Day: October 6, 2021

Fully integrated solution: Turn a 25-day manual temperature-monitoring data evaluation into instant decision making

SAN FRANCISCO and SWITZERLAND, Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — endpoint Clinical, the leader in global interactive response technology (IRT®) for clinical trials, and Berlinger & Co. AG, specializing in the production of innovative and customized solutions for monitoring temperature-sensitive goods in the pharmaceutical and medical industry, have announced their partnership to provide complete end to end visibility of the entire temperature history of an Investigational Medicinal Product (IMP).

“Over the last several years, the cold chain logistics market for clinical trials has shown a growth of about 10%. This is largely related to the increasing number of biologicals and monoclonal antibodies that are under study. Therefore, cold chain failure in clinical trials has an increasing impact,” says Dr. Harald van Weeren, Segment Manager Clinical Trials at Berlinger.

Our organizations understand the risks of managing temperature-controlled IMP, and therefore, we focused on designing a solution to help reduce risk and eliminate the core issues. Such problems include limited transparency and missing information, the lack of immediate centralized visibility, time-consuming excursion management and slow decision making, time-consuming data consolidation for audits, wastage of drugs, and patient rescheduling or lost.

Through this partnership, endpoint and Berlinger can provide Sponsors with a fully integrated solution, taking a 25-day manual temperature-monitoring data evaluation and turning it into instant decision making. This drastically reduces costs up to 7-digit figures and improves patient safety, allowing for fast decision-making through complete visibility of the temperature history.

Sponsors and sites will reap immediate benefits through this sophisticated technology integration in a variety of areas:

• Education: Less instruction needed for the site users
• Handling: A reduction in admin time, manual handling, and associated risks
• Excursion Management: Reduce the risk for dispensing drugs affected by a temperature deviation
• Patient: Reduce failed patient visits and increase patient safety
• Audit: All of the temperature data available in one system for easy preparation
• Drugs: Reduce waste of trial products

“Patient safety has always been a high priority for endpoint.  As cold chain logistics become increasingly important due to the ever-growing number of studies that work with biologics, we understand how vital it is to maintain the chain of custody. This ensures that IMP does not go outside of agreed temperature ranges for that product. We are happy to be partnering with Berlinger on an integration providing a seamless solution for both the sponsor and site,” says Jeff Rubesin, Senior Director, Product Strategy at endpoint Clinical.

About endpoint
endpoint is an interactive response technology (IRT®) systems and solutions provider that supports the life sciences industry.  For the past decade, their customer-obsessed team of professionals has been continuously evolving their suite of technologies to help Sponsors achieve clinical trial success.  Their dynamic IRT solution, PULSE®, for patient randomization and management, site management, and drug supply management and leading-edge clinical supplies management tool, DRIVE, has proven to maximize the supply chain and minimize operational costs, and ensure timely and accurate patient dosing. endpoint is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with offices across the US, EU, and Asia. www.endpointclinical.com

About Berlinger
Berlinger is a traditional and independent Swiss and family-owned company that is specialized in the production of innovative and customized solutions for monitoring temperature-sensitive goods in the pharmaceutical and medical industry as well as for doping control equipment to ensure safe transportation and storage of urine and blood samples in the sports industry.

Established in 1865 as a weaving manufacturer, Berlinger has developed its business over the years and has become a world-leading manufacturer of Doping Control Equipment and is among the top three leaders in the market of temperature monitoring solutions.

Visit https://www.berlinger.com/usa/ to learn more.

Contacts:
Monica Holt
Marketing Communications Manager
endpoint Clinical
e: mholt@endpointclinical.com

Barbara Hoefelmayr
Marketing Manager
Berlinger
+41 71 982 86 02
e: barbara.hoefelmayr@berlinger.com

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Japanese media launched food aid crowdfunding on LaunchGood for Muslims in Japan suffering in the pandemic.

OSAKA, Japan, Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Salam Groovy Japan, a media outlet of information on Japan’s engagement in the Islamic market, launched a crowdfunding campaign via LaunchGood to support financially struggling Muslims in Japan, especially international students—Help Support Struggling Students & Other Muslims in Japan. The Japanese media aims to raise $10 thousand to donate food and daily necessities in cooperation with universities and organizations in Japan.

In Japan, students dropping out of universities unable to afford tuition fees or people unable to afford daily necessities, such as food and feminine hygiene products are increasing as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses. Muslims, especially international students residing in Japan, who live on part-time jobs to make ends meet have had those options reduced to none.

The media talked with a few Muslim international students at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS) regarding their current living situation. “When we finally found a part-time job, our workdays got cut by nearly half. There are times we had to survive on the money sent by our family back home or social security.”, said the students.

Most Muslim international students come from Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Indonesia, with recurring new waves of infections and in an unstable economy. These further resulted in difficulty to receive their family’s financial aids.

To support Muslims in need in Japan, Salam Groovy Japan initiated a crowdfunding project on LaunchGood, a platform focused on the global Muslim community. The raised funds will provide halal food by Japanese companies and daily necessities, including feminine hygiene products, which will distribute in cooperation with several universities and organizations in Japan.

About Salam Groovy Japan

Salam Groovy Japan is a media platform run by J-Line Corporation, a Japanese company founded in 1993. The media strives to bridge Japanese business with the global Islamic market from a business perspective. It provides information about Japanese firms engaged in business development for the Islamic market, such as halal products and Muslim-friendly information in Japan.

For more information, please refer to the official website.

The media contents can also be found on Instagram @salamgroovyjapan, Facebook @SalamGroovyJapan and Twitter @Salam_GJ.

Media Contact: team@groovyjapan.com

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PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — WatchBox, the world’s leading platform for collectable luxury watches, today announced it is on track to reach USD 300 million in net revenue for 2021, and, since its inception in 2017, will cross USD one billion in lifetime revenue before the end of the year. The company also unveiled plans to open eight new locations around the world, with five set to open in the next six months, including its first US satellites.

According to McKinsey & Company, the primary and secondary watch markets are expected to grow from USD 66 billion to USD 97 billion by 2025. “This is an incredibly exciting time for WatchBox,” said Justin Reis, Global CEO of WatchBox. “We have seen profitable growth year-over-year and expect to achieve 40% revenue growth in 2021 and are on track to record USD 300 million in revenue with double-digit EBITDA margins,” Reis continued. “As a managed inventory marketplace, we continue to acquire incredible collectors every day, building relationships that last a lifetime. Further, our media-first platform creates programming that engages and educates our collector communities around a shared passion for horology.”

By the end of 2022, WatchBox plans to open in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, and Dallas plus three additional international locations in Zurich, Riyadh, and Tokyo. The new WatchBox destinations join the existing company footprint which includes Dubai, Hong Kong, Neuchâtel, Singapore, and its US Headquarters in Philadelphia.

The launch of WatchBox’s new locations will offer its community unparalleled personal connection. In contrast to traditional brick and mortar retail, WatchBox’s experiential concept draws from one of the world’s largest centralized inventories of more than USD 150 million of watches. These innovative spaces will be dynamic gathering places where enthusiasts can connect and share their love of luxury timepieces, view unique inventory, and build relationships that will enhance their watch collecting experience.

“At WatchBox, we are powered by our global community of watch enthusiasts, the core pillar of our business. Each time we open a new location, we successfully activate new communities in new markets. By being closer to our customers, we are able to deliver incredible access to product, our client advisors and our collector community, creating an arena for watch enthusiasts to gather, learn and discover,” added Reis.

Miami, New York City and Los Angeles will be the first locations to open in the first quarter of 2022. Renowned design firm Studio Mellone, credited with luxury concepts and showrooms around the world, has been engaged to design the first U.S. locations.

About WatchBox:
WatchBox is the world’s leading platform for collectable luxury timepieces. Offering the largest collection of pristine condition luxury watches, authenticated, and backed by a global warranty, WatchBox is the watch collector’s ultimate destination. Members of the WatchBox collector community receive white glove concierge service online or at any of our global locations in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland and Dubai, with additional locations on the way. As a technology-first platform and pioneer in media-driven commerce, WatchBox produces and distributes original video content daily, with a growing library that includes market insights, collector interviews and thousands of watch reviews.  Learn more at www.thewatchbox.com.

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PARIS, Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Upon the release of its much-anticipated Coravin Sparkling™ System, the global wine technology innovator has announced a strategic partnership with the luxury wine & spirits leader, Moët Hennessy, as the “Official Preservation Partner of Moët Hennessy Champagnes”, that will revolutionize by-the-glass consumption of Champagne and sparkling wines. Together, both partners will ensure its global distribution, focusing on restaurants, wine bars, and other establishments with on-premise consumption of fine drinks.

Coravin, Inc. is best known for its wine preservation system that extends the life of a bottle after a single glass service through the injection of inert gas. Until recently, it was only available for still wines but, after extensive testing in collaboration with the global Maisons of the Moët Hennessy Group – which include Dom Pérignon, Krug, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart and Moët & Chandon – Coravin Sparkling™ was created. It ensures the integrity of the finest bottles of Champagne and sparkling wine weeks after the first glass has been served.

“Coravin’s aim is to make fine wines and Champagne more accessible by facilitating by-the-glass options. As a relatively young company, to have the recognized world leader in Champagne and luxury sparkling wines not only support but adopt our technology is extraordinary,” said Christopher Ladd, Coravin CEO.

After eight years in development, the Coravin Sparkling™ System is the first universal fit solution to preserve the effervescence and flavors of sparkling wine after single-glass service. Its Sparkling Stopper locks securely on any half-bottle, 750ml bottle or Magnum, while the Sparkling Charger injects carbon dioxide into the bottle after the wine is served, to prevent the bubbles from dissipating.

Didier Mariotti, Cellar Master of Veuve Clicquot said, “The Coravin Sparkling System is able to wonderfully preserve the flavors and mouthfeel of our Champagne for two weeks. It is the first product of its kind to perform at this level.”

The Coravin Sparkling System will also have an economic benefit for restaurants and bars by virtually eliminating the risk of waste, while making prestige Champagne more accessible to consumers.

“Our mission is and always has been to craft great experiences for our consumers. The new Coravin system will enable more Champagne lovers to discover and enjoy exceptional bottles. Indeed, it will allow our gastronomy partners and the finest bars and clubs to offer our different Champagne brands and expressions by the glass while, over several days or weeks, keeping them fresh and sparkling.” – Philippe Schaus, President & CEO of Moët Hennessy.

“Creating this system has always been a dream. Now that we’ve brought it to fruition, I’m incredibly proud to partner with Moët Hennessy to expand the ways the world can experience and enjoy sparkling wines,” said Coravin Founder, Greg Lambrecht.

The Coravin Sparkling™ System is available internationally for at-home and professional use via Coravin’s global websites. For more information on Coravin, please visit www.coravin.com.

About Moët Hennessy

Moët Hennessy, the Wines and Spirits Division of LVMH, regroups twenty-five Maisons, many of which have been around for centuries, while others are just starting their journey. Its vision is to lead the future of luxury Wines and Spirits from nature to communities.

Located in the most prestigious terroirs around the world, Moët Hennessy has unique savoir-faire from winemaking to art de vivre, hospitality, and brick-and-clicks retail management to craft exceptional experiences for consumers.

For many years, with the ambition to pass on a better world to future generations, Moët Hennessy has been committed to the Living Soils Living Together program structured around four key commitments: Regenerating our Soils, Mitigating our Climate Impact, Engaging society, and Empowering our People. Moët Hennessy is proud to promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive working environment for all.

Ao Yun, Ardbeg, Armand de Brignac, Belvedere, Cape Mentelle, Chandon, Château d’Esclans, Château Galoupet, Cheval des Andes, Clos19, Cloudy Bay, Dom Pérignon, Eminente, Glenmorangie, Hennessy, Krug, Mercier, Moët & Chandon, Newton Vineyard, Ruinart, Terrazas de los Andes, Veuve Clicquot, Volcan de mi Tierra, Woodinville

About Coravin Inc.

Coravin, Inc. is the first and only global wine technology on a mission to change the way the world experiences wine. Through our innovations, we empower wine enthusiasts, connoisseurs, and trade professionals alike to re-imagine the way they taste, serve, drink, sell and market wine. Its award-winning Coravin Wine Preservation Systems enable wine lovers to pour any wine, in any amount, and preserve the life of their bottles for weeks, months or even years.

With a presence in more than 60 countries, consumers can find Coravin products on the shelves of leading retailers (such as Bloomingdale’s, Williams Sonoma, Bed Bath & Beyond, Galleries Lafayette, Harrod’s, El Corte Ingles), in the finest wine shops, and powering some of the world’s best by-the-glass wine programs in restaurants and social clubs around the world. Learn more at www.coravin.com.

Drink responsibly

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MANILA, Philippines, Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Philippines Department of Tourism partners with the Department of Trade and Industry to support the local handicrafts businesses all over the country. Through this partnership, many local producers have been able to reach a wider customer base. Projects include seminars, trade fairs and expositions, along with souvenir stops at popular destinations. Together with creating travel circuits that are based on attractions in each region, the DOT also highlights artisanal products that can showcase the local talent and culture.

The Philippine Islands is home to many proud craftsmen and artisans. These are Filipinos who create world-class products using skills and tools that have been handed down through generations. In harmony with nature and with ingenuity, they use indigenous materials that abound in their communities. These treasures await travelers to the Philippines, as beautiful souvenirs that can be brought home along with memories of a relaxing getaway in this tropical paradise.

“By showcasing local products, we are able to support livelihoods in the communities as well as help in preserving their heritage for future generations,” says Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat.

There are many native materials that are transformed into beautiful works of art by Filipino craftsmen. Here are some souvenirs that travelers can bring home from the Philippines.

Baguio’s woodcrafts

Woodworking in the uplands of the Cordillera Region ranges from utilitarian items used at home or in the fields, to ceremonial items used in community celebrations, and spiritual figures called Bulul that serve as house guardians that are passed on from generation to generation. Baguio’s public market and roadside stalls offer many choices of hand-carved wood items to fit your fancy and your luggage space – such as the infamous ‘barrel man’, or larger statues of warriors and animals such as eagles that can serve as a conversation piece in your home.

The Inabel of Ilocos

The practice of weaving cotton thread into fabric on a wooden loom used to be one of the household duties of many Ilocano women. The hardy Inabel or Abel Iloco, is a soft, simple, pliable fabric with varied unique patterns and designs that can be woven to be big enough for use as blankets, table runners, and even dress material. Some Inabel items that are available at souvenir shops such as the ones in Vigan, Ilocos Sur or even online are tea towels, blankets, shawls, bags, and even made-to-order apparel from young designers who are keen to use this sustainably made and sourced fabric.

Vigan’s Pagburnayan Clay Jars

Burnay is the Ilocano word for the brown clay pot used by Filipinos even before the Spanish arrived in the country. These earthen pottery pieces were used by early Filipinos as water containers because they help keep the water cool even on a hot day. They were also important household items as containers for salt and rice, or for vinegar, fermented fish paste, and they were vessels for items that were sold to the Chinese in the days of the sea trade. In Vigan, one can visit a pottery shop and learn how Burnay is made using carabao power to mix the mud, and have your own photo opportunity on the potter’s wheel. You can also purchase these thick and hardy jars to use as decorative pieces or planters at home.

Cebu’s Guitars and Capiz Shells

Guitars that are handmade in Cebu are famous throughout the Philippines because they are durable, affordable, and of high-quality compared to the mass produced ones in the market. The art of making guitars, which was introduced in the Spanish era, have been passed on through generations of local masters who make these musical instruments by painstakingly shaping the wood into the familiar hourglass shape. These are available at souvenir shops or at family-owned guitar stores, particularly in Lapu-Lapu City, have become local attractions for music lovers of all ages.

The Visayas is also where dainty Capiz shell art is a traditional handicraft industry. The translucent Capiz, which can still be found adorning windows of heritage homes or painted in the stained-glass windows of churches, comes from the shell of a mollusk called the Windowpane Oyster. After the meat has been eaten, the shells are gathered to be used in handicrafts. Local artists use the shells to create magnificent décor such as complicated chandeliers, pretty wind chimes, beautiful floor lamps, or smaller stationery items that can be given away to friends and family back home.

Barako Coffee from Batangas

Barako is a Tagalog word that means ‘strong’ and that is a good descriptor for the brew that comes from the coffee beans grown particularly in Batangas and some parts of Cavite. The farmers take pride in their coffee plants, which have been cultivated in their region since the 1800s. Coffee experts describe the taste as woody and smoky with a hint of sweetness from its floral, fruity aroma. Its bold, intense flavor from Liberica beans has been translated into local coffeehouse favorites and even into cakes and pastries. A cup of coffee made from your souvenir bag of ground beans is a great way to perk up on a cold day.

Davao’s Malagos Chocolates

While growing cacao is an agricultural practice in many parts of the Philippines, Davao is hailed as the country’s Chocolate Capital and the entire Davao Region as the Cacao Capital of the Philippines. One of the frontrunners of the industry in the region is the award-winning Malagos Chocolates brand which uses high-quality beans from a sustainable source for a tree-to-bar chocolate journey. Its latest award was for its 100% Premium Unsweetened Chocolate that won four Golds and one Bronze at the 2020 World Drinking Chocolate Competition organized by the International Chocolate Awards. The products offer a rich, velvety, melt-in the-mouth chocolate experience that makes it a perfect gift for the chocoholics in your circle.

Manila’s South Sea Pearls Shops

There are many high-end jewelry stores located at the malls selling a sundry of pearls and other gems. But for those who want to have the element of a bargain when they shop for their jewelry and accessories can visit the bazaars of Manila, where one can find an assortment of South Sea Pearls from Palawan and some parts of Mindanao sold at stalls beside cellphone accessories and rubber shoes. There, one can browse through their collections of luminous necklaces and dainty earrings while asking for the “final price” that the vendor can offer.

Davao Oriental’s Virgin Coconut Oil

Touted to have many health benefits, virgin coconut oil is produced from fresh or mature coconuts, without undergoing chemical refining, bleaching or deodorizing. VCO products that are available in the Philippines come in oil and capsule form or even as cosmetics. While coconuts grow abundantly all over the country, Davao Oriental is poised to become a big exporter of coconut products overseas, with 18 Virgin Coconut Oil processing centers set to rise within the year. Modern production at the processing plants such as the one of Oriental Golden Coco Inc., ensure high quality through multiple micro filtration processes for additional purity to result in products with that wonderful fresh coconut aroma and flavor in what is called the “purest and healthiest” form of coconut oil.

Cordillera’s Heirloom Rice

Heirloom rice varieties have been grown in the Cordillera Mountains for centuries, and studies have found that there could be about 500 traditional varieties of rice that are indigenous in the region and are mostly being planted for personal or family consumption through generations. So far, there have been 88 varieties that have been identified and studies have shown these to have higher nutritional content. Try this heirloom rice with your next meal and have it the Filipino way by eating with your hands for a more authentic experience.

The Philippines’ Alcoholic Drinks

Imbibe the spirit of the Philippines through its choice alcoholic concoctions. A short story by the late Don Alejandro Roces who is a National Artist of the Philippines for Literature, cheekily says, “We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers”. This is offset by the local distilled drinks such as Don Papa Rum, a premium aged single-island rum from the sugar cane fields at the foot of Mt. Kanglaon in the Visayas. Coconut Wine called Lambanog is another potent brew obtained from the distillation of naturally fermented coconut sap. Modern version of this celebratory drink now have added flavors. Travelers can bring this home to European countries if they are for personal consumption while restrictions in Muslim countries may apply.

Liliw, Laguna’s Native Slippers

The town of Liliw in Laguna is known for its slipper industry, with local artisans crafting the footwear from abaca which grows abundantly in the area. These comfortable and colorful house slippers are perfect for keeping your feet warm while relaxing at home and they make great handcrafted gifts – just make sure that the recipient gives you a coin in return as Philippine superstition says that if you don’t get one, you might get into a quarrel.

Filipino Designer’s Modern Filipiniana

Young Filipino designers are rediscovering local woven fabrics and reimagining them for use as modern apparel in order to support traditional industries and local communities. While the National Dress of Barong Tagalog (long sleeved embroidered formal shirts) for men and Baro’t Saya (that literally translates to blouse and skirt, made from fine pina cloth) for women are still worn at important occasions, designers such as the ones at Filip + Inna are coming up with stunning garments that make use of handmade woven material, beading, and embroidery that can be worn at the office or even at the beach. Bring home something old, something new with the gorgeous designs that will make you stand out in a crowd.

More Treasures to Unbox

The Philippines is a haven for those who want to enjoy local culture through tangible items. Rattan is one of the indigenous materials that are used for traditional packaging, the leaves are dexterously woven into shopping bags called bayong and boxes that are used to store items in the home. Banig, or woven mats are another Filipino woven product, used for sleeping or as bags and home accents, while abaca bags are fashionable and summery all year long. Wooden utensils are utilitarian and decorative items, which can be found both on the dining table or if in their supersized form, hanging from the walls of the dining room. For those who want to try their hand at a little Filipino cooking, local brand Mama Sita offers condiments and sauces to help capture that local palette.

Souvenir-Hunt Safely

The Tourism Department has been awarded a SafeTravels Stamp by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) in recognition of its adoption of “health and hygiene global standardized protocols” that will ensure safe travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, conducts thorough inspection and assessment, to ensure that only those who are accredited are allowed to open and receive guests.

The Philippine government through its Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is constantly updating its protocols to safeguard Filipinos and foreign nationals who are traveling to the Philippines. To learn more about the Philippines’ new and exciting adventures, as well as safety and travel updates, visit www.morefunawaits.comand https://www.facebook.com/PhilippineTourismThailand (for Thailand) and www.morefunawaits.com (for Qatar) or download the Travel Philippines app at the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

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