Latest news with #ESCC
Al Etihad
21 hours ago
- Science
- Al Etihad
From breeding to cloning: UAE centres on a mission to preserve elite camels and safeguard cultural heritage
22 June 2025 22:12 SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)With camels regarded as a key part of the UAE's cultural and natural heritage, specialised centres and organisations have made concerted efforts to conserve these 'ships of the desert' and ensure they continue to shine — from racing to serving communities — for future generations. On World Camel Day, marked annually on June 22, Aletihad looked into remarkable initiatives dedicated to this well-loved desert animal. Advanced Scientific Group (ASG), one of the oldest institutions specialising in camel research, has been making an impact worldwide since 1989."The group is considered the primary centre and global reference for everything related to infertility, reproduction, cloning, genetic analysis, and genomics in camels,' Khalifa Al Nuaimi, CEO of the Advanced Scientific Group, told work has been a trusted source of information when it comes to camel diseases, infertility treatment, and reproduction. Years of research has yielded crucial innovation, with many of these technologies now used in preserving distinctive camel breeds. Genetic testing has enhanced breeding programmes, Al Nuami said. "Genetic analysis creates a roadmap for production, as we match and combine the best breeds available in the Gulf region, helping us achieve our goal in the shortest possible time, especially in camel racing or milk production. However, our primary focus is currently on camel racing,' he told Aletihad. A purebred camel mother can also be spared the risks of childbirth through embryo transfer, with incubators then taking over delivery and rearing—thereby helping to preserve specific breeds, he camels from rare and valuable lineages can be cloned, too, to ensure their survival, Al Nuami said. 'Some stallions have been cloned despite having died more than 20 years ago,' he said. "Cloning has played a major role in preserving extinct breeds. Cells can also be preserved and cloned when needed, and even multiplied if they possess distinct traits."For camel owners, cloning comes with sentimental value. "Owners often have a strong emotional bond with their camels, and cloning strengthens these bonds by keeping their beloved mounts close at hand,' Al Nuami Smart Camel Center (ESCC), based in Umm Al Quwain, is also committed to advancing camel racing and protecting purebred camels through modern techniques and advanced veterinary care.'The centre integrates rich Emirati heritage with modern technologies and methodologies,' said Dr. Mahmoud Moussa, Head of the Veterinary Department at the ESCC, in an interview with Aletihad. 'We preserve the cultural value of camels while improving performance through scientific studies, biotechnology, and eco-friendly operations powered by solar energy—all in line with the UAE's Green Vision.' Supporting Camel Owners The centre houses top camel breeds, famed for their racetrack strength and stamina.'Through embryo transfer, we can produce up to 10 offspring from a single camel in one season — each with a different father. This enhances genetic traits while preventing inbreeding, which could compromise the health of future generations,' he said. The hub provides all necessary medical services to camel owners using state-of-the-art medical equipment and highly qualified staff. Health advice, care tips, and advanced breeding support are also offered. 'We help owners choose the best males and females from rare breeds to ensure strong future generations. We also maintain some of the top male camels with purebred, high-genetic value to preserve biodiversity and breed integrity,' Dr. Moussa said. Beyond caring for camels, both ASG and ESCC have made it their mission to engage younger generations and keep the interest in these iconic animals alive. '(The ESCC) works annually with UAE University and the Higher Colleges of Technology in Sharjah to train undergraduate students, giving them hands-on experience and knowledge of the latest biotechnologies to improve breeding and maintain breed purity,' Dr. Moussa also collaborates with universities, whether in the fields of reproduction, diseases, or even new medicines and vaccinations. 'We have a training partnership with the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain, where our students receive ongoing training, in addition to our cooperation with hospitals and relevant official authorities in the country,' Al Nuaimi said.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Disabled bus pass U-turn in East Sussex
Disabled residents in East Sussex are celebrating after the county council made a U-turn on free bus now people with disabilities in the county could only use their pass after 09:30, whereas residents in neighbouring West Sussex and Brighton and Hove could travel at any time. Campaigner Liv, who created a petition calling for the change, said she was now "happy" as it had "felt really unfair".An East Sussex County Council (ESCC) spokesperson said: "This change has been introduced to provide additional support for disabled passengers who often need to travel earlier in the day for work, education, or health care." Liv told BBC Radio Sussex: "Some people just can't afford the fares and it can make it really difficult to get into day centres or even work. "As someone on a low wage this was really expensive for me."Buses can be expensive and my bus pass really does help a lot."A statement from ESCC said disabled bus passes could be used any time within county boundaries, but that did not include all-day travel into Brighton and Hove, Kent or West said the changes had come about because of additional Department for Transport funding.
Business Wire
19-05-2025
- Health
- Business Wire
IDeate-Esophageal01 Phase 3 Trial of Ifinatamab Deruxtecan Initiated in Certain Patients with Pretreated Advanced or Metastatic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
BASKING RIDGE, N.J. & RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The first patient has been dosed in the IDeate-Esophageal01 phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of investigational ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd) versus investigator's choice of chemotherapy in patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) with disease progression following treatment with a platinum-containing systemic therapy and an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Ifinatamab deruxtecan is a specifically engineered, potential first-in-class B7-H3 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and being jointly developed with Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada. ESCC accounts for nearly 90% of esophageal cancers globally with a five-year overall survival rate around 15% to 20% and has a worse prognosis for those diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease. 1,2 While the evolved landscape in the first-line metastatic setting of ESCC has helped to improve outcomes for patients, treatment options are limited for patients progressing after first-line therapy, reinforcing the need for new approaches. 'Patients with metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma continue to experience poor outcomes despite currently available treatments,' said Mark Rutstein, MD, Head, Therapeutic Area Oncology Development, Daiichi Sankyo. 'The encouraging clinical activity seen in our early-phase signal finding trial supports further evaluation of ifinatamab deruxtecan as a potential treatment strategy for these patients.' 'Advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is a difficult-to-treat disease, and unfortunately overall survival remains low,' said Marjorie Green, MD, Senior Vice President and Head of Oncology, Global Clinical Development, Merck Research Laboratories. 'The initiation of the pivotal phase 3 IDeate-Esophageal01 clinical trial demonstrates our shared commitment with Daiichi Sankyo to further expand our clinical development program evaluating this potentially first-in-class ADC across multiple solid tumors where there are unmet needs for new treatment options.' The initiation of IDeate-Esophageal01 is based on results from the IDeate-PanTumor01 phase 1/2 trial presented at both the 2022 and 2023 European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) where ifinatamab deruxtecan showed promising responses in heavily pretreated patients with ESCC. About the IDeate-Esophageal01 Trial IDeate-Esophageal01 is a global, multicenter, open-label, randomized phase 3 trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of ifinatamab deruxtecan (12 mg/kg) versus treatment of physician's choice of chemotherapy (paclitaxel, docetaxel or irinotecan hydrochloride) in patients with advanced or metastatic ESCC with disease progression following treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy therapy and an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Eligible patients must have received no more than one prior line of systemic therapy in the advanced or metastatic setting. The primary endpoint of the trial is overall survival. Secondary endpoints include progression-free survival and objective response rate as assessed by blinded independent central review, and safety. IDeate-Esophageal01 will enroll approximately 510 patients across Asia, Europe and North America. For more information, please visit About Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma More than half a million esophageal cancer cases were diagnosed in 2022, with nearly half a million deaths globally. 3 ESCC accounts for nearly 90% of esophageal cancers globally with a five-year overall survival rate around 15% to 20% and has a worse prognosis for those diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease. 1,2 ESCC is most prevalent in Eastern Asia where mortality rates are also the highest. 1,2 While the evolved landscape in the first-line metastatic setting of ESCC has helped to improve outcomes for patients, treatment options are limited for patients progressing after first-line therapy, reinforcing the need for new approaches. About B7-H3 B7-H3 is a transmembrane protein that belongs to the B7 family of proteins which bind to the CD28 family of receptors that includes PD-1. 4,5 B7-H3 is overexpressed in a wide range of cancer types, including ESCC, and its overexpression has been shown to correlate with poor prognosis, making B7-H3 a promising therapeutic target. 6-9 There are currently no B7-H3 directed medicines approved for the treatment of any cancer. About Ifinatamab Deruxtecan Ifinatamab deruxtecan is an investigational potential first-in-class B7-H3 directed ADC. Designed using Daiichi Sankyo's proprietary DXd ADC Technology, ifinatamab deruxtecan is comprised of a humanized anti-B7-H3 IgG1 monoclonal antibody attached to a number of topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads (an exatecan derivative, DXd) via tetrapeptide-based cleavable linkers. In addition to IDeate-Esophageal01, ifinatamab deruxtecan is being evaluated in a global development program that includes IDeate-Lung01, a phase 2 monotherapy trial in patients with previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC); IDeate-Lung02, a phase 3 trial in patients with relapsed SCLC versus investigator's choice of chemotherapy; IDeate-Lung03, a phase 1b/2 trial in patients with ES-SCLC in combination with atezolizumab with or without carboplatin as first-line induction or maintenance therapy; IDeate-PanTumor02, a phase 2 monotherapy trial in patients with recurrent or metastatic solid tumors; and, IDeate-PanTumor01, a phase 1/2 first-in-human monotherapy trial in patients with advanced solid malignant tumors in collaboration with Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) with study operational oversight and delivery provided through SCRI's early phase oncology clinical research organization, SCRI Development Innovations in Nashville, TN. Ifinatamab deruxtecan has been granted orphan drug designation in the EU, Japan, Taiwan and US for the treatment of SCLC. About the Daiichi Sankyo and Merck Collaboration Daiichi Sankyo and Merck entered into a global collaboration in October 2023 to jointly develop and commercialize patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd), ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd) and raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd), except in Japan where Daiichi Sankyo will maintain exclusive rights. Daiichi Sankyo will be solely responsible for manufacturing and supply. In August 2024, the global co-development and co-commercialization agreement was expanded to include gocatamig (MK-6070/DS3280), which the companies will jointly develop and commercialize worldwide, except in Japan where Merck will maintain exclusive rights. Merck will be solely responsible for manufacturing and supply for gocatamig. About the ADC Portfolio of Daiichi Sankyo The Daiichi Sankyo ADC portfolio consists of seven ADCs in clinical development crafted from two distinct ADC technology platforms discovered in-house by Daiichi Sankyo. The ADC platform furthest in clinical development is Daiichi Sankyo's DXd ADC Technology where each ADC consists of a monoclonal antibody attached to a number of topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads (an exatecan derivative, DXd) via tetrapeptide-based cleavable linkers. The DXd ADC portfolio currently consists of ENHERTU ®, a HER2 directed ADC, and DATROWAY ®, a TROP2 directed ADC, which are being jointly developed and commercialized globally with AstraZeneca. Patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd), a HER3 directed ADC, ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd), a B7-H3 directed ADC, and raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd), a CDH6 directed ADC, are being jointly developed and commercialized globally with Merck. DS-3939, a TA-MUC1 directed ADC, is being developed by Daiichi Sankyo. The second Daiichi Sankyo ADC platform consists of a monoclonal antibody attached to a modified pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) payload. DS-9606, a CLDN6 directed PBD ADC, is the first of several planned ADCs in clinical development utilizing this platform. Ifinatamab deruxtecan, patritumab deruxtecan, raludotatug deruxtecan, DS-3939 and DS-9606 are investigational medicines that have not been approved for any indication in any country. Safety and efficacy have not been established. About Daiichi Sankyo Daiichi Sankyo is an innovative global healthcare company contributing to the sustainable development of society that discovers, develops and delivers new standards of care to enrich the quality of life around the world. With more than 120 years of experience, Daiichi Sankyo leverages its world-class science and technology to create new modalities and innovative medicines for people with cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases with high unmet medical needs. For more information, please visit Merck's Focus on Cancer Every day, we follow the science as we work to discover innovations that can help patients, no matter what stage of cancer they have. As a leading oncology company, we are pursuing research where scientific opportunity and medical need converge, underpinned by our diverse pipeline of more than 25 novel mechanisms. With one of the largest clinical development programs across more than 30 tumor types, we strive to advance breakthrough science that will shape the future of oncology. By addressing barriers to clinical trial participation, screening and treatment, we work with urgency to reduce disparities and help ensure patients have access to high-quality cancer care. Our unwavering commitment is what will bring us closer to our goal of bringing life to more patients with cancer. For more information, visit About Merck At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the 'company') includes 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. There can be no guarantees with respect to pipeline candidates that the candidates will receive the necessary regulatory approvals or that they will prove to be commercially successful. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Shop owner sold illegal tobacco as well as vapes to underage children
A shop owner sold illegal tobacco as well as vapes and alcohol to underage children. Following an investigation by East Sussex Trading Standards, Lhon Karimi, 29, of Devonshire Road in Hastings, was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, given a £230 fine and ordered to pay £500 costs at Hastings Magistrates Court on April 24. The offences, which took place in 2023 and 2024, concerned illegal tobacco and cigarettes offered for sale as well as underage alcohol and vape sales at Karimi's shop Delboys in Castle Street in Hastings. East Sussex Trading Standards inspected the premises in May 2023 after a child test purchaser was able to buy a can of cider from the store. Counterfeit cigarettes and cigarettes and tobacco in non-standardised packaging were discovered. Hidden vapes found by the inspectors (Image: ESCC) A packet of illegal cigarettes was also sold by Karimi to an adult test purchaser in September 2023. A second inspection of the shop in April 2024, following the sale of an illegal over capacity vape to a child test purchaser the week before, resulted in the discovery of more illegal cigarettes. After initially pleading not guilty to all the charges put to him at court appearances throughout 2024, Karimi changed his plea at the start of his trial in December last year. Karimi pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching the Trade Marks Act, two counts of supplying tobacco in non-standardised packaging and one count each of breaching the Licensing Act and breaching the Children and Families Act. At the sentencing hearing last month, the court noted there was 'some ignorance and naivety' on Karimi's part and that he pleaded guilty once he understood the offence. Hidden cigarettes and tobacco in the shop (Image: ESCC) READ MORE: Constance Marten calls time on her evidence on her baby girl's death The court also made an order for the forfeiture and destruction of all the stock seized. Councillor Penny di Cara, the county council's lead member for economy, said: 'Whilst this case has taken some time to reach a conclusion, hopefully the prosecution and conviction will make it clear we will pursue offenders through the courts. 'We take the supply of illegal tobacco very seriously. The sale of cheap tobacco is widely acknowledged to negatively affect communities and encourage smoking among young people due to cheaper prices, as well as undermining the efforts of stop smoking services. 'The sale of alcohol and vapes to our young people is unacceptable and potentially exposes them to the addiction and health risks associated with the underage use of nicotine and alcohol.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
New £70 fines for driving in A259 bus lanes
Motorists driving in bus lanes on two sections of the A259 will now be fined, a local authority has said. East Sussex County Council (ESCC) said it would start enforcing bus lanes in St Leonards and Telscombe Cliffs using cameras, in a bid to improve bus travel. It said a £70 penalty charge notice would be issued to anyone illegally using the bus lanes. "Enforcing these bus lanes on such a key coastal route will help to ease congestion and improve air quality by encouraging people to make use of the more reliable bus services," said Claire Dowling, ESCC's lead member for transport. "The misuse of bus lanes affects journey times for passengers and the reliability of public transport, as well as being frustrating for those motorists who follow the regulations," she said. Enforcement, which started on Tuesday, will be in effect 24 hours a day, ESCC added. The enforceable bus lane in St Leonards runs from the start of Grand Parade to the western most junction with Warrior Square. In Telscombe Cliffs, the bus lane runs along the South Coast Road from the junction of Ambleside Avenue to the border of Brighton & Hove. Bus lanes are identified by road markings and signs, and are also separated from normal traffic lanes by a solid white line. Money from the fines will be used to cover the scheme's costs and reinvested into local transport, said ESCC. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More polluting cars face higher parking charges Council refines plan for dedicated bus lanes MP criticises council's pothole repair practice East Sussex County Council
