Category: Press Releases

DUBAI, Emirados Árabes Unidos, Jan. 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A FURA Gems anunciou hoje ter iniciado o processo de certificação junto do RJC, demonstrando o seu compromisso com práticas empresariais responsáveis. O projeto será liderado pela Mazars Suíça, que acompanhará a FURA Gems e todos os respetivos locais de mineração em funcionamento, designadamente na Colômbia para as esmeraldas, Moçambique para os rubis e a Austrália para as safiras, através do processo preparatório do RJC. A FURA já tinha registado a sua unidade australiana junto do RJC, e procurará agora expandir a certificação ao grupo e a todos os respetivos locais de mineração. Com o apoio da Mazars, a FURA terá como meta concluir o processo de certificação até 31 de dezembro de 2023, para todos os respetivos locais de mineração.

A certificação do RJC faz parte da ambiciosa estratégia ESG implementada pela FURA desde a sua fundação, em 2017. No início do ano passado, a FURA anunciou a parceria com a Gübelin para fornecer rastreabilidade a todas as suas pedras através do protocolo de confiança (blockchain) da Provenance Proof. A Certificação do RJC marca um passo adicional importante rumo à concretização das ambiciosas metas ESG estabelecidas pela FURA.

“Trata-se de uma declaração forte da nossa parte, pois estamos a lançar a certificação para todas as nossas minas que produzem esmeraldas, rubis e safiras”, diz Dev Shetty, fundador e CEO da FURA Gems. “Este processo de certificação permitir-nos-á formalizar o compromisso assumido desde a nossa fundação: fornecer ao setor da joalharia pedras preciosas de cor rastreáveis e de origem sustentável. Para tal, identificámos a Mazars como a parceira ideal para conduzir o processo em todas as nossas unidades de produção e ao nível da sede. A Mazars oferece a combinação ideal de experiência regional e perspetiva global, permitindo-nos conduzir o projeto com um enorme nível de competências e profissionalismo.”

Franck Paucod, sócio da Mazars, explica: “Estamos entusiasmados por acompanhar a FURA Gems ao longo deste processo exigente que é a Certificação do Código de Práticas do RJC. A realização do projeto para as três (3) minas em simultâneo mostra o compromisso da FURA em termos de mineração responsável. Estamos confiantes de que, com a nossa experiência no setor das pedras preciosas e das joias, poderemos apoiar a FURA no seu compromisso de construir uma estrutura sólida para a obtenção da certificação RJC.”

SOBRE A FURA GEMS

A FURA Gems Inc. é uma empresa de mineração e comercialização de pedras preciosas de cor criada em 2017. Com sede no Dubai, Emirados Árabes Unidos, a FURA tem mais de 1200 funcionários em todos os continentes. É o primeiro empreendimento pioneiro, criativo e ético a cobrir todo o espectro de pedras preciosas de cor. A empresa opera em três filiais de mineração na Colômbia, Moçambique e Austrália, que extraem esmeraldas, rubis e safiras. A FURA também iniciou o respetivo programa de exploração em Madagáscar para a extração de safiras. É a empresa de mineração de pedras preciosas de cor que mais cresce para garantir a estabilidade e a rastreabilidade de pedras preciosas de cor eticamente extraídas, desde a extração em bruto até à distribuição retalhista.

SOBRE A MAZARS

A Mazars é uma parceria internacionalmente integrada, especializada em auditoria, contabilidade, consultoria, fiscalidade e serviços jurídicos. Com atividade em mais de 90 países e territórios em todo o mundo, a Mazars conta com a experiência de mais de 44 000 profissionais para ajudar clientes de todas as dimensões, em todas as fases do respetivo desenvolvimento.

A Mazars Suíça é especializada nos setores da relojoaria e joalharia. A Mazars pode acompanhar os seus clientes em toda a fase de preparação e registo da certificação do Código de Práticas do RJC, como é o caso da FURA Gems, ou realizar auditorias para a certificação das empresas em conformidade com o CdP do RJC.

Foto deste comunicado disponível em: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80695a84-8e96-48d7-a21d-6548f0e035e7

MAIS INFORMAÇÕES

Gianluca Maina, Diretor de Marketing, FURA Gems, gianluca.maina@furagems.com

Franck Paucod, Sócio, Mazars SA, franck.paucod@mazars.ch

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000776856

Global Phase 3 INDIGO study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of obexelimab in patients with IgG4-RD, a chronic and serious fibroinflammatory disease typically affecting multiple organs

IgG4-RD is the first of several potential disease indications to be pursued for obexelimab given its unique non-depleting, B-cell inhibition

WALTHAM, Mass., Jan. 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zenas BioPharma, a global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of immune-based therapies, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in the INDIGO Phase 3 registrational study of obexelimab. The INDIGO study will evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of obexelimab treatment in the prevention of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) flare. Obexelimab is a high-affinity bifunctional antibody that inhibits B-cell lineages by simultaneously binding to CD19 and Fc_ƳRIIB, thereby downregulating B-cell activity in patients with autoimmune diseases associated with autoantibodies, such as IgG4-RD.

“IgG4-RD is a chronic and serious fibroinflammatory condition that can affect nearly any organ system and can have a profound impact on many patients, leading to severe organ damage or death,” said Hua Mu, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Zenas. “There are no currently approved treatments for patients living with IgG4-RD. Based upon the promising data from a Phase 2 study of obexelimab in IgG4-RD patients, we are excited to continue to evaluate the potential of obexelimab in the INDIGO study.”

About the INDIGO Study

The INDIGO study is a global multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolling up to 200 adults with active IgG4-RD signs/symptoms (i.e., flare) that require steroid therapy. Patients will be randomized in a ratio of 1:1 to receive either obexelimab or placebo, administered as subcutaneous injections.

The primary endpoint of INDIGO is time to first IgG4-RD flare (defined as the reappearance of previous signs/symptoms or appearance of new signs/symptoms of IgG4-RD) that requires initiation of rescue therapy from randomization to Week 52. Safety will be evaluated throughout the study duration.

More information on the INDIGO study (NCT05662241) is available at clinicaltrials.gov.

About Obexelimab

Obexelimab is an investigational Phase 3-stage, novel bifunctional antibody with first-in-class potential that inhibits B-cell lineages that express CD19. Simultaneous binding to CD19 and Fc_ƳRIIB by obexelimab mimics a natural antigen-antibody complex and downregulates B cell activity. In several early-stage clinical studies, 198 subjects were treated with obexelimab. In these clinical studies, the molecule demonstrated effective inhibition of B cell function without depleting the cells and generated an encouraging treatment effect in patients with multiple autoimmune diseases. Zenas acquired exclusive worldwide rights to obexelimab from Xencor, Inc.

About IgG4-RD

IgG4-RD is a chronic and serious fibroinflammatory disease typically affecting multiple organs (e.g., pancreas, liver, kidney, bile duct, salivary and lacrimal glands). Approximately 20,000 people are diagnosed with IgG4-RD in the US, with similar prevalence rates across geographies. Many patients have some degree of irreversible organ damage at the time of diagnosis. Although nearly all patients initially respond to glucocorticoid (GC) therapy, a majority of patients will relapse/flare within a few months of discontinuing treatment, requiring rescue therapy. Chronic GC therapy is also associated with toxicity in many patients.

About Zenas BioPharma

Zenas BioPharma is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of immune-based therapies for patients around the world. With clinical development and operations globally, Zenas is advancing a deep and balanced global portfolio of potential first- and best-in-class autoimmune therapeutics in areas of high unmet medical need while meeting the value requirements of the dynamic global healthcare environment. The company’s pipeline continues to grow through our successful business development strategy. Our experienced leadership team and network of business partners drive operational excellence to deliver potentially transformative therapies to improve the lives of those living with autoimmune and rare diseases. For more information about Zenas BioPharma, please visit www.zenasbio.com and follow us on Twitter at @ZenasBioPharma and LinkedIn.

Investor and Media Contact:
Joe Farmer, President & COO
Zenas BioPharma
IR@zenasbio.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8727743

TEMECULA, Calif., Jan. 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (“Group”), a part of the Nikkiso Co., Ltd (Japan) group of companies, is proud to announce its first on-site FAT testing at their new Marine facility in Busan, Korea. This accomplishment exemplifies their commitment to and support of the growth of the Korean market.

Since July 2022, they have been fabricating high-pressure pump skids in the 4,000 square meter facility. With the successful completion of this FAT test for Hapag Lloyd AG (for the largest fuel gas supply system), they demonstrate the capabilities of their factory and its LN2 (liquid nitrogen) test facility. This facility continues to provide the commissioning and maintenance support previously provided. With the HP pumps skid fabrication and testing capabilities, they now provide full-system marine solutions to their customers.

The FAT test is mandatory prior to skid delivery, which tests for overall performance (i.e., pump maximum flowrate, vaporizer performance, lube-oil (LO) system, nitrogen purge system, cryogenic valves, etc.). It must be witnessed by shipowner, class society, and customers, verifying the product meets its performance requirements.

According to Jay Lee, General Manager, Korea, “Nikkiso ACD has been the preferred supplier for Fuel Gas skids to the Korean shipbuilding industry for over 20 years! With our new skid packaging and testing facility located near the shipyards in Korea, we now have even greater capacity to provide local support and meet the significant global marine demands.”

“This is an important next step for our Group and the LNG powered Marine market, and an expanded benefit for our Marine customers. Nikkiso CE&IG will now be able to provide and test full systems and support our customers with a turnkey system solution,” according to Peter Wagner, CEO of Cryogenic Industries and President of the Group.

Contact Information:
Nikkiso Clean Energy and Industrial Gases – Korea
Head Office & Factory: 83, Nosansanupjung-ro, Gangseo-gu, Busan, 46752, Korea
Branch office: #1912, 170, Gwanggyojungang-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, 16614, Korea
info@NikkisoCEIG-Korea.com

ABOUT CRYOGENIC INDUSTRIES
Cryogenic Industries, Inc. (now a member of Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) member companies manufacture and service engineered cryogenic gas processing equipment (pumps, turboexpanders, heat exchangers, etc.) and process plants for Industrial Gases, and Natural Gas Liquefaction (LNG), Hydrogen Liquefaction (LH2) and Organic Rankine Cycle for Waste Heat Recovery. Founded over 50 years ago, Cryogenic Industries is the parent company of ACD, Nikkiso Cryo, Nikkiso Integrated Cryogenic Solutions, Cosmodyne and Cryoquip and a commonly controlled group of 20 operating entities.

For more information, please visit www.nikkisoCEIG.com and www.nikkiso.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Anna Quigley
+1.951.383.3314
aquigley@cryoind.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8727431

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FURA Gems announced today it had initiated the certification process with the RJC, demonstrating its commitment to responsible business practices. The project will be headed by Mazars Switzerland, which will accompany FURA Gems and all its operating mining locations in Colombia for emeralds, Mozambique for rubies, and Australia for sapphire through the process of RJC preparation. FURA has already registered its Australian location with RJC, and FURA will now look to expand the certification for the group and all its operating sites. With Mazar’s support, FURA will target to complete the certification process on or before December 31, 2023, for all its operating locations.

The certification with RJC is part of the ambitious ESG strategy deployed by FURA since its foundation in 2017. Earlier last year, FURA announced the partnership with Gübelin to provide traceability for all its stones through the Provenance Proof Blockchain. RJC Certification marks an additional important step towards achieving FURA’s ambitious ESG goals.

“This is a strong statement from our side, as we launch certification of all our mines producing emeralds, rubies and sapphires,” says Dev Shetty, Founder & CEO of FURA Gems. “The certification process will enable us to formalize our commitment since our foundation: to provide the jewellery market with traceable, sustainably sourced colour gemstones. To achieve this, we have identified Mazars as the ideal partner to conduct the process throughout our production sites and at the headquarters level. Mazars offers the ideal combination of regional expertise and global perspective, enabling us to conduct the project with the greatest level of competencies & professionalism.”

Franck Paucod, Partner at Mazars, explains, “We are thrilled to accompany FURA Gems through the demanding process of RJC COP Certification. Conducting the project for the three (3) mines simultaneously shows FURA’s commitment to responsible mining. We are confident that with our experiences in the gems and jewellery sector, we will be able to support FURA with its commitment to building the solid framework to achieve the RJC certification.”

ABOUT FURA GEMS

FURA Gems Inc. is a coloured gemstone mining and marketing company established in 2017. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, FURA has over 1,200 employees across continents. It is the first pioneering, creative and ethical enterprise to cover the entire spectrum of coloured gemstones. It operates three mining subsidiaries in Colombia, Mozambique, and Australia that mines emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. FURA also initiated its exploration program in Madagascar for sapphire mining. It is the fastest-growing coloured gemstone mining company to ensure the stability and traceability of ethically mined coloured gemstones from rough to retail.

ABOUT MAZARS

Mazars is an internationally integrated partnership, specialising in audit, accountancy, advisory, tax and legal services. Operating in over 90 countries and territories around the world, Mazars draws on the expertise of more than 44,000 professionals to assist clients of all sizes at every stage in their development.

Mazars Switzerland is specialised in the watch & jewellery industry. Mazars can either accompany clients throughout the RJC Code of Practice COP certification preparation and registration which is the case for FURA Gems or perform audits for the certification of companies in conformity of the RJC COP.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80695a84-8e96-48d7-a21d-6548f0e035e7

FURTHER INFORMATION

Gianluca Maina, Marketing Director, FURA Gems, gianluca.maina@furagems.com

Franck Paucod, Partner, Mazars SA, franck.paucod@mazars.ch

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000776648

Roseau, Jan. 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With the economic and political uncertainty that so many Nigerians are feeling about the upcoming elections, many affluent businesspeople are considering whether to continue investing their hard-earned money further in the country or to invest elsewhere.

Risk diversification has always been on the minds of the affluent and, in some cases, investing elsewhere may actually have a positive impact back home in Nigeria.

How the diaspora has been supporting Nigeria

Nigerians are living across the globe. With a rising affluent class, more and more Nigerians are seeking investment, work, and living opportunities elsewhere. But this doesn’t stop Nigerians from investing back in Nigeria from other locations.

According to a World Bank report, Nigeria remains the largest recipient of remittances in the sub-Saharan region. It is the sixth-largest recipient among all low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with an estimated amount of US$23.8 billion received in 2019, an increase of more than half a billion compared with 2018. In comparison, Ghana and Kenya are ranked a distant second and third in the region, according to the report, with US$3.5 billion and US$2.8 billion received, respectively. Remittances refer to the sending of money, and in this case, to money being sent to Nigeria from abroad.

According to a report by an international audit firm, migrant remittances translated to 83% of the Federal Government budget in 2018 and 11 times the foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in the same period. The report also states that Nigeria’s remittance inflows was 7.4 times larger than the net official development assistance (foreign aid) received in 2017 of US$3.4 billion.

These are no small facts. The impact that Nigerians abroad have on the country’s local development is enormous.

CBI as a diversification of risk

One way in which astute investors diversify risk is through obtaining citizenship in another country. Only a handful of countries in the world currently offer citizenship by investment (CBI). The longest-standing and most credible citizenship by investment (CBI) programmes are found in the Caribbean.

There are many benefits to having dual citizenship, including greater global mobility, new economic opportunities, a better quality of life, and improved personal security. Many families and entrepreneurs turn to CBI programmes as an alternative form of asset diversification.

Global uncertainty is driving the desire among wealthy individuals to incorporate second citizenship as part of their portfolios. However, countries offering CBI programmes still require that applicants be strictly vetted before being granted citizenship. This is to maintain certain standards of the CBI programme and to ensure that applicants comply with certain national and international standards to support safety and security, as criminal background checks are also included in the vetting process. The due diligence process of the Commonwealth of Dominica, which forms part of its CBI offering, is one of the best in the world.

Different countries award citizenship in different ways. Some countries award citizenship by virtue of birth in that country, descent from a parent who is a citizen, or by naturalisation, for example through marriage to a citizen or through an extended period of residence in that country. CBI programmes allow successful applicants to obtain citizenship by virtue of a significant investment in a country.

For example, the Dominica CBI due diligence process covers four steps: know-your-customer checks performed by local authorized agents; internal checks including anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing vetting by the Citizenship by Investment Unit; mandated international due diligence firms perform online and on-the-ground checks; and regional and international crime prevention bodies check that you are not on any wanted or sanctions lists.

For additional security, local Caribbean banks, including those in Dominica, also exercise their own vetting processes on each CBI applicant before allowing funds from the applicant to enter the local banking sector. As this forms such an important part of the success of each application, this vetting process is usually done before the applicant’s application is submitted to the recipient government’s CBI unit for processing. This dual process of vetting by the bank as well as vetting by the government agency in charge of CBI adds a necessary and additional level of security to CBI programmes in the Caribbean.

Supporting home from idyllic Dominica

For Nigerians, the Caribbean has been a drawing card for a long time. Some of the first Africans to reach the Caribbean islands arrived in the early 1500s and the Caribbean has been a popular destination for global travelers for hundreds of years. Nigeria has also been one of the most influential cultures in the region, with over 6 million people tracing their lineage back to Nigeria.

In Dominica, the government invests heavily in tourism to drive economic development, focusing on the island’s unmatched natural beauty, and the popularity of diving, hiking, wellness, and eco-tours.

For Nigerian investors, Dominican banks are well-versed in international transfers and can manage a variety of business requirements, whether these are for transactions with those in Nigeria or elsewhere.

From Dominica, investors also save a lot on taxation. There is no taxation on capital and these savings can be sent abroad. Dominica also has no corporate, estate, or withholding taxes. There is also no taxation on gifts, inheritance, and income earned abroad.

For more information on Dominica’s CBI offering, contact CS Global Partners at https://csglobalpartners.com/contact/

PR Dominica
Commonwealth of Dominica
001 (767) 266 3919
mildred.thabane@csglobalpartners.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8726206