Late-breaking data at ACC.22 with over 1 million patients demonstrates a major gap in guideline adherence resulting in higher mortality for patients with infected CIEDs

April 4, 2022 

  • Largest ever real-world analysis of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device (CIED) infection treatment presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session [1] demonstrates that approximately 4 in 5 patients are not treated according to HRS/EHRA Class I guidelines [2,3] for CIED infection
  • In the absence of guideline-driven care, the risk of death after a CIED infection is 32.4% [1]  
  • This real-world CIED Infection Medicare Study analyzed the 100% Medicare fee-for-service population over 14 years and included more than 1 million CIED patients. It represents a nationwide analysis of CIED infection care
  • The findings demonstrate that adherence to guidelines with timely lead extraction is associated with higher rates of survival
  • Philips supports physicians through a broad portfolio of Lead Management solutions designed for safety and predictability, including both laser and mechanical lead extraction devices

Amsterdam, the Netherlands Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced late-breaking results of a large-scale, real-world analysis of U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data on the rates of guideline adherence and associated mortality in patients with CIED infection [1]. Results were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 71st Annual Scientific Session by Sean Pokorney, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine (U.S.) and member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. The data demonstrated that approximately 4 in 5 patients are not treated according to HRS/EHRA Class I consensus recommendations and guidelines for CIED infection (full system extraction)[2,3]. Moreover, complete hardware removal (extraction) within 6 days was associated with a 42.9% lower risk of death compared with patients who did not undergo extraction[1].

The study examined 1,065,549 patients in Medicare in the USA who received a CIED between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2019. Patients included in the CIED infection group were those that had an implant greater than 12 months old, had a primary diagnosis for infection of a device implant, and had documented antibiotic therapy. The study was an independent analysis conducted by Duke University and supported by a research grant from Philips. Philips had no role in the design or conduct of the analysis.

“This study highlights the life-threatening nature of device infections and the significant opportunities to improve care in these complex patients. The findings also emphasize the importance of timely diagnosis and complete treatment. Making things better for patients tomorrow will require working with clinicians across various specialties to advance education to help diagnose CIED infections and deliver timely care,” said Jonathan P. Piccini, MD., M.H.S., the lead investigator of the study, the Director of Cardiac Electrophysiology section at the Duke Heart Center. “The opportunity to ensure all patients have access to guideline-recommended care is not only imperative, but life-saving for patients across the world.”

“The need for greater awareness and education for physicians, patients, and caregivers is clearly shown by the results of this study, so when early signs of infection present, action that is consistent with guidelines is taken quickly.” said Trudie Lobban MBE, Founder of Arrhythmia Alliance, a global non-profit patient advocacy group.

CIEDs are life-saving devices and improve quality of life for many patients. Each year one million CIEDs are implanted worldwide [4] (which include pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization devices). However, one in 20 of these patients will develop a CIED infection [5] within three years. Patients diagnosed with CIED infections are often treated with antibiotics, which is not an effective treatment option alone – 50-100% of patients treated with only antibiotics will experience an infection relapse [6,7]. Often medical professionals lack awareness and experience in CIED infection management resulting in patients being misdiagnosed or receiving suboptimal treatments which can lead to negative health outcomes. Current clinical practice guidelines recommend extraction for all patients with a definite CIED infection, including complete device and lead removal. It is estimated that globally more than 16,000 CIED patient lives are at risk each year due to improper treatment. CIED extraction is proven safe and effective, especially with earlier diagnosis, which can reduce mortality rates and long-term costs [8,9].

“This CIED Infection Medicare Study clearly demonstrates that increasing adherence to Class I guideline care can potentially save lives,” said Chris Landon, Senior Vice President and General Manager Image Guided Therapy Devices at Philips. “At Philips, we are committed to supporting evidence-based medical approaches and innovating solutions to help physicians improve outcomes and decrease mortality for CIED infection.”

Philips lead management solutions
Lead extraction, when indicated, is a highly successful, potentially life-saving procedure, with a clinical success rate of 97.7% and a procedural safety rate of 99.72% [10]. When lead extraction is indicated, Philips supports physicians with Lead Management solutions through a broad portfolio of tools designed for safety and predictability, including both laser and mechanical lead extraction devices. Philips is dedicated to helping physicians manage every lead safely, predictably, and responsibly by providing expert tools, training, and ongoing support.

To read more on how Philips supports improving guideline adherence, click here.

[1] Pokorney SD. Low Rates Of Guideline Directed Care Associated With Higher Mortality In Patients With Infections Of Pacemakers And Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators. American College of Cardiology (ACC) Late Breaking Clinical Trials. Washington, DC, USA April 2022 [presentation].
[2] Kusumoto et al. 2017 HRS Expert Consensus Statement on Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Device Lead Management and Extraction. Heart Rhythm, 2017.
[3] Blomström-Lundqvist, C., et al. (2020, Jun 1). European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) international consensus document on how to prevent, diagnose, and treat cardiac implantable electronic device infections-endorsed by HRS, APHRS, LAHRS, ISCVID, ESCMID in collaboration with EACTS. Eur Heart J, 41(21), 2012-2032. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa010.
[4] Greenspon A.J. J Am Coll Cardiol 58:1001–1006.; Kremers MS, Heart Rhythm 2013; 10:e59.
[5] Cantillon D. JACC EP. 2017.
[6] del Rio A, Anguera I, Miro JM, et al. Surgical treatment of pacemaker and defibrillator lead endocarditis: the impact of electrode lead extraction on outcome. Chest 2003;124:1451–9.
[7] Chua, J.D., et al. (2000). Diagnosis and management of infections involving implantable electrophysiologic cardiac devices. Annals of Internal Medicine, 133(8): 604-608.
[8] Le, K. Y., et al. (2011, Nov). Impact of timing of device removal on mortality in patients with cardiovascular
implantable electronic device infections. Heart Rhythm, 8(11), 1678-1685. 21.
[9] Greenspon, A. J., et al. (2018, May). Treatment patterns, costs, and mortality among Medicare beneficiaries with CIED infection. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol, 41(5), 495-503.
[10] Wazni, O. et. al. Lead Extraction in the Contemporary Setting: The LExICon Study: A Multicenter Observational RetrospectiveStudy of Consecutive Laser Lead Extractions, J Am Coll Cardiol, 55:579-586.

For further information, please contact:

Joost Maltha
Philips Global Press Office
Tel: +31 6 10 55 8116
E-mail: joost.maltha@philips.com

Fabienne van der Feer
Philips Image Guided Therapy
Tel: + 31 622 698 001
E-mail: fabienne.van.der.feer@philips.com

About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2021 sales of EUR 17.2 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

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Gotrade Launches Indonesia’s First Market Access to US Stocks

Gotrade is an investing platform which allows users to trade fractional shares of US stocks.=

Featured Image for Gotrade Technologies

Featured Image for Gotrade Technologies

JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gotrade – the investing app on a mission to make investing accessible to everyone, everywhere – has launched officially in Indonesia through a partnership with Valbury Asia Futures, a Bappebti licensed broker.

  • Gotrade allows users to invest in US stocks without commissions or hidden fees
  • Gotrade Indonesia marks its first entry into a local market
  • Gotrade Indonesia, launched in partnership with local broker Valbury, the Jakarta Futures Exchange and the state-backed Futures Clearing House of Indonesia, is the first platform in Indonesia to offer market access to the US stock market through fully backed contracts
  • Gotrade Indonesia’s partners and arrangements are regulated by Bappebti

Andrew Haryono, the owner of the Valbury group, a financial services conglomerate, joins Gotrade as co-founder Gotrade Indonesia mimics its flagship product Gotrade Global in that it enables users in Indonesia to invest as little as $1 in stocks like Tesla, Apple, Netflix et al. on an easy-to-use, commission-free platform.

Investing for everyone

Gotrade was founded in 2019 by Rohit Mulani, Norman Wanto and David Grant with the mission to make investing fun, fair and simple for everyone, everywhere. Together, they developed the Gotrade app to allow users globally to buy fractional shares in global giants on the NYSE and NASDAQ from as little as $1.

Gotrade raised a $7 million seed round in 2021 from LocalGlobe and Social Leverage, both early backers of Robinhood. It also received support from local investors like Kevin Aluwi and super-angel Arya Setiadharma. Once it received clearance from the Labuan Financial Services Authority of Malaysia, Gotrade rolled out an invite-only platform in March 2021, launching globally in September 2021.

Just 6 months since the launch of its global product, Gotrade has racked up hundreds of thousands of users globally and announced the launch of its first local product – Gotrade Indonesia.

Gotrade picked Indonesia as the first market for its local product simply because it was there that the problem it set out to solve seemed most pressing with investing being far from fair or simple.

“Investing in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia is broken. Over 600 million people can’t access quality investment products at fair prices. They are subject to mutual funds with expense ratios exceeding 5%, savings products like gold with 3% spreads and hidden fees peppered across their portfolios – not just by the incumbents but also by the companies that are meant to be the disruptors. We believe that investing should be fair and users should not have to bear these predatory costs,” said Gotrade founder Rohit Mulani.

Breaking barriers in Indonesia

Interestingly, local stockbrokers are not permitted to offer US stocks within Indonesia. However, local derivative brokers, regulated by Bappebti, are permitted to offer derivatives of US stocks within Indonesia.

This led Gotrade to partner with Valbury Asia Futures, the Jakarta Futures Exchange and the Futures Clearing House of Indonesia – all regulated by Bappebti, to create Indonesia’s first fully backed US stock contracts that gives end users market access to US stocks.

What this means is that all trades on Gotrade Indonesia result in a contract between users and Valbury. Valbury then enters into a corresponding trade with Alpaca Securities LLC, a FINRA licensed broker-dealer in the US. As both of these trades occur in real-time, all trades are executed at the National Best Bid and Offer as per the US Securities Exchange Commission’s regulations. Gotrade does not add any spread to this price.

As the trades execute directly in the United States, all contracts on Gotrade are fully backed by real shares held in the US. For every share (or fraction of it) held by a user on Gotrade, there is a corresponding share held by Valbury in a segregated brokerage account at Alpaca Securities LLC. This arrangement is supervised by Bappebti.

Gotrade does not offer leverage to its users and passes through the dividends Valbury receives from Alpaca Securities LLC for its positions directly to users minus the 15% dividend tax withheld by the Inland Revenue Service.

Gotrade Indonesia is the first platform in Indonesia to offer this market access for US stocks. Historically, people who wanted to buy US shares from Indonesia would have had to use a foreign stockbroker or trade CFDs locally with the latter resulting in substantial hidden fees of up to 1% per trade built into the bid-ask spread on the stock.

The team at Gotrade, JFX, KBI and Valbury worked closely with the team at Bappebti to enable dollar-based investing and 9-decimal places fractional share investing – in another first for the industry. For instance, if Tesla is trading at $1,000/share, you can buy 1/1,000th of a Tesla share with $1.

As per Bappebti regulations, funds are sent to the state-backed Futures Clearing House of Indonesia with trades made through Valbury and registered on the Jakarta Futures Exchange.

“Gotrade Indonesia is the first investment platform in Indonesia that has been built around the core principles of transparency, fairness and low fees. I’m excited about the launch of Gotrade Indonesia which is the best way for Indonesians to access the biggest capital market in the world, something we’ve been unable to do for far too long,” said Felicia Putri Tjiasaka, the co-founder Ternak Uang, Indonesia’s leading investment education application.

“A core part of the Jakarta Futures Exchange’s vision is to produce innovative products as an alternative means of investment. We are very excited to announce our partnership with Gotrade that would allow Indonesians to invest in names like Tesla, Apple and Netflix for as little as $1. The ability to invest in US stocks will greatly complement the existing investment landscape in Indonesia so users can have a balanced and diversified portfolio both globally and across asset classes,” said Stephanus Paul Lumintang, President Director of the Jakarta Futures Exchange.

Fajar Wibhiyadi, President Director of Kliring Berjangka Indonesia (Persero) said “We of course appreciate what Valbury Asia Futures is doing with this new initiative. We hope the launch of Gotrade Indonesia could be a positive catalyst for a better investment climate in Indonesia. We also hope that Valbury Asia Futures would, at the same time, educate the market to understand this new financial instrument better. KBI, as a clearing institution, will play our part as per the existing regulations, namely related to the Guarantor role and Transaction Settlement.

Creating a new standard for transparency

In line with its bid to bring transparency to the industry to make investing fair, Gotrade promises no hidden fees, ever and publishes all its fees openly.

Whilst Gotrade Indonesia does not add spreads or commissions on its trades, it does pass on a PPN fee of $0.10 and Jakarta Futures Exchange transaction reporting fee of $0.02 per trade.

It generates revenue by charging 1.20% in FX fees when users deposit their funds in Indonesian Rupiah which is then converted into US dollars so they can be traded on. Included in this fee, Gotrade powers instant deposits – enabling users to capitalise on trading opportunities without having to pre-fund their accounts. Gotrade is also currently testing a premium membership product called Gotrade Black that gives its users access to candlestick charts, analyst ratings, target prices and a risk measurement for a $2 monthly membership fee.

A new-old co-founder

Together with the launch of Gotrade Indonesia, Gotrade announced that Andrew Haryono was being recognized as a co-founder of the company. Andrew is the owner of the Valbury Group – the same Valbury that is powering the Gotrade Indonesia platform. The Valbury Group is a financial conglomerate in Indonesia which owns securities, derivatives and capital management arms.

“Andrew has been involved since the earliest days of the business in 2019 and has been instrumental in helping us achieve the success we have had so far. With the Valbury partnership and the launch of Gotrade Indonesia, we’ve been able to take our partnership to a new level and everyone felt it was time to recognise him for the pivotal role he’s played in the company’s past as well as the role he will continue play in the company’s future,” said Gotrade founder Rohit Mulani.

“The team at Gotrade is on a mission to completely reinvent investing for millions of Indonesians. I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years but as soon as I met the team in 2019, I knew that this was the team that would transform the industry. I am thrilled to be a part of the team at Gotrade and am excited to be a part of the next phase of the company’s hypergrowth,” said Gotrade co-founder Andrew Haryono.

Industry veterans jump onboard

Gotrade is rapidly building one of the most experienced teams in the wealth management space in Southeast Asia.

In addition to incoming co-founder Andrew Haryono who boasts over 23 years of financial services experience, David Grant was the former CEO of Charles Schwab Singapore, also boasting over 20 years of retail brokerage experience.

Gotrade also announced 2 senior executive hires with Tan Hui Lynn and Jeremy Ng joining Gotrade as General Counsel and Chief Financial Officer respectively.

Tan was a former partner at Zaid Ibrahim & Co, Malaysia’s leading law firm prior to joining Gotrade whilst Ng was previously the financial controller for Asia Pacific at Oanda prior to taking up his new role.

About Gotrade

Gotrade Financial Inc. provides an innovative app-based investing service to retail investors, to invest as little as $1 in fractional shares of US stocks on an easy-to-use, commission-free mobile platform. Gotrade launched in 2019 with the vision of making investing fun, fair and simple for everyone, everywhere. Instruments on Gotrade are offered through Gotrade Securities Inc. Instruments on Gotrade Indonesia are offered through PT Valbury Asia Futures, a Bappebti licensed broker-dealer established in 1999 in Indonesia.

– ENDS –

For inquiries please contact support@heygotrade.com

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Verisk Assembles Climate Advisory Council

Leading Climate Experts to Advise on Verisk’s Development of Enterprise-Wide Climate Change Solutions

Verisk Climate Advisory Council

From left to right: Dr. Cindy Bruyère, Dr. Henk Dijkstra, Dr. Kenneth E. Kunkel, Dr. Park Williams

Jersey City, N.J., April 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — To help organizations better understand the impacts of climate change and inform their resilience and sustainability efforts, Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK) has formed the Verisk Climate Advisory Council. Council members will provide strategic guidance and feedback on climate change solutions Verisk is developing, such as the climate conditioning of the company’s extreme event models, and present research, specific to each members’ specialty area, regarding the evolving state of climate change. The ongoing research by the experts on this council will help ensure that Verisk is well-informed on the latest climate change research and analyses to help drive its development of industry-leading products and services.

The Verisk Climate Advisory Council is currently comprised of the following climate experts:

  • Dr. Cindy Bruyère is the Director for the Capacity Center for Climate and Weather Extremes (C3WE) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). She was the 2020-2021 Scientific and Engineering Leadership Fellow for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), and she is a Research Fellow at the North-West University, South Africa. Her research focuses on the impact of weather and climate extremes.
  • Dr. Henk Dijkstra is a professor of dynamical oceanography at the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht and the Director of the Centre for Complex Systems Studies at Utrecht University. His research focuses on understanding the physics of the large-scale ocean circulation and the role of the ocean in the climate system through fundamental studies using concepts and methods from complex systems science. He is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 2005, he received the Lewis Fry Richardson medal from the European Geosciences Union.
  • Dr. Kenneth E. Kunkel is a research professor of atmospheric sciences at North Carolina State University and lead scientist for assessments with the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies. His research has focused on climate variability and change, particularly related to extreme weather and climate events. He is an author of several chapters of the Third and Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessments. He is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society.
  • Dr. Park Williams is an associate professor in the Department of Geography at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Park is a hydroclimatologist whose research aims to understand the causes and consequences of hydrological extremes such as drought. His expertise is in the causes and consequences of drought and how this has transformed the American West as temperatures rise and how we should adapt to a future of more frequent droughts and dangerous wildfires.

“At Verisk, we have long engaged with leading scientists and engineers, often alongside customers, to ensure the solutions we create reflect the latest science, freshest perspectives and cutting-edge technologies,” said Mark Anquillare, COO and group president, Verisk. “Clients across a wide range of industries that need to understand and manage risk from weather, climate, and environmental perils rely on Verisk for analytic insights and science-based solutions to help assess and mitigate the complex risks associated with a changing climate. We’re fortunate to have the benefit of the council members’ expertise to support this important work.”

Verisk scientists, product developers and engineers enable global customers from the insurance industry to governmental agencies to Fortune 100 companies to better understand, anticipate, manage and react to weather- and climate-related risk. The company develops unique data sets, models and operational expertise in forecasting and observational systems, a wide range of indices, global climate models, weather and risk analysis and more. The Verisk Climate Advisory Council will help address customers’ unique needs to tackle this significant global issue. Verisk’s deep industry expertise, combined with research-backed insight from these highly respected scientists, will inform the company’s decision-making for products and services related to resilience and sustainability.

“Verisk has developed leading extreme event models for addressing risk and continued collaboration with outside experts is critical to maintaining this position in the market,” said Bill Churney, president of Extreme Event Solutions at Verisk. “We’re excited to begin working with the council members, and we’re confident that with their feedback we will not only build more sophisticated solutions that reflect our best understanding of the future climate but also offer enhanced value to help our clients better address this critical issue facing society.”

About Verisk

Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK) provides predictive analytics and decision-support solutions to customers in the insurance, energy and specialized markets, and financial services industries. More than 70 percent of the FORTUNE 100 relies on the company’s advanced technologies to manage risks, make better decisions and improve operating efficiency. The company’s analytic solutions address insurance underwriting and claims, fraud, regulatory compliance, natural resources, catastrophes, economic forecasting, geopolitical risks, as well as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the company continues to make the world better, safer and stronger, and fosters an inclusive and diverse culture where all team members feel they belong. With more than 100 offices in nearly 35 countries, Verisk consistently earns certification by Great Place to Work. For more: Verisk.com, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

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For more information, contact:
Mary Keller
Verisk
617-267-6645
mary.keller@verisk.com

General Fusion building a global market for fusion energy with industry leaders

World’s leading energy and industrial companies advising General Fusion on the development of practical commercial fusion power

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — General Fusion announced today the formation of a unique Market Development Advisory Committee (MDAC) to guide the development of its commercial fusion power plant. MDAC members include utilities serving millions of customers, innovative renewable energy providers, and companies leading the decarbonization of heavy industry. These companies span global markets in need of carbon-free, on-demand power to meet increasingly ambitious net-zero carbon emission policy goals. Many bring extensive expertise in evaluating, deploying, and operating commercial power generation assets.

General Fusion’s global network of investors and government, institutional, and industrial partners enable the company to pursue a more ambitious fusion technology commercialization program. Through the MDAC, General Fusion is proactively engaging the market to form a portfolio of prospective early fusion adopters to ensure that the performance and specifications of its Magnetized Target Fusion power plant will align with customer needs. The MDAC benefits its membership by providing a mechanism to monitor the development of General Fusion’s technology, understand when and how to include fusion in their new energy generation plans, guide the development of appropriate regulatory frameworks, and influence the company’s future product development.

Launched with nearly a dozen member companies spanning North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe, the MDAC will support General Fusion in designing a practical and compelling fusion power plant that can be deployed by the early 2030s. The MDAC will also recommend and support opportunities to evolve public energy policies promoting the early adoption of commercial fusion power plants as part of the energy transition to net-zero carbon.

“Now is the time to develop the global market for fusion energy. Companies are increasingly recognizing that to achieve their net-zero mandates and aspirations, they’re going to need fusion,” said Christofer Mowry, CEO, General Fusion. “Our Market Development Advisory Committee will help guide General Fusion in addressing this need using a partnership and collaboration strategy.”

“Bruce Power is committed to advancing a net-zero future and clean energy technologies that are essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Richard Horrobin, Vice President, Business Development & Energy Innovation, Bruce Power. “Fusion is a key emerging technology that is complementary to the emissions-free electricity we produce. We look forward to applying our experience and expertise in innovation, clean energy production, and policy development to collaborate with General Fusion.”

“The path to net-zero means developing new sources of clean energy and reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels, which is all the more important given the current issues in global energy markets and the situation in Ukraine,” said Michael Lewis, CEO, E.ON UK. “Energy-intensive industrial customers particularly will need alternative technologies if they are to meet net-zero targets and remain competitive in their own markets, and as the UK’s largest electricity provider, we are pleased to have the opportunity to work with General Fusion to look at how the market for their products could evolve in the UK and develop a new way to take action for the climate.”

“H2 Green Steel is on a mission to undertake the global steel industry’s greatest ever technological shift,” said Henrik Henriksson, CEO, H2 Green Steel. “That’s why we are teaming up with General Fusion to explore the global scalability of our technology, not limited by in-country power generation constraints. Fusion energy has the potential to accelerate the decarbonization of steel production. We look forward to working together with General Fusion on the practical application of fusion energy in heavy industry.”

“Specializing in renewable energy, pioneering sustainable and innovative technologies is in our DNA,” said Riccardo Toto, General Manager, Renexia. “That is why we have joined General Fusion’s international committee, to support bringing clean fusion energy technology to market. We will represent the Italian energy sector on the committee. We hope that fusion energy will soon represent a further opportunity to promote an energy mix less dependent on fossil fuels.”

“Nuclear power currently provides over 40% of the electric energy TVA produces for the people and businesses we serve in seven states,” said Joe Hoagland, Vice President for Innovation & Research, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). “Developing advanced nuclear and other technologies is important for TVA’s energy system of the future. The recent support of the United States Congress for public-private partnerships that promise to accelerate the growth of fusion is encouraging. We will continue exploring business relationships to innovate new clean-energy technologies in support of TVA’s aspirational goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

General Fusion’s Magnetized Target Fusion removes the traditional technological barriers to delivering economical fusion power plants. The company recently reached a critical technology milestone, demonstrating the advanced engineering capabilities needed to scale its compression prototype to a full power system. Later in 2022, the company anticipates celebrating another milestone when it breaks ground on its Fusion Demonstration Plant at the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s Culham Centre for Fusion Energy. The Fusion Demonstration Plant will create the template for General Fusion’s first commercial power plant. It will confirm the performance and economics of the company’s technology at a power-plant-relevant scale.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on the image or link below:

General Fusion: General Fusion's Market Development Advisory Committee (MDAC) member companiesGeneral Fusion’s Market Development Advisory Committee (MDAC) member companies

About General Fusion
General Fusion pursues a fast, efficient, and collaborative path to practical fusion power. We are completing an aggressive development plan to deliver economical carbon-free fusion energy with our proprietary Magnetized Target Fusion technology by the 2030s. Our mission is supported by a global syndicate of leading institutional investors, venture capital firms, and technology pioneers, together with governments across North America and Europe. General Fusion collaborates with a global network of partners to create a sustainable future built on cleaner energy, better materials, and a comprehensive life cycle approach to the world’s infrastructure. Founded in 2002, we are headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with additional centers co-located with internationally recognized fusion research laboratories near London, U.K., and in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A. Learn more at www.generalfusion.com.

General Fusion Media Relations
media@generalfusion.com
+1-866-904-0995

Follow General Fusion

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Colliers completes acquisitions in Italy

Expands presence in an important European region

EMEA Italy Leadership

From left to right: Chris McLernon (CEO, Colliers | EMEA), Ofer Arbib (Co-principal of Colliers Italy and CEO of Colliers Global Investors Italy), Giulia Longo (Co-principal of Colliers Italy)

TORONTO and MILAN, Italy, April 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading global professional services and investment management firm, Colliers (NASDAQ and TSX: CIGI), today announced the completion of two previously reported acquisitions: Colliers Italy, a previously affiliated full service commercial real estate firm, and Antirion SGR S.p.A., one of the largest real estate investment management firms in Italy. Senior leadership teams at Colliers Italy and Antirion will continue to oversee operations of their respective firms and retain significant shareholdings in the businesses under Colliers’ unique partnership model. Antirion will begin rebranding as Colliers Global Investors Italy at close.

From left to right: Chris McLernon (CEO, Colliers | EMEA), Ofer Arbib (Co-principal of Colliers Italy and CEO of Colliers Global Investors Italy), Giulia Longo (Co-principal of Colliers Italy)

From left to right: Chris McLernon (CEO, Colliers | EMEA), Ofer Arbib (Co-principal of Colliers Italy and CEO of Colliers Global Investors Italy), Giulia Longo (Co-principal of Colliers Italy)

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3705d8c8-1400-44d6-88a3-7090120d6ba5

About Colliers

Colliers (NASDAQ, TSX: CIGI) is a leading diversified professional services and investment management company. With operations in 62 countries, our 17,000 enterprising professionals work collaboratively to provide expert real estate and investment advice to clients. For more than 27 years, our experienced leadership with significant inside ownership has delivered compound annual investment returns of 20% for shareholders. With annual revenues of $4.1 billion and more than $50 billion of assets under management, Colliers maximizes the potential of property and real assets to accelerate the success of our clients, our investors and our people. Learn more at corporate.colliers.com, Twitter @Colliers or LinkedIn.

Colliers Contacts:

Christian Mayer
Chief Financial Officer
(416) 960-9500

Chris McLernon
Chief Executive Officer | EMEA
(44) 20 7487 7000

Constellation Brands Confirms Receipt of Proposal to Transition to a Single Class Common Stock Structure

VICTOR, N.Y., April 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a leading beverage alcohol company, has received a non-binding proposal from the Sands Family to declassify the company’s common stock and transition to a single class common stock structure. The proposal contemplates that each share of Class B common stock would be converted into 1.35 shares of Class A common stock. It is expected that the Sands Family will continue to be Constellation’s largest shareholder if a transaction were consummated on the terms proposed. According to information disclosed by the Sands Family, the proposal was not made in connection with any other corporate transaction.

According to information disclosed by the Sands Family, the proposal brings “significant benefits that would accrue to the Company and our stockholders,” including by “increas[ing] market demand from investors who prefer single-class structures.”

Constellation’s Board of Directors has established a Special Committee to evaluate the proposal. Any definitive agreement with the Sands Family with respect to the potential transaction must be approved by the Special Committee as well as the Board of Directors. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the proposal, any potential transaction would require the approval of holders of a majority of the shares of Class A (STZ) common stock that do not also hold shares of Class B (STZ.B) common stock.

ABOUT CONSTELLATION BRANDS

At Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), our mission is to build brands that people love because we believe sharing a toast, unwinding after a day, celebrating milestones, and helping people connect, are Worth Reaching For. It’s worth our dedication, hard work, and the bold calculated risks we take to deliver more for our consumers, trade partners, shareholders, and communities in which we live and work. It’s what has made us one of the fastest-growing large CPG companies in the U.S. at retail, and it drives our pursuit to deliver what’s next.

Today, we are a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. Every day, people reach for our high-end, iconic imported beer brands such as Corona Extra, Corona Light, Corona Premier, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra, and Pacifico, our fine wine and craft spirits brands, including The Prisoner Wine Company, Robert Mondavi Winery, Casa Noble Tequila, and High West Whiskey, and our premium wine brands such as Meiomi and Kim Crawford.

But we won’t stop here. Our visionary leadership team and passionate employees from barrel room to boardroom are reaching for the next level, to explore the boundaries of the beverage alcohol industry and beyond. Join us in discovering what’s Worth Reaching For.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The word “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These statements may relate business strategy, future operations and business, prospects, plans, and objectives of management and Constellation’s Board of Directors, as well as information concerning expected actions of third parties. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such results or events will in fact occur. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release, and Constellation does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

In addition to risks and uncertainties associated with ordinary business operations, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are subject to other risks and uncertainties, including the terms and conditions associated with any potential transaction; that a definitive agreement may not be entered into; that a potential transaction may not be completed at all, including because it may not receive the required approval of the Special Committee, the Board of Directors, or the company’s stockholders (including the approval of holders of a majority of the shares of the company’s Class A common stock that do not also hold shares of Class B common stock); and other factors and uncertainties disclosed from time-to-time in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2021, which could cause actual future performance or events to differ from current expectations.

To learn more, follow us on Twitter @cbrands and visit www.cbrands.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS
Mike McGrew 773-251-4934 / michael.mcgrew@cbrands.com
Amy Martin 585-678-7141 / amy.martin@cbrands.com
Patty Yahn-Urlaub 585-678-7483 / patty.yahn-urlaub@cbrands.com

A downloadable PDF copy of this news release can be found here:
http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/9e018f89-493d-4328-8ffc-1dec445bcebc

NEP Hires Keshav Kaul to Lead its India Business

The global media technology partner adds new leadership to its experienced team, positioning the company for additional growth in the region.

GURGAON, INDIA, April 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NEP Group, the leading media technology partner for content creators around the globe, announced that it has hired Keshav Kaul as Business Head for its NEP India operations. The addition of Kaul builds on the NEP’s established presence as the leader in providing outside broadcast solutions for live sport and entertainment in India and worldwide and positions the company for further growth in the region.

Kaul brings nearly 20 years of media and leadership experience to NEP. Most recently, he served as Business Head at Fremantle India Television Productions where he led strategy, business development, physical production, legal and business affairs for the company. During his tenure there, Kaul played a prominent role in shaping and driving the company’s India growth strategy, including its entry in premium scripted content production, expanding the licensing and production of its key formats into the Indian regional language market, and opening new revenue streams by monetizing its content on digital platforms. Among his many accomplishments, he led the licensing and production of several of the company’s shows in India, including headlining shows such as Indian Idol, India’s Got Talent and You V YouTube. Kaul also drove the licensing of international formats in the neighbouring South Asian markets of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan.

Prior to his role at Fremantle, Kaul was CEO of Sol Productions and, prior to that, served as Assistant Vice President for Strategic Planning and Commercial at Star India where he led the acquisition of original scripted and unscripted content for the Hindi channels of the network. In 2011, he also founded Benchmark Studios, a production company offering a professional approach to the business of content production in both Indian and international markets.

“I couldn’t be happier to welcome Keshav to NEP to lead our business in this very important market,” said Saeed Izadi, President of NEP Singapore, India and Middle East. “He is extremely skilled at leading teams and has a tremendous entrepreneurial drive for building businesses to new levels. I’m confident that he, along with our entire NEP India team, will continue to deliver the best technology and talent to help our clients realize their creative visions.”

“I am delighted to be joining NEP and grateful for being given the opportunity to lead its India business. India is a fast-growing media and entertainment market and presents a great opportunity for the company’s future growth in the region,” Kaul said. “NEP is a leader in the industry, and I hope to contribute to its continued growth and success by leveraging my experience of leading world class entertainment productions.”

To learn more about NEP India’s broadcast solutions and career opportunities, visit https://www.nepgroup.in/, or contact the team at +91 124 4819800.

About NEP

NEP Group is the leading media technology partner for content creators around the globe. For more than 35 years, we have been delivering innovative products and services that enable our clients to make, manage and show the world their content—anywhere, anytime, on any platform. As a trusted partner working on some of the largest productions in the world, NEP offers a complete set of end-to-end solutions, from content capture to distribution—including a growing portfolio of transformational cloud-based, software-based and virtualized technologies. Our Live Production solutions range from AV services and live audience enhancements to traditional outside broadcast and cutting-edge centralized and cloud production. NEP’s Virtual Production solutions start at the creative stage and end with exceptional execution across ICVFX, augmented reality, LED stages and more. And, our Media Processing solutions provide the tools and products our clients need to ingest, edit, store, search, manage and distribute their digital assets to rights holders across multiple platforms.

Headquartered in the United States, NEP has operations in 25 countries with over 4,000+ employees. Together, we have supported productions in over 100 countries on all seven continents, and we’re still growing. Our clients range from the leaders in sport, music, film and TV, to major corporate brands, agencies, to new content owners and creators all around the world. Learn how we are helping clients bring their creative visions, content, live sports and entertainment to life at nepgroup.com.

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Susan Matis
NEP Group
+1 412 423-1339
press@nepgroup.com

Jordan Conigliaro
NEP Group
+1 412-423-1321
jconigliaro@nepgroup.com

VistaJet announces new golf program for Members with Champion Jon Rahm as Global Ambassador

VistaJet for golf

VistaJet’s new golf program, exclusive to Members, grants access to bespoke courses and event experiences across the globe

New York, April 4, 2022: The best sports stars are choosing to travel with VistaJet, the first and only global business aviation company. Ahead of The 2022 Masters Tournament commencing this week, Champion male golfer, Jon Rahm, is officially unveiled as a VistaJet Program Member and Brand Ambassador. The announcement comes at a time when demand for safe, reliable, and conscious travel solutions has become a top priority for clients around the world.

The Champion, opted into VistaJet’s carbon offset program, shares why he chose the brand over any other way of flying — inspiring and connecting with like-minded Members and golf enthusiasts around the world. VistaJet’s new golf program, exclusive to Members, grants access to bespoke courses and event experiences across the globe.

Partners in excellence — Jon Rahm and VistaJet
A previous fractional jet owner, Jon Rahm became a VistaJet Program Member in 2021 to support his quest for even greater success professionally and personally saying, fractional simply doesn’t offer this level of flexibility”.

Flying VistaJet eliminates risk and limitations that come with ownership, ensuring its Members can fly with guaranteed availability in as little as 24 hours’ notice, anywhere, anytime.

Jon has flown on a range of VistaJet aircraft including the Challenger 350 and Global 6000, and has been one of a limited few to experience the record-breaking Global 7500 jet. Having flown the jet to a tournament in Spain he said “after flying VistaJet’s Global 7500 it’s hard to fly anything else nothing else is comparable, to be honest. I felt like I had a house in the air I slept a solid eight hours, easily. It was the only time I’ve ever flown over the Atlantic with such a big-time zone change and never had any jet lag”.

Whether flying for a tournament, with friends or family, Jon has also benefited from VistaJet’s consistently exceptional service. The brand is one of the only providers to have a Cabin Hostess on every flight, including super-midsize jets. Trained by the best institutions, including the British Butler Institute, WSET, Norland College, and more, VistaJet prides itself on providing a service in the air that is unparalleled and personal. Jon notes,the amount of work the VistaJet crew has done for us is beyond. They consider things that most would overlook. And knowing that every single Cabin Hostess on board is trained to take care of kids is amazing! We trust them.

Ian Moore, Chief Commercial Officer at VistaJet added: Golfing great Jon Rahm is the perfect VistaJet Brand Ambassador as golf, much like private aviation, relies on precision, timing, and a commitment to excellence.”

To further inspire Program Members in their passion for the sport, VistaJet’s new golf program will grant its Members access to some of the most private courses, tournaments, golf experiences, and destinations, as part of its Private World collection, including:

Mandarin Oriental, Canouan
Canouan has the only championship 18-hole golf course in the Grenadines archipelago. Located within the 1,200 acre private sanctuary of Grenadines Estate, the par-72 Jim Fazio course is played over two nine-hole loops, with the front nine meandering around the bay for epic views of the beaches and reef, and the second nine climbing up the hillside, presenting incredible vistas of Canouan and the surrounding islands including Mustique and Tobago Cays Marine Park.

Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, Tuscany
The Club at Castiglion del Bosco, Tuscany, is Europe’s finest golf and wine experience at Italy’s only private, members-only golf club. The 18-hole golf course is one of the finest private courses in Europe and the only Continental European design of Champion golfer Tom Weiskopf. Weiskopf’s Tuscan masterpiece is exquisitely blended into the soft curves and contours of the estate’s rolling hills and valleys.

For more information about VistaJet’s new golf program please visit: vistajet.com/golf

Information
VistaJet | press@vistajet.com

About VistaJet 
VistaJet is the first and only global business aviation company. On its fleet of over 80 silver and red business jets, VistaJet has flown corporations, governments and private clients to 187 countries, covering 96% of the world.
Founded in 2004, the company pioneered an innovative business model where customers have access to an entire fleet whilst paying only for the hours they fly, free of the responsibilities and asset risks linked to aircraft ownership. VistaJet’s signature Program membership offers customers a bespoke subscription of flight hours on its fleet of mid and long-range jets, to fly them anytime, anywhere.
VistaJet is part of Vista Global Holding (Vista) — the world’s first private aviation ecosystem, integrating a unique portfolio of companies offering asset-light solutions to cover all key aspects of business aviation.
More VistaJet information and news at vistajet.com

VistaJet Limited is a European air carrier that operates 9H registered aircraft under its Maltese Air Operator Certificate No. MT-17 and is incorporated in Malta under Company Number C 55231. VistaJet US Inc. is an Air Charter Broker that does not operate aircraft. VistaJet and its subsidiaries are not U.S. direct carriers. VistaJet-owned and U.S. registered aircraft are operated by properly licensed U.S. air carriers, including XOJET Aviation LLC.

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