Akira Hiruma named VUB Fellow for photonics collaboration


In a prestigious ceremony, Akira Hiruma, Representative Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Hamamatsu Photonics, has been recognised as a VUB Fellow by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). This esteemed acknowledgment highlights Mr Hiruma’s invaluable contributions to photonics


innovation activities at B-PHOT Brussels Photonics and the global outreach of VUB. Akira Hiruma. ©Thierry Geenen, Vrije Universiteit Brussel


The VUB Fellowship program, designed to foster collaboration between academia, business, and civil society, provides a unique platform for the exchange of knowledge and expertise across diverse sectors. Akira Hiruma now joins the distinguished group of VUB Fellows for 2023, alongside Ilse Ooghe, Ingrid De Jonghe, Koenraad Vermout, and Stefaan Verhulst. Together, they form a network that facilitates the exchange of insights and promotes collaboration among various spheres of society.


As a key fi gure in the Hamamatsu Applied Photonics Innovation Chair, Akira Hiruma has played a pivotal role in supporting B-PHOT’s innovation initiatives. His extensive network in Japan has not only strengthened connections between VUB and Japanese industry leaders but has also facilitated collaborations with esteemed Japanese universities.


The VUB Fellowship was bestowed upon Akira Hiruma during the Entr’Acte ceremony by VUB Crosstalks. This honour, coupled with the Prize for Societal Valorization awarded to Professor Hugo Thienpont, underscores Mr Hiruma’s exceptional commitment to advancing photonics and fostering international partnerships.


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AI innovation triumphs in Olympus Asia Pacific Program


Olympus Corporation, a global MedTech company dedicated to improving lives, partnered with MedTech Innovator Asia Pacifi c to launch OAIP in 2023. The program sought visionary startups with connections to the Asia Pacifi c region, encouraging submissions of technologies contributing to the advancement of minimally invasive care and innovative approaches to detect, monitor, and treat various conditions.


Vesica AI, as the winning innovator, will receive a grant of $75,000 and an exclusive mentorship program featuring key thought leaders from Olympus. This mentorship initiative aims to foster meaningful connections between Vesica AI and Olympus experts, supporting the company’s future success.


Felicia Chung, Business Development Head at Olympus Corporation Asia Pacifi c, expressed enthusiasm for all fi nalists and highlighted Vesica AI’s potential to elevate the standard of care in bladder cancer diagnosis.


L-R: Olympus Corporation Asia Pacifi c CEO Marc Radatt, Vesica AI Co-founder, CMO, and CTO Atsushi Ikeda, Vesica AI CEO Albert Liu.


Vesica AI, a promising medical startup company, emerged as the winner of the inaugural Olympus Asia Pacifi c Innovation Program (OAIP). Selected from a pool of four fi nalists, Vesica AI stood out for its ground-breaking AI-based clinical support system that enhances early bladder cancer detection during cystoscopy procedures. The collaboration between the University of Tsukuba Hospital in Ibaraki- prefecture, Japan, and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) resulted in the creation of Vesica AI.


Albert Liu, CEO, and Charles Zahl, COO of Vesica AI, jointly stated that the recognition signifi es their team’s hard work and dedication. They anticipate the mentorship program to be transformative, refi ning their business model, focusing on commercialisation, research and development efforts, and accelerating fundraising and strategic collaboration plans.


Marc Radatt, CEO of Olympus Corporation Asia Pacifi c, commended Vesica AI’s innovative technology and its potential to revolutionise early bladder cancer detection, expressing eagerness to collaborate with their talented team as inaugural winners.


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WuXi Vaccines was named ‘Best Vaccine CMO of the Year’ at the 2023 Asia-Pacifi c Vaccine Excellence Awards.


WuXi Vaccines, a leading global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) specialising in vaccines, has been awarded the title of ‘Best Vaccine CMO of the Year’ for the second consecutive year at the 2023 Asia-Pacifi c Vaccine Excellence Awards (AVEA).


The AVEA 2023 event was dedicated to acknowledging outstanding achievements in the vaccine and supply chain sector in Asia. Award winners were determined through voting by industry experts, professionals, and stakeholders in the vaccine community. WuXi Vaccines distinguished itself among the nominees for its commitment to advancing global vaccine accessibility, particularly in low and middle-income countries.


Advanced gene delivery system secures Japan patent


ProBioGen has announced that the Japan Patent Offi ce (JPO) has granted the fi rst patent for the company’s DirectedLuck® technology. This advanced gene delivery system is anchored in a highly potent transposase fusion variant, facilitating epigenetic targeting alongside a meticulously designed transposon.


Dr Volker Sandig, Chief Scientifi c Offi cer of ProBioGen, emphasised the signifi cance of this patent grant for the ground-breaking cell-engineering technology. The plug-and-play system offers advantages throughout the biopharmaceutical value chain, enabling accelerated timelines for clinical applications. Dr Sandig stated: ‘‘Thanks to our DirectedLuck® technology, clients attain higher titres and maximum stability within condensed timelines.’’


DirectedLuck® is a refi nement of the transposase’s core principle, featuring signifi cant enhancements. This innovative system has been fi ne-tuned to identify specifi c chromatin markers, directing the transgene towards genomic regions with the highest transcriptional activity. This precision ensures unparalleled protein expression and optimal stability. The expedited generation of clone pools, typically


achieved within days to weeks, provides a highly representative snapshot of subsequent clones.


This streamlined process


signifi cantly reduces the time and hands-on laboratory efforts required to select superior clones, ensuring optimal titres, proven stability, and product quality. The versatility of the DirectedLuck® Transposase extends to its compatibility with additional genetic elements in standard expression vector design, facilitating its use across diverse host cell lines from various species and tissue origins.


ProBioGen has successfully implemented DirectedLuck® to generate numerous producer cell lines for clients, garnering endorsement from ProBioGen’s licensees. Beyond its application in generating producer cell lines, DirectedLuck® proves versatile for creating stable packaging cell lines for viral vectors and fi nds utility in gene and cell therapy.


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Mr Jian Dong, CEO of WuXi Vaccines, expressed gratitude, stating: “We are deeply honoured to receive the ‘Best Vaccine CMO Award of the Year’ for the second year. This prestigious accolade serves as a testament to WuXi Vaccines’ commitment to furthering global health initiatives by providing end-to-end solutions that enable our partners to bring vital vaccine products to the market more effi ciently.”


WuXi Vaccines has played a pivotal role in the battle against COVID-19 by manufacturing hundreds of millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, facilitating distribution to over 180 countries. The recent launch of its standalone


vaccines


CDMO site in Suzhou, China, marked a signifi cant milestone, passing an on-site GMP audit by a global vaccine leader. This achievement is expected to accelerate global client projects by offering high-quality end-to-end services for a diverse range of vaccines. Meanwhile, the Dundalk facility in Ireland achieved signifi cant milestones, including the initiation of Tech Transfer (TT) and notable progress in commissioning qualifi cation and validation (CQV) activities. The QC potency lab at the facility became operational in July 2020 and received the GMP certifi cate from the Ireland Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) in July 2022.


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Award recognises excellence in vaccine manufacturing


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