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Adagene Establishes Collaboration for Clinical Trial of ADG106 in Combination with Nivolumab in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Singapore

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Phase 1b/2 trial to be conducted at the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore and the National Cancer Centre Singapore, in Collaboration with the Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium –

– ADG106 now being evaluated in combinations with three leading anti-PD-1 therapies –

SAN DIEGO and SUZHOU, China and SINGAPORE, Oct. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Adagene Inc. (“Adagene”) (Nasdaq: ADAG), the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS) at the National University Hospital in Singapore, National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), and the Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium (STCC), today announced the initiation of a phase 1b/2 clinical trial of the anti-CD137 agonist antibody, ADG106, in combination with the anti-PD-1 antibody, Nivolumab.

The trial will be led by Professor Goh Boon Cher, Senior Consultant, Department of Haematology-Oncology and Deputy Director (Research) at NCIS, and Associate Professor Daniel Tan, Head of the Division of Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Sciences and Senior Consultant, Division of Medical Oncology, NCCS. Both Professor Goh and Associate Professor Tan lead the STCC’s Cancer Clinical Trials & Investigational Medicine Unit that brings together centres in Singapore for scaled up capacity, efficiency and expertise in conducting cancer clinical trials.

ADG106 is being developed by Adagene for the treatment of advanced solid tumours and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The phase 1b/2 trial will evaluate this novel combination in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who have progressed on prior therapies.

Professor Goh commented, “NSCLC is the most prevalent type of lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite recent progress, most patients will progress after receiving the newest generation of immunotherapy and immune checkpoint treatments. ADG106 has been shown to enhance the activity of T-cells based on pre-clinical data, including evidence of synergistic effect with anti-PD-1 agents in a refractory NSCLC tumour model. We look forward to evaluating the combination of ADG106 with Nivolumab and exploring the potential of this promising therapy in a patient population with unmet needs.”

“Pre-clinical studies evaluating the use of ADG106 with anti-PD-1 antibodies have shown promising results and we believe that this novel combination therapy can potentially address resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic NSCLC,” said Associate Professor Tan. “Through this study, we plan to utilise a series of cutting-edge translational approaches to understand mediators of response and resistance to checkpoint inhibitors.”

“We are excited to support this trial evaluating ADG106 in combination with Nivolumab, another leading anti-PD-1 therapy to be combined in clinical trials with ADG106 as a potential best-in-class treatment targeting CD137,” said Peter Luo, Ph.D., Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Adagene.

“Building on the evidence of clinical efficacy demonstrated in our monotherapy trials, this trial will further explore the potential additive effect between ADG106 and anti-PD-1 agents. We are also delighted to partner with esteemed oncology research organisations that are leading cutting-edge care for patients in the region, as well as Bristol-Myers Squibb, a pioneer in research on anti-PD-1 therapy and anti-CD137 agonist antibodies.”

The phase 1b/2 open label trial is designed to evaluate safety, tolerability, and anti-tumour activity of the combination in up to 53 patients with advanced NSCLC who have progressed after prior treatment. The trial will also include exploratory biomarker analyses, including immune cell profiling in response to treatment.

The trial will involve work under the Lung Cancer programme that is supported by the RIE2020 Open Fund – Large Collaborative Grant (OF-LCG) programme, administered by the Singapore Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Council (NMRC) and supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore, where Associate Professor Tan is the Corresponding Principal Investigator. OF-LCG is composed of a multi-disciplinary team of clinician-scientists, clinicians, researchers, molecular biologists and computational biologists across various research institutes in Singapore.

“This collaboration continues STCC’s goals to synergise cancer research capabilities across Singapore in a concerted approach, and promotes institutional-industry partnerships. We look forward to further collaborations with global biotech companies on innovations in screening, treatment and care for cancer patients,” said Professor Chng Wee Joo, Executive Director of STCC and Director of NCIS.

About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
There are two major types of lung cancers: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). About 85 percent to 90 percent of lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancers. The major differences between these two types of lung cancers are the size and shape of the cancer cell, forms of treatment and the speed at which the cancer spreads.

NSCLC is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, accounting for approximately 18 per cent of all cancer deaths. Despite the proven use of low-dose CT scan as a screening tool for lung cancer, most patients still present with stage 3 or 4 disease and only about 20 percent are operable, with a five-year survival overall of about 10 percent1. Metastatic disease is the primary cause of death from NSCLC.

Until recently, chemotherapy has been the only available therapy for metastatic disease. However, much effort has been made to understand the molecular underpinning of NSCLC, and in non-squamous NSCLC, molecular drivers have been uncovered to direct the specific treatment of this subgroup of patients.

About ADG106
ADG106, is a fully human ligand-blocking, agonistic anti-CD137 IgG4 mAb being developed for the treatment of advanced solid tumours and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. CD137 stimulates the immune system to attack cancer cells and is a key driver for long-lasting T-cell proliferation and survival. Clinical trials of ADG106 as monotherapy have been conducted in the U.S. and China. A trial in combination with toripalimab is underway in China, and one in combination with pembrolizumab is planned in the U.S. and Asia Pacific (APAC).

About Nivolumab
Nivolumab, marketed globally as Opdivo, is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to uniquely harness the body’s own immune system to help restore anti-tumour immune response. By harnessing the body’s own immune system to fight cancer, Nivolumab has become an important treatment option across multiple cancers, including advanced NSCLC.

About Adagene
Adagene Inc. (Nasdaq: ADAG) is a platform-driven, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to transforming the discovery and development of novel antibody-based cancer immunotherapies. Adagene combines computational biology and artificial intelligence to design novel antibodies that address unmet patient needs. Powered by its proprietary Dynamic Precision Library (DPL) platform, composed of NEObody™, SAFEbody™, and POWERbody™ technologies, Adagene’s highly differentiated pipeline features novel immunotherapy programmes. Adagene has forged strategic collaborations with reputable global partners that leverage its technology in multiple approaches at the vanguard of science.

For more information, please visit: https://investor.adagene.com.

About National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS)
NCIS offers a broad spectrum of cancer care and management covering both paediatric and adult cancers, with expertise in prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. The Institute’s strength lies in the multi-disciplinary approach taken to develop a comprehensive and personalised plan for each cancer patient and his or her family. Our award-winning clinician-scientists and clinician-investigators conduct translational research and clinical trials, providing patients with access to evidence-based cancer diagnostics, technology and therapies.

For more information about NCIS, please visit http://www.ncis.com.sg.

About Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium
STCC aims to strengthen the overall impact of cancer research and translation in Singapore by bringing together key basic, clinical and translational teams on joint platforms to actively establish and implement collaborative cancer programmes. STCC strives to establish Singapore as a global leader for oncology in research translation and its applications to health and economic value creation.

STCC is a business unit under the Consortium for Clinical Research and Innovation, Singapore (CRIS), a subsidiary of Ministry of Health Holdings (MOHH), and is anchored by the cancer research programmes and commercialisation platforms of STCC’s research partners (NCCS, NCIS, National University of Singapore [NUS] Cancer Science Institute [CSI] and Agency for Science, Technology and Research [A*STAR]).

STCC is supported with funding from the National Research Foundation, Singapore and administered by the Singapore Ministry of Health.

For more information, please visit www.stcc.sg.

About the National Cancer Centre Singapore
The National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) is a leading national and regional tertiary cancer centre with specialists who are experts in treating cancer. NCCS attends to the majority of cancer cases in Singapore’s public healthcare sector. In addition to offering holistic and multidisciplinary oncology care, our clinicians and scientists collaborate with local and international partners to conduct robust, cutting-edge clinical and translational research. To achieve the vision of being a global leading cancer centre, NCCS offers world class care and shares its depth of experience and expertise by training local and overseas medical professionals.

To meet growing needs, the new NCCS building will be completed in 2022 with increased capacity and expanded facilities dedicated to cancer care, rehabilitation, research and education. To give patients the best treatment outcomes, NCCS will offer access to advanced and innovative treatment such as proton therapy at the new Goh Cheng Liang Proton Therapy Centre.

For more information, please visit: www.nccs.com.sg

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the potential impact of combination trial of ADG106 and nivolumab, potential implications of clinical data for patients, clinical development programs and related clinical trial data, the potential benefits, safety and efficacy of our collaboration partners’ products and investigational therapies, and Adagene’s advancement of, and anticipated preclinical activities, clinical development, regulatory milestones, and commercialization of its product candidates. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including but not limited to Adagene’s ability to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its drug candidates; the clinical results for its drug candidates, which may not support further development or regulatory approval; the content and timing of decisions made by the relevant regulatory authorities regarding regulatory approval of Adagene’s drug candidates; Adagene’s ability to achieve commercial success for its drug candidates, if approved; Adagene’s ability to obtain and maintain protection of intellectual property for its technology and drugs; Adagene’s reliance on third parties to conduct drug development, manufacturing and other services; Adagene’s limited operating history and Adagene’s ability to obtain additional funding for operations and to complete the development and commercialization of its drug candidates; Adagene’s ability to enter into additional collaboration agreements beyond its existing strategic partnerships or collaborations, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Adagene’s clinical development, commercial and other operations, as well as those risks more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors” section in Adagene’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to Adagene, and Adagene undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Media Contact:
Bruce Mackle
LifeSci Advisors
646-889-1200
[email protected]

Adagene Investor Contact:
Ami Knoefler
Adagene
650-739-9952
[email protected]

1 Howlader N, Forjaz G, Mooradian MJ, et al. The Effect of Advances in Lung-Cancer Treatment on Population Mortality. New England Journal of Medicine 2020;383:640-9

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Artificial Intelligence

CoreWeave Invests £1 Billion in UK; Opens New European Headquarters and Data Centres in London to Bring Cloud Infrastructure to Power the AI Revolution

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LONDON, May 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — CoreWeave, the leading specialized cloud provider for AI, today announced that it has opened an office in London as its European headquarters as part of a broader expansion into the continent. The new UK expansion represents a £1 billion investment to bolster the country’s AI potential, and will create job opportunities across engineering, operations, finance and go-to-market. CoreWeave plans to open two UK data centres in 2024 with further expansion planned in 2025.

“We are seeing unprecedented demand for AI infrastructure and London is an important AI hub that we are investing in. Expanding our physical footprint in the UK is an important milestone in the next phase of CoreWeave’s growth,” said Mike Intrator, Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer, CoreWeave. “CoreWeave’s infrastructure will fill a void in the cloud market by providing AI enterprises with localized high-performance compute solutions that will help build and deploy the next generation of AI applications.”  
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Companies like CoreWeave are powering the future of AI innovation, and I am proud that they’ve backed the UK with a £1 billion investment into UK data centres and have established their European headquarters here – further cementing the UK’s position as an AI and tech superpower.
“We’re leaving no stone unturned to make the UK the best place for pioneering companies like CoreWeave to grow their roots. With the third highest number of AI companies and private investment in AI in the world, it’s clear our plan is working.”
Secretary of State of Science, Innovation, and Technology, Michelle Donelan said: “CoreWeave’s decision to base their European HQ here in London is not just a sign of our tech investment prowess, it is a resounding vote of confidence in our approach to AI and innovation. Today’s £1 billion investment will bring two new data centres to our shores, a vital tool in helping to develop the AI breakthroughs of tomorrow.
“It will also lead to new, highly paid jobs and countless opportunities for our brightest AI minds and start-ups as the UK continues to cement its global AI powerhouse credentials. Our message is clear – when it comes to investment, scaling-up, and innovation, the UK is the perfect home from home.”
CoreWeave’s new European headquarters in London is strategically located given the tremendous AI talent in the UK. The investment in the UK builds on the UK government’s established leadership fostering global awareness and engagement on responsible AI and the country’s commitment to drive investment with plans to upskill millions across the UK in AI. CoreWeave’s presence in the region will support the continued expansion of AI labs and enterprise customers across the UK, bringing much needed computing power to the UK.
CoreWeave’s existing data centres support some of the largest deployments of high-performance GPU clusters in the world, and the infrastructure through which those clusters are consumed is designed with engineers and innovators in mind. Trusted by leading AI labs and enterprises, CoreWeave Cloud manages complexity through automation to deliver the most performant and efficient cloud infrastructure for AI workloads.
About CoreWeave
CoreWeave is a specialized GPU cloud provider, designed to power the most complex workloads with customized solutions at scale. The company’s portfolio of cutting-edge technology delivers a broad range of capabilities for machine learning and AI, graphics and rendering, life sciences, real-time streaming, and more. Its world-class teams, talent, and engineering prowess bring unmatched speed-to-market for advanced compute. CoreWeave operates a growing footprint of data centers covering every region of the US. It was founded in 2017 and is based in New Jersey. Learn more at www.coreweave.com.
Contact
Jackson [email protected] 

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Linnovate Partners Announces Close of USD 40 Million Funding Commitment Led by SeaTown

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SINGAPORE, May 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Linnovate Partners (“Linnovate”), a leader in asset servicing and fintech for the alternative investment industry, is pleased to announce the successful closure of USD 40 million funding commitment by SeaTown Private Capital Master Fund. SeaTown Private Capital Master Fund is managed by SeaTown Holdings International Pte. Ltd. (“SeaTown”), a leading Asia-focused alternative investments firm that is owned by Seviora, Temasek’s asset management group. This capital infusion marks a pivotal moment in Linnovate’s journey, enabling the firm to scale operations, drive innovation, and further solidify its position as a market leader.

As Linnovate continues to experience rapid growth and increasing demand for its tech-enabled services, the infusion of funds will play a vital role in meeting client requirements and advancing market innovation. The investment will enable Linnovate to allocate additional resources strategically, ensuring the company remains at the forefront of technology advancements and maintains its commitment to delivering exceptional solutions to clients worldwide.
Henry Lin, founder and CEO of Linnovate Partners, expressed enthusiasm about the opportunities this investment opens “We are thrilled to have SeaTown as our strategic partner and investor. This investment will be instrumental in accelerating our growth trajectory, providing us with the necessary resources to enhance our service offering, and continue delivering cutting-edge solutions to our clients and the industry itself.”
Dickson Loo, Managing Director of SeaTown, commented, “Linnovate has established itself to be an industry-leading player with their highly differentiated culture of customer centricity and strong technology focus. We are excited to be part of the next phase of Linnovate’s growth story, as we leverage our network, resources and expertise to help the company scale to greater heights”.
Linnovate has built a strong reputation for its innovative approach to solving manual mid-to-back-office tasks involved in fund administration through tech-enabled services. The company’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of technological advancement has earned it the trust of numerous high-profile private equity and venture capital firm clients and established it as a sought-after partner in the industry.
About Linnovate PartnersLinnovate Partners is a leading asset services provider focused on driving innovation in the alternative investments industry. With expertise across the entire fund lifecycle, Linnovate Partners goes beyond traditional fund administration to provide value-added services and technologies that empower asset and fund managers to excel in their operations. Its six core service areas include Fund Administration, Investor Relations, Regulatory Compliance, Portfolio Monitoring, Reporting Services and Technology Consulting Services.
Powering these services is a proprietary, cloud-based platform, RAISE, that provides all the functions of alternative investing in a single ecosystem and enables seamless integration and accessibility.
With offices globally, Linnovate Partners currently administers over $130 billion in assets across more than 600 private equity and venture capital funds. As an innovation-focused disruptor, Linnovate Partners combines deep industry expertise and the latest technologies to drive better outcomes for alternative investment managers and investors worldwide.
About SeaTown:Founded and headquartered in Singapore since 2009, SeaTown is a leading Asia-focused alternative investments firm with deep expertise across private and public markets.
Owned by Seviora, Temasek’s asset management group, SeaTown is a trusted steward of capital, investing alongside its investors in conviction-driven strategies. Its alternative investment fund platform offers international investors exposure to highly specialised private equity, private credit, and thematic absolute return opportunities in the region.
As a partner, SeaTown strives to deliver compelling risk-adjusted returns by leveraging its extensive relationship network, decades of investing experience and astute global perspectives.
For additional information, inquiries, or interview schedule, please contact:Linnovate Partners:Andrea [email protected]
SeaTown:Kayla [email protected]

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FinVolution to Hold 9th Global Data Science Competition, Focus on Deepfake Speech Detection in LLM era

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The 9th FinVolution Global Data Science Competition targets deepfake speech detection, tackling the challenge of distinguishing between cloned and authentic voices in the LLM era.The contest is part of the IJCAI 2024 Competitions and Challenges track, encouraging global collaboration and innovation among AI enthusiasts.By integrating LLM-generated fake voices in the test dataset, the competition increases complexity and spurs innovation.SHANGHAI, May 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — FinVolution, a leading fintech service provider, launches the 9th FinVolution Global Data Science Competition today, with a focus on “Deepfake Speech Detection.”  The contest is part of the IJCAI (International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence) Competitions and Challenges track, a top international AI conference.

As voice synthesis technology continues to evolve, the line between cloned and genuine voices has become increasingly blurred in the era of large language models (LLMs), posing significant challenges to data security and asset protection.
The competition aims to inspire global AI enthusiasts and experts to innovate in combating voice cloning and deepfake scams. Contestants will utilize deep learning technologies to develop models and algorithms based on FinVolution’s test dataset. The competition will include LLM-generated fake voices to elevate complexity and spur innovation.
With a total prize pool of RMB 310,000, the contest will consist of preliminaries, semifinals, and a final, with an aim to authenticate true and false voices. Highest-ranked contestants will attend IJCAI 2024 in Jeju of South Korea, to receive the awards and engage with academic and industry experts. FinVolution proudly sponsors IJCAI 2024.
Tiezheng Li, CEO of FinVolution, stated, “Since its inception nine years ago, the FinVolution Global Data Science Competition has evolved into a widely recognized event in the field of data technology, facilitating technical exchange worldwide. Partnering with IJCAI this year, a top-tier international AI conference, demonstrates our commitment to advancing deep speech recognition technology.”
The Deepfake Challenge
During the preliminaries (May 10 to June 12), participants will design algorithms based on the white-box dataset supplied by FinVolution and submit scoring results to qualify for the semifinals. The dataset primarily comprises voice recordings totaling 20-40 hours.
At the semifinal stage (June 13 to June 28), contenders are expected to refine their algorithms based on the black-box dataset provided by the competition organizer, vying for a spot in the final. The dataset, composed mainly of private data, contains five to 10 hours of recordings.
Participants can register on the official website from May 9 to June 3, to download and view the datasets.
Upholding AI Ethics
Voice cloning has emerged as a major form of telecom fraud, as scammers exploit AI technology to make distinction between genuine and fake voices increasingly tricky.
The competition focuses on safeguarding user privacy and combating fraudulent activities by identifying cloned voices accurately.
Lei Chen, Vice President of FinVolution and Head of its Big Data and AI Division, said, “The applications of Large Language Models far exceed the corresponding detection technology, posing great challenges to information security. We hope to see AI deepfake voice detection technology keep pace with the developments of LLMs, thus safeguarding the data security of the public. With this concept in mind, the FinVolution Global Data Science Competition is not only a platform for technical competition but also an opportunity to explore how AI can better adhere to ethical principles and serve the public.” 
To date, the FinVolution Global Data Science Competition has drawn nearly 10,000 participants globally in total, becoming a widely recognized event in the field of digital financial technology.
Organized annually since 2016, the contest themes have spanned diverse domains, all rooted in real-world fintech business scenarios. These themes range from risk control algorithms, financial data applications, and product development to semantic similarity recognition, asset portfolio cash flow prediction, and credit schemes for small- and micro-sized enterprises.
About FinVolution Group
FinVolution Group is a leading fintech company that connects millions of consumers as well as micro- and small-sized enterprises with financial institutions.
Founded in 2007 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2017, we have been at the forefront of the pan-Asian credit technology industry, pioneering innovative technologies in credit risk assessment, fraud detection, big data, and artificial intelligence. With a proven track record of robust growth in pan-Asian countries, we have established leading fintech platforms in China, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
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