Artificial Intelligence
BioAge Raises $90M to Treat Aging and Age-related Diseases
Proceeds will support advancement of the company’s pipeline and proprietary platform for identifying and developing therapies to treat diseases of aging
Company announces Chief Medical Officer as it prepares to enter clinic in 2021 with lead Phase 2-ready therapeutic compounds
RICHMOND, Calif., Dec. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BioAge Labs, Inc., a biotechnology company developing medicines to treat aging and aging-related diseases, today announced that it has raised $90 million in an oversubscribed Series C financing. The raise was co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and serial entrepreneur, Elad Gil, and included new investors Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, AARP Foundation (through the RockCreek Impact Fund) and Phi-X Capital, the fund of genomics entrepreneur Mostafa Ronaghi, among others. Current investors including Caffeinated Capital, Redpoint Ventures, PEAR Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures, Felicis Ventures, and others also participated.
“These additional funds will support advancement of our systems biology and data-driven platform to map the key pathways that drive human aging and our pipeline of medicines that target these pathways to reverse or eradicate diseases and extend healthspan,” said Kristen Fortney, PhD, co-founder and chief executive officer. “We look forward to advancing our first platform-derived therapies, BGE-117 and BGE-175 into clinical trials in the first half of 2021.”
“BioAge is at the forefront of understanding scientific drivers of aging with its unique and cutting-edge systems biology platform. We believe their approach has the potential to unlock the underlying pathologies of many diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, and frailty, that disproportionately affect older populations,” said Vijay Pande, PhD, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz.
“Drugs that target aging have potential to treat several morbid diseases and improve the lives of older adults. BioAge has built a proprietary engine to analyze molecular signatures in aging populations, and to advance data-driven hypotheses to identify existing clinical-stage drugs that are ready for Phase 2 efficacy trials in age-related diseases. I’m excited to work with them as they scale their platform and develop multiple therapies to improve the health of older individuals,” said Elad Gil, PhD, entrepreneur and investor.
Proceeds from the financing will be used to build and develop a diversified portfolio of therapies that increase healthspan and lifespan, augment BioAge’s artificial intelligence (AI)-driven approach to map the molecular pathways that impact human longevity, and further expand capabilities to test drug candidates in predictive models of human diseases of aging.
Separately, the company announced that Paul Rubin, M.D. will lead its clinical development efforts as chief medical officer. Dr. Rubin, a veteran biopharmaceutical drug developer, brings extensive experience from early discovery, late stage development and ultimate drug approvals across a wide variety of therapeutic areas in global geographies. In former roles heading development at Sepracor, GSK and Abbott, Dr. Rubin has been responsible for the clinical development and approval of more than ten products. Prior to BioAge, he was most recently executive vice president, Research and Development for MiRagen and held a similar role at Xoma, two biotechnology companies. Dr. Rubin earned his M.D. at Rush Medical College, Chicago.
Dr. Rubin commented, “I am thrilled to be leading the BioAge clinical development team at this exciting time. Our platform provides a unique opportunity to identify targets relevant to the aging process and diseases associated with this process. Diseases common to older patients are often ignored despite their direct association with morbidity, mortality and decreased quality of life. The first two drugs from our pipeline are ready to begin Phase 2 trials in indications targeting serious conditions in elderly populations that presently have no good therapeutic options. A key aspect of our strategy is to initiate efficient human clinical trials that will demonstrate that our drugs can address age-related deficiencies in acute conditions, which may expedite approval and serve as a gateway to the treatment of chronic diseases, resulting in healthy aging.”
About the BioAge Platform
The BioAge platform identifies key drug targets that will impact aging. The company’s proprietary human aging cohorts have blood samples collected up to 45 years ago, with participant -omics data that is tied to extensive medical follow-up records including detailed future healthspan, lifespan and disease outcomes. BioAge has built a systems biology and AI platform that leverages these rich datasets to identify the molecular drivers of age-related pathology. BioAge’s pipeline of therapies targeting these key pathways will address the significant unmet medical needs of an aging population.
About BioAge
BioAge is a privately-held biotechnology company developing proprietary drugs to treat aging and aging- related diseases. Since its founding in 2015, the Company has raised $127 million in venture capital funding to back its AI-driven approach to map the molecular pathways that impact human longevity. BioAge’s mission is to develop a pipeline of therapeutic assets that increase healthspan and lifespan. For additional information about BioAge, visit the company’s website at www.bioagelabs.com.
Source: BioAge Labs, Inc.
Contact Information:
BioAge | [email protected]
Media | [email protected]
Artificial Intelligence
Picus Security Launches Security Validation for Kubernetes
Teams can eliminate container security exposures with the new enhancements in Picus’ platform for multi-cloud
SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Picus Security, the Security Validation company, today announced security validation for Kubernetes. This new capability allows Security and DevOps teams to realize the benefits of containers securely by proactively measuring and optimizing the resilience of clusters. It is the latest innovative addition to the Picus Security Validation Platform, which empowers users to consistently validate their security posture and measure risk across on-premises and multi-cloud environments.
For organizations that want an agile way to deploy, run and scale applications, Kubernetes offers considerable benefits. However, security is often the biggest barrier to its adoption. The dynamic and complex nature of Kubernetes means that containers are often misconfigured due to human error. Without a hands-on approach to governance, security gaps can easily emerge over time, increasing the risk of incidents. This situation is exacerbated by the high level of expertise required to secure Kubernetes and the use of default settings which are inherently insecure. According to The State of Kubernetes Report, more than two-thirds of Kubernetes users (67%) have delayed deployments due to security concerns.*
The addition of Kubernetes validation extends the Picus platform’s existing validation capabilities, which are powered by attack simulation and GenAI. It enables organizations to proactively identify and mitigate security misconfigurations, such as weak policies and settings that could allow containers to run with insecure privileges and facilitate lateral movement. Now security teams can automatically assess the security of their workloads wherever they are located – on-premises, in containers, and also in cloud platforms including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure.
“Cloud security is perhaps the biggest barrier of entry for organizations that want to take advantage of container orchestration,” said Volkan Erturk, Picus CTO and Co-Founder. “Kubernetes offers incredible opportunities for DevOps teams to deploy and scale new applications, but Security teams can struggle to keep pace.
“With the Picus Security Validation Platform, security concerns won’t slow down an organization’s digital transformation journey. This new offering will allow our users to consistently measure the security of their workloads and vastly reduce the effort needed to address exposures across growing IT environments.”
Additional Information
Read the Kubernetes validation announcement blog.Register for the upcoming webinar on July 11th 2024 at 10.00 EST/ 15.00 BST: Beyond Cloud Security Posture Management: Validating Cloud Effectiveness with Attack Simulation About Picus Security
Picus Security helps security teams consistently and accurately validate their security posture. Our Security Validation Platform simulates real-world threats to evaluate the effectiveness of security controls, identify high-risk attack paths to critical assets, and optimize threat prevention and detection capabilities.
As the pioneer of Breach and Attack Simulation, we specialize in delivering the actionable insights our customers need to be threat-centric and proactive.
Picus is a Gartner® Peer Insights™ Customers’ Choice for 2024 in the BAS tools category†. The company is recognized as a leader by Frost & Sullivan^.
† Gartner, Voice of the Customer for Breach and Attack Simulation Tools, Peer Contributors, 30 January 2024 ^ Frost and Sullivan, 2022 Frost Radar™ report for the Global Breach and Attack Simulation Market
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Artificial Intelligence
Highlights from the Finale: Day Three of the London Blockchain Conference Unravelled
As the London Blockchain Conference draws to a close, attendees heard from industry experts on Driving Innovation with Blockchain.
LONDON, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Attendees at the London Blockchain Conference were in to witness the final day, which featured a line-up of informative and thought-provoking speakers. Throughout the day, there were exciting panels and presentations which featured cutting-edge ideas and insights.
Day 3 kickstarted with BSVA launching a new report focusing on the role of blockchain in safeguarding data and streamlining transactions.
Other sessions included:
The Intersection of Web3, AI, and Emerging Tech – Somi Aran, Founder of InPeak gave the opening keynote which explored the dynamic convergence of Web3, Artificial Intelligence, and emerging technologies. She delved into how these technologies are reshaping industries and redefining the boundaries of innovation and the potential impacts and opportunities these technologies present.
Bridging the gap: Making Web3 technologies user-friendly – Christine Leong, CIO, nChain – discussed some of the innovative strategies and practical solutions aimed at simplifying Web3 technologies. She also discussed how nChain is planning to transform Web3 from a domain exclusive to the tech-savvy, into a user-friendly ecosystem that empowers all users.
Is code law? – Rules applicable to blockchain networks – panel featuring Marcin Zarakowski, CEO of Token Recovery, Akber Datoo CEO of D2 Legal Technology, Jeffrey Golden, King’s Counsel (Hon) at 3 Hare Court Chambers, Andrei Kirilenko, Professor of Finance at Cambridge Judge Business School, Professor Sarah Green, Law Commissioner at Law Commission, where they discussed that rules apply to the nodes and validators which support the particular network and process its transactions. The group also discussed whether the blockchain protocols’ rules and software code are the only sources of regulation in blockchain networks.
An Introduction to nChain Identity – Thomas Moretti, Head of Product Development at nChain. He spoke about the Self Sovereignty Identity concept and showcased the latest project it is working on – nChain Identity.
Reimagining Roles: How regulated industry leaders are shaping the future of finance – a panel featuring, Andrew Mosson (Chief Commercial Officer of OneTrading, Néstor Palao, Head DLT & Corporate Clients at Sygnum Bank, Laurence Lewandowska, CFO/COO at BSV Association and Wojciech Kaszycki Chairman & Founder at Mobilum. The panel discussed how the new era of digital assets, traditional banking institutions, exchanges, and financial services are being reimagined in the context of emerging technologies such as blockchain and AI.
Please register here if you would like to listen to any of the sessions today.
If you want to interview any speaker from today’s sessions, please email [email protected].
About the London Blockchain Conference NETWORK. LEARN. ENGAGE. At the London Blockchain Conference, we show how Blockchain will change the world and help people see another way to manage data, build scalable on-chain solutions and achieve great things. We do this by creating valuable, insightful, and engaging events that educate and inform, allowing you to connect and network to build strong business relationships. Our conference is the best avenue to see blockchain innovations, ecosystem announcements, product launches, technology updates, keynote speeches, panels, and fireside chats from blockchain leaders. Join us and experience it for yourself.
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Artificial Intelligence
Nord Anglia Education publishes new insights on the role of AI and metacognition in learning
LONDON, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — INSIGHTS, the global publication from Nord Anglia Education, has published two new articles taking an in-depth look at AI in education and the role of metacognition in teaching and learning.
Exploring the role of AI in learning
https://www.nordangliaeducation.com/insights/2024/articles/the-generative-generationIn its ‘Generative Generation’ feature, INSIGHTS explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, and whether the technology is making it easier for children to learn. Speaking to Nord Anglia’s educators as well as leading experts from the world of academia, it also includes real-life examples of how Nord Anglia’s schools are using AI in the classroom.
For example, Nord Anglia’s British International School in Kuala Lumpur has adapted the technology to create an AI-powered teaching assistant that can personalise learning, guide students through content exploration, and deepen their understanding through interactive activities. Learners define the topic they want to explore and the course specification they are working to, and the AI explores the content with them in a conversational way, enabling them to ask questions as they go.
Dr Bruce Geddes, Deputy Head of Secondary at the school, told INSIGHTS that AI represents “the biggest opportunity we’ve had in our lifetimes, for many, many spheres, but particularly in education”.
Avenues: The World School in New York, which became part of Nord Anglia in 2023, encourages its students to use AI in their work. As an example, in an app development project students use ChatGPT to generate the bulk of the coding, then review, correct and refine it. This saves them “hours of manual work by leveraging the appropriate tool in an academically appropriate way,” says Lia Muschellack, Director of Technology at the school.
The school also has its own generative AI chatbot, Savvy, built in 2019 and now powered by open AI technology. It can answer queries, provide information, and engage in “diverse discussions ranging from academic topics to casual conversations”.
“We understand that our students will be actively leveraging these tools throughout their academic and professional pathways, so we want to make sure they not only understand the potentials and limitations, but that they have tinkered and truly experienced them,” Muschellack explains.
Metacognition: a learning superpower
In its feature ‘Metacognition. Helping Kids Unlock the Power of ‘Thinking about Thinking’, INSIGHTS looks at how students can develop the important skill of metacognition.
“Metacognition is the ability to be aware of our cognitive or thought processes and to monitor, reflect on, and change those processes,” Dr Rose Luckin, Professor of Learner Centred Design at the University College London Knowledge Lab, told INSIGHTS.
Nord Anglia Education is working with Dr Luckin to develop its approach to metacognition and to help teachers introduce metacognitive strategies into classrooms. It has developed a metacognitive framework of six “Learner Ambitions” to help students develop the 6 Cs: to become critical, creative, committed, and curious learners, working compassionately and collaboratively in the classroom and beyond.
As the article explains, Nord Anglia’s deep dive into metacognition has many goals: developing student agency, boosting academic performance, and developing ‘future’ skills that employers want. The framework is being initially applied across 27 Nord Anglia schools around the world and its impact will be measured in independent research in partnership with Boston College, reporting in 2025.
Nord Anglia’s examination of metacognition also involves exploring personalised goals and thinking routines. For instance, students at Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong use the “Step In, Step Out, Step Back” routine to develop empathy and understanding in their studies. “It’s about asking the right questions; those really big questions that lead to even more questions,” says Raquel Thomson, the school’s Deputy Head of Primary. “Thinking strategies like this stay with students and serve a purpose whatever they do in their lives, whether they choose to be a scientist or a teacher or go into business.”
For media enquiries please contact: Francesca Milani Communications Manager, Digital Education Portfolio +44 20 7131 0000 [email protected]
About Nord Anglia Education:
As the world’s leading international schools organisation, we’re shaping a generation of creative and resilient global citizens who graduate from our schools with everything they need for success, whatever they choose to be or do in life.
Our strong academic foundations combine world-class teaching and curricula with cutting-edge technology and facilities, creating learning experiences like no other. Inside and outside of the classroom, we inspire our students to achieve more than they ever thought possible.
No two children learn the same way, which is why our schools around the world personalise learning to what works best for every student. Inspired by our high-quality teachers, our students achieve outstanding academic results and go on to study at the world’s top universities.
To learn more or apply for a place for your child, go to nordangliaeducation.com.
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/nord-anglia-education-publishes-new-insights-on-the-role-of-ai-and-metacognition-in-learning-302154442.html
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