January 18, 2021

Taconic Biosciences Expands Immuno-oncology Animal Model Portfolio

Critical Jh Syngeneic Tumor Model Host Now Available on a B6 Background

RENSSELAER, N.Y., Jan. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Taconic Biosciences, a global leader in providing drug discovery animal model solutions, announces an expansion of its immuno-oncology portfolio.

Immuno-oncology is a leading research priority because it uses the body’s own immune system to effectively treat some types of cancer. Syngeneic tumor animal models play a critical role because they use standard inbred mice that have a competent immune system, which is required to evaluate immune-modulating therapies. These models are engrafted with mouse tumors derived from the same strain background; this genetic similarity between tumor and host prevents the host from rejecting the tumor.

One consideration in using syngeneic models is that some drug candidates can cause a negative immune response not seen in humans. Standard mice may develop anti-drug antibodies (ADA), which can neutralize the therapeutic or even trigger anaphylaxis. This can prevent researchers from determining therapeutic efficacy in a preclinical study.

Taconic’s Jh mouse, which lacks B cells but retains other immune cell types, such as T cells important for evaluation of immunotherapies, is widely used to overcome this problem. Because the Jh mouse cannot produce ADA, there is no neutralizing or pharmacokinetic impact on the therapeutic or anaphylaxis risk. Taconic’s Jh mouse was previously only available on the BALB/c background, so it was applicable to only a portion of syngeneic tumor studies. The new Jh mouse on the C57BL/6 background expands utility to cover most studies.

“Taconic is committed to both generating key immuno-oncology mouse models and facilitating access to them for drug discovery,” shared Dr. Michael Seiler, vice president of commercial models at Taconic. “The Jh mouse is available globally to both non-profit and for-profit researchers, including contract research organizations.”

Cohorts of both the C57BL/6 and BALB/c versions of the Jh mouse are available for immediate delivery.

The Jh models are just one aspect of Taconic’s immuno-oncology portfolio, which includes humanized mice built on the immunodeficient CIEA NOG mouse® plus custom model generation and colony management solutions.

To learn more about Jh mice, please contact Taconic at 1-888-TACONIC (888-822-6642) in the US, +45 70 23 04 05 in Europe, or email info@taconic.com.

About Taconic Biosciences, Inc.

Taconic Biosciences is a fully-licensed, global leader in genetically engineered rodent models and services. Founded in 1952, Taconic provides the best animal solutions so that customers can acquire, custom-generate, breed, precondition, test, and distribute valuable research models worldwide. Specialists in genetically engineered mouse and rat models, microbiome, immuno-oncology mouse models, and integrated model design and breeding services, Taconic operates three service laboratories and six breeding facilities in the U.S. and Europe, maintains distributor relationships in Asia and has global shipping capabilities to provide animal models almost anywhere in the world.

Media Contact:

Kelly Owen Grover
Director of Marketing Communications
518-478-6095
kelly.grover@taconic.com

January 18, 2021

COVID-19 Claims 20 more lives, infects 954 others

Karachi, January 18, 2021 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that 20 more patients died overnight lifting the death toll to 3,813 and 954 new cases emerged when 10,600 samples were tested. A statement issued here from CM house on Monday, he said that eighteen more patients lost their lives overnight lifting the death toll to 3,813 that constituted 1.6 percent death rate. Mr Shah said that 10,600 samples were tested which diagnosed 954 cases that constituted 7.8 percent current detection rate.

He added that so far 2,587,663 tests have been conducted against which 236,530 cases were detected, of them 91 percent or 214,231 patients have recovered, including 607 overnight. The CM said that currently 18,486 patients were under treatment, of them 17,518 were in home isolation, 13 at isolation centers and 955 in different hospital. He added that the condition of 870 patients was stated to be critical, including 92 shifted to ventilators.

According to the statement, out of 954 new cases, 749 have been detected from Karachi, including 287 from East, 218 South, 124 Central, 67 Korangi, 34 West and 19 Malir. Shaheed Benazirabad has 41 cases, Hyderabad 35, Mirpurkhas 20, Matiari 16, Thatta, 13, Tando Muhammad Khan seven, Shikarpur six, Kambar and Sanghar five each, Jamshoro four, Tando Allahyar, Umarkot and Ghotki three each, Khairpur and Nausheroferoze two each, Dadu, Jacobabad, Larkana and Sukkur one each. The chief minister urged people of the province to follow SOPs.

For more information, contact:
Press Secretary,
Chief Minister House, Sindh
Tel: +92-21-99202019(Ext: 336)
Website: www.cmsindh.gov.pk

January 18, 2021

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs while addressing a virtual meeting of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committees

Islamabad, January 18, 2021 (PPI-OT): Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman Senate Foreign Affairs while addressing a virtual meeting of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committees of the Pro-Palestine Countries said that Pakistan and Iran share the same common perspective on Palestine as we oppose any attempt at undermining the just cause of the people of Palestine and both Pakistan and Iran remain committed to the formation of an independent Palestine, with al-Quds as its capital as enshrined in the United Nations resolutions. The virtual meeting was hosted by the Parliament of Iran.

He said that Pakistan’s commitment to Palestine predates the creation of Pakistan because the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah has talked about the rights of Palestine as far back as 1940, when the struggle for Pakistan started under his great leadership. “7 years later Pakistan was created and since then Pakistan has steadfastly remained committed to Palestinian cause”, Senator Mushahid observed.

He said that Pakistan is unique as it is the only non-Arab country which participated in two Arab Israeli wars on the side of our Arab brothers, the 1967 and the 1973 wars in which Pakistani pilots fought with Jordan and Syria respectively and even shot down Israeli planes. In 1974, at the OIC Summit in Lahore, PLO was recognized as the sole legitimate representative of the people of Palestine and even today, Palestinian military personnel are being trained in Pakistani institutions.

In every cause, he observed, there is always a choice and the choice is either to surrender or to struggle. “In the cause of Palestine today, some have chosen to surrender to brute force and recognize Israel as it represses the people of Palestine. This undermines all United Nations resolutions”, Chairman of Senate Foreign Affairs remarked.

For Pakistan, which has a principal stance on Kashmir as well, Palestine is a sacred cause and surrender is not an option. He said that Pakistan is committed to supporting the struggle of the Palestinian people till the achievement of their goals. In these times of the Corona virus and in the context of the human siege of Palestine and Gaza we affirm our solidarity with the people of Palestine and we feel that our solidarity with the heroic people of Palestine must be supported and sustained. Earlier last year, on February 18th 2020 the Senate of Pakistan unanimously passed a resolution expressing solidarity with Palestine and the Pakistan Parliament also opposed any back tracking on Pakistan’s principal policy on Palestine. Pakistan will remain committed to this cause.

He said that the conference is taking place at a historical movement when there is a shift in the global balance of economic and political power in which we see a shift, from the West to the East. He said that recent developments in the United States have shown that a divided and weakened America is on the decline and this is a world of multi-polarity and end of the age of the so-called sole super power. Above all, it is also a the age where the notion of might is right is no longer tenable but, in-fact, the principal of Right is Might is paramount and it is in this context that causes like Kashmir and Palestine top the global agenda of peace and justice through implementation of United Nations Resolutions.

He said that Pakistan is ready to cooperate with other countries and parliaments to promote causes like Kashmir and Palestine. He expressed his pleasure to be participating in this conference on behalf of the people and the Parliament of Pakistan, on an issue that is vital to global peace and security, namely, Palestine. He thanked the Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is brotherly neighbour of Pakistan with a long history of common interest, common issues, and above all common and sustained commitment to the cause of Palestine.

For more information, contact:
Senate of Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9204564534
Fax: +92-51-9205703
H.No.7, Cat-II, G-8/2,
Islamabad, Pakistan
E-mail: senate@comsats.net.pk
Website: www.senate.gov.pk

January 18, 2021

Demographic changes in IOJK to turn disputed region into a Hindu state: Masood

Islamabad, January 18, 2021 (PPI-OT): Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has said that the Indian occupation authorities are using demographic changes to vaporize the State of Jammu and Kashmir and to make it a Hindu majority state. “This is unacceptable. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have vowed they would not let this happen”, asserted Masood Khan.

The AJK President made these remarks while addressing a webinar on “New Domicile Law in IOJK” organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). The event was attended by Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director CRSS and Dr Nazir Gillani, President of Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights. The President while addressing the seminar said, India invaded and reoccupied IOJK on August 5, 2019, and then illegally divided the state into two parts and annexed it to the Indian federation, against the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Since then, he said, Indian forces have been systematically killing, torturing, forcibly disappearing and incarcerating people in the occupied territory, targeting young men. Thousands of political activists have been put in concentration camps. Rape and sexual violence against women have been used as a weapon of war to punish the entire population of the disputed region in order to deter them from demanding freedom and self-determination, he said.

Masood Khan said that since April last year, Indian occupation forces and authorities are systematically and illegally changing the demography in the occupied territory. He went on to add that more than two million Hindus from India have been imported and transferred to the occupied territory and the Indian leadership has made it clear that they would increase this number to more than 5 million in a short period of time.

“India through these actions is violating international humanitarian law and norms of customary international law. The Fourth Geneva Convention and Additional Protocol prohibit deportation or transfer of a State’s own population in a territory it occupies while the Statute of International Criminal Court says that such transfers, directly or indirectly constitute a war crime.”

Sardar Masood maintained that several resolutions of the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly and UN Human Rights Commission declared such illegal transfers and “implantation of settlers and settlements” unlawful and that the State undertaking such an exercise, as well as individuals, making decisions on its behalf will have criminal responsibility. Moreover, President Khan said that Article II of 1948 Genocide Convention recognizes that a crime of genocide and it clearly depicts the situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Article II, he said, defines genocide as any of the acts committed with the intent to destroy in whole or part a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. “This is what is happening in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir”, he said.

Khan said that the Muslim majority of the disputed State of Jammu and Kashmir aspire to decide their political future by exercising their right to self-determination but India has chosen to crush these aspirations of the entire Kashmiri nation and is now in the process of altering the occupied territory to a Hindu Rashtra. He said that the world is aware of the heinous and punishable crimes the BJP-RSS regime is committing in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India’s crimes against humanity, he said, have been highlighted by the world media, influential parliaments and civil society.

President AJK said that despite this overwhelming evidence, the world’s most powerful nations, who present themselves as custodians of human rights law, have not moved; and they have no intention to move. “This is complicity; this is a dereliction of legal obligations on their part”, he said. Masood Khan said that the Kashmir movement has to be turned into an international civil rights movement to get Kashmiris out of this living inferno and this has to be a people’s movement at the global level.

“We must activate the political pincer with the participation of the diaspora community and international civil society to demand justice for Kashmiris. There are no shortcuts to achieving this goal.”

“We should move out of closed-room meetings and diplomatic chambers because the crimes being committed in Kashmir are crimes against humanity”, the state president concluded.

For more information, contact:
President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir
President Secretariat, Muzaffarabad Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Kashmir House, F-5/2, Islamabad
Tel: +92-582-2920401, +92-519-214692
Email: presidency@presidentajk.gov.pk
Website: https://www.presidentajk.gov.pk/

January 18, 2021

GB CM, PM discuss project to transform GB into int’l tourist place

Islamabad, January 18, 2021 (PPI-OT): Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad today (Monday). During the meeting, mega project to transform the entire Gilgit-Baltistan into an international tourist place was discussed at length. Under the project, all the urban and rural areas of Gilgit-Baltistan will be reorganized as per the master plan. The project includes provision of basic facilities for tourists at different places in addition to mapping of houses, sewerage system and clean drinking water.

The local population will be provided basic facilities, including quality education and health, on priority basis. The project will also create abundant employment opportunities for the locals. The project has the potential to transform tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan into a billion dollar industry. Appreciating the proposed project, the Prime Minister directed to present a comprehensive strategy in this regard next month.

For more information, contact:
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Government of Pakistan
4th Floor, Cabinet Block, Pak. Secretariat, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9103557
Email: info@moib.gov.pk
Website: http://www.moib.gov.pk

January 18, 2021

Government taking concrete measures to bring down sugar, wheat prices; Senate informed

Islamabad, January 18, 2021 (PPI-OT): Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar has said the government is taking concrete measures to bring down sugar and wheat prices in the country. Speaking in the Senate today (Monday), he said more sugar will be imported to ensure its smooth and cheap supply. Hammad Azhar said in this regard we will seek permission from ECC to import 5000 tons more sugar.

The Minister said to ensure adequate supply of flour, Punjab government timely enhanced the release of wheat to flour mills, however, at the same time Sindh government limited the release which resulted in price hike of flour in Sindh. He said for the first time in history, sugarcane farmers are being paid real price of their crop due to support price announced by the PTI government. The Minister said petroleum prices in Pakistan are lower than that of the neighbouring countries. Hammad Azhar said major part of external debt during the PTI government was utilized to repay the interest on the loans obtained by the previous governments. Minister for Finance and Revenue Hafeez Sheikh has said the government is focusing on reducing foreign debt as it is a big burden on country’s economy.

Taking the floor, he said blaming the government for current debt spike is unfair because it is also paying the loans obtained by the previous governments. The Minister said during initial days of PTI government our first priority was to save the country from the impending default and resultantly the government took result-oriented decisions and had landmark agreement with International Monetary Fund.

He said the current government inherited a very precarious economic situation in 2018 and therefore had to introduce strict financial discipline to curtail excessive government expenditure, increase revenue collection, introduce market driven exchange rate, remove large tax exemptions and discourage imports. He said that the government did not borrow even a single penny form the State Bank of Pakistan during the last one and half year, while no supplementary grants was provided.

He outlined that since the spread of Covid-19, the government has taken several initiatives to facilitate agriculture and construction sectors to accelerate economic recovery. He said due to primary surplus, we don’t need loans if we don’t have to repay previous loans. The Minister said now the combined impact of various progressive economic indicators show that the country is moving forward.

The Senate has strongly condemned the inhuman and degrading treatment of Kashmiri leader Yaseen Malik since his only crime is to raise his voice against the brutal Indian military Occupation. The Upper House adopted a unanimous resolution moved by the Opposition leader Raja Zafar-ul-Haq. The Senate took notice of the systematic imprisonment and torture of political prisoners in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It also took not of the serious plight of Kashmir freedom fighter Yaseen Malik, who is incinerated in a death cell in notorious Tihar Jail in India, having spent 25 years of his life in Indian prisons. The House, expressing grave concern, said that new false charges are being concocted against Yasin Malik, with a view to keeping him in Jail indefinitely.

The Senate urged the government to immediately take up the case of Yasin Malik and all other prisoners in IIOJK, including Asiya Andarabi, with the UN Human Right Council seeking their swift release from illegal imprisonment, launch sustained global campaign for highlighting this issue at all international fora, including foreign government, parliamentarians and human rights organizations and report back to the House within 45 days as to the progress made on this issue, pursuant to the Senate resolution.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan has said PTI government believes in swift and transparent accountability and any effective reform in this regard will be welcomed. He was winding up a discussion on a motion moved by 0pposition members regarding poll rigging in Gilgit Baltistan elections, and overall precipitous economic situation and growing volume of foreign loans. The Minister said reforms in National Accountability Bureau should not be based on blame game or person specific. He said the government is ready to debate on reforms regarding transgender, women and children rights, land record related laws and economic issues. The Adviser said opposition is blaming the PTI government for rigging in elections at places where they have lost their seats while same election is acceptable to them where they secured victory.

Babar Awan said PTI has submitted all record to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s scrutiny committee regarding foreign funding and now it is opposition’s turn to submit the same for the donations it has received from abroad. Earlier, participating in the discussion, leader of the House Dr Shahzad Wasim expressed satisfaction over government’s economic policies and hoped that more progress will be made in upcoming years. PPP leader Sherry Rehman questioned the utilization of loan worth 16 billion dollars obtained during this fiscal year. She also criticized the government for not timely importing the LNG. She said that PPP is ready to face the accountability as per previous practice but it should be across the board. The House has now been prorogued.

January 18, 2021

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor , Sindh Governor and PTI leader Saifullah Niazi call on Prime Minister

Islamabad, January 18, 2021 (PPI-OT): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, and PTI leader Saifullah Niazi called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad today (Monday). During the meeting, overall situation in provinces and development projects were discussed. Views were also exchanged over political situation in the country, during the meeting.