Latest news with #BAL
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Why Is the NBA Partnering With the UAE and Rwanda? Both Are Accused of Fueling Massive Humanitarian Crises
As the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs heat up, there is much to be excited about regarding the league's future. Television ratings are up, multiple young stars compete to be the next face of the league, and partnerships with other countries are deepening, opening doors to new audiences and corporate sponsorships. On the surface, these kinds of arrangements seem like a win-win for everyone. NBA spokespeople point to the NBA's investment in youth basketball leagues and clinics in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Rwanda, as well as to basketball infrastructure like courts and arenas. Front view of the NBA store on 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Front view of the NBA store on 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Getty Images The UAE has invested heavily in the NBA, fully sponsoring the in-season tournament now called the Emirates NBA Cup in a deal reportedly worth $500 million. The UAE also hosts the annual preseason NBA Abu Dhabi Games, with the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers slated to appear in October 2025. Meanwhile, Rwanda has been a lynchpin for the Basketball Africa League (BAL), the NBA's first professional basketball league outside of North America. The Rwandan government pays several million dollars to the NBA to host the BAL playoffs in its new arena in the capital of Kigali, as well as to be a general sponsor of the league. Probe beneath the surface of what else these two governments are involved in, however, and another story emerges. The UAE and Rwanda are presently sponsoring deadly rebel groups in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), respectively, directly fueling two of the largest humanitarian crises in the world. Nearly 20 million people have been displaced from their homes in these two conflicts. In Sudan, the UAE is backing the insurgent Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia that the United States in January determined committed genocide and that now controls wide swathes of the country, thanks to generous military support from the Emirates. As Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate in his confirmation hearing, "In part of our engagement with the UAE, we need to raise the fact that they are openly supporting an entity that is carrying out a genocide [in Sudan]." In the DRC, Rwanda invaded with up to 12,000 troops in January and since 2022 has militarily supported the M23 militia, which has taken over wide swathes of eastern DRC. The human costs of these conflicts is staggering, with 12 million people displaced in Sudan and 8 million in the DRC, 30 million in need of emergency aid in Sudan and 28 million in the DRC, and thousands of child soldiers in both conflicts. The UAE and Rwanda are benefiting financially from these military interventions, with billions of dollars of illicit gold flowing from Sudan and the DRC. The Emirates imported $1 billion in gold from Sudan in 2023, and Sudan's largest mine is controlled by a UAE company linked to the royal family. In 2024, over $1.5 billion in gold was exported from Rwanda, including large amounts of conflict gold from the DRC. A Rwandan-backed militia also controls a large DRC critical minerals mine and smuggles the mineral into Rwanda. The UAE and Rwanda's partnerships with the NBA represent the very definition of sportswashing, wherein governments involved in heinous atrocities distract attention from their crimes by investing in sports teams and leagues around the world in exchange for good publicity. Today, no one from the NBA has spoken out about the human crises directly fueled by partners of the NBA. Perhaps there is simply too much money at stake. Yet given the league and many of its most prominent players' presence in social justice efforts, their silence around the violence being fueled by Rwanda and the UAE is all the more deafening. Recognizing this contradiction, U.S. senators from both parties joined together last year and wrote to the NBA, saying the league "has long positioned itself as a beacon of social justice" but has instead continued "developing relationships with dictators and despots," including Rwandan President Paul Kagame. As the NBA's association with partners who enact extraordinary human rights abuses becomes clearer, the ideal response from the league would be to cancel these relationships. Some NBA stars who have spoken out so forcefully in support of social justice causes in the U.S. could start asking questions about what the UAE and Rwanda are doing in Sudan and the DRC and shine a spotlight on the suffering of Sudanese and Congolese people. Sportswashing is all about deflecting attention away from horrors like those being perpetrated in Sudan, especially Darfur, and the eastern DRC. But if upstanding NBA players with truly global platforms redirect attention toward the massive suffering being inflicted, perhaps it would begin to affect the calculations of those responsible. John Prendergast is co-founder of The Sentry, an investigative and policy organization that seeks to disrupt predatory networks that benefit from conflict, repression, and kleptocracy. Sasha Lezhnev is senior policy advisor at The Sentry. The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Agenus and Noetik Enter Collaboration to Develop AI-Enabled Predictive Biomarkers for BOT/BAL Using Foundation Models of Virtual Cell Biology
LEXINGTON, Mass. & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Agenus Inc. (Nasdaq: AGEN), a leader in immuno-oncology innovation, and Noetik, a leader in AI-driven spatial and multimodal biology, today announced a research collaboration to develop predictive biomarkers of response to Agenus' lead clinical stage immuno-oncology (IO) combination, botensilimab (BOT, multifunctional Fc-enhanced anti-CTLA-4) and balstilimab (BAL, anti-PD-1). The collaboration harnesses Noetik's proprietary virtual cell foundation models and large-scale, multimodal tumor data to uncover novel insights into the biology of tumor immunology. Together, the teams will deploy Noetik's first-in-class foundation models directly on clinical results with the aim to enrich clinical efficacy. We are excited to deploy Noetik's virtual cell foundation models on Agenus' rich clinical data to uncover biomarkers that can enrich patient therapeutic response, improve trial outcomes, and ultimately deliver more precise therapies. Share Central to this collaboration is Noetik's OCTO virtual cell model, a 1.5 billion parameter foundation model trained on one of the largest proprietary multimodal spatial datasets. This dataset brings together spatial proteomics, spatial transcriptomics, H&E pathology, DNA genotyping, and clinical metadata from nearly 200 million tumor and immune cells collected from thousands of patients with cancers such as colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancers, and sarcomas. By integrating these diverse data types, Noetik's foundation models provide a systems-level view of the tumor microenvironment in real patients, unlocking novel insights into cancer biology that can drive more precise therapeutic discovery and development. Botensilimab, alone or in combination with BAL, has been evaluated in more than 1,200 patients across nine tumor types, including colorectal cancer, NSCLC, and sarcomas. By targeting complementary immune pathways, the BOT/BAL combination has shown deep and durable clinical responses—even in tumors considered immunotherapy 'cold' or resistant to prior IO treatment. The regimen has generated growing recognition within the medical community, supported by compelling data presented in both late-line and neoadjuvant settings, multiple peer-reviewed publications, and presentations at more than a dozen major medical congresses over the past three years. The collaboration aims to uncover clear, actionable biomarkers that can help predict which patients are most likely to respond to BOT/BAL treatment. Using OCTO virtual cell models to simulate how tumors behave in the body, Noetik will analyze complex biological data from multiple cancer types. The goal is to identify patterns that can predict treatment outcomes and help classify patient groups who may benefit most. Agenus will have exclusive rights to apply these insights in its drug development and commercialization efforts. 'Enhancing clinical efficacy is the most important problem in developing new medicines, and exactly what we've trained our foundation models to do. We are excited to deploy Noetik's virtual cell foundation models on Agenus' rich clinical data to uncover biomarkers that can enrich patient therapeutic response, improve trial outcomes, and ultimately deliver more precise therapies,' said Ron Alfa, M.D., Ph.D., CEO & Co-Founder, Noetik. 'At Agenus, we are committed to transforming cancer care through scientific innovation and next-generation immunotherapies. This collaboration with Noetik enables us to harness cutting-edge AI to better understand patient biology and tailor treatments more precisely,' said Dr. Garo Armen, Chairman and CEO of Agenus. 'By integrating Noetik's virtual cell models with our expansive BOT/BAL clinical dataset, we have the potential to accelerate the identification of predictive biomarkers, enhance the success of our pivotal trials, and ultimately improve outcomes for patients who currently have limited or no treatment options.' This collaboration reflects a growing momentum in oncology toward model-driven trial design and AI-enabled precision medicine—an area increasingly prioritized by the FDA under the guidance of the current U.S. administration as central to advancing more equitable, effective cancer care. By applying these technologies to real patient data, the goal is to accelerate the delivery of more personalized treatments, improve outcomes, and expand access to therapies for patients who need them most. About Noetik Noetik is an AI-native biotechnology company using machine learning to increase clinical success rates for precision cancer therapies. By training AI models directly on human patient data, the company bridges the gap between drug development and human biology. Noetik's proprietary platforms, OCTO and Perturb-map, leverage the power of virtual cell models trained on massive multimodal data to identify therapeutic targets with unprecedented precision. Founded by biotech and AI veterans from Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Noetik is based in San Francisco, CA. To learn more about Noetik, visit About Agenus Agenus is a leading immuno-oncology company targeting cancer with a comprehensive pipeline of immunological agents. The company was founded in 1994 with a mission to expand patient populations benefiting from cancer immunotherapy through combination approaches, using a broad repertoire of antibody therapeutics, adoptive cell therapies (through MiNK Therapeutics) and adjuvants (through SaponiQx). Agenus has robust end-to-end development capabilities, across commercial and clinical cGMP manufacturing facilities, research and discovery, and a global clinical operations footprint. Agenus is headquartered in Lexington, MA. For more information, visit or on social @agenus_bio. Information that may be important to investors will be routinely posted on our website and social media channels. About Botensilimab (BOT) Botensilimab is a human Fc enhanced CTLA-4 blocking antibody designed to boost both innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune responses. Its novel design leverages mechanisms of action to extend immunotherapy benefits to 'cold' tumors which generally respond poorly to standard of care or are refractory to conventional PD-1/CTLA-4 therapies and investigational therapies. Botensilimab augments immune responses across a wide range of tumor types by priming and activating T cells, downregulating intratumoral regulatory T cells, activating myeloid cells and inducing long-term memory responses. Botensilimab alone, or in combination with Agenus' investigational PD-1 antibody, balstilimab, has shown clinical responses across nine metastatic, late-line cancers. Approximately 1,100 patients have been treated across the botensilimab/balstilimab program in phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials. For more information about botensilimab trials, visit About Balstilimab (BAL) Balstilimab is a novel, fully human monoclonal immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) designed to block PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) from interacting with its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2. It has been evaluated in >900 patients to date and has demonstrated clinical activity and a favorable tolerability profile in several tumor types. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding its botensilimab and balstilimab programs, expected regulatory timelines and filings, and any other statements containing the words "may," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "hopes," "intends," "plans," "forecasts," "estimates," "will," 'establish,' 'potential,' 'superiority,' 'best in class,' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the factors described under the Risk Factors section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2024, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Agenus cautions investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Agenus undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements, other than to the extent required by law. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Agenus Inc. (AGEN) Surges After Zydus Agreement, Analysts Upbeat on Stock
Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN) is among the 10 Most Undervalued Stocks to Buy for Under $5. Despite a 39% surge over the past month, it is still a bargain stock, considering its low forward price-earnings ratio. A research doctor, looking intently at their microscope as they try to decipher the mysteries of immuno-oncology. The company's shares have soared on the back of notable recent developments. On June 3, Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN) announced that it had signed agreements worth $141 million with Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. and its subsidiaries to accelerate the clinical development of botensilimab and balstilimab (BOT/BAL). Under the agreement, Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN) will receive $75 million upfront for the transfer of two manufacturing assets in California. The company will also get an additional $50 million in contingent payments triggered by BOT/BAL production orders. Moreover, it will grant Zydus a license to develop and commercialize BOT and BAL in India and Sri Lanka, with a 5% royalty on net sales to be paid to Agenus. Following the development, analysts at H.C. Wainwright upgraded Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN)'s rating from Neutral to Buy, whereas Baird lifted the stock's price target to $6 from $4, while maintaining a Neutral rating for its shares. Investor sentiment in Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN) has also been strengthened by recent quarter results, in which the company managed to significantly lower its loss per share to $1.03 from $3.04 in the prior year. While we acknowledge the potential of AGEN as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Agenus Inc. (AGEN) Surges After Zydus Agreement, Analysts Upbeat on Stock
Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN) is among the 10 Most Undervalued Stocks to Buy for Under $5. Despite a 39% surge over the past month, it is still a bargain stock, considering its low forward price-earnings ratio. A research doctor, looking intently at their microscope as they try to decipher the mysteries of immuno-oncology. The company's shares have soared on the back of notable recent developments. On June 3, Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN) announced that it had signed agreements worth $141 million with Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. and its subsidiaries to accelerate the clinical development of botensilimab and balstilimab (BOT/BAL). Under the agreement, Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN) will receive $75 million upfront for the transfer of two manufacturing assets in California. The company will also get an additional $50 million in contingent payments triggered by BOT/BAL production orders. Moreover, it will grant Zydus a license to develop and commercialize BOT and BAL in India and Sri Lanka, with a 5% royalty on net sales to be paid to Agenus. Following the development, analysts at H.C. Wainwright upgraded Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN)'s rating from Neutral to Buy, whereas Baird lifted the stock's price target to $6 from $4, while maintaining a Neutral rating for its shares. Investor sentiment in Agenus Inc. (NASDAQ:AGEN) has also been strengthened by recent quarter results, in which the company managed to significantly lower its loss per share to $1.03 from $3.04 in the prior year. While we acknowledge the potential of AGEN as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. Sign in to access your portfolio
Libyan Express
6 days ago
- Sport
- Libyan Express
Al-Ahly Tripoli crowned basketball champions of Africa
BY Libyan Express Jun 15, 2025 - 03:52 Al-Ahly Tripoli win first Basketball Africa League title Libya's Al-Ahly Tripoli made history by clinching the Basketball Africa League (BAL) title, defeating Angola's Petro de Luanda in a tightly contested final on Saturday evening. The match featured several shifts in momentum, with Al-Ahly holding a 43-38 lead at half-time. Petro de Luanda began the game with strong intensity, but Al-Ahly responded effectively to close the first quarter ahead 33-22. Although Petro narrowed the gap during the second quarter, they were unable to overturn the deficit before the break. In the second half, Al-Ahly Tripoli maintained their composure, managing Petro's attempts to mount a comeback and safeguarding their lead. The Libyan side ultimately secured a well-deserved victory, capturing the club's first-ever BAL championship. Launched in 2020 as a joint venture between the NBA and FIBA, the Basketball Africa League is Africa's premier professional basketball competition. The league brings together the continent's top clubs each year to raise the sport's profile and nurture emerging talent across Africa. Al-Ahly Tripoli's triumph marks a landmark moment for Libyan basketball, as they become the first club from the country to win the BAL. The victory not only elevates Libya's standing in continental basketball but also highlights the growing competitiveness within the region. The views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Libyan Express. How to submit an Op-Ed: Libyan Express accepts opinion articles on a wide range of topics. Submissions may be sent to oped@ Please include 'Op-Ed' in the subject line.
