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Seegene Holds Partner Executive Roundtable with Microsoft, and Springer Nature, Accelerating its Technology-Sharing Initiative

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–  The first tri-party executive roundtable was held in London to strengthen synergies for Seegene’s vision of creating ‘a world free from diseases’ 

–  Preliminary results of product development automation and statistical analysis of syndromic test results powered with Microsoft’s AI technology were showcased

–  Global experts and scientists participated in building a diagnostic product development eco-system utilizing Springer Nature’s scientific network

–  Companies fostered collaboration to drive collective impact towards next year’s ‘a world free from diseases’ declaration ceremony

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Seegene Inc., a leading South Korean company providing a total solution for PCR molecular diagnostics, held the first executive roundtable with Microsoft and Springer Nature to discuss advancing its technology-sharing initiative aimed at mitigating future pandemics and creating ‘a world free from diseases’, including the showcase of preliminary results from an automated diagnostic development system powered with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology. This is the first official event that the three companies gathered to discuss the initiative.

On October 23, the three companies convened at Springer Nature London Campus Auditorium for the technology-sharing initiative partner roundtable to share initial achievements and explore strategies for further collaboration. Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, CEO and founder of Seegene; Marc Spenlé, chief operating officer of Springer Nature; Steven Inchcoombe, president of research at Springer Nature; and Elena Bonfiglioli, vice president of global business leader healthcare, pharma and life science at Microsoft attended the meeting.

“By integrating Seegene’s proprietary syndromic real-time PCR technology, Microsoft’s cutting-edge AI and cloud services, and Springer Nature’s extensive reach in the global scientific community, we will create new avenues for collaboration with scientists and experts in this technology-sharing initiative,” said Dr. Chun, CEO and founder of Seegene.

The technology-sharing initiative aims to globally share Seegene’s advanced diagnostic and data analysis technologies, including syndromic real-time PCR and an automated product development system (SGDDS), with a leading company partnered in each country. Partnering companies will collaborate with local scientists and experts to develop diagnostic tests tailored to the needs of their communities and fields, spanning a wide range of human and non-human diseases. Amidst the challenges of climate change and the anticipated rise in outbreaks, the initiative’s ultimate vision is to create ‘a world free from diseases’—a future where people no longer suffer from infectious diseases and cancer, and where animals and plants thrive without illness.

Seegene’s syndromic real-time PCR technology represents a breakthrough in molecular target detection, unparalleled by other PCR methods. It enables the simultaneous detection of up to 14 pathogens in a single reaction tube, with quantitative information for each target. Furthermore, multi-tube panel tests may be designed to cover an even more comprehensive set of pathogens with overlapping symptoms. As a powerful tool for mitigating the growing threat of multi-pandemics—exacerbated by climate change—Seegene’s technology enhances the ability to monitor and respond to a diverse range of rapidly evolving pathogens.

Companies participating in the technology-sharing initiative will gain access to Seegene’s cutting-edge technology and expertise, enabling them to develop and manufacture syndromic real-time PCR products tailored to their countries’ specific public health needs. Localization of such capabilities through this initiative will allow their communities to promptly respond to future outbreaks and multi-pathogen pandemics.

Building on the momentum achieved during this year’s roundtable, a declaration ceremony is expected to take place in the second half of next year, where strategies to maximize synergy amongst the three company’s technology will be further discussed.

At the meeting in London, Seegene and Microsoft showcased the preliminary results of integrating Microsoft’s Azure Open AI into the research planning module of Seegene’s automated product development system (SGDDS). The use of AI technology dramatically reduced the time needed to process and analyze relevant information from published scientific literature. Additionally, the two companies demonstrated a proof of concept for Seegene’s syndromic-based statistical analysis system that leverages Fabric, Microsoft’s AI-driven data integration platform, ultimately to discover statistical correlations between multiple pathogens causing similar symptoms, support accurate diagnosis and treatment, and predict future outbreaks.

“Until now, scientists and experts have been confined to limited local data, usually generated by themselves. However, access to diagnostic information shared across the world powered with Microsoft’s AI technology will enable swift response to any emerging diseases,” said Dr. Chun at Seegene.

“Seegene and Microsoft shared the vision of a new generation of diagnostic solutions, accessible at population level to help people stay healthier longer. Cloud and AI solutions help protect, manage and reason over the vast amounts of data needed to track diagnosis of global diseases in real time. Microsoft is the trusted partner to help realize Seegene’s vision of building ‘a world free from diseases,'” said Ms. Bonfiglioli from Microsoft.

In January 2024, Seegene and Microsoft entered a strategic collaboration to integrate Microsoft’s Azure Open AI services into numerous modules of Seegene’s SGDDS. The goal of these collaborative projects is to empower global companies participating in the technology-sharing initiative with a streamlined product development system augmented by advanced IT system operations and AI-powered data analysis.

Springer Nature was also present at the discussion. Since 2023, Seegene and Springer Nature have been running the Open Innovation Program (OIP) that invited scientists and experts around the world to participate in the development of clinically significant diagnostics assays. This year, the program was renewed by Springer Nature as the prestigious Nature Awards, MDx Impact Grants, calling for innovative proposals for PCR diagnostic assay development. Springer Nature will oversee key aspects of the process, including project submissions and evaluations, expecting to broaden interest and participation from the global scientific community.

In May 2024, the two companies signed a strategic alliance agreement that included expansion of the OIP program scope. Springer Nature will encourage the global scientific community to participate in the ideation, design, and development of new PCR diagnostic products.

“We have high expectations that the MDx Impact Grants will work synergistically with the technology-sharing initiative serving as a catalyst for greater adoption of PCR molecular diagnostics. Together we will build an ecosystem that promotes the development of accurate, rapid, accessible tests for underserved patient populations.” said Mr. Spenlé, the COO of Springer Nature.

An OIP Award ceremony was held, following the technology-sharing initiative partner roundtable to recognize the European winners. At the ceremony, eight scientists working in Europe among 17 awardees across the world were honored for their achievements. The awardees were as follows: Ulrich Eigner (Germany); Gian Maria Rossolini (Italy); Vismara Chiara Silvia (Italy); Davy Vanden Broeck (Belgium); Nicolas Yin (Belgium); Piet Cools (Belgium); Khoa Thai (Netherlands); Pedro Vieira-Baptista (Portugal).

Prof. Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), attended the event as a keynote speaker. During her visit to South Korea in March this year, Prof. Harries met with Dr. Chun at Seegene’s headquarters to discuss Seegene’s response and achievements during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to exchange views on its technology-sharing initiatives and the Open Innovation Program (OIP).

Companies participating in the technology-sharing initiative, such as Hy Laboratories Ltd. based in Israel and Werfen based in Spain, along with other business partners and bio-medical experts from Europe, attended the event to share the vision of the technology-sharing initiative.

About Seegene

Seegene has 24 years of dedicated experience in R&D, manufacturing, and business related to syndromic real-time PCR technologies. This expertise was particularly highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic when Seegene provided over 340 million COVID-19 tests to more than 100 countries worldwide. The core feature of Seegene’s syndromic real-time PCR technology is the ability to simultaneously test for 14 pathogens that cause similar symptoms in a single tube with quantitative information.

Visit: Seegene.com and follow linkedin.com/company/seegene-inc

 

 

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Dr. Dabber Sets a New Benchmark for Electric Dab Rigs With Switch2

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Dr. Dabber unveils Switch2: The first induction vaporizer to feature a mobile app and dynamic heating modes

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Dr. Dabber is pleased to announce Switch2, the long-awaited upgrade to their award-winning Switch induction vaporizer line with 300% more dabbing surface – Just what the Doctor ordered. Switch2 features precise temperature control thanks to a built-in IR sensor and is the first e-Rig ever to use revolutionary Dynamic Heating which can emulate the descending or ascending temperature changes of quartz in a traditional dab rig.

The holy grail of e-rigs has always been meeting the functionality of a traditional torch and bucket or slurper. With Switch2, Dr. Dabber not only meets analog dabbing requirements with induction heating, but also sets a new standard for electronic vaporizers with the abandonment of atomizers and the introduction of inserts made from the purest quartz available or even single crystal sapphire, which experts love for increasing flavor and temperature retention across the board.

To give users even more control of their perfect dab, Dr. Dabber’s Switch2 now allows users to monitor and control their e-rig with a mobile application. This new tech stack will allow Switch2 users to customize every single aspect of their experience to achieve the most accurate dabs. The app can also track consumption at a granular level, and allow users to share their settings with friends. The result is the most accurate and capable electronic vaporizer – ready to be tuned to match any consumer’s preferences.

Switch2 continues Dr. Dabber’s leadership in the induction vaporizer market; its in-house design is intentional and meant to catch the eye and highlight the ongoing normalization of cannabis consumption devices. The combination of omni-directional induction heating and a 360 degree directional carb cap work together to redefine what people think is possible in the world of electronic dabs. The weather forecast says it will be cloudy. With precise temperature controls and modes, a new form factor, and the move from atomizers to inserts with 300% more space, Switch2 by Dr. Dabber is the e-rig that traditional dabbers have been waiting for.

About Dr. Dabber
Dr. Dabber creates cannabis vaporizers for every use case that are convenient and reliable, yet potent and effective. With an emphasis on customer service, the team at Dr. Dabber constantly builds off of customer feedback, which is the driving force in future product development. For more information, visit www.drdabber.com

Media Contact
Marissa@drdabber.com

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Egen Announces Acquisition of Qarik, Strengthens Position as Leading Cloud, Platform and AI Services Provider in the Google Cloud Ecosystem

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End to End Services Enable Organizations to Accelerate their Digital Transformation Journeys 

NAPERVILLE, Ill. and CHICAGO, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Egen, a technology services company with leading capabilities across Google Cloud infrastructure, product and data engineering, and artificial intelligence (AI), announced today it is acquiring Qarik, a multinational Google Cloud Premier Partner with a strong team of veteran Google Cloud leaders, architects and engineers helping clients transform their businesses with the capabilities of Google. The acquisition of Qarik further strengthens Egen’s position as a leading pure-play services partner focused on advanced data and AI applications in the Google Cloud ecosystem.

End to End Services Enable Organizations to Accelerate their Digital Transformation Journeys

Egen has experienced rapid growth over the past several years and now leads critical projects across large and emerging organizations – including Fortune 500 brands – with deep experience in the communications, consumer goods, healthcare, life sciences, high tech, retail, and public sector verticals. Egen was recognized this year as a “Major Contender” in the first Everest Group “Google Cloud Services Specialists PEAK Matrix’ Assessment 2024” report. 

The combination of Egen’s scaled global delivery capabilities and Qarik’s advanced Google Cloud expertise will double down on Egen’s positioning as the premier independent services partner for private and public sector clients. The combined company will have more than 800 certified and skilled architects and engineers with the cloud, data, AI and platform expertise to work with organizations to build innovative and optimized solutions that address their toughest challenges, driving growth, operational and human performance.

The company will operate under the Egen brand, with Saleem Janmohamed, serving as the Chairman and CEO of the newly combined company.

“Every organization is trying to figure out how to capitalize on the advances in data and AI technologies, including the not yet unleashed power of generative AI, as a multiplier of human and operational performance. By combining the strengths and depth of talent from Egen and Qarik, we are best equipped to help our clients design and engineer cloud, data, AI and platform powered solutions that will dramatically increase growth, improve operational performance, and empower people,” said Janmohamed.

Joe Schenk, CEO and Founder of Qarik, will take on the role of Chief Client Officer. Founded in 2019, Qarik provides cloud transformation, data migration, and AI services to companies in the communications, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, high tech, and retail industries based in the US and internationally. 

“Joining forces with Egen is an exciting milestone. Qarik has been working with a forward-thinking client base, who have challenged us to power their growth and efficiency, breaking new ground in how to deliver technology-driven transformation. The combination of Egen and Qarik creates a rapidly growing firm with a differentiated suite of assets and people deeply skilled in data and AI. We are excited for the future with Egen and look forward to delivering even more new and innovative solutions for our clients to go further, faster,” said Schenk.

Egen is a portfolio company of Recognize, a technology investment firm. In October 2021, Recognize announced its initial strategic investment in Egen (formerly SpringML).

“Businesses large and small are on a long term journey to integrate data and cloud technology into all areas of their business and deliver value to their customers,” said Frank D’Souza, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Recognize. “As businesses form their data and cloud transformation strategies, Egen has been at the forefront of helping drive impact for their clients and the combination of Egen and Qarik will further help organizations move to new levels of performance and capabilities.”

About Egen

Egen works with organizations across industries, engineering new possibilities with cloud, platforms, data, and generative AI to empower people and deliver impact for the better. Our more than 700 technology specialists in Canada, India, and the United States have extensive knowledge and experience working across all the leading cloud and data platforms, with a strategic focus on Google Cloud and Salesforce. Learn more at egen.ai

About Qarik

Qarik works with organizations across industries to support their data, platform, and AI modernization to achieve better business outcomes—faster time to market, engineering productivity, and increased capabilities. As a multinational Google Cloud Premier Partner, Qarik works across multiple products and engagement models, on a mission to advance enterprises further and faster along their transformation journeys. Our team of former Googlers, Wall Street veterans, and delivery experts embed directly into client teams to help accelerate cloud native practices and achieve success. Learn more at qarik.com.

About Recognize

Recognize is an investment platform exclusively focused on the digital services industry. The firm provides operational expertise, industry insights and strategic capital to innovative companies in this sector. To learn more, visit www.recognize.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Egen

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Volpara Health Surpasses 300 Peer-Reviewed Papers

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Milestone reinforces readership in AI-powered breast cancer detection

WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Oct. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Volpara Health, a Lunit company and global leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered breast health solutions, has reached a significant milestone: the publication of the 300th peer-reviewed scientific paper using Volpara results. This accomplishment underscores Volpara’s commitment to advancing breast cancer detection and personalized care through evidence-based AI technologies.

The need for robust, peer-reviewed validation in mammography AI is essential to its clinical adoption. A review of 100 CE-marked AI products in radiology revealed that 64% lacked peer-reviewed evidence of efficacy. Volpara, in contrast, leads the mammography AI industry with the most peer-reviewed scientific papers, demonstrating its innovative technologies are rigorously tested, and clinically validated.

“Reaching 300 studies reflects the deep trust our technology has earned within both the academic and clinical communities,” said Teri Thomas, CEO of Volpara Health and CBO of Lunit. “Our commitment to peer validation provides important evidence of our AI solutions’ ability to deliver measurable improvements in detection and patient outcomes.”

Two recent studies showcase the benefits of Volpara’s AI technology.

Breast density-based mammogram ordering enhances interpretation

Enhancing Radiologist Reading Performance by Ordering Screening Mammograms Based on Characteristics That Promote Visual Adaptation, shows how ordering mammograms based on breast density can improve radiologists’ performance. By arranging mammograms from low to high volumetric breast density (VBD), radiologists reduced reading time and increased specificity from 86% to 89%, leading to greater accuracy in detecting cancer. Commenting in an editorial on the study, Dr. Lars Grimm explained, “Deliberate ordering of screening mammograms could be introduced into workflows very easily because it dovetails with existing batch-reading strategies.”

Study confirms Volpara’s AI identifies Women at higher risk for missed cancers

Breast Density Effect on the Sensitivity of Digital Screening Mammography in a UK Cohort, used Volpara’s AI-powered algorithms to determine how breast density affects cancer detection in the UK. The study confirmed that Volpara’s technology effectively identifies women at higher risk for missed cancers on mammography, reinforcing the importance of personalized screening strategies.

Melissa Hill, PhD, Senior Imaging Scientist and Global Research Lead at Volpara Health, emphasized the significance of scientific rigor: “Our research collaborations and commitment to innovation have brought us to this important milestone. Each published paper puts our technology to the test, and robust results strengthen the trust clinicians place in Volpara to help improve patient care.”

The company’s journey from its first to its 300th peer-reviewed paper reflects over 15 years of innovation and investment in research. Volpara remains committed to pushing the boundaries of AI to improve breast health.

For more information about Volpara Health and new research to be presented at RSNA 2024, visit volparahealth.com/rsna2024.

About Volpara Health

Volpara Health is on a mission to save families from cancer with AI-powered software that helps healthcare providers better understand cancer risk, guide personalized care decisions, and recommend additional imaging and interventions. Used in over 3,500 facilities by more than 5,600 technologists worldwide. Volpara’s software impacts nearly 18M patients, supports over 3.6M annual cancer risk assessments, and integrates seamlessly with electronic health records and imaging systems. Volpara helps radiologists quantify dense breast tissue with precision and technologists produce mammograms with optimal positioning, compression, and dose. Volpara software also streamlines operations to ease compliance and accreditation. Volpara, a Lunit company, is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, and has an office in Seattle. Volpara is the trusted partner of leading healthcare institutions globally. For more information, visit www.volparahealth.com.

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