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UN Ocean Conference sets sail in France on World Oceans Day

UN Ocean Conference sets sail in France on World Oceans Day

Yahoo3 days ago

NICE, France (AP) — A fleet of 30 research and exploration vessels from around the world will set sail just off the French coastal city of Nice on Sunday to kick off the third United Nations Ocean Conference and pay tribute to World Oceans Day.
The event themed 'Ocean Wonders' will see the vessels sail across Nice's Baie des Anges, or Bay of Angels, and is designed to spotlight the beauty and importance of the ocean while urging world leaders not to lose sight of its value as they make decisions about the planet's future.
Thousands of delegates, including heads of state, scientists, and environmental advocates, are expected in Nice this week to confront growing threats to the ocean and the need to transform pledges into protection.
The U.N. has called the threats a global emergency facing the world's oceans as they confront rising temperatures, plastic pollution choking marine life, and relentless overexploitation of fish and other resources.
Just 2.7% of the global ocean is effectively protected from destructive activities like industrial fishing and deep-sea mining — far below the global goal of 30% by 2030.
Participating boats include the Energy Observer, a solar-panel covered catamaran that was the first vessel to circumnavigate the globe using renewable energy alone. It produces hydrogen fuel on board via seawater electrolysis, offering a vision of zero-emissions maritime travel.
Other standout vessels include France's Alfred Merlin, dedicated to underwater archaeology; the OceanXplorer, a high-tech billionaire-owned research yacht; and the WWF's Blue Panda, which is working to map and protect the last remaining seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean Sea.
At the heart of the conference is the push to ratify the High Seas Treaty, adopted in 2023. If it enters into force, the treaty would for the first time allow countries to establish marine protected areas in international waters, which cover nearly two-thirds of the ocean and remain largely ungoverned.
'The High Seas Treaty is critical to ensuring we can protect biodiversity in the ocean,' said Rebecca Hubbard, director of the High Seas Alliance. 'We're in the middle of a biodiversity and climate crisis. We absolutely have to protect the ocean to address those crises.'
But even in waters already designated as protected, enforcement often falls short. Many countries, France included, face criticism from environmental groups over weak regulation and continued industrial activity within their marine protected areas.
'The ambition is not there, the speed is not there, and the scale has not been there,' said Sílvia Tavares, project manager at Oceano Azul Foundation. 'Moments like UNOC are key to changing that.'
Several countries are expected to announce new marine protected areas during the conference, along with bans on bottom trawling and other destructive activities within their existing MPA networks.
After Sunday's parade sail, the 'Ocean Wonders' fleet will remain docked in Nice and open to the public until the conference concludes on June 13.
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Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram @ahammergram.
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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP's environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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Elkedonia closes EUR 11 million seed round to advance neuroplastogens as novel therapeutics for depression and neuropsychiatric disorders
Elkedonia closes EUR 11 million seed round to advance neuroplastogens as novel therapeutics for depression and neuropsychiatric disorders

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Elkedonia closes EUR 11 million seed round to advance neuroplastogens as novel therapeutics for depression and neuropsychiatric disorders

Delphine Charvin Proceeds to advance potentially disruptive, fast-acting therapeutics for treatment-resistant depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders First-in-class, non-addictive, non-hallucinogenic molecules with a non-synaptic target, differentiated from existing drugs such as ketamine Elkedonia, a new startup company launched by Argobio, attracts venture capital funding from a European syndicate of leading Life Sciences investors Elkedonia integrates research from Sorbonne University and industry experts from Argobio Delphine Charvin, transitioning from her role as Argobio Operating Partner, appointed as Elkedonia CEO Strasbourg, France and Charleroi, Belgium, June 11th 2025 – Elkedonia SAS, a company pioneering a novel neuroplastogen approach to develop therapeutic agents to treat depression and other neuropsychiatric condition, announced today that it has closed an oversubscribed EUR 11.25 million Seed funding round. The round was co-led by Kurma Partners, WE Life Sciences and the French Tech Seed fund managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance as part of France 2030, with participation from Argobio, Angelini Ventures, CARMA Fund, Capital Grand Est and Sambrinvest. Elkedonia is bringing together stakeholders from across the European ecosystem, with headquarters in Strasbourg, France and an affiliate in Charleroi, Belgium. Elkedonia was founded by Argobio, an international startup studio whose mission is to launch and support translational research projects with disruptive therapeutic potential. The company leverages the translational research led by Dr Jocelyne Caboche, PhD, Director of Research at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) at Sorbonne University. This research focuses on a novel intracellular target, Elk1, which plays a pivotal role in reward brain circuits and neuroplasticity – key mechanisms that are altered in conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addiction, making the conditions chronic instead of transient. Trauma, chronic stress, substance abuse and other factors can contribute to major depressive disorders and anhedonia (the inability to experience pleasure), driven by an impaired neuroplasticity. This disruption in the brain's ability to adapt leads to a breakdown in its normal functioning. Elkedonia is developing a neuroplastogen, to restore neuroplasticity without the side effects of psychedelics or ketamine derivatives. Supporting evidence from preclinical and clinical studies suggest that Elk1 inhibition is a therapeutic lever in depression, with rapid efficacy, and devoid of sedation, dependence, hallucinations or other side effects commonly associated with existing anti-depressant treatments. 'I am thrilled to welcome our founding seed investors and thank my colleagues at Argobio for their support in creating Elkedonia. The novelty of our neuroplastogen approach offers a strong value proposition supported by groundbreaking neuroscience research. We are positioned to make a significant impact on the treatment of major depressive disorders, bringing relief to all patients, including young people, adolescents and the elderly,' said Delphine Charvin, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Elkedonia, previously Operating Partner at Argobio. 'In addition, our development of biomarkers will allow us to pursue a precision medicine for patient selection and treatment efficacy monitoring.' 'Major depressive disorder is a large market of 300 million people globally that remains poorly addressed, with roughly one third of patients resistant to currently available treatments,' said Thierry Laugel, Chairman of the Management Board of Argobio and Managing Partner at Kurma Partners. 'Elkedonia serves as a first proof of concept for Argobio where we are extremely proud to have identified this opportunity to benefit human health and to have provided industry competencies to accelerate and de-risk product development. Furthermore, this seed investment co-led by our team at Kurma Partners is both an exciting opportunity for Kurma Biofund IV and builds on our overarching strategy of supporting creation of globally competitive companies across Europe.' 'Investing in Elkedonia demonstrates WE Life Sciences' commitment to advancing the best cutting-edge innovations through collaboration with top-tier European life sciences investors,' said Valentin Tonnel, Investment Director at WE Life Sciences. 'We are proud to support the realization of this promising innovation from Argobio, while fostering its growth in Wallonia, Belgium, a region increasingly recognized for its excellence in health and biotechnology.' 'Bpifrance, as a founding investor of Argobio, is delighted to support the seed round of this promising new venture,' said Jean-François Morin, Investment Director Life Sciences at Bpifrance. 'We are thrilled to develop the foundational research that comes from CNRS at Sorbonne University. This investment underscores our commitment to advancing mental health solutions, which is currently a priority for France.' Proceeds from the Seed financing will go toward identification and optimization of drug-like small molecule inhibitors of Elk1. Part of the financing will be directed toward biomarker research and validation efforts, supporting a precision-based therapeutic strategy. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a fast growing and devastating health crisis, despite widely marketed anti-depressant therapeutics. Affecting around 25 million individuals in the United States, same numbers in Europe, and 300 million people worldwide, MDD is highly linked to a risk of suicide, that is the third leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds. One third of patients affected by MDD do not respond to existing treatments, leading to the growing issue of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). This highlights the urgent need for innovative, effective and well tolerated solutions to address the unmet needs of those still suffering from this debilitating condition. 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The Fund, based in Munich and Frankfurt am Main is uniquely suited for young companies and projects from the Life Science and medical space due to an extra-long term, flexible investment modes and its close relationships with leading technology transfer offices and industry partners. Capital Grand Est ( is an independent and AMF-approved regional private equity firm. Since 2012, the team of 14 professionals at Capital Grand Est has supported over 60 companies in the Grand Est and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté nearly €220 million in assets under management and 6 investment vehicles, Capital Grand Est structures capital operations for various types of businesses in the region to accelerate their success. Capital Grand Est supports all stages of business development: seed funding for innovative startups, expansion capital to accelerate growth, buyout operations to support shareholding evolutions, and rebound capital to assist companies in stabilizing their transition strategy. 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CROSSJECT advances on the development of ZEPIZURE® Junior, its solution for epilepsy crises in children
CROSSJECT advances on the development of ZEPIZURE® Junior, its solution for epilepsy crises in children

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time3 hours ago

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CROSSJECT advances on the development of ZEPIZURE® Junior, its solution for epilepsy crises in children

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