SKT will build 1GW-class hyperscale AI data center (AIDC) infrastructure across Korea, aiming to attract global investment and establish the nation as Asia’s largest AIDC hub.

In addition to its GPU cluster Haein, SKT is building AIDCs and plans to expand to hyperscale capacity exceeding 1GW through global partnerships. The company also plans to build an AIDC in Korea’s southwestern region in collaboration with OpenAI, as part of its broader vision to establish a nationwide AI infrastructure network.

Together with SK hynix, SK Ecoplant, and SK Innovation, SKT will secure solutions across the entire value chain—from AIDC construction to cooling, servers, energy, and operations—to provide AIDCs with industry-leading cost efficiency.

Last year, SKT applied its high-performance, high-efficiency virtualization solution ‘Petasus AI Cloud’ to Haein, its GPU cluster built for GPUaaS, and this year plans to offer Petasus AI Cloud in the global market.

SKT will upgrade its sovereign AI foundation model, currently the largest in Korea at 519B parameters, to over 1T (one trillion parameters), securing AI sovereignty and driving innovation across industries. In particular, SKT plans to enhance the model by adding multimodal capabilities, enabling it to process not only image data but also voice and video data, starting in the second half of this year.

Moreover, SKT will focus on jointly developing a ‘manufacturing-specialized AI solution’ package with SK hynix to strengthen the competitiveness of Korea’s manufacturing industries, including semiconductors and energy. This package analyzes process data in real time to reduce defect rates and maximize equipment efficiency, and will be offered in three forms: infrastructure, model, and solution.

CEO Jung stated, “AIDC can be seen as the heart of Korea, and hyperscale LLMs as the brain. By combining SKT’s AI capabilities with collaboration from domestic and global partners, we will lead true AI-native transformation for Korean customers and enterprises.”

  • Transforming Work Culture Around AI

CEO Jung emphasized, “To drive future growth, we must reinvent our way of working from the ground up. SKT will fundamentally transform its corporate culture to be centered around AI.”

SKT has built an ‘AX (AI Transformation) Dashboard’ that provides a comprehensive view of AI utilization by department and individual, accelerating AI adoption across the organization. In addition, SKT operates an ‘AI Board’ to strengthen dedicated support for AX initiatives and is fostering a work environment and culture where employees can naturally incorporate AI into their daily tasks.

SKT has also built an ‘AI playground,’ enabling employees to easily develop and use AI agents for their work without coding. Currently, more than 2,000 AI agents are being actively used across areas such as marketing, legal, and PR.

CEO Jung stated, “By implementing company-wide AI upskilling education and campaigns, we will transform our organizational culture to be AI Native. Through SKT’s new transformation, we will do our utmost to regain the trust of our customers and become a company that contributes to the nation and society.”

About SK Telecom

SK Telecom has been leading the growth of the mobile industry since 1984. Now, it is taking customer experience to new heights by extending beyond connectivity. By placing AI at the core of its business, SK Telecom is rapidly transforming into an AI company with a strong global presence. It is focusing on driving innovations in areas of AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX) and AI Service to deliver greater value for industry, society, and life.

For more information, please contact skt_press@sk.com or visit our LinkedIn page www.linkedin.com/company/sk-telecom.

 

XPOVIO® Receives Reimbursement Approval in South Korea for a Second Multiple Myeloma Indication

– XPOVIO® is the first XPO1 inhibitor approved for reimbursement by South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma (MM).

– In South Korea, XPOVIO® has been approved for three indications across MM and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and two of these approved indications have been included in the national reimbursement scheme.

SHANGHAI and HONG KONG, March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Antengene Corporation Limited  (“Antengene”, SEHK: 6996.HK) , a leading innovative, commercial-stage global biotech company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class and/or best-in-class medicines for autoimmune disease, solid tumors and hematological malignancies indications, announced that South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) has approved the reimbursement of XPOVIO® (selinexor) in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma (MM) after one prior therapy. The reimbursement has taken effect on March 1, 2026. This marks the second XPOVIO® indication to be approved for reimbursement in South Korea.

As Antengene continues to expand its footprint across the Asia Pacific region, the Company remains committed to improving patient access to its innovative therapies. To date, XPOVIO® has been approved in South Korea for three indications in MM and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), both major hematological malignancies. Two of these indications have been approved for reimbursement, including XPOVIO® in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory MM (R/R MM) who have received at least four prior therapies, as well as the newly reimbursed indication. With expanded reimbursement coverage, XPOVIO® is expected to benefit a broader patient population and further contribute to the management of hematological malignancies in South Korea.

With a novel mechanism of action, XPOVIO® is the world’s first approved orally-available, selective XPO1 inhibitor. XPOVIO® has already been approved in ten countries and regions in APAC, and has been included in the national insurance schemes in five of these markets (the mainland of China, Taiwan market, Australia, Singapore and South Korea). Moving forward, Antengene will continue to pursue broader access for XPOVIO® across APAC markets.

About Antengene

Antengene Corporation Limited (“Antengene”, SEHK: 6996.HK) is a global, R&D-driven, commercial-stage biotech company focused on developing first-in-class/best-in-class therapeutics for diseases with significant unmet medical needs. Its pipeline spans from preclinical to commercial stages and includes several in-house discovered programs, including ATG-022 (CLDN18.2 ADC), ATG-037 (oral CD73 inhibitor), ATG-101 (PD-L1 × 4-1BB bispecific antibody), and ATG-042 (oral PRMT5-MTA inhibitor).

Antengene has also developed AnTenGager™, a proprietary T cell engager 2.0 platform featuring “2+1” bivalent binding for low expressing targets, steric hindrance masking, and proprietary CD3 sequences with fast on/off kinetics to minimize cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and enhance efficacy. These characteristics support the platform’s broad applicability across autoimmune disease, solid tumors and hematological malignancies, with programs targeting CD19 x CD3 (ATG-201 for B cell-related autoimmune diseases), CDH6 x CD3 (ATG-106 for ovarian cancer and kidney cancer), ALPPL2 x CD3 (ATG-112 for gynecologic tumors and non-small cell lung cancer), LY6G6D x CD3 (ATG-110 for microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer), GPRC5D x CD3 (ATG-021 for multiple myeloma), LILRB4 x CD3 (ATG-102 for acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia) and FLT3 x CD3 (ATG-107 for acute myeloid leukemia).

To date, Antengene has obtained 32 investigational new drug (IND) approvals in the U.S. and Asia, and obtained new drug application (NDA) approvals in 10 Asia Pacific markets. Its lead commercial asset, XPOVIO® (selinexor), is approved in the Mainland of China, Taiwan China, Hong Kong China, Macau China, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Australia, and has been included in the national insurance schemes in five of these markets (Mainland of China, Taiwan China, Australia, South Korea and Singapore).

Forward-looking statements

The forward-looking statements made in this article relate only to the events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this article. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. You should read this article completely and with the understanding that our actual future results or performance may be materially different from what we expect. In this article, statements of, or references to, our intentions or those of any of our Directors or our Company are made as of the date of this article. Any of these intentions may alter in light of future development. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement, please see the other risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2024, and the documents subsequently submitted to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

For more information, please contact:

Investor Contacts: 
Donald Lung
E-mail: donald.lung@antengene.com  

BD Contacts:
Ariel Guo
E-mail: ariel.guo@antengene.com

Lynk Pharmaceuticals Announces Positive Phase III Topline Data of Zemprocitinib in Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis

SHANGHAI, HANGZHOU, China and BOSTON, March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Lynk Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (“Lynk Pharmaceuticals”), a clinical-stage innovative drug development company focused on therapies for immune and inflammatory diseases, today announced positive topline results from its Phase III clinical trial evaluating zemprocitinib in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). The study met all co-primary and key secondary endpoints, with both dose groups demonstrating highly and statistically significant improvements versus placebo (p < 0.0001), together with a favorable safety and tolerability profile.

The disclosed results represent topline data generated in accordance with the predefined statistical analysis plan. Full study data are undergoing further analysis and will be published at a future date.

This study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of zemprocitinib in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. The trial was led by Professor Jianzhong Zhang and Professor Cheng Zhou of Peking University People’s Hospital. A total of 356 patients were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive zemprocitinib 12 mg, or 24 mg or placebo.

The study had two co-primary endpoints at Week 16; the proportion of patients achieving ≥75% improvement from baseline in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75); and the proportion of patients achieving a validated Investigator Global Assessment for Atopic Dermatitis score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear), with a ≥2-point improvement from baseline (vIGA-AD 0/1 response). The key secondary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving a ≥4-point improvement from baseline in Worst Itch Numerical Rating Scale (WI-NRS4) at Week 16.

At Week 16, both zemprocitinib dose groups demonstrated statistically significant superiority over placebo across both co-primary endpoints and the key secondary endpoint:

  • EASI-75: Differences versus placebo were 38.1% (12 mg) and 46.4% (24 mg) (p < 0.0001).
  • vIGA-AD 0/1 response: Improvements over placebo were 30.3% (12 mg) and 31.0% (24 mg) (p < 0.0001).
  • WI-NRS4 response rates were 31.3% (12 mg) and 31.0% (24 mg) higher than placebo at Week 16 (p < 0.0001).

Zemprocitinib also achieved statistically significant improvements across multiple additional secondary endpoints, including EASI-50, EASI-90, SCORAD response rates, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) scores, supporting broad clinical benefit in lesion clearance, symptom reduction, and quality-of-life improvement. Notably, zemprocitinib demonstrated a rapid onset of action. Improvement in pruritus was observed as early as Day 1 following initiation of therapy, with statistically significant separation from placebo in WI-NRS response rates, indicating rapid itch relief. Statistically significant improvement in EASI-75 response rates and vIGA-AD 0/1 response rates were also observed by Week 2 in both dose groups, highlighting the treatment’s early efficacy in skin lesion improvement.

Zemprocitinib demonstrated a favorable overall safety and tolerability profile. The majority of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were Grade 1–2. The incidence of serious adverse events (SAEs), adverse events of special interest (AESIs), and discontinuations due to adverse events were low and comparable to placebo, with no new safety signals observed. Laboratory findings were consistent with those observed in the Phase III rheumatoid arthritis study. No serious adverse reactions related to decreases in hemoglobin, neutrophils, or lymphocytes were observed and there were no safety concerns associated with elevations in ALT or AST. No dose-dependent differences in the safety profile were observed. Overall, the safety profile was consistent with our prior clinical studies and demonstrated competitive characteristics relative to other reported JAK inhibitors.

Professor Jianzhong Zhang, principal investigator from Peking University People’s Hospital, stated: “Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory and pruritic skin disease that imposes a substantial burden on patients’ quality of life and mental health. In this Phase III study, zemprocitinib demonstrated significant improvements in both skin lesion clearance and itch relief, together with a favorable overall safety profile. We look forward to the potential of zemprocitinib to provide a new oral treatment option for patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in China.”

Dr. Yu Wu, Chief Development Officer of Lynk Pharmaceuticals, commented: “The success of this Phase III study reflects the strength of our long-term strategic focus in immunology and inflammation. These results further validate the potential of zemprocitinib across multiple autoimmune indications and reinforce our clinical development capabilities. We remain committed to advancing regulatory submissions with scientific rigor and high-quality standards.”

Dr. Zhao-Kui (ZK) Wan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lynk Pharmaceuticals, added: “We are highly encouraged by these positive Phase III results in atopic dermatitis and sincerely thank the patients, investigators, and our internal and external teams for their dedication and professionalism. Following the successful Phase III study in rheumatoid arthritis, this achievement represents another important milestone for zemprocitinib and further reinforces its positioning as a core asset in our pipeline. The favorable balance of efficacy and safety supports its potential differentiated profile in the competitive JAK landscape.”

About Zemprocitinib

Zemprocitinib is a highly selective, next-generation JAK1 inhibitor with best-in-class potential, being developed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, atopic dermatitis, and vitiligo. Compared with first-generation, less selective JAK inhibitors, zemprocitinib demonstrates significantly greater selectivity for JAK1, which may translate into desirable efficacy while minimizing off-target adverse effects. Zemprocitinib potently and dose-dependently inhibits multiple inflammation-related signaling pathways mediated by JAK1.

About Lynk Pharmaceuticals

Lynk Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotechnology company founded by senior drug R&D leaders and executives from Pfizer, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson. The company is dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative therapies for immune and inflammatory diseases. Driven by a commitment to address significant unmet medical needs, Lynk Pharmaceuticals aims to deliver differentiated therapies with global impact. To date, the company has independently or jointly advanced multiple innovative drug candidates and successfully completed numerous clinical studies.

Toku Reports US$34.8 million Revenue in FY2025 as AI Adoption Gains Traction; Underlying Loss Improves

SINGAPORE, March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Toku Ltd. (“Toku“, “投酷有限公司” or the “Company”, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), a Singapore-incorporated AI-powered customer experience (CX) platform, is pleased to announce its financial results for the full year ended 31 December 2025 (“FY2025”).

Financial Highlights

Million (US$)

FY2025

FY2024

Change (%)

Revenue

34.8

31.8

9.3

Gross Profit

8.4

8.7

(3.1)

Gross Profit Margin

24.3 %

27.4 %

(3.1)

Net Loss

(9.1)

(5.3)

(72.7)

Adjusted Net Loss

(4.2)

(4.6)

8.5

Commenting on the FY2025 results, Thomas Laboulle, Founder and Chief Executive Officer said, “Completing our IPO while operating with a streamlined team and disciplined capital allocation made this undoubtedly a challenging year. I am incredibly proud that we still delivered 9.3% revenue growth, our strongest Adjusted EBITDA to date, new market expansion, and the early monetisation of our Core AI Suite. These results reflect the resilient growth engine we have built. Looking ahead, our focus turns to scaling AI-driven capabilities, deepening our presence across APAC, and beyond, and strengthening the partnerships that will power our next phase of growth.”

Christian Wong, Chief Financial Officer, added: “The financial results for FY2025 demonstrate that our team can simultaneously manage a complex listing process and deliver meaningful operational improvement. Adjusted EBITDA improved 17.8% to its strongest full-year result, with underlying operating expenses declining 7.5% despite continued geographic expansion. The IPO has been transformative for our capital structure: all convertible instruments have been settled, shareholder loans repaid, and our highest-cost debt facility is scheduled for early retirement in April. With these transitional items behind us, the Group enters FY2026 in its strongest financial position since inception, well placed to convert revenue growth into progressive margin improvement.”

Financial Review

In FY2025, the Group revenue increased 9.3% from US$31.8 million in FY2024 to US$34.8 million in FY2025, extending its multi-year growth trajectory. The increase was primarily driven by higher Usage revenue and continued platform adoption across the Group’s expanding geographic footprint.

Segmental Revenue 

Revenue Stream

FY2025 (US$

million)

FY2024 (US$

million)

Change (%)

Usage

23.9

19.8

21.0

Subscriptions and Licensing  

5.6

5.6

0.6

Professional Services

2.4

3.3

(25.6)

Maintenance and Support

2.6

2.9

(12.2)

Hardware

0.2

0.2

(5.1)

Total

34.8

31.8

9.3

Usage revenue, the Group’s largest revenue stream, increased by 21.0% from US$19.8 million to US$23.9 million in FY2025, accounting for 68.8% of total revenue (FY2024: 62.2%). The growth was supported by the full-year contribution from its Latin American operations, higher traffic volumes from existing APAC customers, and early contributions from new deployments. During FY2025, the Group commenced monetisation of its AI-powered capabilities, with the Core AI Suite gaining customer adoption. While the associated revenue contribution was not yet material, AI-driven usage is expected to contribute progressively as deployments scale from FY2026 onwards.

Subscriptions and Licensing revenue edged higher to US$5.6 million, providing a recurring contracted base. Professional Services revenue declined 25.6% to US$2.4 million (FY2024: US$3.3 million), reflecting the Company’s reduced delivery capacity following workforce optimisation initiatives in 2H2024, as well as delayed project commencements. Despite a smaller workforce, resource utilisation improved year-on-year, underscoring stronger operational discipline and improved efficiency within a streamlined structure. With delivery capacity stabilising and pipeline conversions underway, the segment is positioned for recovery, further supported by the expanding channel partner programme. Maintenance and Support revenue decreased 12.2% to US$2.6 million in the same financial period, primarily due to the completion of certain legacy contracts. Recurring support requirements from new enterprise deployments in APAC, LATAM and the MENA regions, together with the expansion of its channel partner programme, are expected to underpin the Group’s medium-term growth across selected revenue streams. This momentum is reflected in recent developments, including a multi-market European enterprise agreement with a leading on-demand delivery platform.

Gross profit decreased 3.1% to US$8.4 million in FY2025 (FY2024: US$8.7 million), with gross profit margin declining from 27.4% to 24.3% for the fiscal year. The margin contraction was primarily due to a shift in revenue mix, as lower-margin Usage revenue expanded its share of total revenue from 62.2% in FY2024 to 68.8% in FY2025. This was compounded by reduced contributions from higher-margin Professional Services and Maintenance and Support revenue streams during the period.

The Group’s overall gross profit margin levels reflect its strategic positioning as a comprehensive enterprise platform operating across the entire customer experience value chain. While overall margins may be lower than those of pure software providers, this is consistent with the Group’s integrated platform strategy of combining connectivity infrastructure with higher-margin software and services offerings. This approach supports customer retention and provides a foundation for margin improvement as scale increases and higher-margin offerings expand.

The reported EBITDA loss widened to US$8.5 million in FY2025 (FY2024: US$4.4 million), reflecting the inclusion of approximately US$5.3 million in non-cash and non-recurring items, primarily listing costs and accelerated share-based expenses. Excluding these IPO-related items, Adjusted EBITDA improved to a loss of US$3.3 million in FY2025 from a loss of US$4.0 million in FY2024, marking the Group’s strongest full-year EBITDA performance to date. The adjusted EBITDA margin improved by 3.2 percentage points from (12.6%) in FY2024 to (9.4%) in FY2025, driven by revenue growth and operating expense discipline, reflecting improving operating leverage as the Group scales.

Interest expense increased to US$0.8 million due to higher average borrowings during the year. The Group’s venture debt facility with IRIS Fund LP is scheduled for early repayment on 9 April 2026, which is expected to eliminate the associated interest costs. Following the IPO, all convertible instruments have been converted into equity and shareholder loans repaid, resulting in a simplified capital structure.

As such, net loss for FY2025 was US$9.1 million (FY2024: US$5.3 million), largely attributable to approximately US$4.9 million of non-cash and non-recurring items recognised predominantly in Q4 2025 in connection with the IPO. These comprised fair-value adjustments on pre-IPO redeemable convertible loans, listing-related professional and regulatory fees, and accelerated share-based payment charges arising from the settlement of the employee share option plan.

Excluding these non-recurring and non-cash items, as well as the non-recurring deferred tax credit recognised during the year, Adjusted Net Loss improved by 8.5% to US$4.2 million in FY2025 (FY2024: US$4.6 million). The Adjusted Net Loss margin improved from (14.5%) to (12.1%) in the respective periods, reflecting revenue growth and operating cost discipline.

Business Outlook

The Group enters FY2026 with a simplified capital structure, improving operational momentum, and several catalysts for growth, particularly across APAC and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) markets. Management expects AI-driven usage to contribute progressively to revenue as the Core AI Suite and Agentic AI programme move into broader production deployment. The expanding channel partner programme is anticipated to accelerate Subscriptions and Licensing growth, while Professional Services is positioned for recovery as delivery capacity stabilises and partner-delivered engagements complement direct delivery.

Margin improvement remains a key management priority. The revenue mix is expected to shift gradually towards higher-margin software and AI-enhanced services, while the transition to a channel partner-led distribution model is designed to enable the Group to scale without proportional cost increases. The Group anticipates higher recurring compliance and marketing costs in FY2026 as a newly listed entity, though these are expected to be progressively absorbed as operating leverage builds.

With pre-IPO transitional items behind it and its highest-cost borrowing facility scheduled for early retirement, the Group is well positioned to pursue its medium-term profitability objective while continuing to expand across APAC, LATAM, and the MENA region.

Over the next 12 months, the Group’s performance may be affected by factors such as the pace of AI adoption and monetisation at scale, the expansion of the channel partner programme, and the execution of potential strategic acquisitions. This may also be further influenced by competitive pricing dynamics in traditional connectivity services, macroeconomic conditions in key markets the Group operates in, and foreign exchange movements.

—END—

About Toku

Headquartered in Singapore, Toku Ltd. (“Toku“) is a cloud-native, AI-powered customer experience platform purpose-built for enterprises operating in complex, multi-market environments. With deep roots in the APAC region and an expanding global footprint, Toku’s modular 360° CX Platform orchestrates customer interactions across voice, chat, email and digital channels while managing regulatory, linguistic and infrastructure complexity at scale.

Built on end-to-end ownership of its technology stack, from carrier-grade connectivity to AI applications, Toku delivers enterprise-grade security, reliability and deployment flexibility across commercial cloud, private data centres and hybrid environments. Its AI capabilities include transcription, summarisation, sentiment analysis, conversation analytics and governed virtual agents, designed to integrate seamlessly with enterprise systems and customer data.

Trusted by leading enterprises and public-sector organisations, Toku helps organisations streamline operations, scale customer engagement and deliver consistent experiences across fragmented markets.

For more information about Toku, visit toku.co

Toku Ltd. (the “Company“) was listed on Catalist of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the “Exchange“) on 22 January 2026. The initial public offering of the Company was sponsored by PrimePartners Corporate Finance Pte. Ltd. (the “Sponsor“).

This press release has been reviewed by the Sponsor. It has not been examined or approved by the Exchange and the Exchange assumes no responsibility for the contents of this press release, including the correctness of any of the statements or opinions made or reports contained in this press release. 

The contact person for the Sponsor is Ms. Ng Shi Qing, 16 Collyer Quay, #10-00 Collyer Quay Centre, Singapore 049318, sponsorship@ppcf.com.sg.

 

Understanding China’s whole-process people’s democracy

BEIJING, March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A report from People’s Daily: The upcoming “two sessions,” the annual meetings of China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), provide an important opportunity to observe Chinese modernization and a key window into understanding whole-process people’s democracy in China.

As an original and defining concept, whole-process people’s democracy is deeply embedded in the daily lives of the Chinese people.

Deliberating the draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) is a major focus of this year’s “two sessions.” The process of formulating the plan itself is a vivid practice of whole-process people’s democracy.

From May 20 to June 20, 2025, an online public consultation was conducted for the formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan. The initiative drew over 3.11 million valid submissions, yielding more than 1,500 constructive suggestions across 27 topics.

The drafting group attached great importance to these inputs, carefully studied and incorporated them, with many reflected in relevant policy measures of the plan in appropriate forms.

By the end of 2025, the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee had established 60 grassroots legislative outreach offices, which in turn drove the establishment of more than 7,800 such offices at the provincial and municipal levels. In 2025, more than 1,400 CPPCC members submitted over 12,000 reports on public sentiment. These diverse channels for reflecting public opinion serve as important bridges linking the people with the authorities.

Such democracy widely participated by the people has made “micro-governance” more dynamic and efficient.

At a “People’s Livelihood Teahouse” in Wenhe subdistrict, Guangling district, Yangzhou, east China’s Jiangsu province, deputies to people’s congresses at various levels, members of CPPCC local committees, and local residents gather to discuss issues affecting people’s livelihoods. There, residents’ concerns are addressed, and some suggestions are promptly relayed to relevant authorities.

In recent years, similar platforms have been established one after another, making primary-level governance smoother and more effective.

From farmlands and factory floors to hospitals, schools, and communities, NPC deputies and CPPCC members diligently perform their duties, soliciting opinions from the public, and turning suggestions into concrete actions that deliver tangible benefits.

In 2025, all 269 motions and 9,160 suggestions submitted by NPC deputies were reviewed and handled, with responses provided to the deputies. Of the more than 5,900 proposals submitted by CPPCC members, over 5,000 were filed, and some suggestions were incorporated into relevant policy documents.

A defining feature of “whole-process” is that it runs through the entire chain, spans all dimensions, and covers all areas.

Take food safety, a matter of widespread public concern, as an example. From May to September 2025, the NPC Standing Committee’s law enforcement inspection team carried out inspections on the implementation of the Food Safety Law.

The team placed great emphasis on hearing public voices, incorporating public opinion, and pooling public wisdom.

Two deputies who led relevant motions and 10 other deputies were invited to participate throughout the process, contributing professional expertise and offering suggestions from different perspectives on strengthening food safety.

The team also organized a questionnaire survey on the implementation of the law, collecting 488,200 valid responses and 119,800 public suggestions.

During the inspection, the NPC Standing Committee also completed targeted amendments to the Food Safety Law. By integrating legislative and oversight functions, it further urged localities and departments to fulfill their responsibilities, improved relevant laws, regulations, and standards systems, strengthened law enforcement capacity, and consolidated a social governance framework for food safety, collectively safeguarding public health.

Whole-process people’s democracy is not occasional, partial, fragmented, or piecemeal. Rather, it runs through the entire chain of democratic election, consultation, decision-making, management, and oversight; spans all aspects of political and social life; and covers all fields, including economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological development.

Continuously meeting the people’s growing needs for a better life is an inherent requirement of developing democracy. Democracy is meant to solve the problems for the people.

China’s development demonstrates that only a democracy suited to a country’s specific conditions can be reliable and effective. The defining features of “whole-process” people’s democracy enrich the forms of human political civilization and offer a Chinese approach to exploring better social systems.

Looking ahead, China will continue to follow a path of democratic development suited to its national conditions, advocate and support other countries in independently choosing their own paths of democratic development, and work together to advance the progress of democracy for all humanity.