ACN Newswire

Additional Data From BAN2401 Phase II Results to Be Presented in Symposium Session

TOKYO, Oct 18, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. announced today that five oral presentations including a symposium, and two poster presentations, highlighting the latest data on its Alzheimer's disease / dementia pipeline including anti-amyloid beta (Abeta) protofibril antibody BAN2401, oral beta secretase cleaving enzyme (BACE) inhibitor elenbecestat, anti-Abeta antibody aducanumab, and dual orexin receptor antagonist lemborexant, will be given at the 11th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) conference taking place in Barcelona, Spain, from October 24 to 27. BAN2401, elenbecestat and aducanumab are being jointly developed by Eisai and Biogen Inc.

For BAN2401, a one-hour presentation will be given as a symposium to provide clinical and biomarker updates to the results initially presented in July 2018 from Study 201 in patients with early Alzheimer's disease (mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease or mild Alzheimer's disease dementia). The BAN2401 presentation will be webcast live. To access the live webcasts, please visit the Investors section of Eisai's website on the day at https://www.eisai.com/ir/index.html.

There will be an oral elenbecestat presentation which will include additional data on the Study 202 results that were initially presented in July 2018 in patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Elenbecestat is currently being investigated in two ongoing Phase III clinical studies (MISSION AD1/2) in patients with early Alzheimer's disease.
Meanwhile, for aducanumab, there will be several presentations on late breaking abstracts including the results of analyses of cumulative safety data from the Phase Ib study PRIME long-term extension study of patients with early Alzheimer's disease initially announced in August 2018. Currently, Eisai and Biogen are advancing two Phase III clinical studies (ENGAGE/EMERGE) on aducanumab.

In addition, there will be a presentation on data from a first-in-kind Phase II clinical study (Study 202) on the investigational sleep-wake regulation agent lemborexant in Alzheimer's disease patients with irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder (ISWRD). Discovered by Eisai, lemborexant has been jointly developed with Purdue Pharma L.P. since August 2015.

Eisai is aiming to realize prevention and cure of dementia through a holistic approach to dementia drug discovery research based on a foundation of over 30 years of experience of drug discovery activities in the area of Alzheimer's disease / dementia. Eisai is striving to create innovative medicines as soon as possible in order to further contribute to addressing the unmet medical needs of, as well as increasing the benefits provided to, patients and their families.

About BAN2401

BAN2401 is a humanized monoclonal antibody for Alzheimer's disease that is the result of a strategic research alliance between Eisai and BioArctic. BAN2401 selectively binds to neutralize and eliminate soluble, toxic Abeta aggregates that are thought to contribute to the neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer's disease. As such, BAN2401 may have the potential to have an effect on disease pathology and to slow down the progression of the disease. Eisai obtained the global rights to study, develop, manufacture and market BAN2401 for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease pursuant to an agreement concluded with BioArctic in December 2007.

About elenbecestat (generic name, development code: E2609)

Elenbecestat is an oral BACE (beta amyloid cleaving enzyme) inhibitor currently being investigated in Phase III clinical studies for Alzheimer's disease discovered by Eisai. By inhibiting BACE, a key enzyme in the production of Abeta peptides, elenbecestat reduces Abeta production, which is thought to lead to a reduction in amyloid plaque formations caused by the aggregation of toxic oligomers and protofibrils in the brain. Currently, two global Phase III clinical studies (MISSION AD1/2) of elenbecestat in early Alzheimer's disease including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD/Prodromal AD and the early stages of mild AD are underway. In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for the development of elenbecestat, a process to facilitate development and expedite review by FDA for drugs deemed as having potential to treat serious conditions and addressing unmet medical needs.

About Aducanumab (BIIB037)

Aducanumab is an investigational compound being developed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Aducanumab is a human recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb) derived from a de-identified library of B cells collected from healthy elderly subjects with no signs of cognitive impairment or cognitively impaired elderly subjects with unusually slow cognitive decline using Neurimmune's technology platform called Reverse Translational Medicine (RTM). Biogen licensed aducanumab from Neurimmune under a collaborative development and license agreement.

Aducanumab is thought to target aggregated forms of beta amyloid including soluble oligomers and insoluble fibrils which can form into amyloid plaque in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients. Based on pre-clinical and Phase 1b data to date, treatment with aducanumab has been shown to reduce amyloid plaque levels.

In August 2016 aducanumab was accepted into the European Medicines Agency's PRIME program. In September 2016 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted aducanumab into its Fast Track program and in April 2017 aducanumab was accepted into the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's (MHLW) Sakigake Designation System.

About the Joint Development Agreement between Eisai and Biogen for Alzheimer's Disease

Eisai and Biogen are widely collaborating on the joint development and commercialization of Alzheimer's disease treatments. Eisai serves as the lead in the co-development of elenbecestat, a BACE inhibitor, and BAN2401, an anti-Abeta protofibril antibody, while Biogen serves as the lead for co-development of aducanumab, Biogen's investigational anti-Abeta antibody for patients with Alzheimer's disease, and the companies plan to pursue marketing authorizations for the three compounds worldwide. If approved, the companies will also co-promote the products in major markets, such as the United States, the European Union and Japan.

About Lemborexant (generic name, development code: E2006)

Lemborexant, a dual orexin receptor antagonist, is Eisai's in-house discovered and developed small molecule compound that inhibits orexin neurotransmission by binding competitively to the two subtypes of orexin receptors (orexin receptor 1 and 2). In individuals with sleep disorders, it is possible that the orexin system that regulates sleep and wakefulness is not functioning normally. During normal periods of sleep, orexin system activity is suppressed, suggesting it is possible to purposefully counteract inappropriate wakefulness and facilitate the initiation and maintenance of sleep by interfering with orexin neurotransmission. Therefore, Eisai and Purdue have been developing lemborexant as a treatment for multiple sleep disorders.
In addition, a Phase II clinical study of lemborexant in patients with irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder (ISWRD) and mild to moderate Alzheimer's dementia is underway.

About Eisai

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a leading global research and development-based pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan. We define our corporate mission as "giving first thought to patients and their families and to increasing the benefits health care provides," which we call our human health care philosophy. With approximately 10,000 employees working across our global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to realize our human health care philosophy by delivering innovative products in various therapeutic areas with high unmet medical needs, including Oncology and Neurology.

As a global pharmaceutical company, our mission extends to patients around the world through our investment and participation in partnership-based initiatives to improve access to medicines in developing and emerging countries.

For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit www.eisai.com.

Contact:
Public Relations Department
Eisai Co., Ltd. 
+81-(0)3-3817-5120

In the final year of the Heisei era--1989-2018 in the Japanese calendar--the festival takes a look back at the era's first year with the Japanese Vintage Year 1989 exhibition

TOKYO, Oct 18, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - The Toyota Automobile Museum will host the 2018 Classic Car Festival at Meiji Jingu Gaien Park in Shinjuku, Tokyo, on November 17. The goal of the car festival is to nurture and promote automobile culture, as well as to encourage interaction among car fans; this year marks the event's 12th edition.

Most of the events will take place in front of the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery. A rich variety of activities are planned, including exhibitions and driving demonstrations, and the now customary crosstown parade featuring approximately 100 privately owned classic cars.

The theme of this year's exhibition is "Japanese Vintage Year 1989." In the latter half of the 1980s, Japan was in the midst of the asset price bubble, an era in which every automaker developed a succession of new technologies, and which saw memorable cars launched in a variety of genres, from luxury sedans to personal coupes and sports cars.

This year's festival is the last of the Heisei era, with the Japanese calendar entering a new era from 2019. For this reason, it will focus on cars launched in 1989, the first year of Heisei, which is widely regarded to be a vintage year for Japanese cars. With the cooperation of various automakers, these cars will be introduced at the festival exhibition.

The Toyota Automobile Museum's philosophy is twofold: first, to transcend boundaries between manufacturers and brands and, together with all car fans, pay respect to automobile heritage; second, to promote Japanese automotive culture, in anticipation of a future that features both cars and people. The museum hosts a variety of indoor activities and a number of events, including the Classic Car Festival, in order to communicate this philosophy throughout the world.

About Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.

Contact:
Public Affairs Division
Global Communications Department
Toyota Motor Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3817-9926

Gear Grinding Machine "ZE16C"

- Greater Structural Rigidity, Shorter Non-cutting Time, Lower Running Costs -

- Response to increasing demand for electric vehicle and robot applications
- Full-scale market launch with demonstration at JIMTOF 2018

TOKYO, Oct 18, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machine Tool Co., Ltd. (MAT), a Group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) based in Ritto, Shiga Prefecture in Japan, has developed two new gear grinding machines, the "ZE16C" and "ZE26C." The new machines are capable of higher-speed, higher-precision finishing and suited for mass-production. The new models were developed in response to rising demand for high-precision gears used in today's increasingly complex electric vehicles and reduction gears used in robots. By suppressing the gear-tooth shape error measurement to 1micrometer, the transmission units and gear reducer units' (where the gears are used) fuel performance is enhanced and quieter operation is achieved. The new ZE16C and ZE26C gear grinding machines will be on exhibit at the 29th Japan International Machine Tool Fair (JIMTOF 2018), held at Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center) on November 1, marking the full-scale market launch of the new models.

The ZE16C and ZE26C offer significantly higher performance than the highly acclaimed, preceding "ZE-B" series models (ZE15B and ZE24B). They can respectively accommodate gears with maximum outer diameters of 160 and 260 mm. In addition to faster and more precise machining, non-cutting time is reduced to roughly half that of the earlier models, enabling greater production capabilities and lower running costs. Furthermore, environmental performance and energy savings can be improved with adoption of the industry's first water-soluble coolant system (optional).

Higher grinding precision and stability are achieved thanks to various structural enhancements: these include a newly developed gantry-type counter column (ZE16C), greater rigidity in the table and grinding wheel heads, and a revamped main spindle structure. Productivity has been improved through reduced non-cutting time and faster grinding wheel head rotation speed. In addition, by expanding the maximum wheel width to 160 mm (from 125 mm on earlier models), frequency of wheel replacement is reduced and simultaneous mounting of standard and polishing grinding wheels becomes possible, enabling response to a variety of in-factory needs.
At JIMTOF, the new ZE16C will be on display and perform a gear grinding demonstration (dry run). A demonstration will also be given of MAT's "DIASCOPE" monitoring system, which uses IoT technology to give visibility of real-time production status.

Today, demand for more precise gear finishing and mass production of precision gears is rising amid the shift to electric vehicles, enhancements in noise and fuel performance, and moves toward low-cost production. In addition, most recently demand is expanding for robot reduction gears as development of versatile robots gather momentum. The new ZE-C series has been launched to respond to this growing trend of gear grinding machines requiring ever-higher speed and precision.

Going forward, MAT-the manufacturer with the No.1 market share for gear grinding machines in Japan-will continue to focus on achieving further improvements in technologies and equipment relating to gear grinding.

About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial firms. For more than 130 years, we have channeled big thinking into solutions that move the world forward - advancing the lives of everyone who shares our planet. We deliver innovative and integrated solutions across a wide range of industries, covering land, sea, sky and even space. MHI Group employs 80,000 people across 400 locations, operating in three business domains: "Power Systems," "Industry & Infrastructure," "Aircraft, Defense & Space." We have a consolidated revenue of around 40 billion U.S. Dollars. We aim to contribute to environmental sustainability while achieving global growth, using our leading-edge technologies. By bringing people and ideas together as one, we continue to pave the way to a future of shared success.

For more information, please visit MHI's website: https://www.mhi.com
For Technology, Trends and Tangents, visit MHI's new online media SPECTRA: https://spectra.mhi.com

Contact:
Corporate Communication Department
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Email: mediacontact_global@mhi.co.jp
Tel: +81-(0)3-6716-2168
Fax: +81-(0)3-6716-5860

- Aim to demonstrate reduction of power consumption by 30% through optimization of energy management -

TOKYO, Oct 18, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Under a demonstration project initiated in 2016, NEDO with its associate companies, Hitachi, Ltd., and Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd. have introduced energy-saving solar power generation equipment and an information and communications technology (ICT) system at a hospital operated by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), a premier public medical college and hospital located in New Delhi. The demonstration operation phase of the project has now started to verify the effectiveness of the ICT system that was introduced with the aim of improving the efficiency of medical care operations and optimizing energy management to reduce the hospital's power consumption by 30% compared to the level in FY2014, equivalent to around 18,000 MWh per year, 16 crores INR per year. Expected investment for the project is approx.100 crores INR.

Overview

In recent years, the population of India has increased to about 1.35 billion people, generating an urgent need to develop a social infrastructure corresponding with rapid economic development. India also faces challenging issues such as chronic power shortages and aging of its public facilities. In the medical field, Indian public healthcare providers are encountering a situation where they cannot always provide satisfactory medical services when compared to high-quality hospitals in the private sector. Under such circumstances, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) announced a "Clean and Green AIIMS" campaign1 in June 2014 and showed interest in projects to realize the campaign goal at AIIMS New Delhi.

In light of this interest, NEDO, MOHFW, and AIIMS New Delhi concluded a memorandum of understanding in November 2016, to carry out a demonstration project2 in which ICT would be utilized for integration of energy management and IT systems in the medical field. The goal of the project was to reduce overall hospital energy consumption and enable more effective management and processing of medical care data.

For implementation of the demonstration project, NEDO selected Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd. as entrusted partners to introduce an energy management system (EMS), install new or upgraded highly-efficient utility facilities, including solar power generation equipment, and install an IT system which uses a high-efficiency storage server. The project is designed to demonstrate how ICT can reduce hospital energy consumption and improve the efficiency of medical care operations.

The demonstration operation phase of the project has now been started, which will evaluate how well the newly installed or upgraded equipment is operating, the level of energy savings being achieved, and how effectively the ICT system is managing and processing medical care data.

The demonstration project is scheduled to be completed by the end of FY2019. In light of the results obtained during the project's demonstration operation phase, the hospital's energy management will be optimized with regard to its environmental, cost, and reliability-related aspects, with a goal of achieving a 30% reduction in the hospital's energy consumption compared to the FY2014 level.

To commemorate the start of demonstration operation, AIIMS, NEDO, Hitachi, Ltd., and Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd. held a commencement ceremony on October 17 that was attended by Japanese and Indian government officials.

Outline of the demonstration project

1. The project's goal is to optimize an AIIMS hospital's use of electricity and reduce its power consumption by 30% compared to the FY2014 level by reducing its consumption of commercial power and increasing its use of "green" renewable power sources through the introduction of new solar power generation equipment. The project also involves the installation of upgraded air conditioners, lighting, and IT equipment with high energy-saving performance features, and the installation of a new EMS.

2. An ICT platform3 has been installed to provide the IT infrastructure needed to not only control energy use but also assist in optimization of energy management and improvement of operational efficiency by better managing and processing medical data and verifying the effectiveness of the system.

In the future, increases in the hospital's energy consumption will be restrained given the energy savings realized through optimization of utility facility and medical care operations. The optimum operation of utility facilities can be realized by forecasting energy demand based on facility and weather conditions. Optimization of medical care operations can be realized by improved integration of medical data using high-efficiency IT solutions.

3. Diagram of demonstration project participants

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_DiagramDemoProjectParticipants.jpg

(1) "Clean and Green AIIMS" campaign
Since the development of social infrastructure is a responsibility of the Indian government, MOHFW has made the clean and green transformation of AIIMS one of its top priorities. AIIMS New Delhi is the first medical institution in India to excel in promoting energy conservation and efficiency.
(2) Project summary
Full project name: Demonstration Project for ICT Based Green Hospital at AIIMS in Delhi
Implementation period: FY2016-FY2019
Entrusted parties: Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd.
(3) ICT platform
An ICT platform is a type of infrastructure for energy operations that integrates energy-saving equipment and IT devices. In addition to controlling energy use, it can manage and process data in a comprehensive way, thereby optimizing energy management and improving the efficiency of medical care operations.

About NEDO

The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) is a national research and development agency under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Government of Japan. Following the two oil crises of the 1970s, NEDO was established in 1980 to promote the development of oil-alternative energy technologies. NEDO is active in a wide variety of areas as one of the largest public research and development management organizations in Japan.

About Hitachi in India

Hitachi started its business in India in the 1930's. With approximately 30 business bases and approximately 10,000 employees in India. Presently, Hitachi Group in India is expanding through using its expertise in 'Social Innovation Business', by providing solutions in the areas including information and communication systems, industrial systems like water, oil and gas supply and management, transportation and urban development systems. Together with further localisation, Hitachi aims to contribute to developing a sustainable society in India as well as contributing to the country's economic growth. For more information about the Hitachi Group in India, please visit the website at www.hitachi.co.in

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges, combining its operational technology, information technology, and products/systems. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2017 (ended March 31, 2018) totaled 9,368.6 billion yen ($88.4 billion). The Hitachi Group is an innovation partner for the IoT era, and it has approximately 307,000 employees worldwide. Through collaborative creation with customers, Hitachi is deploying Social Innovation Business using digital technologies in a broad range of sectors, including Power/Energy, Industry/Distribution/Water, Urban Development, and Finance/Social Infrastructure/Healthcare. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

Contact:
NEDO Energy Conservation Technology Department:
Contact persons: Mochizuki, Kyoku
Tel : +81- 44-520-5284

NEDO International Affairs Department:
Contact persons: Kataoka, Kiba
Tel : +81-44-520-5190

Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd.:
Contact person: Yoshiharu, Iwata
Tel : +91-11-4060-5252

Lessons from the WARC Awards 2018

LONDON, Oct 18, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - WARC, the global authority on advertising and media effectiveness, has today released its Effective Content Strategy Report 2018, outlining key content marketing themes from the world's most effective campaigns.

Drawn from the winners of the Effective Content Strategy category of this year's international WARC Awards, a global search for next-generation marketing effectiveness, the report identifies common themes from branded editorial-style content that can demonstrate a business outcome.

WARC's Lucy Aitken, Managing Editor, Case Studies, says: "Despite the stumbling blocks in encouraging advertisers to experiment with new content formats and try something that perhaps doesn't look like advertising of old, there is a palpable enthusiasm for content.

"Content is starting to take a more central role in communications strategies that recognise its strengths and its power to connect."

Following WARC's analysis of the metadata of the entries, together with an entrants' survey and contributions from the eminent judging panel chaired by John Dokes, Global Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager, AccuWeather New York, four key themes have been identified around Effective Content Strategy:
Humour as an effective content strategy
Emotion and humour were the creative strategies of nearly a third (32%) of shortlisted papers in the Effective Content Strategy category at this year's WARC Awards.

The Grand Prix winner, Coca-Cola's Hijacking the African Cup by FP7/CAIRO, showed how emotion and humour could successfully engage audiences, as did Whiskas' Kitten Kollege by AMVBBDO and Malaysian telco Maxis' 4G Films by Ensemble Worldwide and Initiative Malaysia.

Jury member Lennie Stern, Head of Creative and Entertainment Strategies, BETC Paris says: "Creating emotion is what brands have to do today. Make them laugh and you'll encourage them to share new cultural references."

Content must scale up to reach its full potential

In a survey by WARC asking entrants into the Effective Content Strategy category whether their clients will be investing in more branded content in the future, 89% agreed that they would. Given that brands are committing more to the benefits of content, budgets need to grow to ensure that it can be consistent over time and deliver on marketing objectives.

Judge Nick Kendall, Founding Partner, Broken, Electric Glue and The Garage Soho, comments: "Scaling, and scaling hard behind proven success, is the new business practice. Now content is growing up and finding 'the power of ideas'. So let's make sure we have 'the power of media' to drive them."

Content that creates a point of difference

Telcos, particularly those in the MENA region, where countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia boast some of the highest smartphone penetration in the world, are increasingly dependent on content marketing to help differentiate in a highly commoditised sector.

There are lessons here for marketers in sectors such as financial services where differentiation remains one of the biggest challenges.

Daniel Shepherd, Director, Digital Planning, PHD UAE, says: "Showing is better than telling to get into consumers' hands and hearts. In a sea of sameness, littered by the debris of countless boastful claims, content makes impressive waves and ripples that last."

Content that engages new audiences

Nearly half (44%) of entrants surveyed by WARC cited new customer acquisition as a key objective of their content marketing. And many winning campaigns successfully reached new audiences.

U.S. dating app Hinge by the STUDIO repositioned itself as a relationship app through an animated film, inviting people to Escape the Dating Apocalypse and doubled its user base. Meanwhile, Emirates NBD's Dear Younger Me by Momentum Egypt increased youth acquisitions through branded content that engaged emotionally with Egypt's under-25s.

Jury member Aliya Hasan, Head of Strategy, Vizeum Australia, comments: "Content can provide an accessible platform for new audiences to experience brands that might have been previously unfamiliar. It can often be more trusted and disarming than traditional advertising.

"Put simply, content done well, does well. It can truly be a powerful weapon in a marketer's arsenal when wielded skillfully."

A sample of WARC's Effective Content Strategy Report 2018 can be downloaded on https://content.warc.com/read-the-2018-effective-content-strategy-report-lessons-from-the-warc-awards. The report in full is available to WARC subscribers and includes chapter analysis with views and opinions from the judges, as well as summaries - objectives, insights, strategies, results and take-outs - of the winning case studies.

Now in their third year, the WARC Awards 2019 will open for entries on 1 November 2018. Free to enter, there is a $40,000 prize fund for the winning papers. View on https://www.warc.com/warcawards.prize for more information.

About WARC

- Your global authority on advertising and media effectiveness

warc.com is an online service offering advertising best practice, evidence, insights and data from the world's leading brands. WARC helps clients grow their businesses by using proven approaches to maximise advertising effectiveness. WARC's clients include the world's largest advertising and media agencies, research companies, advertisers, market analysts and academics.

WARC runs two global and two regional case study competitions: WARC Awards, WARC Media Awards, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy and WARC Prize for MENA Strategy.

WARC publishes three global rankings of advertising excellence: Gunn 100 (creativity), WARC 100 (effectiveness), Gunn Media 100 (media innovation) and publishes leading journals including Admap, Market Leader, the Journal of Advertising Research and the International Journal of the Market Research Society. In addition to its own content, WARC features advertising case studies and best practices from more than 50 respected industry sources, including ARF, Effies, Cannes Lions, ESOMAR and IPA.

Founded in 1985, WARC has offices in the UK, U.S. and Singapore. In June 2018 WARC was acquired by Ascential plc, the global specialist information company.

Contact:
Amanda Benfell
PR Manager
+44 20 7467 8125
amanda.benfell@warc.com

(From left to right) Executive Director of GoAirborne Indoor Skydiving Macau Ben Wu; Executive Director of Emperor Group Alex Yeung; Founder of Lisboeta and Director of MTPR Arnaldo Ho; LINE FRIENDS character BROWN; Country Head of LINE FRIENDS (Hong Kong and Thailand) Dennis Lee; and Managing Director of 388 Lightlines Limited Scott Jason Davies officiate the toasting ceremony

Revitalising the Memories of Macau and Delivering an All-Encompassing Experience

MACAU, Oct 18, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Macau Theme Park and Resort Limited (the "Company" or "MTPR"), a developer of leisure and entertainment integrated resort facilities in Macau, today unveiled its plans for its inaugural integrated resort project, Lisboeta, on Cotai, Macau. The unique Macau-themed integrated resort is the first of its kind, and will introduce many offerings new to Macau and the region, delivering an all-encompassing experience sure to entice guests of all ages, especially families and a younger demographic.

A naming ceremony was held at the Grand Lisboa Hotel, Macau today, officiated by directors of MTPR including Mr. Arnaldo Ho, Ms. Angela Leong, Mr. Lee Wai Man and Mr. Li Chi Keung.

The HKD5 billion project is located adjacent to the Macau East Asian Games Dome on 106,015 square metres of land, with a gross floor area of 141,035 square metres, including approximately 15,000 square metres of parking space. In addition, approximately 20,000 square metres of open space is reserved for outdoor events and leisure purposes.

The Lisboeta's overall design concept pays homage to 'old Macau', incorporating details inspired by iconic buildings etched into the collective memory of Macau locals, such as Hotel Estoril, floating casino Macau Palace and New Central Hotel. The two thematic zones in the integrated resort, namely Retrospective Macau and Future Macau, aim to showcase the development of the vibrant city since the 1960s, as well as envision its exciting future and potential.

Mr. Arnaldo Ho, founder of Lisboeta and Director of MTPR, said in his presentation during the media conference, "In recent years, we have seen many beautiful, modern resorts and attractions with all kinds of themes developed on Cotai. However, there is little to be seen of the original, authentic Macau which is characterised by the many architectural icons developed by my father, Dr. Stanley Ho. Therefore, my idea behind the Lisboeta is not only to evoke nostalgia for the old times, but also revitalise those memories of Macau with fresh new concepts.

"The significance of the name Lisboeta, which means 'the citizens of Lisboa' in English, is twofold: it represents the deep bond between Lisboa and Macau, as well as the close ties between our brand and our patrons. Likewise, the Lisboeta is a project dedicated to the Macau people, who manifest the culture and heritage of this city. The integrated resort is set to open in 2020 as a premier integrated entertainment and leisure resort in Macau and regionally."

Three Self-Operated Hotel Brands Offering 820 Guestrooms in Total

The Lisboeta will offer 820 guestrooms across three hotel brands in a 12-storey hotel tower. Serving as a bridge connecting the Retrospective and Future zones of the integrated resort, the tower has incorporated Macau's quintessential architectural characteristics into the exterior design, such as the curved rooftop and facade mosaic of the Hotel Estoril. All rooms and suites will be operated by MTPR.

The Lisboeta Hotel

The Lisboeta Hotel contains 574 rooms and suites with interior design evoking 1960s Macau, enhanced with modern twists to traditional elements such as the folding doors of Macau shops to reflect the evolution of Macau from the past to present. The rooms' family-friendly design will provide an overall homey ambiance.

Maison L'OCCITANE

The first of its kind in the world, Maison L'OCCITANE hotel has 164 rooms and suites boasting designs inspired by Provence, the south of France from where the internationally renowned natural well-being product brand originated. The hotel offers a diversity of room types customised with themes based on L'OCCITANE's most iconic natural ingredients, namely Immortelle, Verbena, Cherry Blossom and Shea Butter - each illustrating classic Provencal charm and representing contemporary French elegance.

CASA DE AMIGO presented by LINE FRIENDS

The 82-room CASA DE AMIGO, which is created as the first themed hotel in the world that fully designed by LINE FRIENDS, offers an unforgettable unique experience with beloved LINE FRIENDS characters for the hotel guests, like visiting the home of LINE FRIENDS. Three uniquely themed guestrooms, namely "BROWN's room", "CONY's room" and "LINE FRIENDS' room", are available for guests to choose based on their preferences. These adorable guestrooms are decorated with splendid colours which are inspired by Portuguese architecture, and infused with a simple oriental beauty of Macau. In CASA DE AMIGO, memorable moments with LINE FRIENDS are guaranteed everywhere.

Macau Palace

The Lisboeta will recreate the former floating casino Macau Palace, which enjoyed a colourful history as a symbolic landmark in Macau, even attaining a feature in the 1974 James Bond classic film "The Man with the Golden Gun". The three-storey replica will be decorated with ornate Chinese carvings, wood moldings and lantern, all of which will be surrounded by an artificial lake. Including an exhibition area and a Chinese seafood restaurant, the Macau Palace will provide an impressive and reminiscent backdrop for the visitors touring around in the Lisboeta.

Emotionally and Physically Thrilling Attractions

Zip-line 388 is Asia Pacific's first urban zip-line attraction, and the first of its kind fully integrated with audio-visual enhancements for an extra-sensory experience. The 388-metre zip-line will begin on top of a 60-metre high purpose-built tower in the Retrospective Macau zone, where customers may enjoy views across Lisboeta before embarking on their gravity-defying adventure. 388 will operate day and night, 7 days a week.

Indoor skydiving in Lisboeta, as the first in the South China region, will inhabit a fully frameless glass tunnel, offering players a seamless panoramic perspective. Using state-of-the-art technology from international wind tunnel company, Aerodium, which has constructed over 80 wind tunnels in 27 countries, the tunnel spans 4 metres in diameter and stands at 12 metres tall. This attraction is sure to deliver exhilaration and thrills with its maximum airspeed of 280 kilometres per hour.

Emperor Cinemas will introduce Macau's very first IMAX and MX4D theatres to visitors of Lisboeta. Decorated with a glamourous Gatsby-themed design, Emperor Cinemas will also house two VIP and five regular theatres, totaling nine theatres and approximately 1,200 seats. Emperor Cinemas aims to guarantee a fully immersive movie experience to local audiences and tourists.

Other Facilities

The retail mall in Lisboeta will be divided into two thematic parts reflective of the zones surrounding the integrated resort: the outdoor nostalgic streetscape, and the indoor futuristic streetscape. The nostalgic retail area aims to bring the visitors back in time through its traditional architecture and stunning visual of the replica of Macau Palace nearby. The futuristic retail arcade, which includes a family-friendly food court, will be furnished in a sleek and modern style featuring a birdcage centrepiece.

The Lisboeta will provide a vast array of food and beverage options, including a Chinese seafood restaurant and eateries offering authentic local flavours. It will also have a versatile function space and an indoor swimming pool.

Mr. Arnaldo Ho concluded, "The Lisboeta will be a Macau-themed integrated resort guaranteed to bring happiness to Macau citizens and tourists, by offering a comprehensive experience filled with nostalgia, distinguished themed hotels, adventurous attractions and immersive cinema. The Lisboeta will be a forceful injection of unique tourism assets to Macau's portfolio for sustainable development."

"Memories of our time in Macau begins here."
- Arnaldo Ho

For images of the Lisboeta integrated resort and the media conference, please download from the following link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/im6gea8y7htsm3b/AACzkFcEiEQyM1R9fxEgQfiKa?dl=0

APPENDIX - Facts of Lisboeta integrated resort
Overview
Land area: 106,015 square metres
Gross floor area: 141,035 square metres (including 15,526 square metres of parking area)
Outdoor event space: Approximately 20,000 square metres

Hotel Brands
820 rooms and suites in total, fully operated by MTPR
Lisboeta Hotel: 574 rooms and suites
Maison L'OCCITANE: 164 rooms and suites
- The first L'OCCITANE boutique hotel in the world
CASA DE AMIGO: 82 rooms and suites
- The first themed hotel in the world fully designed by LINE FRIENDS

Entertainment and Leisure Facilities
Macau Palace: Three-storey building with exhibition space and a Chinese seafood restaurant
Zip-line 388: 388-metre long with 5 lanes, embarking from a 60-metre high purpose-built departure tower
- Asia Pacific's first urban zip-line attraction
Indoor skydiving: Wind tunnel dimensions: 4m diameter x 12m height / Maximum airspeed: 280 km/h
- First in South China region
Emperor Cinemas
- First IMAX & MX4D theatres in Macau:
Nine theatres with approximately 1,200 seats in total
- One IMAX theatre
- One MX4D theatre
- Two VIP theatres
- Five regular theatres

Retail: 29,858 square metres
Food & beverage: A vast array of food and beverage options, including Chinese seafood restaurant and eateries offering authentic tastes of Macau
Meetings and events : A function space with the capacity to host many versatile events

About Macau Theme Park and Resort Limited
Macau Theme Park and Resort Limited is a developer of leisure and entertainment integrated resort facilities in Macau. Its inaugural integrated resort project under development, Lisboeta, is located adjacent to the Macau East Asian Games Dome on 106,015 square metres of land on Cotai, Macau.

Media inquiries
Lisboeta Public Relations department
Tel: +853 8881 8389
Email: pr@lisboetamacau.com

Asia-Pacific CRO Novotech has acquired Australasian specialist CRO Clinical Network Services (CNS), with a mutual mission to expand services

SYDNEY, Oct 19, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Novotech, the largest Asia-Pacific-based CRO, has acquired Australasian specialist CRO Clinical Network Services (CNS), as part of a mutual mission to expand services to biopharma for early phase product development and clinical research through to later phase regional and global trials. Both companies will continue to retain their separate brands and identities.

Early phase CNS clients, wishing to advance into later phase regional trials, can tap into Novotech's Asia-Pacific expertise backed by 10 partnership agreements with leading hospitals and medical institutions, offering access to 1.4 billion people living in urban areas across the region. Novotech has 400+ staff across Asia-Pacific and business development offices in the USA. CNS has more than 140 staff in Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

As part of the deal, clients can access leading services from both groups, including the CNS BioDesk, which provides early stage product development advice including toxicology, CMC and FDA/EMA regulatory consulting and interactions; and Novotech's advanced regional IT infrastructure, to support their clinical research programs.

Novotech CEO John Moller said:

"Biopharma clients should know this acquisition is a bringing together of the highest quality CROs in the region. Very importantly, we have developed remarkably similar company cultures, and I know the teams are excited about the opportunity of working together.

"Novotech and CNS will continue to operate under separate brands with CNS specialising in early phase non-oncology clinical trials across Australia and New Zealand, and Novotech specialising in regional Asia-Pacific and global project delivery across all phases.

"Our Asia-Pacific in-country relationships enable a comprehensive understanding of local regulatory requirements and changes, access to leading investigators, strong site connections, and accessible patient populations to deliver success for our clients within timelines and budgets."

CNS Managing Director Russ Neal commented:

"Early phase research in Australasia has seen incredible growth over the last 6-7 years and CNS is proud to be a significant part of this proven capability. As our clients have experienced success with us, we have often wished we had the international reach to continue supporting them.

"This truly complimentary association with Novotech now means that we are able to offer our clients access to Novotech's Asia-Pacific experience and expertise in later phase regional or global trials. On the other hand, Novotech clients can access our highly regarded global product development and regulatory affairs consultancy team, BioDesk, based out of Washington DC, London and Australia"

CNS COO and Executive Director Gabrielle McKee further added:

"CNS clients will also benefit from many of Novotech's strengths, including IT infrastructure and specialist functions such as legal, learning and development, marketing and analytics,. and particularly exciting, CNS and Novotech offer our clients one of the most experienced and knowledgeable biometrics teams in the region, with 70 staff in the combined unit."

About Novotech - https://novotech-cro.com/welcome
Headquartered in Sydney, Novotech is internationally recognized as the leading regional full-service contract research organization (CRO). With a focus on clinical monitoring, Novotech has been instrumental in the success of hundreds of Phase I - IV clinical trials in the Asia-Pacific region.

Novotech provides clinical development services across all clinical trial phases and therapeutic areas including: feasibility assessments; ethics committee and regulatory submissions, data management, statistical analysis, medical monitoring, safety services, central lab services, report write-up to ICH requirements, project and vendor management. Novotech's strong Asia-Pacific presence includes running clinical trials in all key regional markets, with a worldwide reach through the company's network of strategic partners.

About Clinical Network Services (CNS) - https://clinical.net.au/
Clinical Network Services (CNS) is an integrated service group focused on product development. Headquartered in Australia, with offices in New Zealand, the UK and the USA, CNS creates value for small to medium sized biotechnology companies by progressing early stage products through phase 1 & 2 clinical trials or the marketplace sooner.

CNS offers a unique service, integrating BioDesk, an intelligent global product development and regulatory affairs consultancy, with its committed, highly experienced Australian/New Zealand clinical services and biometrics team. CNS' regional clinical advantage is driven by the extremely pragmatic regulatory environment in Australia and New Zealand that makes it possible for clients to enter the clinic quickly, without prior regulatory approval.

CNS offers a uniquely differentiated, customer-orientated, suite of services to clients which enables it to guide products efficiently through critical post-discovery development and into initial human trials. Throughout, CNS takes a global development/ regulatory strategic approach to ensure that value is added at every stage of the product development life cycle.

Media Contact:
Susan Fitzpatrick-Napier
communications@novotech-cro.com
USA: +1 415 951 3228
AUS: +61 2 8218 2144
ASIA: +65 3159 3427

Opening the Way to Establishing New Techniques for Developing Treatments for Neurological Diseases

TOKYO, Oct 19, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - A joint research group centered around Professor Hideyuki Okano and Associate Professor Jun Kohyama, Department of Physiology of the Keio University School of Medicine, together with a research group of Eisai Co., Ltd. has identified a compound that has the potential to be a treatment for Parkinson's disease by using dopaminergic neurons differentiated from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from patients with familial Parkinson's disease.

Aiming to develop treatments for Parkinson's disease, this research group utilized neural progenitor cells induced from iPS cells derived from patients with familial Parkinson's disease and established a differentiation protocol for the stable supply of a large number of dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, the research group screened an existing drug library as an indicator of susceptibility to stress observed in dopaminergic neurons derived from Parkinson's disease patients, and identified compounds that inhibit calcium channels. Further detailed analysis conducted by the research group revealed higher expression of T-type calcium channels in dopaminergic neurons derived from PARK2 patients. It was also found that apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons derived from Parkinson's disease patients could be reduced by inhibiting calcium influx via T-type calcium channels.

From these results, it is suggested that combining disease specific iPS cells and existing drug library has potential for both the development of treatments and clarification of disease pathology.

The results of this research was published in the online version of Stem Cell Reports at 12:00 noon on October 18, 2018 (EST).

Background and Outline of Research

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease, and causes motor symptoms such as tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity and postural instability and autonomic dysfunction due to a preferential loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. For 90% of Parkinson's disease patients, symptoms are idiopathic and it is difficult to understand the relationship between various factors, including those associated with the environment, and the disease mechanism. However, approximately 10% of patients show the familial incidence of Parkinson's disease, therefore understanding the disease mechanism for familial Parkinson's disease may also link with the understanding of Parkinson's disease including idiopathic Parkinson's disease as well as drug development.

Through the use of iPS cell technologies developed by Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University in 2006, research has made great advances even in diseases that were difficult to be investigated by conventional methods. In 2012, the Keio University School of Medicine became the first research facility in Japan to create iPS cells from patients with familial Parkinson's disease, and was successful in replicating the disease mechanism. Currently research into neurological diseases has become very active throughout the world, and the understanding of diseases and development of new treatments is highly anticipated.

In April 2013, the Keio University School of Medicine and Eisai initiated the "Innovative Drug Discovery Project for Refractory Neurological Diseases Using iPS Cell Technologies," and since then this drug discovery project has been progressing as an industry-academia collaboration, making full use of Keio University School of Medicine's iPS cell and related technologies as well as Eisai's drug discovery techniques. Through this research, dopaminergic neurons which are thought to be damaged in Parkinson's disease patients are created efficiently and easily using iPS cells derived from Parkinson's disease patients, and an experimental system for conducting screening for drug discovery was established. In this research, Keio University School of Medicine's library of over 1,000 existing drugs was screened to find compounds preventing increased susceptibility to stress in dopaminergic neurons derived from Parkinson's disease patients.

Results and Significance of Research, Future Development

In this research, neural progenitor cells induced from iPS cells established from two familial Parkinson's disease (PARK2) patients were used to efficiently generate dopaminergic neurons. In patient-derived neurons, reduced neurite length as well as elevated oxidative stress and apoptosis were observed compared to neurons derived from healthy controls. Furthermore, it was revealed that these disease-relevant phenotypes were also observed in dopaminergic neurons derived from isogenic PARK2 null iPS cells obtained by genome editing.

In addition, since patient-derived dopaminergic neurons showed high susceptibility to rotenone, a mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I inhibitor, an existing drug library was screened with vulnerability to this drug-induced stress as the target. From phenotypic screening with an existing drug library, several compounds that suppressed stress-induced apoptosis were identified. Furthermore, it was found that T-type calcium channel antagonists effectively reduced stress-induced apoptosis. Importantly, these compounds demonstrated similar reduction in stress-induced apoptosis in dopaminergic neurons derived from other type of familial Parkinson's disease (PARK6) patients who possess a genetic abnormality which is different to PARK2.

Further detailed analysis conducted by the research group revealed higher expression of T-type calcium channels in dopaminergic neurons derived from PARK2 patients. It was also found that apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons derived from Parkinson's disease patients could be reduced by inhibiting calcium influx via T-type calcium channels.

From these results, using iPS cells derived from patients enabled the establishment of in vitro disease models that reflect human biology, and by further combining with existing drug library, suggested efficacy for drug screening. By promoting the understanding of disease pathology through this method, it is hoped that this will lead to application in the development of a fundamental treatment for Parkinson's disease. Going forward, this research will continue, the knowledge gained will be further developed, and experimental systems closely reflecting the brain environment in vivo such as co-cultured neurons with glial cells will be utilized in an effort to verify the validity of targets for Parkinson's disease.

Special Notes

This research was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP16K15240, JP26713047, AMED under Grant Numbers JP17bk0104016h0005 and JP15bk0104009h0003, as well as joint research with Eisai Co., Ltd.

Academic Paper

Title: T-type calcium channels determine the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons to mitochondrial stress in familial Parkinson's disease
Authors: Yoshikuni Tabata, Yoichi Imaizumi, Michiko Sugawara, Tomoko Noda (Ando), Satoe Banno, MuhChyi Chai, Takefumi Sone, Kazuto Yamazaki, Masashi Ito, Kappei Tsukahara, Hideyuki Saya, Nobutaka Hattori, Jun Kohyama, Hideyuki Okano
Publisher: Stem Cell Reports

Glossary of Terms

iPS cell: Cells that are created from introducing specific transcription factors into somatic cells such as skin tissue, are self-proliferating and can be differentiated into all types of tissues and cells.
Neural progenitor cells: Cells that can be differentiated into neurons or glia cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes).
T-type calcium channels: A type of ion channels (proteins on the cell membrane) that selectively allows calcium ions to enter into cells from outside them.
PARK2 (parkin): Familial Parkinson's disease which is more common in Japan. It is known that aberrations in PARK2 genes cause juvenile Parkinson's disease.
PARK6 (PINK1): Autosomal recessive early-onset Parkinson's disease, the next most common type of Parkinson's disease after PARK2.

About Eisai

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a leading global research and development-based pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan. We define our corporate mission as "giving first thought to patients and their families and to increasing the benefits health care provides," which we call our human health care philosophy. With approximately 10,000 employees working across our global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to realize our human health care philosophy by delivering innovative products in various therapeutic areas with high unmet medical needs, including Oncology and Neurology.

As a global pharmaceutical company, our mission extends to patients around the world through our investment and participation in partnership-based initiatives to improve access to medicines in developing and emerging countries.

For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit www.eisai.com.

Contact:
Office of General Affairs
Shinanomachi Campus
Keio University
35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 160-8582
TEL:+81-3-5363-3611
FAX:+81-3-5363-3612
E-mail: med-koho@adst.keio.ac.jp
http://www.med.keio.ac.jp/en/index.html

Eisai Co., Ltd.
PR Department 
TEL : +81-3-3817-5120

HIROSHIMA, Japan, Oct 19, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Mazda Motor Corporation has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices' World Index(1) and Asia Pacific Index(2) for the second year running.

Dow Jones Sustainability Indices assess sustainability by examining a company's environmental initiatives, social contribution, human resource development, corporate governance and compliance. Established in 1999 by S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM, they are recognized by investors the world over as among the longest-running ESG investment indices.(3) Global and regional indices are published annually and comprise outstanding companies from each industry.

Mazda was selected on the basis of a survey questionnaire and a comprehensive review of the company's Sustainability Report, Annual Report and official website that highly evaluated Mazda's initiatives in CSR and information disclosure. Mazda was one of 34 Japanese companies chosen from among the approximately 2,500 major corporations that were assessed for inclusion in the DJSI World Index this year.

In addition, Mazda won a Silver Class award in the 2018 RobecoSAM Sustainability Awards(4) as an outstanding company in the automotive industry. RobecoSAM decides award winners based on the results of the previous year's evaluations for inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices.

Mazda will continue to prioritize CSR in all initiatives and contribute to the development of a sustainable society. The company envisions a world in which cars exist in harmony with the earth, society and individuals and aims to build a strong bond with customers by enriching their lives with an experience of car ownership that celebrates driving.

(1) Approximately 2,500 major global companies were assessed for the DJSI World Index and 317 were selected (including 34 Japanese companies).
(2) Approximately 600 major companies based in the region were assessed for the DJSI Asia Pacific Index and 150 were selected (including 75 Japanese companies).
(3) Investment indices based on performance in the areas of environment, social contribution and corporate governance.
(4) RobecoSAM, the organization that evaluates companies for inclusion in Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, awards outstanding candidates in each industry with Gold, Silver and Bronze Class awards. Within the automotive industry, one company was selected for a Gold Class award, two were selected for Silver and two for Bronze.

About Mazda

Mazda Motor Corporation (TSE: 7261) started manufacturing tools in 1929 and soon branched out into production of trucks for commercial use. In the early 1960s, Mazda launched its first passenger car models and began developing rotary engines. Still headquartered in Hiroshima in western Japan, Mazda today ranks as one of Japan's leading automakers, and exports cars to the United States and Europe for over 30 years. For more information, please visit www.mazda.com

Contact:
Corporate Communications Division
Mazda Motor Corporation, Japan
+81-3-3508-5056 [Tokyo]
+81-82-282-5253 [Hiroshima]
mailto: media@mazda.co.jp

HIROSHIMA, Japan, Oct 19, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Mazda Motor Corporation published the Mazda Sustainability Report 2018(1) in Japanese and Annual Report 2018(2) in English and Japanese on the company's website. The English version of the Sustainability Report will be published in November.

Highlights of the Sustainability Report 2018

Top Message
- Akira Marumoto, Mazda's Representative Director, President and CEO discusses his views on CSR and the progress of initiatives to improve Mazda's brand value.
- Details specific initiatives that will help achieve Mazda's long-term vision for technology development "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030"

Special Feature
- An interview with Kiyoshi Fujiwara, Mazda's Representative Director and Executive Vice President, regarding the "Direction of Future Frameworks," which sets a compass bearing for fundamental initiatives aimed at sustainable growth, and Mazda's electrification and connectivity strategies for cars that invigorate the mind and body.

The Sustainability Report also gives a comprehensive overview of Mazda's CSR initiatives in the areas of Customer Satisfaction, Quality, Safety, Environment, Respect for People and Social Contribution.

Highlights of the Annual Report 2018

Message from Management
- In addition to reviewing fiscal year March 2018 and discussing the forecast for the current year, Akira Marumoto, Mazda's President and CEO looks back at the Structural Reform Plan and Structural Reform Stage 2 and explains the "Direction of Future Frameworks."
- Kiyoshi Fujiwara, Representative Director and Executive Vice President, explains the new product strategy, the reformation of the U.S. sales network, alliance initiatives and other measures that will enable genuine growth from fiscal year March 2022 and beyond, as laid out in the "Direction of Future Frameworks."

Review of Operations
Details the company's business results, forecasts, and sales initiatives in Japan, North America, Europe, China and other markets

Increasing Corporate Value
Introduces the "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030" technology development vision and Monotsukuri Innovation

Foundations Underpinning Sustainable Growth
Outlines Mazda's CSR initiatives, corporate governance and Business Management System

Mazda began fully implementing Brand Value Management in 2013. The Sustainability Report and Annual Report show how Mazda is working to become a brand that enriches people's lives at every touchpoint to build a strong emotional connection with customers, focusing on the company's initiatives, organizational aspects and people.

(1) The English version of the Sustainability Report 2018 will be published in November along with a digest version/corporate profile available in both English and Japanese.
(2) English and Japanese versions of the Annual Report were published on Mazda's official website on August 31, 2018

About Mazda

Mazda Motor Corporation (TSE: 7261) started manufacturing tools in 1929 and soon branched out into production of trucks for commercial use. In the early 1960s, Mazda launched its first passenger car models and began developing rotary engines. Still headquartered in Hiroshima in western Japan, Mazda today ranks as one of Japan's leading automakers, and exports cars to the United States and Europe for over 30 years. For more information, please visit www.mazda.com

Contact:
Corporate Communications Division
Mazda Motor Corporation, Japan
+81-3-3508-5056 [Tokyo]
+81-82-282-5253 [Hiroshima]
mailto: media@mazda.co.jp

Cooling system energy consumption cut 29% by calculating appropriate combination of internal air circulation and intake of outside air

KAWASAKI, Japan, Oct 19, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. has developed cooling control technology to make major reductions to electricity usage by datacenter cooling equipment. With the rapid spread of AI services, datacenters now increasingly host high-performance, high-temperature-generating computing systems, and it is expected that the energy consumption associated with these will rise continuously. Given this, new ways to reduce energy are in demand, particularly for cooling equipment, which can account for up to 30-50% of total energy consumption in a datacenter.

Currently, datacenters are adopting a variety of efforts to conserve energy used for cooling, including the air conditioning devices that bring in colder air from outside or control methods that search for optimal settings to minimize power consumption. Despite these efforts, further steps will be essential to effectively maximize power efficiency. Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a new cooling control technology that can determine the rate at which outside air is introduced, factoring in both temperature and humidity, and can determine the optimal temperature settings by measuring the degree of impact each cooling device has on specific areas of the datacenter, significantly reducing the energy consumption needed for cooling. Details of this technology will be presented at the International Conference on Control, Automation, and Systems 2018 (ICCAS2018), an international conference being held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on October 19.

Development Background

AI and IoT markets are growing at a dramatic pace, and in line with this growth, large-scale computing systems so typical of datacenters are increasingly comprised of high performance, heat-generating devices that specialize in AI processing. Electricity used by datacenters amounts to about 2% of total global electricity consumption, and this figure is likely to grow. This not only promises to impact electricity costs, but also poses a serious burden for the global environment. The most effective way to reduce energy consumption in datacenters is to reduce the electricity usage of cooling equipment, which makes up about half of the datacenter's total power usage.
Issues

Cooling devices that utilize natural energy in the form of outside air are used to reduce the amount of power needed to maintain datacenter temperatures at acceptable levels. By introducing outside air when it is cooler than the air in the datacenter, temperatures can be controlled with very little energy consumption. However, cooling devices also have humidity control requirements that occasionally conflict with the optimal conditions for temperature, so efficient control has not always been achieved when considering both factors-humidity, as well as temperature. Additionally, datacenter users execute a wide variety of services with different energy consumption, and so the amount of heat emitted by each server tends to change rapidly. In order to achieve further reductions in energy consumption, it is necessary to dynamically control setting values for each cooling device while both maintaining preset management requirements for environmental temperature and humidity for each server, and tracking changes in heat from server equipment.

About the Newly Developed Technology

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed algorithms for controlling the intake of outside air to minimize power consumption of cooling equipment, and for efficiently cooling by dynamically identifying heat producing areas. By combining this newly developed system with technology previously developed by Fujitsu Laboratories that predicts temperature changes in datacenters with high accuracy, it is possible to, for example, forecast conditions an hour into the future, and control operations so as to effectively minimize power consumption over time.

1. Technology to control outside-air introduction based on cooling device energy efficiency

Sensors are installed to measure temperature and humidity near the cooling equipment in the room, as well as outside. The system then calculates the amount of energy necessary to cool the room and remove humidity when recirculating internal air and when introducing outside air, based on the setting values for the cooling equipment. On top of this, Fujitsu Laboratories developed technology to control the ratio of internal air and outside air in order to minimize energy consumption. These systems are able to appropriately manage both temperature and humidity with low power consumption.

2. Control algorithm minimizes cooling equipment power use, tracks change in server heat

When changing the temperature settings for the equipment, this algorithm analyzes past changes in temperature distribution in the room, and calculates the impact of each cooling device on each area. By controlling the temperature setting of the cooling equipment, which has the biggest impact on an area when temperatures increase for servers in that area, this system can manage temperatures with minimal energy consumption.

Effects

When a trial of this newly developed air cooling control technology was conducted in a 300-rack Fujitsu datacenter during actual operations, it was able to reduce energy consumption needed for cooling by 29% compared to previous operating conditions . Based on these results, calculating the effects for a 1,000 rack datacenter that uses 70 million kWh/year for servers and 22 million kWh for cooling, energy savings of 6.4 million kWh/year can be expected. With this new technology, Fujitsu should be able to contribute to mitigating the impact of global warming by reducing energy consumption in datacenters, where power usage is expected to increase in the future.

Future Plans

Fujitsu Laboratories will be rolling out this newly developed cooling control technology to datacenters operated by Fujitsu Limited beginning in 2019, and simultaneously plans to incorporate the technology into a computing system that delivers low-energy, efficient cooling management.

About Fujitsu Laboratories

Founded in 1968 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. is one of the premier research centers in the world. With a global network of laboratories in Japan, China, the United States and Europe, the organization conducts a wide range of basic and applied research in the areas of Next-generation Services, Computer Servers, Networks, Electronic Devices and Advanced Materials. For more information, please see: http://www.fujitsu.com/jp/group/labs/en/.

About Fujitsu Ltd

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 140,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.1 trillion yen (US $39 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

* Please see this press release: http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/

Contact:
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd.
Computer Systems Laboratory
E-mail: acs_system_dca@ml.labs.fujitsu.com

Fujitsu Limited
Public and Investor Relations
Tel: +81-3-3215-5259
URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/

- Highlighting Potential as Thailand's Largest Packaging Manufacturers
- Ready to be the Leader in ASEAN

BANGKOK, Oct 19, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - BG Container Glass PCL (BGC) floats its shares today on the Securities Exchange of Thailand for its first trading session (18 Oct). The company's vision is to be the leading manufacturer and distributor of glass containers and quality packaging products in ASEAN while preparing to expand its market in Thailand and abroad. Its vision is backed by its new factory in Ratchaburi, which will be ready to begin commercial operations in November and is expected to increase production by 400 tons per day, raising the total production to 3,495 tons per day.

Mr. Silparat Watthanakasetr, Managing Director of BGC, said, "As Thailand's major producer, distributor, exporter and importer of glass containers, we are confident that investors will respond positively to this initial public offering (IPO). BGC has the vision to become the leading manufacturer and distributor of quality glass containers and packaging in ASEAN. It plans to expand sales throughout Thailand and exports to ASEAN countries such as Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam as well as countries in other regions such as Switzerland, Spain and Australia."

Currently, BGC is the producer and distributor of glass packaging products with the largest production capacity in Thailand. Its new glass container plant and furnace in Ratchaburi will begin commercial operations in November 2018, which will increase production by 400 tons per day, boosting the total production to 3,495 tons per day. The new glass furnace has been designed to operate effectively at full capacity, and an online quality control system has been installed. Moreover, the new plant in Ratchaburi will be able to accommodate an additional furnace in the future in response to increasing consumer demands.

Meanwhile, the company's performance during the first six months (January-June 2018) has yielded a net profit of 270.1 million baht, an increase of 122 percent over the same period last year with a net profit of 121.7 million baht. This is due to a decline in production costs after completing the company's closed down Rayong production plant.

"BGC aims to be the leader in the production and distribution of high-quality glass packaging products across the ASEAN region. The new Ratchaburi facility will help fulfill the company's strategic operations in the future because the plant is situated at a strategic location as well as having a flexible production process that will allow the company to expand its client base and serve new markets," said Mr. Silparat.

Mr. Pongsak Phrukpaisal, deputy managing director of Kasikorn Securities Pcl., as financial advisor and lead underwriter of the company, says BGC is a company with a strong business foundation and has good potential for growth. As the manufacturer and distributor of glass packaging products with the largest production capacity in Thailand, BGC is in an advantageous position as it is able to keep the production cost per unit at a competitive level. Furthermore, the company has plants in several provinces, which enhances capital management, logistics and access to raw materials.

"BGC's glass packaging materials are widely used and such usage is expected to be increasing as we go forward because their products are environmentally friendly and 100% recyclable. As well, the glass packaging industry has only a few major producers and this is a business that requires high investment capital which poses obstacles to new entrants," Mr Pongsak says.

Distributed for BG Container Glass PCL
by MT Multimedia Co., Ltd.
(Fah) Ornanong Pattaravejkul
Tel: +66 2612 2081 ext. 129 or +66 8 6801 8888
E-mail: ornanong.p@mtmultimedia.com

Vienna & Tokyo, Oct 19, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - card complete Service Bank AG, Austria's largest credit card issuer and a top acquirer, and JCB International, Co., Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., today announced the rollout of JCB Contactless* acceptance in Austria.

JCB cardmembers will now be able to tap their card or mobile phone on a reader to pay for goods and services. The contactless payment option for JCB will be available at all terminals hosted by card complete. This is the first rollout of JCB Contactless in Austria. More than 10,000 CCSB merchants will be enabled for JCB Contactless all over the country, which is great news for the 117 million JCB cardmembers from around the world. With this move JCB cardmembers will be able to pay with JCB Contactless at restaurants, hotels, retailers, supermarkets, rental car agencies, opera houses, museums, public transport, travel agencies and many more locations across Austria.

This additional payment method will ensure that a faster payment process is in place for JCB cardmembers to take advantage of an enhanced shopping experience.

Mr. Tsuyoshi Notani, Managing Director, JCB International (Europe) Ltd. says, "As a global payment brand, we are very excited to announce this additional contactless payment solution to our growing customer base. With a large number of Asian visitors coming to Europe, this partnership will provide potential new profits and customer opportunities to card complete merchants across Austria."

Heimo Hackel, chief executive officer at card complete Service Bank AG says: "The acceptance of contactless payment with JCB Cards in Austria is great news for JCB cardmembers: They now will enjoy the comfort of a faster, more convenient and signature-free contactless payment at restaurants, hotels, cultural institutions, public transports and many more locations. As one of the largest acquirers in Austria we are proud to support the rollout of contactless acceptance for JCB as local partner."

*JCB Contactless: The JCB brand contactless payment solution that is compliant with NFC and EMV(R) Contactless Communication Protocol Specifications. (EMV is a registered trademark or trademark of EMVCo LLC in the United States and other countries).

About card complete Service Bank AG

card complete Service Bank AG is Austria's leading issuer and a top acquirer with more than 1.5m cardmembers and provision of nation-wide acceptance for various payment cards.

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading payment card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to provide responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/ or www.jcbeurope.eu/

Contact
Benjamin Ploiner
JCB International (Europe)
Senior Account Manager
Tel: +43 1 2057 76 0024

JCB Co., Ltd.
Kumiko Kida
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-5778-8353
Email: jcb-pr@info.jcb.co.jp

Yaris WRC Car 8

Rally de Espana: Preview

TOKYO, Oct 19, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team will defend its leadership of the FIA World Rally Championship manufacturers' standings on the penultimate round of the season in Spain (October 25-28). As the only truly mixed-surface event on the calendar, it will provide a thorough test for the performance of the Toyota Yaris WRC, driven by Jari-Matti Latvala, Ott Tanak and Esapekka Lappi.

Based in Salou on the Costa Daurada to the south of Barcelona, Rally de Espana features one day of medium-speed gravel stages followed by two days on smooth, high-speed asphalt roads that are likened to racing circuits. At the end of Friday, teams convert their cars from gravel to asphalt specification in an extended evening service, and drivers need to quickly adjust to the change of surface the following morning.

This year, there is a return to Barcelona for a street stage in the Montjuic area to get the rally underway on Thursday evening. Friday consists of three stages each run twice, mostly on gravel but with some asphalt sections in the 38.85-kilometre La Fatarella-Vilalba test. Saturday has two loops of three asphalt stages, followed by a short stage in Salou itself. On Sunday the Riudecanyes and Santa Marina stages are run twice, separated by service, with the second pass of Santa Marina as the rally-ending Power Stage.

Tommi Makinen (Team Principal)
"I believe that Spain should be a good event for us. We have made some changes to help our car perform well on loose gravel, and we know that our car has already been strong on asphalt. Of course, there are always things to improve and we have been working on both surfaces in our pre-event testing. The Friday will be very important, particularly given our road positions, to ensure we are in a good situation for the rest of the rally. I think the last two rounds will be exciting to follow, both for the manufacturers' championship and in the drivers' title fight: Ott will be pushing to the maximum and I am sure his rivals will be too."

Jari-Matti Latvala (Driver car 7)
"I am really excited about Spain and the chance to score a great result to help our bid for the manufacturers' championship. It is a rally I have always enjoyed: the asphalt stages there are particularly nice to drive. In my pre-event test last week I was fortunate to experience both damp and dry conditions, and I have a good feeling with the car. Personally I am on a nice run at the moment and the goal is to keep this going until the end of the season."

Ott Tanak (Driver car 8)
"I am looking forward to driving again in Spain. We still have a chance in the drivers' championship and we are not going to give up. In a way it is more straightforward for us: we just have to win the last two rallies and see what happens. I can be confident about our performance on both gravel and asphalt, as we have been strong on both surfaces recently. Still, we are always trying to improve and we had a good pre-event test where we were able to work on some things to make everything as good as possible before the rally."

Esapekka Lappi (Driver car 9)
"I am fully committed to helping the team fight for the manufacturers' title over the final two events of the season. As a team we have had some really nice results recently and I hope to continue that in Spain. I like the challenge of the two surfaces: as a driver you do need to adapt to the chance but I think we all get used to it pretty quickly. The asphalt stages in Spain are very special and I really enjoy driving them. Unfortunately I made a mistake last year but hopefully I can use that experience this time to have a strong finish."

About Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.

Contact:
Public Affairs Division
Global Communications Department
Toyota Motor Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3817-9926

Recent changes enable dedicated focus to the development of new software and products core to enhancing safety and reducing environmental impact

TOKYO, Oct 19, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - DENSO corporation, the world's second largest mobility supplier, has made recent changes that represent one of the largest shifts in business strategy in its 70-year history - expanding into software-based solutions in addition to its hardware expertise - that push the company beyond a vehicle-centric focus in order to help create an new mobility paradigm for society. The global auto industry is undergoing a once-in-a-century shift that will fundamentally reshape transportation. Given the changing cast of competitors that make up the evolving auto industry, DENSO has transformed its conventional business model to achieve success for customers, consumers, partners, employees, and all other stakeholders.

DENSO's long-term policy, which was launched last year, guides the company toward its 2030 goal: to create and inspire new value for the future of mobility. DENSO today launched its 2018 Annual Report, which is the first account of company activities following the release of its long-term policy. The policy and report reiterates DENSO's strategy to achieve vision, including:

1. Increasing performance in the fields of electrification and automated driving
2. Realigning organizational structure to accelerate business execution, R&D, collaboration, and other efficiencies
3. Focusing on key initiatives both in and outside the auto industry to add value

"Our long-term vision is a future with enhanced mobility, safety and peace of mind, with less impact on the environment. We still have a deep commitment to protecting lives, but we are ready to realize our second founding," said CEO Koji Arima. "This means we must change our own organization to prevail in the rapidly changing business landscape and provide value to our customers that goes beyond a vehicle-centric focus to enrich society's broader needs."

Increasing Performance in Electrification and Automated Driving

DENSO is committed to advancing automotive innovation and meeting the demands of the future of transportation. Thus, DENSO will continue to increase its performance in the fields of electrification and automated driving to achieve sustainable growth. The company aims to achieve revenues of 7 trillion yen (US$62B) and an operating profit ratio of 10 percent by 2026.

In 2017, DENSO announced to invest US$1 billion by 2020 in its Maryville, Tennessee location. The investment significantly advanced the United States' role in crafting the future of electrification and safety technology and made Maryville a primary manufacturing center in North America for electrification and safety systems. The investment also expanded multiple production lines to produce advanced safety, connectivity, and electrification products for hybrid and electric vehicles. These new products will radically improve fuel efficiency and preserve electric power by recovering and recycling energy, and by connecting all systems and products inside the vehicles.

Realigning Organizational Structure

DENSO has undergone restructuring with the aim of accelerating business execution during major industry change. Specific examples include:

- Reduced the number of members on the Board of Directors and separated the roles of business management and execution.
- Clarified roles of directors in charge of management, senior executive directors and executive directors.
- Made one person the lead in R&D in North America and European Union to promote collaboration, particularly in advanced technology.
- Strengthened business in China with plans to establish a China division to enhance strategy-making capability.
- Reorganized product groups to support DENSO's focus on key fields and initiatives; new business groups include: Thermal systems, Powertrain systems, Mobility systems, Electrification systems and Electronic Systems
- Arranging satellite R&D facilities globally, which are able to react agilely in the rapidly changing business environment and execute advanced R&D more speedily
- Formed alliances and partnerships with like-minded organizations to help advance DENSO's R&D function, increase speed and realize agile global development. Recent partnerships span areas such as artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, cybersecurity, electrification and agricultural technologies and include: Toshiba, Plug & Play, NRI SecureTechnologies, Dellfer, Aisin Seiki, ASAI Nursery, InfiniteKey, JOLED and the University of Michigan, to name a few.

Focusing on key initiatives

DENSO plans to focus on the areas of electrification, automated driving and connected cars to advance the future of mobility. It will also focus on non-automotive business, particularly on factory automation and agro-industrialization. Recent investments and partnerships in these key areas include:

- Electrification: Aisin seiki and DENSO have reached a basic agreement on the establishment of a joint venture company to develop electrified drive modules and are preparing for establishment.
- Automated Driving: Aisin seiki, ADVICS, JTEKT and DENSO have signed a basic agreement concerning the establishment of a joint venture for the development of integrated ECU software for automatic operation and are preparing for establishment. Additionally, DENSO's investment in ThinCI speeds the development of semiconductor devices with deep learning capabilities required for next-generation automated driving technology.
- Connected Cars: The investment in CREATIONLINE upgraded DENSO's system to develop cloud solutions and open source software. DENSO's collaboration with Ridecell advances the development of carsharing and ridesharing technologies and services.
- Non-Automotive Businesses: ASAI Nursery, Inc. and DENSO's joint venture will create a next-generation model for horticulture using large-scale greenhouses and agricultural technology. The companies will build one of Japan's largest agricultural greenhouses and develop technologies to improve cultivation productivity for growing vegetables. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2019.

About Denso

DENSO Corp., headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan has more than 220 subsidiaries in 35 countries and regions (including Japan) and employs approximately 170,000 people worldwide. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, totaled US$48.1 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 8.8% of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges.

For more information, go to www.denso.com.

Visit our media website at www.denso.com/global/en/news/media-center/.

Contact:
Sadayoshi Yokoyama, Toshiko Watanabe 
DENSO CORPORATION 
Phone: 81-566-25-5594 
Fax: 81-566-25-4509 
sadayoshi_yokoyama@denso.co.jp 
toshiko_watanabe@denso.co.jp

HONG KONG, Oct 22, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Greenland Hong Kong Holdings Limited ("Greenland Hong Kong" or the "Company", stock code: 337.HK) a subsidiary of Greenland Holdings Corporation Limited ("Greenland Holdings"), clarified certain recent media reports involving the Company. The Company note that a financial commentator has recently posted a report on a website implicating the existence of certain relationship between China Huarong Asset Management Co. Ltd ("Huarong") and various listed companies and parties, including the Company and its Greenland Holdings, which spread false information and mislead the investors without setting out any justifications for such inclusion.

Greenland Hong Kong hereby clarifies that the aforesaid allegations, suggestions and implicating statements of the Report relating to the Company are inaccurate, groundless, misleading and unfair. None of the Company, the Directors or the Company's senior management were approached by the aforesaid financial commentator to address or clarify the aforesaid allegations, suggestions or implicating statements prior to the publication of the Report.

Greenland Hong Kong will consistently focus on its real estate business, further explore and preserve high-quality land parcels, expand the high-end residential market, penetrate into the core cities in Pan-Yangtze River Delta and Pan-Pearl River Delta, and address the multilevel consumers' demands in the real estate market. Since the Company has become a subsidiary of the Parent Company in late 2013, the Company, and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies (collectively the "Group") has been growing substantially and expanding into other [profitable] business segments. The unaudited contracted sales of the Group amounted to approximately RMB24,344 million with a year-on-year increase of approximately RMB2,070 million and approximately 9.29% for the nine months ended 30 September 2018. For the financial year ended 31 December 2017, the audited consolidated profit and total comprehensive income of the Group was approximately RMB1,836 million, representing a year-on-year increase of approximately 48%. As at 30 June 2018, the unaudited net asset value per ordinary share of the Company was approximately RMB3.50. The Company has a sound financial position to finance its future business growth.

In addition, Moody's, and Standard and Poor's (S&P), the international credit rating agencies, both affirmed ratings for Greenland Holdings and Greenland Hong Kong by changing rating outlook to stable in September 2018. The stable outlook for Greenland Hong Kong's ratings reflects Moody's expectation that Greenland Holding will provide Greenland Hong Kong with financial and operational support in times of need, and that Greenland Hong Kong's standalone credit profile will remain stable over the next 12-18 months; S&P continues to view Greenland Hong Kong as a strategically important subsidiary of Greenland Holdings.

Greenland Hong Kong will continuously advance the business strategy of "Real Estate +", establish property projects in sectors such as cultural and business tourism as well as medical and healthcare, reduce cost and raise efficiency, optimize investment structure, and enhance its competitiveness and market influence so as to lay a solid foundation for the business development and strive hard to create greater value for shareholders.

Greenland Hong Kong Holdings Limited
Greenland Hong Kong Holdings Limited (Stock Code: 337.HK) is the subsidiary of Greenland Group, a Fortune Global 500 company. For a development history of 26 years, Greenland Group has created the diversified development pattern of "focusing on the development of real estate market and placing an equal stress on the emerging sectors like Big Infrastructure, Big Finance, Big Consumption, Healthcare Industry and Innovation Industry", and implemented the strategy of capitalized, popularized and internationalized development. Greenland Group has secured its market presence across over 100 domestic and overseas cities across countries including the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. Based on Greenland Holdings' mature brand image, abundant resources, large-scale system, advanced management level and passionate corporate culture, Greenland Hong Kong will comprehensively integrate all the existing resources, fully utilize the advantages of capital platform in Hong Kong, and strive to grow into the real estate pacesetter at Hong Kong's capital market.

Redondo Beach, CA, Oct 22, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - SECFilings.com, a leading financial news and information portal offering free real time public company filing alerts, announces the publication of an article covering what's driving iron-ore prices higher and why investors may want to diversify into development-stage opportunities, like Black Iron Inc. (TSX: BKI) (OTC: BKIRF) (FRANKFURT: BIN).

The iron-ore market is dominated by a few multi-billion dollar companies, including Vale SA, BHP Billiton plc, and Rio Tinto plc. With iron-ore prices on the rise, Vale shares have risen nearly 20 percent so far this year. But investors may want to look beyond the majors for the best value - development-stage companies nearing commercialization may have a place in savvy portfolios.

Focus on High-Grade Producers

China's efforts to reduce excess capacity and improve environmental standards has created a rift in the industry. Vale and Ferrexpo plc are leading producers of high-grade 65% iron-ore, which explains why they've been outperforming BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. The gap between benchmark and high-grade iron-ore has increased three-fold over the past two years and is poised to continue to rise amid the environmental crackdown.

Currently, benchmark 62% iron-ore trades at around $71 per ton and high-grade 65% iron-ore trades closer to $97 per ton, which amounts to a nearly $30 per ton premium. The demand for high-grade iron-ore is poised to continue to rise in the future, which means that companies producing it could benefit from both higher pricing (e.g. stronger margins) and greater volume (e.g. higher revenue) - a compelling dynamic.

Investors interested in the iron-ore space should consider high-grade producers, like Vale and Ferrexpo, rather than benchmark grade producers to capitalize on these trends. In particular, Vale recently announced record iron-ore production during the third quarter and plans to cut its net debt in half to $10 billion and increase returns to shareholders over the coming quarters, which could catalyze the stock even further moving forward.

Diversify into Early-Stage Opportunities

Precious metals investors are familiar with diversifying between junior and major producers, but the practice is less common for industrial metals. Investors interested in the iron-ore market should consider this kind of diversification to maximize their potential portfolio returns and limit the risk from any individual stock turning lower. But there are only a handful of attractive opportunities in the space focused on high-grade iron-ore.

Black Iron Inc. (TSX: BKI) (OTC: BKIRF) (FRANKFURT: BIN) is a development-stage opportunity that aims to produce 68% ultra-high-grade iron-ore. Management believes that this level of purity could command a $40 per ton premium over benchmark iron-ore prices, particularly given the rarity of only 4% of global producers being able to achieve this high iron grade. The company's 100%-owned project in Ukraine was initially derailed by the Russian crisis, but is making progress once again.

Assuming a conservative $62 per ton long-term price for benchmark iron-ore and iron content premium of $5 per 1% iron, the company projects a 40% percent after-tax levered internal rate of return. At current prices, the company estimates it could achieve a 68% after-tax levered return given the strong pricing for premium iron-ore. These are compelling returns from a potential pure-play on iron-ore's strength.

Earlier this month, the company announced that it received a formal proposal from Ukraine's government to lease a plot of land connected to its Shymanivske iron ore body for location of the processing plant, tailings, and waste rock. This marks a significant milestone for the company and demonstrates the Ukrainian government's support for the mine to be constructed in a timely manner starting mid next year.

Management has also been recently holding discussions with potential offtake partners including large steel mills and metals traders to provide the right to purchase its product over a period of time in exchange for a meaningful investment to help fund the project's construction and build out - the final piece of commercializing the venture.

Looking Ahead

The iron-ore market is likely to become increasingly bifurcated thanks to China's crackdown on steelmaker emissions. While Vale has been a popular investment, for good reason, investors may want to consider diversifying into development-stage names like Black Iron Inc. (TSX: BKI) (OTC: BKIRF) (FRANKFURT: BIN) as well. The company's project could pay dividends over the long-term as China continues to seek higher-grade iron-ore.

For more information on how to diversify your portfolio please visit the company's website at http://blackiron.com

Please follow the link to read the full article: https://bit.ly/2JfCbRf

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Source: SECFilings.com

London & Tokyo, Oct 22, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - JCB International, Co., Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., today announces the rollout of JCB Contactless* acceptance with iCard, a licenced electronic money provider and myPOS Europe Ltd, an FCA Authorised (London) electronic money institution. iCard is the acquirer of the transactions behind the myPOS Service and the combined deal facilitates the acceptance of JCB's branded contactless payment solutions, JCB Contactless, with merchants across Europe.

JCB cardmembers will be able to pay for goods and services at merchants acquiring payments using myPOS contactless-enabled payment terminals with a tap of their card or smartphone. This is an important milestone for JCB's global contactless reach as the company drives acceptance coverage across the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland for its 117 million JCB cardmembers.

Mr. Tsuyoshi Notani, Managing Director, JCB International (Europe) Ltd., said: "This is a significant new partnership for JCB's advanced contactless payments solution as we look to partner with forward-thinking acquirers and PSPs to drive acceptance for cardmembers across Europe. Both iCard and myPOS are at the forefront of the industry and provide great value to merchants and consumers alike. The additional payment method this deal facilitates will create a streamlined payments experience for JCB cardmembers looking to use contactless to enhance the shopping experience."

Mr. Yavor Petrov, CEO of iCard said, "The rise of contactless payments has come - contactless acceptance widens every day with more and more merchants being equipped with contactless-enabled POS terminals and with the growing popularity of contactless payments, wearables and digital wallets among end consumers. People are becoming particularly sensitive about their time and convenience. With these trends in the spotlight, iCard and JCB are on the crest of the wave launching JCB's contactless acceptance in Europe."

*JCB Contactless: The JCB brand contactless payment solution that is compliant with NFC and EMV(R) Contactless Communication Protocol Specifications. (EMV is a registered trademark or trademark of EMVCo LLC in the United States and other countries)

About iCard

Founded back in 2007, today iCard is one of the leading European Electronic Money Issuers and an EU Payment Processor, licensed under the Payment Services Directive (PSD 2007/64 EC) and E-Money Issuers Directive (2009/110/EC), holding EU passporting rights for all EEA countries and cross-border services in Switzerland. Participant in SEPA and SWIFT, the company is also a Principal Member and directly Integrated with all major Card Schemes.

As a prominent European fintech player, iCard owns and develops a diverse portfolio of e-money based products and services, issuing services of debit, credit, prepaid cards and gift card, acquiring services, e-money accounts, online payments platforms, digital wallets and mobile payment apps and ATM services. Discover more about iCard on www.icard.com.

About myPOS

myPOS Europe Ltd is a registered company with address at 25 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5LB, United Kingdom, company number: 10630670, authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Electronic Money Institution, reference number: 900826 under the Electronic Money Directive 2009/110/EC (the "EMD") and The Electronic Money Regulations 2011 and The Payment Service Regulation 2017 is providing e-money and payment services in the EEA.

myPOS Service was launched in 2014 and today, myPOS enables more than 55,000 merchants across the EEA & Switzerland to accept card payments easily, cost-efficiently and securely.

The myPOS package includes a smart POS device, free myPOS account with myPOS Business VISA card and access to additional merchant services. Discover more about myPOS on www.mypos.com

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading payment card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and card member base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to provide responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. Currently, JCB cards are accepted globally and issued in 24 countries and territories. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en or www.jcbeurope.eu

Contact
Benjamin Ploiner
JCB International (Europe)
Senior Account Manager
Tel: +43 1 2057 76 0024
Email: bploiner@jcbeurope.eu

Kumiko Kida
JCB Co., Ltd.
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-5778-8353
Email: jcb-pr@info.jcb.co.jp

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Raymond Yip (centre) unveils details of the eighth Asian Logistics and Maritime Conference at today's press briefing, joined by Frankie Yick (L), Legislative Councillor of Hong Kong for the Transport Constituency and Chairman of the HKTDC Logistics Services Advisory Committee; and Simon Wong (R), Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong R&D Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management Enabling Technologies.

Asian Connectivity, New Retail Revolution, Logistics Technology in Focus

HONG KONG, Oct 22, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - The eighth Asian Logistics and Maritime Conference (ALMC), the industries' annual signature event jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), will be held on 20-21 Nov at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). This year's ALMC will focus on three key areas - Asian connectivity, new retail revolution and its implications to logistics, and logistics technology - and examine their respective impacts on the industry. About 70 luminaries from the logistics and maritime sectors will share their insights at the conference, which is expected to attract over 2,000 industry players from more than 30 countries and regions.

"Asian countries and regions are now pushing forward various trade agreements and regional development strategies, including the Hong Kong-ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] Free Trade Agreement signed last year, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development plan, and the China-Singapore Initiative on Strategic Connectivity," said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Raymond Yip. "Under the Belt and Road Initiative, many major infrastructure projects, including new road transport systems and port developments, have been kick-started, with a number of them already completed. Such projects foster the development of trade and logistics in Asia, driving better connectivity within the regional supply chain."

According to the World Trade Organization's recently published World Trade Report 2018, global trade is expected to grow by 1.8-2% annually between 2016 and 2030, with developing countries' share of global trade increasing from 46% in 2015 to 57% by 2030. According to Mr Yip, this shows that emerging markets, spearheaded by the Chinese mainland, the Asia-Pacific region and countries in the ASEAN bloc, will be a major driving force behind global trade growth, spurring continued expansion of the region's logistics sector. In addition, the rapid growth of e-commerce and new logistics technologies will create enormous opportunities for the logistics and maritime industries.

Industry Experts Examine a New Era for Logistics

Some 70 highly respected industry experts will speak at the ALMC, with Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), delivering the keynote address at the opening session. Among the highlights will be the two plenary sessions. On 20 Nov, "Boosting Asian Connectivity for a New Regional Economic Order" will explore how the integration of railroad, road, maritime and air freight capabilities in Asia will impact on the region's logistics and maritime industry. Karen Reddington, President, Asia-Pacific Division, FedEx Express will be among the panel speakers at the first plenary session.

In the age of e-commerce, the mode of delivery in the logistics supply chain has been undergoing rapid change. The second plenary session, "Online Shopping Revolutionising Logistics & Supply Chain Management" on 21 Nov, will look at how innovative technologies are offering advantages for the logistics industry and helping companies capture the latest online-to-offline (O2O) opportunities. Chaired by Fox Chu, Partner, McKinsey & Company, the panel will feature speakers including Yang Haifeng, General Manager, Value Supply Chain Department, JD Logistics, and Cissy Chan, Executive Director, Commercial, Airport Authority Hong Kong.

Exploring the Latest Industry Issues

Alongside the plenary sessions, other forums will cover topical issues relating to supply-chain management and logistics, as well as the air freight and maritime industries. Topics to be covered include cold-chain logistics, e-commerce, the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) new air cargo security requirements and logistics technology in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Exhibitions and networking receptions will be staged alongside the conference to provide participants with a more complete picture of the latest market intelligence and business opportunities.

Insights into Regional Cooperation

This year's ALMC sees various regional forums being organised to present the latest developments in regional logistics and economic cooperation. The city of Zhuhai will focus on logistics and trading opportunities brought about by the development of the Greater Bay Area and the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. A forum jointly organised by the cities of Chongqing, Guangxi, Guizhou, Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang will assess the implications of an intermodal logistics network connecting the hinterland of the Chinese mainland and Southeast Asia, under the China-Singapore Initiative on Strategic Connectivity. A first-time organiser of a regional forum, E'Zhou will discuss its vision to work as an air freight hub for China and Eurasia, while CN (Canadian National Railway) will for the third time organise a regional forum at ALMC, showcasing its latest global refrigerated service and the seamless cooperation between its railway network and North American ports.

New Tech Dialogue and Tech Demo Session

A new session, Tech Dialogue, launches this year, featuring Dean Croke, Chief Analytics Officer, Blockchain in Transport Alliance, and Sebastien Gendron, co-founder and CEO, TransPod. They will share the latest developments in blockchain technology and hyperloop transportation, respectively. A new feature at the ALMC exhibition is the Tech Demo Session, through which home-grown start-ups can introduce their innovative solutions for the industry.

This year's exhibition will feature more than 100 exhibitors showcasing supply-chain management and logistics, maritime and related services, and providing professional services and solutions. To drive more business cooperation, more than 150 one-on-one business-matching sessions are being arranged to help exhibitors and participants foster business collaborations during the event.

The forums will gather a range of noted speakers, including (in alphabetical order):

- Cissy Chan, Executive Director, Commercial, Airport Authority Hong Kong
- Dean Croke, Chief Analytics Officer, Blockchain in Transport Alliance
- William Fairclough, Director, Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings Limited
- Giovanni Gavarone, Managing Director, Penfield Marine (UK) Limited
- Sebastien Gendron, Co-Founder and CEO, TransPod
- Tim Huxley, Chairman, Mandarin Shipping Limited
- Graeme Murray, Managing Director, Snape Shipping Limited
- Henriette Van Niekerk, Director & Global Head of Dry Bulk Freight Analysis, Clarksons Platou
- John Michael Radziwill, CEO, C Transport Maritime S.A.M.
- Keith Reardon, Senior Vice-President, Consumer Product Supply Chain Growth, CN (Canadian National Railway)
- Karen Reddington, President, Asia-Pacific Division, FedEx Express
- Martin Stopford, President, Clarkson Research Services Limited
- Roger Su, Executive General Manager, Cainiao Global
- Suken Xiao, Vice President, Overseas Region, SF Express
- Yang Haifeng, General Manager, Value Supply Chain Department, JD Logistics
- Nissim Yochai, VP Trans Pacific Trade, ZIM Integrated Shipping Services

Flagship Event for Hong Kong Maritime Week

ALMC is a flagship event of the Hong Kong Maritime Week, organised by the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board. The ALMC is supported by the Hong Kong Logistics Development Council and Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board. HKTDC invited 18 global leaders in the logistics and shipping industries and representatives of internationally renowned companies to serve as honorary advisors to provide advice on the agenda and content of the ALMC.

Members of the media wishing to interview speakers can email it to sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org or christine.kam@hktdc.org by 12 Nov. For the latest programme and speakers list, please visit: www.almc.hk.

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About HKTDC

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TOKYO, Oct 22, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. and MSD K.K., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A., announced today that the two companies have commenced joint medical and marketing activities for tyrosine kinase inhibitor LENVIMA (generic name: lenvatinib mesylate) in Japan.

In March 2018, Eisai and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), through an affiliate, entered into a strategic collaboration for the worldwide co- development and co-commercialization of LENVIMA. Co-commercialization activities between Eisai, who has extensive real-world evidence for LENVIMA, and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A., who has a strong commercial footprint and medical expertise that spans the globe, are in progress sequentially around the world, and commenced in the United States in June 2018. In Japan, Eisai and MSD will jointly work on medical activities such as the activities of Medical Science Liaisons (MSL), and provide information through the internet utilizing digital content. Meanwhile, information provision via Medical Representatives (MR) is scheduled to commence in January 2019, and collaboration on a call center for medicines between Eisai and MSD will commence in January or later.

Currently, LENVIMA has been approved as a treatment for refractory thyroid cancer in over 50 countries including the United States, Japan, in Europe and Asia, and as combination with everolimus as a second- line treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in over 45 countries including the United States and in Europe. In addition, LENVIMA has been approved as a treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japan, the United States, Europe, China and other countries. In Japan, approximately 4,500 HCC patients have been treated with LENVIMA since approval of the HCC indication in March 2018.

Eisai and MSD are striving to collaborate on providing information on LENVIMA in Japan starting with the HCC indication, and, will work to expedite the maximization of LENVIMA's contribution to patients with the hope to expand co-commercialization activities for potential future indications in Japan.

About Lenvima (lenvatinib mesylate)

Discovered and developed in-house by Eisai, LENVIMA is an orally administered kinase inhibitor with a novel binding mode that selectively inhibits the multi activities of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors (VEGFR1, VEGFR2 and VEGFR3) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors (FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3 and FGFR4) in addition to other pathway-related RTKs (including the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor PDGFRalpha; KIT; and RET) involved in tumor angiogenesis, tumor progression and modification of tumor immunity.

Currently, Eisai has obtained approval for LENVIMA as a treatment for refractory thyroid cancer in over 50 countries, including the United States, Japan, in Europe and Asia. Additionally, Eisai has obtained approval for the agent in combination with everolimus as a second-line treatment for RCC in over 45 countries, including the United States and in Europe. In Europe, the agent was launched under the brand name Kisplyx for RCC.

In addition, LENVIMA has been approved as a treatment for HCC in Japan, the United States, Europe, China and other countires. Eisai has submitted applications for an indication covering hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan (December 2017) as well as in other countries.

About the Eisai and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. Strategic Collaboration

In March 2018, Eisai and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A., known as MSD in the United States and Canada, through an affiliate, entered into a strategic collaboration for the worldwide co-development and co-commercialization of LENVIMA. Under the agreement, the companies will jointly develop and commercialize LENVIMA, both as monotherapy and in combination with Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A.'s anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab). In addition to ongoing clinical studies of the combination, the companies will jointly initiate new clinical studies evaluating the LENVIMA and KEYTRUDA combination to support 11 potential indications in six types of cancer (bladder cancer, endometrial cancer, head and neck cancer, HCC, melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer), as well as a basket trial targeting six additional cancer types. The LENVIMA and KEYTRUDA combination is not approved in any cancer types today.

About MSD

For more than a century, MSD, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases. MSD is a trade name of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies,

programs and partnerships. Today, MSD continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and communities around the world - including cancer, cardio-metabolic diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer's disease and infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information, visit www.msd.co.jp and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About Eisai

Eisai Co., Ltd. is a leading global research and development-based pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan. We define our corporate mission as "giving first thought to patients and their families and to increasing the benefits health care provides," which we call our human health care philosophy. With approximately 10,000 employees working across our global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to realize our human health care philosophy by delivering innovative products in various therapeutic areas with high unmet medical needs, including Oncology and Neurology.

As a global pharmaceutical company, our mission extends to patients around the world through our investment and participation in partnership-based initiatives to improve access to medicines in developing and emerging countries.

For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit www.eisai.com.

Contact:
Communication Department 
MSD K.K.
TEL: +81-(0)3-6272-1001

Public Relations Department 
Eisai Co., Ltd.
TEL: +81-(0)3-3817-5120

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