July 7, 2021

Parexel s’apprête à être acquise par EQT Private Equity et Goldman Sachs Asset Management

BOSTON et DURHAM, Caroline du Nord, 06 juill. 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Parexel, une organisation de recherche clinique (CRO) de premier plan à l’échelle mondiale axée sur le développement et la fourniture de nouveaux traitements innovants pour faire progresser la santé des patients, a annoncé aujourd’hui l’exécution d’un accord de fusion définitif en vertu duquel elle sera acquise par le fonds EQT IX (« EQT Private Equity ») et l’entreprise de capital-investissement de Goldman Sachs Asset Management (« Goldman Sachs ») auprès de Pamplona Capital Management LP pour la somme de 8,5 milliards de dollars.

« Au cours des 18 derniers mois, Parexel a poursuivi sa solide trajectoire de croissance en mettant ses patients au premier plan et en accélérant la création de nouveaux traitements pour les patients dans le besoin à travers le monde », a déclaré Jamie Macdonald, PDG de Parexel. « Avec le marché des services de recherche clinique externalisés qui devrait se développer à un CAGR prudent de 8 à 9 %, notre objectif demeure de faire progresser et innover Parexel afin de répondre aux besoins de nos clients dans l’ensemble du paysage en constante évolution du développement clinique. EQT et Goldman Sachs soutiennent cette vision et sont déterminées à investir dans Parexel et nos employés pour capitaliser sur cette opportunité de marché palpitante et faire une différence pour les patients. »

Eric Liu, associé et co-directeur mondial des soins de santé chez EQT, a commenté : « Nous avons suivi Parexel de près au cours des dernières années et avons été impressionnés par le développement et la trajectoire de la société. Notre investissement dans Parexel reflète l’accent mis par EQT sur le secteur des sciences de la vie, ainsi que notre engagement à collaborer avec des entreprises qui ont un impact positif sur la société. Nous sommes ravis de nous associer à Goldman Sachs pour la prochaine étape du voyage de Parexel, et de soutenir Jamie, qui avant son poste chez Parexel était conseiller principal de longue date chez EQT, ainsi que le reste de l’équipe de Parexel. »

Jo Natauri, associée et directrice mondiale des investissements dans les soins de santé privés au sein de Goldman Sachs Asset Management, a commenté : « Nous sommes ravis de travailler en partenariat avec Jamie Macdonald, l’ensemble de l’équipe de direction de Parexel et EQT pour soutenir Parexel, qui possède une solide expérience dans la fourniture d’excellence clinique à ses grands clients pharmaceutiques et biotechnologiques dans le monde entier. Nous sommes convaincus que cet investissement accélèrera la croissance de Parexel en s’appuyant sur l’empreinte mondiale de la société, ses solides capacités opérationnelles et son vaste réseau de soins de santé. »

John Halsted, associé directeur de Pamplona Capital Management, a commenté : « Nous sommes très fiers des progrès de Parexel au cours des quatre dernières années et du travail important qu’ils accomplissent pour aider à apporter de nouveaux traitements palpitants aux patients dans le besoin. En particulier, ils ont réussi à adapter l’entreprise pour travailler au cours d’une pandémie mondiale, et ont soutenu le développement de traitements pour lutter contre la pandémie de COVID-19 elle-même. Nous leur souhaitons plein succès dans leur prochaine phase de croissance. »

« Nous avons apprécié notre partenariat avec Pamplona, et nous les remercions de leur leadership et de leur soutien pour aider à transformer Parexel sous leur contrôle », a conclu M. Macdonald. « Au cours des derniers mois, notre capacité à pivoter et à nous adapter a favorisé de nouvelles façons de travailler tout en développant un solide historique de qualité et de réalisation pour les clients du monde entier. Alors que nous continuons à évoluer dans cette nouvelle ère du développement clinique en nous focalisant de manière dynamique sur la satisfaction des besoins d’innovation de nos clients dans des domaines tels que les preuves du monde réel, les essais cliniques décentralisés, les biostatistiques et la gestion des données, et dans des régions clés comme l’Asie/Pacifique où nous sommes parmi les CRO les plus importantes et les plus anciennes, nous sommes ravis de travailler en partenariat avec EQT et Goldman Sachs. Nous sommes impatients de tirer parti de leur solide expérience sectorielle et d’accélérer encore davantage l’évolution de Parexel en tant que l’une des CRO les plus importantes et à la croissance la plus rapide au monde. »

La transaction est soumise aux conditions habituelles, y compris la réception des approbations réglementaires applicables. Evercore a joué le rôle de conseiller financier de Parexel, et Kirkland & Ellis LLP a fourni des conseils juridiques en lien avec la transaction. Goldman Sachs et Jefferies LLC ont joué le rôle de conseillers financiers pour EQT Private Equity et Goldman Sachs Asset Management, et Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP a fourni des conseils juridiques en lien avec la transaction.

À propos de Parexel
Parexel soutient le développement de nouveaux médicaments innovants pour améliorer la santé des patients. Nous fournissons des services pour aider les clients biopharmaceutiques et des sciences de la vie partout dans le monde à transformer les découvertes scientifiques en nouveaux traitements. Des essais cliniques décentralisés aux services de conseil en règlementation en passant par l’exploitation des connaissances du monde réel, notre capacité thérapeutique, technique et fonctionnelle est étayée par une profonde conviction dans ce que nous faisons. Parexel a été nommée « Meilleure société de recherche contractuelle » en décembre 2020 par un panel indépendant pour Informa Pharma Intelligence. Pour tout complément d’information, consultez le site parexel.com et suivez-nous sur LinkedIn, Twitter, et Instagram.

À propos d’EQT
EQT est une organisation mondiale d’investissement axée sur des objectifs, avec plus de 67 milliards d’euros d’actifs sous gestion à travers 26 fonds actifs. Les fonds d’EQT comptent des sociétés de portefeuille en Europe, en Asie-Pacifique et dans les Amériques, avec un chiffre d’affaires total d’environ 29 milliards d’euros et plus de 175 000 employés. EQT travaille avec des sociétés de portefeuille pour atteindre une croissance durable, l’excellence opérationnelle et le leadership du marché. Pour tout complément d’information, veuillez consulter le site www.eqtgroup.com ou suivre EQT sur LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube et Instagram.

À propos de Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Equity
Réunissant des investissements traditionnels et alternatifs, Goldman Sachs Asset Management fournit à ses clients du monde entier un partenariat dédié et une focalisation sur les performances à long terme. En tant que principale section d’investissement au sein de Goldman Sachs (NYSE : GS), nous fournissons des services d’investissement et de conseil aux institutions, conseillers financiers et particuliers les plus importants au monde, en nous appuyant sur notre réseau mondial hautement connecté et sur des connaissances d’experts personnalisées, sur toutes les régions et tous les marchés, supervisant plus de 2 000 milliards de dollars d’actifs sous gestion à l’échelle mondiale au 31 mars 2021. Motivés par notre passion pour la performance de nos clients, nous cherchons à établir des relations à long terme basées sur la conviction, les résultats durables et le succès partagé au fil du temps. Goldman Sachs Asset Management investit dans l’ensemble des alternatives, y compris le capital-investissement, les capitaux de croissance, le crédit privé, l’immobilier et l’infrastructure. Fondée en 1986, l’entreprise de capital-investissement au sein de Goldman Sachs Asset Management a investi plus de 75 milliards de dollars depuis sa création. Nous combinons notre réseau mondial de relations, nos connaissances uniques sur l’ensemble des marchés, industries et régions, et les ressources mondiales de Goldman Sachs pour bâtir des entreprises et accélérer la création de valeur dans l’ensemble de nos portefeuilles. Suivez-nous sur LinkedIn.

À propos de Pamplona Capital Management
Pamplona Capital Management est un gestionnaire d’investissement spécialisé créé en 2005 qui fournit une plateforme de placement alternative pour le capital-investissement et d’autres stratégies diversifiées. Avec des bureaux à New York, Londres, Madrid et à Malte, Pamplona gère plus de 11 milliards de dollars d’actifs pour une variété de clients, y compris des fonds de pension publics, des gestionnaires de patrimoine internationaux, des sociétés multinationales, des bureaux familiaux et des fonds spéculatifs. Pamplona investit des capitaux à long terme dans la structure du capital de ses sociétés de portefeuille dans des situations de marché public et privé.

CONTACTS

Pour Parexel :
Lori Dorer
Vice-présidente sénior des communications d’entreprise
+1 513 496 8121

Lindsay LeCain
Real Chemistry
+ 1 508 259 9521

Pour EQT :
Daniel Yunger, Kekst CNC, + 1 917 574 8582
Bureau de presse d’EQT, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334

Pour Goldman Sachs :
Leslie Shribman
+1 212 902 5400

Pour Pamplona Capital Management :
Ed Orlebar, TB Cardew
ed.orlebar@tbcardew.com
+44 (0)7738724630

July 7, 2021

LG HVAC Virtual Experience Showcases Company’s Latest Solutions, Whenever, Wherever

Utilizing the Latest Technology, Virtual Showroom Lets Visitors Get to Know LG’s Wide Range of Residential and Commercial HVAC Solutions

SEOUL, South Korea, July 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics (LG) is launching the LG HVAC Virtual Experience, a new, interactive online showroom that gives visitors the opportunity to browse and learn all about its extensive portfolio of first-class HVAC solutions, anywhere, anytime. Helping customers to make better decisions for their families or valued employees, the intuitive, online space makes it possible to view the company’s latest solutions in a variety of virtual environments and discover their many benefits, such as greater comfort, improved indoor air quality and seamless control.

LG DUAL Vane Cassette installed in the high-rise office setting

Upon entering the LG HVAC Virtual Experience, visitors can choose from several business and living space categories: Residential Apartment, Residential Villa, Office General, Office High-Rise, Retail and Hotel. Customers can then freely roam their selected 3D environment using just a mouse or touchscreen device, clicking on straightforward menus as they go to reach additional information like specifications, features, product videos and case studies for each model. Simple to use and navigate, LG’s new virtual platform is a great tool for consumers, industry professionals and partners looking to create healthier and more comfortable indoor spaces.

LG HVAC Product Line-up (From Left, Round Cassette, DUALCOOL with AirCare Complete System, Therma V)

What’s more, the virtual showroom allows visitors to see the behind-the-scenes details and technologies. By pressing the on-screen Airflow and Piping buttons, visitors can uncover how air travels in an air conditioner or air purifier and how pipes direct water and refrigerant through a system. They can even virtually switch operational modes and observe how airflow changes from one air conditioner to another. Beyond the technology and science, the showroom is a great place to check out all the products’ stylish designs to see how they match various virtual interiors.

LG Virtual Experience showcasing 4-way Cassette with DUAL Vane in General Office Space

LG HVAC Virtual Experience is an engaging online resource that can give visitors a thorough understanding of the company’s latest, optimized HVAC solutions for different kinds of spaces, helping them figure out which products are best suited to their specific needs. The showroom also demonstrates LG’s commitment to ensuring a sustainable future, highlighting innovative LG technologies, such as the energy-efficient R1 Compressor, and the company’s early adoption of the eco-friendly R32 refrigerant.

LG Virtual Experience showcasing Hydro Kit in Hotel Space

LG has been providing its highly efficient and environmentally responsible HVAC products for many years, and continues to satisfy customers across the world with its advanced, eco-conscious solutions for residential and commercial use. Anyone wanting to discover the company’s latest indoor environmental comfort technologies can visit LG Virtual HVAC Experience on a PC or smartphone.

“The LG Virtual HVAC Experience delivers a compelling way to experience our latest solutions, whenever and wherever you choose,” said James Lee, a Head of Air Solution Business Unit at LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company. “We will continue to work tirelessly to create HVAC products that not only make homes and businesses more comfortable, but are better for users, the environment, and the future of our planet.”

About LG Electronics Air Solution Business Unit

LG air conditioning provides optimized solutions for every sector and climate with a wide range of cutting-edge systems that bring exceptional heating, ventilation and air conditioning performance to buildings worldwide. Through our unmatched expertise and industry knowledge, we respond directly to the needs of businesses seeking digitalized and eco-conscious HVAC solutions. We are the partner your business has been looking for, and are well prepared to integrate our leading technology into your day-to-day operations, supporting you and your business every step of the way. For more information, please visit www.LG.com.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1557919/LG_Dual_Vane_Cassette_High_rise_Office.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1557918/LG_HVAC_Product_Line_up.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1557920/LG_HVAC_Virtual_Experience_Showroom_01.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1557917/LG_HVAC_Virtual_Experience_Showroom_02.jpg

July 7, 2021

WHO Chief Says World at Perilous Point in COVID-19 Pandemic

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters Wednesday that the world was at a perilous point in the COVID-19 pandemic, as fast-moving variants continued to spread because of an uneven global vaccination effort.

From the agency’s headquarters in Geneva, Tedros said that some countries with high vaccination rates were making plans to roll out booster shots in coming months and were dropping public health social distancing measures and relaxing as though the pandemic were already over.

But the WHO chief said that because of what he called a “shocking inequity in vaccination,” and highly contagious variants of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, far too many countries in every region of the world were seeing spikes in cases and hospitalizations.

He said that had led to an acute shortage of oxygen and treatments and was driving a wave of death in parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Tedros said around the world, variants were winning the race against vaccines because of inequitable vaccine production and distribution, which, he said, also threatened the global economic recovery.

4 million deaths

Deaths worldwide related to the coronavirus recently passed 4 million as many countries struggled to obtain sufficient supplies of vaccines to inoculate their populations.

He said, “Vaccine nationalism, where a handful of nations have taken the lion’s share, is morally indefensible and an ineffective public health strategy against a respiratory virus that is mutating quickly and becoming increasingly effective at moving from human to human.”

Tedros noted that finance ministers from the G-20 world economic powers would be meeting this week in Venice. He called on the finance ministers and other leaders to get behind his call for 10 percent of people in all countries to be vaccinated by September and for that figure to rise to 40 percent by the end of the year.

He said providing the necessary funding to scale up the equitable manufacturing and distribution of health tools was the fastest way to end the acute stage of the pandemic, save lives and livelihoods, and drive a truly global economic recovery.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.

Source: Voice of America

July 7, 2021

Chinese Social Media Giant WeChat Shuts LGBT Accounts

BANGKOK – China’s most popular social media service has deleted accounts on LGBT topics run by university students and nongovernment groups, prompting concern the ruling Communist Party is tightening control over gay and lesbian content.

WeChat sent account holders a notice they violated rules but gave no details, according to the founder of an LGBT group, who asked not to be identified further out of fear of possible official retaliation. She said dozens of accounts were shut down about 10 p.m. Tuesday.

It wasn’t clear whether the step was ordered by Chinese authorities, but it came as the ruling party has tightened political controls and had tried to silence groups that might criticize its rule.

WeChat’s operator, Tencent Holding Ltd., confirmed it received an email seeking comment but didn’t immediately respond.

The Communist Party decriminalized homosexuality in 1997, but gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and other sexual minorities still face discrimination. While there is more public discussion of such issues, some LGBT activities have been blocked by authorities.

The official attitude is increasingly strict, the founder of the LGBT group said.

Contents of the WeChat accounts, which included personal stories and photos of group events, were erased, according to the group’s founder.

Devastating

The former operator of a different group for university students, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, called the step a devastating blow.

University officials asked students two months ago to shut down LGBT social media groups or to avoid mentioning their school names, according to the LGBT group founder. She said universities in the eastern province of Jiangsu were told by officials to investigate groups for women’s rights and sexual minorities to “maintain stability.”

Surveys suggest there are about 70 million LGBT people in China, or about 5% of the population, according to state media.

Some groups have organized film festivals and other public events, but those have dwindled.

One of the most prominent, Shanghai Pride, canceled events last year and scrapped future plans without explanation after 11 years of operation.

China’s legislature received suggestions from the public about legalizing same-sex marriage two years ago, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. However, it gave no indication whether legislators might take action.

Source: Voice of America

July 7, 2021

Chakwera accused of sliding Malawi to a dictatorship

AT the country’s 56th independence anniversary last year, newly-elected Malawi president, Lazarus Chakwera, pledged to end a trend by his predecessors who were “promising political tolerance but delivering human rights abuses.”

His assurances to deepen democracy aimed at building on the Constitutional Court’s historic annulment of elections held the previous year after evidence of vote-rigging retained his predecessor, Peter Mutharika, in power.

Fresh elections paved way for the former church leader’s ascension as independent Malawi’s sixth president.

It was the first time that the courts overturned the outcome of an election in the Southern African country’s history, and the second time this happened in the continent after Kenya’s polls were annulled in 2017 for similar reasons.

Subsequent polls held in Malawi in June 2020 would be the first that an opposition leader won elections since the advent of multiparty polls in 1994.

Independence was secured 30 years earlier, setting Malawi on a path of dictatorship under Kamuzu Banda (now late).

A year into his presidency, Chakwera is also facing criticism for evolving into a dictator and deviating from the pledge of entrenching democracy.

The country of more than 19 million people on Tuesday marked 57 years of independence from Britain.

The state’s intentions to enact alleged draconian laws against the tenets of the former Nyasaland’s democracy, and the lavish spending on the festivities at a time the economy is searing under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic overshadowed the run-up to this year’s commemorations.

The Labour Relations (Amendment), Income Tax Bill as well as alleged tampering with the judiciary are at the centre of the strains between Chakwera’s Tonse-led government and civil society organisations.

The Labour Relations (Amendment) has raised the most ire.

Critics believe the bill seeks to ban workers’ strikes and give employers the right to deduct wages of striking workers.

The instrument also seeks to clarify categories of essential services to which the right to strike and lockdown will not apply.

Through the legal instrument, Chakwera’s government is apparently targeting teachers and medical workers, the former who have recently been on strike over COVID-19 risk bonuses.

“This must be stopped at all cost,” Sylvester Namiwa, Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) Executive Director, told journalists ahead of the independence celebrations.

“President Chakwera is changing the laws and stopping people from exercising their right to demonstrate against violations on their rights,” he added.

The civil society organisation is not convinced by the government’s explanation on the labour amendments.

Chikosa Silungwe, the Attorney General, said the legal instrument was based on the International Labour Organisation’s guidelines and international best practices.

These, he argued, empowered employers to impose the principle of “no work, no pay.”

“The punitive advance income tax that will condemn more people into poverty,” Silungwe said.

“It is against this background we are challenging the president against assenting to the punitive income tax bill.”

The Income Tax Bill has also angered CDEDI.

On the contrary, the organisation expected a taxes waiver to enable the recovery of small and medium business operators from the impact of the COVID-19.

The government has also come under criticism for its deploying of top judges as envoys.

The deployments follow maladministration at Malawi’s diplomatic missions, the most recent embarrassment being the implication of envoys later expelled from South Africa for engaging in illicit trade in duty-free alcohol.

High Court Judges Esme Chombo and Agnes Patemba are among those assigned to serve in foreign missions.

Chombo was on the verge of concluding one of the country’s high-profile murder cases, against Misonzi Chanthunya, accused of murdering a Zimbabwean woman, Linda Gasa, in 2010. She was said to be his girlfriend.

Patemba has been hailed for tackling sexual and gender-based violence.

It is unclear how cases they were handling would progress.

Chakwera’s administration was forced to backtrack on plans to spend on spending K244 million (US$305 000) on Independence Day celebrations, at a time the economy is stressed.

After Malawians protested on social media, the budget was eventually cut to K50 million.

At the main event in Lilongwe, the president launched a tirade, mocking decorations as “ugly.”

Political analyst, Osias Kapesa, said, Chakwera’s cabinet appointments when he assumed power were an indication that “Malawi’s politics was heading in the wrong direction.”

The 31-member cabinet included six officials are related to each other, although they were not related to the Chakwera.

“The signs were always there but were ignored under the euphoria of ‘change’,” Kapesa said.

Speaking recently at a nurses’ awards ceremony in Lilongwe, Chakwera said the government would deliver on its election pledges.

“We will keep building the new Malawi we pledged brick by brick and layer by layer,” the president said.

“My challenge to all of us is to embrace the change and reject some negativity some are invoking at every turn,” he insisted.

Source: CAJ News Agency

July 7, 2021

ANGOLA ENGAGED IN PEACE AND SECURITY IN SADC REGION

Luanda – Angola continues its efforts to contribute to the consolidation of peace, security and democracy in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Esmeralda Mendonça said Wednesday in Luanda.

Esmeralda Mendonça, who was speaking to the press at the end of the 23rd Virtual Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the SADC Organ on Cooperation for Politics, Defence and Security, said that Angola will continue to contribute equally to pacification and dialogue in the southern region, a fact that has earned the respect of the organisation’s member states.

She said that the member states of the organisation are sympathetic to the insecurity situation in Mozambique, particularly in the Cabo Delgado region, stressing that the countries are united and unanimous in making every effort to consolidate peace and harmony.

The secretary of state said that the participants at the meeting had discussed the holding of elections in the Seychelles islands and the United Republic of Tanzania, without the presence, for the first time, of SADC observers, due to restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which may also happen in Angola, in 2022.

During the meeting, Angola welcomed the work done by the executive secretariat of SADC, regarding the assessment of security threats in the region and aligned on the need to implement a budgeted action plan, taking into account the high impact of threats in member states.

The 23rd Virtual Meeting of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation was preceded by an experts meeting, held on the 5th and 6th of this month.

Source: Angola Press News Agency