January 13, 2022

Final Entry Deadline Extended in the 2022 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service

Entrants Can Submit Nominations in the Top Sales and Customer Service Awards Through February 2

Stevie Awards for Sales & -Service

The 2022 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service has extended the final entry deadline through February 2.

FAIRFAX, Va., Jan. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — By popular demand, the Stevie® Awards have extended the final entry deadline in the 16th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service to Wednesday, February 2. The original entry deadline was January 12. These are the world’s premier awards for sales and customer service professionals, teams, and organizations.

Entry kits and complete details on the competition are available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

Eligible nominees include departments, teams, and professionals from around the world who work in customer service, contact center, business development, and sales. New products and services and solution providers used by those professionals are also eligible. The 2022 awards will recognize achievements since July 1, 2019.

Winners will be announced on February 28, 2022. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be celebrated at a virtual awards ceremony on May 11.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature more than 150 sales awards, customer service awards, business development awards, new product awards, and solution provider awards categories. Entrants may submit any number of nominations to any number of categories.

New this year, for all categories the submission requirements have been extended to allow nominations to include accomplishments for the past two years instead of one.

There are many new categories for 2022 including Sales Engineer of the Year, Sales Support Professional of the Year, Virtual and Pre-Sales Professional of the Year, Remote Sales Innovation of the Year, Sales Employer of the Year, and an entirely new section of categories to recognize Thought Leadership achievements in business development, customer service, and sales. Explore all of the categories here.

The Stevie Awards is also pleased to present the Ethics in Sales Award, sponsored by Sales Partnerships. This category has no entry fee. This award recognizes organizations for best practices and achievements in demonstrating the highest ethical standards in the sales industry. Entrants can submit specific examples, case studies, practices, etc. that illustrates why the organization being nominated should be considered an excellent example of best practices in sales. This award is based on activities in 2021.

Stevie Awards President Maggie Miller states, “Every year our judges grow more and more impressed with the submissions in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. We encourage any organization who wants to be recognized for their achievements since July 2019 to request an entry kit to see which categories would best highlight those successes.”

Winners of the 2021 edition of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service included American Red Cross, Blackbaud, Inc., Carbonite, Cisco Systems Inc., ClassicCars.com, DHL Express, ElectronicArts, GoDaddy, IBM, John Hancock Financial Solutions, Land O’Lakes, Mailchimp, Modern Campus, Nasdaq Governance Solutions, Nutrisystem, Paylocity, SoftPro, Travelzoo, ValueSelling Associates, VIZIO, Inc., Vodafone Turkey, and more.

The 2022 competition will be judged by more than 150 professionals around the world.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Marketing Contact:
Nina Moore
Nina@StevieAwards.com
+1 (703) 547-8389

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg+`/ad785517-4799-4518-88e5-b3b0127ed355

January 13, 2022

Madison Realty Capital Originates $345 Million Loan for St. Regis Residences on Boston Waterfront

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Madison Realty Capital, a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm focused on debt and equity investment strategies, today announced that it has originated a $345 million loan to Cronin Development for the completion of a 22-story, 114-unit residential and retail condominium development at 150 Seaport Boulevard in Boston, Massachusetts.

The property will contain a mix of one-bedroom to six-bedroom penthouse residences with waterfront views, a majority of which will feature outdoor space, and 10,211 square feet of retail. The Residences will feature a full range of amenities, including a fitness and wellness center with a spa and jacuzzi, bistro-style restaurant with waterfront dining, a grand lounge and pool overlooking the harbor, boardroom, business center, catering kitchen, wine vault, and two guest suites, all managed by St. Regis residential staff.

Josh Zegen, Managing Principal and Co-Founder of Madison Realty Capital, said “Boston’s Seaport District is expanding rapidly, but high barriers to entry and long entitlement processes have constrained the supply of luxury condominium offerings. We are pleased to expand our presence in Boston to deliver an attractive and complex financing solution mid-construction for a significantly presold property to Cronin Development, a developer with over twenty years of experience developing and managing real estate projects in the Boston area. This transaction reflects Madison Realty Capital’s ability to deliver unique financing and certainty of execution for residential projects in every phase of development.”

Jon Cronin, Founder of Cronin Development, said “We are thrilled to engage Madison Realty Capital as a single source of financing to complete this luxury residential product, which will be the last waterfront residential development in the Seaport District. Madison Realty Capital was able to leverage its knowledge of the Boston condominium market to quickly and efficiently provide us a tailored financing solution during the construction process that will enable us to complete the project in the near term.”

Madison Realty Capital has significant experience investing in Boston. Notable transactions include a $165 million loan to Scape North America for the development of a 451-unit multifamily project in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood and a $314 million construction loan to Raffles Boston Back Bay Hotel & Residences.

About Madison Realty Capital

Madison Realty Capital is a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm that, as of December 31, 2021, manages approximately $8 billion in total assets on behalf of a global institutional investor base. Since 2004, Madison Realty Capital has completed approximately $20 billion in transactions providing borrowers with flexible and highly customized financing solutions, strong underwriting capabilities, and certainty of execution. Headquartered in New York City, with an office in Los Angeles, the firm has approximately 70 employees across all real estate investment, development, and property management disciplines. Madison Realty Capital has been frequently named to the Commercial Observer’s prestigious “Power 100” list of New York City real estate players and is consistently cited as a top construction lender, among other industry recognitions. To learn more, follow us on LinkedIn and visit www.madisonrealtycapital.com.

Nathaniel Garnick/Grace Cartwright
Gasthalter & Co.
+1 (212) 257 4170
madisonrealty@gasthalter.com

January 13, 2022

Adagio Therapeutics Summarizes ADG20 Neutralizing Activity Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants and Outlines Initiatives to Address Omicron

Recent Publications by Several Independent Laboratories Show ADG20 Has Neutralizing Activity with Potency Comparable to Other Antibodies that Retain Activity Against Omicron

Multiple Efforts Underway to Address Omicron and Potential Future SARS-CoV-2 Variants

WALTHAM, Mass., Jan. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Adagio Therapeutics, Inc., (Nasdaq: ADGI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of antibody-based solutions for infectious diseases with pandemic potential, today summarized recent findings reported in three separate publications that show ADG20, its lead monoclonal antibody (mAb), has neutralization activity against the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS-CoV-2, and outlined initiatives to address current and future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Adagio is evaluating ADG20 in its global Phase 2/3 clinical trials for both the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Adagio is engaging with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding potential protocol updates to its global Phase 2/3 clinical trials, including an increased dose of ADG20 for the potential prevention and treatment of COVID-19 resulting from the Omicron variant.

ADG20 Neutralizing Activity Against Omicron
Recently published in vitro studies examined the neutralization potencies of large panels of mAbs against the Omicron variant in both authentic and pseudovirus assays. Findings across all three studies show that among mAbs in late-stage clinical development or with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), ADG20 is one of only a few mAbs that demonstrated neutralizing activity against Omicron. Across two distinct authentic neutralization assays against Omicron, the data show that ADG20 had an IC₅₀, a measurement of neutralization potency, of approximately 0.4 to 1.1 µg/mL, which is comparable with the two other active mAbs, sotrovimab and AZD7742.

“What is critical to assessing potential clinical effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 mAbs is the neutralization potency by the mAb against a specific variant. While findings may show that ADG20 has reduced potency against Omicron when compared to its high potency against all other variants of concern, including Delta, the data support that ADG20 is among the few mAbs to demonstrate neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant and warrants its continued development,” said Laura Walker, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and co-founder of Adagio.

These data add to previously reported in vitro data from a variety of preclinical studies that showed that ADG20 retains activity against other variants of concern including Alpha, Beta, Delta and Gamma, and that ADG20 retains neutralizing activity against a diverse panel of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the Lambda, Mu and Delta plus variants.

Clinical Trial Update to Address Omicron
Adagio is continuing evaluation of ADG20 in its EVADE and STAMP clinical trials. Adagio is engaging with the FDA on dosing strategy, including an increased dose of ADG20 and other protocol updates in light of the spread of the Omicron variant. Adagio is pausing the enrollment of new patients in the 300 mg dose arm in both clinical trials as the company updates its protocols. Follow-up and monitoring of patients previously administered ADG20 are continuing per the original protocols.

Additional Efforts to Address Omicron and Future Variants
In addition to its clinical trial updates, Adagio is pursuing multiple strategies to address both Omicron and potential future variants that may emerge. Leveraging its exclusive partnership with Adimab LLC, a global leader in antibody engineering, Adagio is exploring the potential to engineer ADG20 to further improve binding to the Omicron variant to enhance its neutralization potency against Omicron while retaining its broad neutralization against other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. In parallel, Adagio is assessing several hundred mAbs from its proprietary library of previously isolated SARS-CoV-2 antibodies for their neutralization potency against Omicron. Such an additional neutralizing mAb could be developed as a stand-alone product or as part of a combination approach. These efforts are underway, and the company anticipates preliminary findings from its research in the first quarter of 2022.

“SARS-CoV-2 is a quickly evolving virus, and at Adagio, we are committed to adapting just as quickly. It is abundantly clear that no single product will fully address the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that multiple preventative and therapeutic solutions are needed. Based on both in-house data and third-party findings, we are confident that ADG20 can be an important tool in the fight against this virus,” added Tillman Gerngross, Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of Adagio.

About ADG20
ADG20, an investigational monoclonal antibody targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses, is being evaluated in global clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. ADG20 was designed to possess high potency and broad neutralization activity against SARS-CoV-2 and additional clade 1 sarbecoviruses by targeting a highly conserved epitope in the receptor binding domain. ADG20 was further engineered to provide an extended half-life for durable protection. In vitro data from a variety of preclinical studies have shown that ADG20 retains neutralizing activity against all known SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. In a Phase 1 trial, ADG20 was well-tolerated with no safety signals identified through a minimum of three months follow-up across all cohorts. ADG20 has not been approved for use in any country, and safety and efficacy have not yet been established.

About Adagio Therapeutics
Adagio (Nasdaq: ADGI) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of antibody-based solutions for infectious diseases with pandemic potential, including COVID-19 and influenza. The company’s portfolio of antibodies has been optimized using Adimab’s industry-leading antibody engineering capabilities and is designed to provide patients and clinicians with the potential for a powerful combination of potency, breadth, durable protection (via half-life extension), manufacturability and affordability. Adagio’s portfolio of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies includes multiple non-competing, broadly neutralizing antibodies with distinct binding epitopes, led by ADG20. Adagio has secured manufacturing capacity for the production of ADG20 with third-party contract manufacturers to support the completion of clinical trials and initial commercial launch, ensuring the potential for broad accessibility to people around the world, if authorized or approved for use. For more information, please visit www.adagiotx.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “projects,” and “future” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning, among other things, the timing, progress and results of our preclinical studies and clinical trials of ADG20, including the initiation, modification and completion of studies or trials and related preparatory work, including our plans to evaluate dosing regimens and other protocol updates in our clinical trials, the period during which the results of our clinical trials and other studies and research activities will become available, and our research and development programs; our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for our product candidates; our pursuit of other strategies to address the Omicron variant, including modification of clinical trial protocols; and other statements that are not historical fact. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, clinical trials and financial position, unexpected safety or efficacy data observed during preclinical studies or clinical trials, the predictability of clinical success of ADG20 based on neutralizing activity in pre-clinical studies, variability of results in models used to predict activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, clinical trial site activation or enrollment rates that are lower than expected, changes in expected or existing competition, changes in the regulatory environment, and the uncertainties and timing of the regulatory approval process, including the outcome of our discussions with regulatory authorities concerning our Phase 2/3 clinical trials. Other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements in this press release are described under the heading “Risk Factors” in Adagio’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 and in Adagio’s future reports to be filed with the SEC. Such risks may be amplified by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of this date, and Adagio undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

Contacts:
Media Contact:
Dan Budwick, 1AB
Dan@1abmedia.com

Investor Contact:
Monique Allaire, THRUST Strategic Communications
monique@thrustsc.com

January 13, 2022

Western Diplomats Warn of Impending Disaster in Sahel

Western diplomats fear the spread of extremist groups and persistent economic and social problems in Western Africa and the Sahel are nearing a tipping point that could have disastrous consequences for the region and beyond.

The officials from both Europe and the United States warned Thursday that international efforts have so far failed to counter factors that are driving young people to take up arms and called for increased cooperation with countries in the region.

“The rise of violent extremism and the worsening of the humanitarian situation in the Sahel and the wider West African region is threatening the future of the entire African continent and of all of us,” European Union Ambassador to the U.S. Stavros Lambrinidis told the virtual conference. “This is as high stakes as it gets.”

U.S. officials described the situation as no less dire.

“Despite a decade of robust international investments, the region continues to trend in the wrong direction,” said U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Michael Gonzales.

“Armed groups continue to expand their presence as well as their capabilities and their violence,” Gonzales added. “We need to address the underlying drivers of insecurity more holistically in order to turn the tide.”

The biggest concern has been Mali, where terrorists linked to groups like Islamic State and al-Qaida have continued to make inroads, and where the military government, which seized power in August 2020, postponed elections scheduled for this February until 2026.

Earlier this week, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed a series of sanctions against Mali’s interim government for refusing to hold elections as initially agreed, including the suspension of all commercial and financial transactions, and putting financial assistance on hold.

The EU on Thursday announced it would follow suit with its own sanctions against Mali’s interim government.

“Despite all the warnings that we made to the Malian authorities, we see no sign of progress on the part of these authorities,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said following a meeting with the EU defense minister in the French city of Brest.

“The risk that the situation in this country [Mali] continues to deteriorate is evident,” he said. “We will follow the situation closely.”

Borell said that despite the imposition of sanctions, EU missions to Mali to train and advise Malian armed forces will continue.

Mali’s ambassador to the United Nations decried the ECOWAS sanctions as “illegal, illegitimate and inhumane” but said the interim government remains open to additional talks with its neighbors.

Further complicating matters, European officials have raised concerns about Mali’s decision to bring in mercenaries from the Russia-based Wagner Group to bolster its security forces – a charge that Mali’s interim government has denied.

The U.S. Defense Department, while declining to confirm the reports, described the prospect as worrying.

“Given the Wagner Group’s record, any role for Russian-backed Wagner Group forces in Mali will likely exacerbate an already fragile and unstable situation,” spokesperson Cynthia King told VOA.

The U.S. suspended military training and cooperation with Mali following the August 2020 coup.

Germany, which has about 1,000 troops in Mali, has said it would be taking another look at its mission. France, which had 3,000 troops in Mali, has slowly been reducing its military footprint, withdrawing from all but one of its military bases in the country.

Despite the drawdown, French officials insist they remain committed to helping Mali defeat terrorist groups on its soil.

“France will not abandon Mali or the other Sahel countries,” French Ambassador to the U.S. Philippe Etienne told Thursday’s virtual conference on the region. “At the request of African nations, France is continuing to combat these armed groups in the Sahel with very appreciated support from the United States.”

“Young recruits who join these terrorist organizations are doing this not necessarily because they want to engage in jihad but also because they have no other prospects,” he said. “Stabilizing the Sahel in the long term will take time, and there’s a long way to go.”

Emanuela Del Re, the EU special representative for the Sahel, said the goal, ultimately, is to “keep Mali engaged and not isolate it.”

“We must keep the dialogue open and alive and hold the transitional authorities to their commitments,” she said.

Source: Voice of America

January 13, 2022

SpaceX Rocket Lifts Off with South African Satellites on Board

A SpaceX rocket launch Thursday carried three small South African-made satellites that will help with policing South African waters against illegal fishing operations.

Produced at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the satellites could also be used to help other African countries to protect their coastal waters.

SpaceX’s billionaire boss Elon Musk has given three nano satellites produced in his birth country, South Africa, a ride into space.

The company’s Falcon rocket launched from Cape Canaveral in the U.S. state of Florida with 105 spacecraft on board. All three South African satellites deployed successfully.

This mission, known as Transporter 3, is part of SpaceX’s rideshare program which in two previous outings has put over 220 small satellites into orbit.

The three South African nano satellites on this trip were designed at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s Africa Space Innovation Centre.

The institution’s deputy vice chancellor for research, technology and innovation Professor David Phaho says “it marks a quantum leap in terms of South Africa’s capability to participate in the space sector. As you can imagine the issue of oceans economy has become topical globally. And the fact that we’ve developed this capacity in South Africa, and we are launching this (sic) satellites will go a long way in enhancing our capabilities to monitor our coastline and grow our economy.”

Phaho notes the university has been building up to the launch of these satellites, known collectively as MDASat-1, with a previous satellite launch in 2018.

“These three satellites, there was a precursor to these current three satellite constellation. Zcube2 is the most advanced nano satellite developed on the African continent and it was launched in December 2018 so these ones are basically part and parcel of that development. And they are probably the most advanced nano satellites developed on the African continent,” Phaho expressed.

Stephen Cupido studied at the space center and graduated in 2014. Today, he works here as a software engineer and points out that “it’s been a ride, it’s been amazing, ups and downs but this is definitely an up today. Just to get everything ready for today has been a lot of pressure.”

And the interaction with SpaceX has been complicated he says laughing “but it’s necessary. We are putting objects in space and space is for everyone, we have to keep it safe for everybody so we understand the paperwork involved but we’ve got all the information through to them. They’re launching our satellite so everything is in order.”

The university paid almost $260,000 to secure its spot on the SpaceX craft. It says it hopes to continue the relationship with Elon Musk’s company.

Source: Voice of America