Latest news with #BAL
The Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- The Herald
20 players to watch at 2025 Basketball Africa League playoffs in Pretoria
Born: June 16 1999 Height: 6'11" (2.11m) Position: Power Forward/Centre Nationality: Egyptian Gardner is a big man who can shoot from deep, which is one of the attributes that makes him a menace to opponents. He had the highest efficiency rating (96) for Petro de Luanda in the Sahara Conference in Dakar, where the reigning BAL champions finished 3—3. He contributed 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Gardner, who is left-handed, is in his second BAL season, having played for Al Ahly SC last season. He played for Egypt at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and played two seasons in the NBA G League, averaging six points per game. Basketball Africa League
eNCA
2 days ago
- Sport
- eNCA
Eight teams featured in Basketball Africa League play-offs
JOHANNESBURG - The highly anticipated Basketball Africa League is being hosted in South Africa. The BAL playoffs and finals take place between 6 and 14 June at the Sunbet Arena in Pretoria. Headlining the halftime performance is SA's very own Casper Nyovest. For more on the tournament, we are joined by NBA Africa Chief Operating Officer, Nakampe Molewa.
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
20 players to watch at 2025 Basketball Africa League playoffs in Pretoria
Shortlisting players who can make a difference in the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs is anything but easy, given their potential effect on their teams in the finals in Pretoria. The BAL playoffs take place from Friday to June 14 at the SunBet Arena. Here are the top 20 players to watch at the 2025 BAL playoffs: Jaylen Adams (Al Ahli Tripoli) Born: May 4 1996 Height: 6'1" (1.86m) Position: Point Guard Team: Al Ahli Tripoli Nationality: American The former Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks NBA player made his BAL debut in style during the Nile Conference in Kigali earlier this month, averaging 18.5 points and five assists per game. Adams, the winner and MVP of the 2022 Australian League with the Sydney Kings, was one of the reasons the Libyan champions had a perfect 6-0 record in the regular season. Mohamed Sadi (Al Ahli Tripoli) Born: August 5 1995 Height: 6'4" (1.95m) Position: Guard Team: Al Ahli Tripoli Nationality: Libyan Sadi, who made his BAL debut in 2021 playing for the Senegalese team AS Douanes, is known for his warrior spirit on both ends of the floor. Al Ahli Tripoli head coach Fouad Abou Chacra named him the team's MVP, citing not only his team-high 135 efficiency rating and 14.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, but also his never-die attitude. 🔥🏀 History in the making! 1️⃣2️⃣ African teams. 6️⃣ newcomers. 1️⃣ ultimate champion. BAL Season 5 tips off April 5 in Morocco, who's bringing home the crown? 👀🔥 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) February 28, 2025 George King (Al Ittihad Alexandria) Born: January 15 1994 Height: 6'6" (2.01m) Position: Shooting Guard Nationality: American King, one of three former NBA players in the current BAL season along with George Adams and Chasson Randle, displayed differentiated shooting ability during the Kalahari Conference. He is disciplined defensively, but it's on the offensive end that he causes the most damage to opponents. He averaged 16 points in Al Ittihad's 6-0 regular season run. Patrick Hardy Jnr (US Monastir) Born: April 6 1998 Height: 6'2" (1.89m) Position: Point Guard Nationality: American We learnt that most of US Monastir's offensive plays involved Hardy Jnr in some way, contributing enormously to their 4-2 record in the Sahara Conference. He registered the highest efficiency rating of 107, leading the Tunisian champions with 17.3 points and five assists per game. Patrick Jnr is a decent three-point shooter who sinks three three-pointers per game. Peter Olisemeka (Rivers Hoopers) Born: December 9 1991 Height: 6'9" (2.1m) Position: Centre Nationality: Nigerian Olisemeka's strongest asset is rebounding, so it came as no surprise that he had 68 rebounds in six games, the highest in the BAL regular season. The Nigerian power forward set a season record with 17 rebounds in a game and became the only player to finish with eight offensive rebounds in the 94—77 loss to Al Ittihad Alexandria on April 12 in Rabat, Morocco. Chasson Randle (APR) Born: February 5 1993 Height: 6'1" (1.86m) Position: Point Guard Nationality: American The 2018 EuroLeague champion with Real Madrid made his debut with APR, averaging 16 points and 3.3 assists per game. Randle, who had short stints with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks, had the third-highest three-point shooting percentage in the regular season at 48.8%. Yanick Moreira (Petro de Luanda) Born: July 31 1991 Height: 6'10" (2.08m) Position: Centre Nationality: Angolan Before shooting 7-for-8 and scoring 16 points in Petro de Luanda's 103-74 win over Kriol Star, the former G-League champion with the Toronto 905 became the second player this season — after Al Ittihad's Youssef Aboushousha's 6-for-6 — to hit all five of his shots and finish with 11 points in Petro's 65-64 loss to ASC Ville de Dakar. Moreira, A 2009 Basketball Without Border Africa camper, is the only player to have won titles in the G-League, the BAL, and the FIBA Champions League. Nuni Omot (APR) Born: October 3 1994 Height: 6'8" (2.07m) Position: Small Forward Nationality: South Sudanese Omot made his mark in the BAL by leading the Egyptian giants Al Ahly SC to the 2023 title. In the process, he took home the season MVP award. A regular member of the South Sudanese national team, Omot competed in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, averaging 17 points per game. He also wore the Bright Stars uniform at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in the Philippines. The stage is set for the BAL Playoffs in Pretoria 🇿🇦🏟️ #BAL5 — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) June 6, 2025 Anas Mahmoud (Al Ittihad Alexandria) Born: September 5, 1995 Height: 7'0" (2.13m) Position: Power Forward/Centre Nationality: Egyptian Mahmoud, who won the 2021 BAL with Zamalek, is known for his shot-blocking and rebounding abilities. These abilities earned him the 2022 BAL Defensive Player of the Year Award. He is a regular member of the Egyptian national team and helped his country finish second at the 2013 AfroBasket when he was 17. He then embarked on a US college basketball career at the University of Louisville. Omar Abada (FUS Rabat) Born: April 20 1993 Height: 6'1" (1.86m) Position: Point Guard Nationality: Tunisian Abada just joined the Moroccan champions for the BAL playoffs after helping Club Africain win the 2025 Tunisian league title earlier this month. He made headlines when he was named to the 2021 BAL First Team in a tournament that helped US Monastir secure second place. Abada is in his third BAL season and is a two-time FIBA AfroBasket champion with Tunisia (2017 and 2021). Jean Jacques Boissy (Al Ahli Tripoli) Born: January 28 2000 Height: 6'2" (1.88m) Position: Guard Nationality: Senegalese Earlier this month Boissy put on a spectacular display in the Nile Conference. The Senegalese guard came off the bench for all six of Al Ahli Tripoli's games, yet he still finished with a regular season high of 23.8 points per game. In his debut with the Libyan champions, Boissy shot 8-for-13 from deep, finishing just short of the BAL record set by Will Perry, who shot 9-for-14 and led Ferroviario da Beira to a 102-92 win over SLAC on April 30, 2023. Kyle Vinales (Al Ittihad Alexandria) Born: June 18 1992 Height: 6'2" (1.88m) Position: Point Guard Nationality: American Vinales is a typical point guard who creates shooting opportunities for his teammates and demonstrates defensive leadership. The American guard had the second-highest efficiency on Al Ittihad Alexandria, behind only Majok Deng, while averaging 12 points and 5.3 assists per game. Madut Akec (Rivers Hoopers) Born: January 1 1999 Height: 6'8" (2.03m) Position: Shooting Guard Nationality: South Sudanese In his second BAL season, after playing for AS Douanes in 2024, Madut played a huge role in helping the Rivers Hoopers finish with the second-best record (4—2) in the 2025 Kalahari Conference in Rabat in April. Madut excelled on both ends of the floor, averaging 17.8 points and 7.7 rebounds, and registering the third-highest efficiency rating (129) in the regular season. Madut also had the highest three-point shooting percentage (58.6%). Jo Lual Acuil (Al Ittihad Alexandria) Born: April 26 1994 Height: 7'0" (2.13m) Position: Centre Nationality: South Sudanese Acuil had a nearly perfect BAL debut last season. He was named the league's MVP and Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the All-BAL First Team. However, his Al Ahly team lost to Petro de Luanda in the 2025 BAL Final. Acuil is a member of the South Sudanese national team. Let the show begin in Pretoria! 🤩🇿🇦 ⏰ 4PM: Kriol Star vs FUS de Rabat ⏰ 7PM: Alahli SC vs AL Ittihad 🎟 👀 Watch the games live on: 📺 The BAL YouTube: 📲 / NBA App — Basketball Africa League (@theBAL) June 6, 2025 Majok Deng (Al Ittihad Alexandria) Born: January 3 1993 Height: 6'9" (2.05m) Position: Power Forward Nationality: South Sudanese Deng was a highly productive substitute; that's the only way to describe his impact on Al Ittihad Alexandria's rotation. The 2024 Paris Olympian from South Sudan recorded the highest efficiency (93) for the Egyptian giants, contributing 14.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Deng was on the Al Ahly Ly team that came in second last year. Jonathan Jordan (FUS Rabat) Born: October 7 1992 Height: 5'10" (1.77m) Position: Point Guard Nationality: American Imagine a relatively short player with unparalleled jumping ability. Now picture a player who can shoot from every corner of the floor. That player is Jonathan Jordan. A 2017 NBA G-League champion with the Toronto 905, he has been one of FUS Rabat's most productive players, averaging 13 points and five assists per game. Ivan Almeida (Kriol Star) Born: May 10 1989 Height: 6'6" (2.01m) Position: Guard/Small Forward Nationality: Cape Verdean Throughout the Sahara Conference, where the Creoles finished 3-3, Almeida emerged as Kriol Star's do-it-all and go-to guy. A regular member of the Cape Verdean national team, Almeida recorded the sixth-highest efficiency rating (116) in the regular season, averaging 17.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He had four double-doubles in six games. MBB miss out on Pretoria playoffs after BAL conference elimination Johannesburg's Made by Ball's (MBB) dream of reaching the Basketball Africa League playoffs in their debut season was torpedoed when they were beaten ... Sport 1 week ago Aliou Diarra (APR) Born: December 12 2001 Height: 6'10" (2.08m) Position: Power Forward/Centre Nationality: Malian During the Nile Conference, Diarra was APR's most impactful player, averaging 19.3 points, 12 rebounds, and 5.5 blocks per game. He had the fifth-highest efficiency rating (118) in the regular season. He set a BAL record with eight blocks in APR's 77-74 win over the Nairobi City Thunder, surpassing the previous record of seven set by Anas Mahmoud and Khaman Maluach in the 2022 and 2024 seasons, respectively. Firas Lahyani (US Monastir) Born: July 16 1991 Height: 6'7" (2.0m) Position: Power Forward Nationality: Tunisian Lahyani is colloquially known as 'Air Tunisia' because of his ability to easily dunk and jump. He recorded the second-highest efficiency (101) for US Monastir while averaging nine points and nine rebounds at the Sahara Conference in Dakar last month. A regular member of the Tunisian national team, Lahyani helped his country win the 2017 FIBA AfroBasket tournament. Patrick Gardner (Petro de Luanda) Born: June 16 1999 Height: 6'11" (2.11m) Position: Power Forward/Centre Nationality: Egyptian Gardner is a big man who can shoot from deep, which is one of the attributes that makes him a menace to opponents. He had the highest efficiency rating (96) for Petro de Luanda in the Sahara Conference in Dakar, where the reigning BAL champions finished 3—3. He contributed 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Gardner, who is left-handed, is in his second BAL season, having played for Al Ahly SC last season. He played for Egypt at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup and played two seasons in the NBA G League, averaging six points per game.
Mint
4 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Zydus to Enter Global Biologics CDMO Business Plans
New Jersey, United States & Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India – Business Wire India Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. (including its subsidiaries/affiliates, hereafter referred to as 'Zydus) today announced its entry into the global biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business through its plan to acquire Agenus Inc.'s (Nasdaq: AGEN) U.S.-based biologics CMC facilities. This acquisition marks Zydus' strategic investment in U.S.-based manufacturing for biologics thereby adding a sustainable growth driver for the group. Agenus Inc. is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company committed to developing immune therapies that effectively combat cancer. Under the terms of the agreement, Zydus will acquire two state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing facilities from Agenus in Emeryville and Berkeley, California (US) for an upfront consideration of US$75 million and contingent payment of US$50 million to be paid over three years subject to achievement of certain revenue milestone. This acquisition provides Zydus immediate access to advanced biologics manufacturing capabilities and establishes a key presence in California, a leading global biotechnology hub. This strategic move enables Zydus to leverage supply chain dynamics and a favourable geopolitical environment to expand its reach in the U.S. and globally. With this acquisition Zydus will now become a one stop solution provider across the entire development spectrum of biologics, right from pre-clinical to toxicology studies, clinical development and now CDMO business will operate as an independent entity and will house the acquired manufacturing capabilities. The facilities come with an experienced professional team with strong capabilities and requisite industry expertise to deliver high-quality biologics development and manufacturing services to global biotech and pharmaceutical companies. As a part of transaction Zydus will become an exclusive contract manufacturer for Agenus and will provide manufacturing services for clinical and commercial supply of two identified Phase-3 ready immuno-oncology products, Botensilimab (BOT) and Balstilimab (BAL). Zydus will also have first right of negotiation to manufacture any of the future pipeline products developed by Agenus. Zydus intends to further expand the team and help create new jobs in the region and contribute to the local on the development, Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing Director, Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. said, "The acquisition will give Zydus a strategic foothold in the U.S. for biologics manufacturing in the global hub for biotech innovation, California. It will enhance our ability to partner with innovation-centric entities, advancing new products and prioritizing patient-centric solutions. This move strengthens our long-term biologics vision and positions us to better serve the evolving needs of the global biopharmaceutical industry." The global biologics CDMO market is experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing complexity of therapies, the rise of biologics in clinical pipelines, and a growing number of emerging biotech companies lacking internal manufacturing capabilities. According to the Global Biologics CDMO Market Size is expected to be worth around US$ 84.9 Billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 15.7% between 2025 to 2034. As demand surges for reliable, agile, and scalable partners, Zydus' entry into this space positions it to tap into significant long-term growth opportunities and support innovation across the global biopharmaceutical landscape. About Zydus Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. with an overarching purpose of empowering people with freedom to live healthier and more fulfilled lives, is an innovative, global lifesciences company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of healthcare therapies. The group employs 27,000 people worldwide, including 1,400 scientists engaged in R&D, and is driven by its mission to unlock new possibilities in lifesciences through quality healthcare solutions that impact lives. The group aspires to transform lives through path-breaking discoveries. Over the last decade, Zydus has introduced several innovative, first-in-class products in the market for treating unmet healthcare needs with vaccines, therapeutics, biologicals and biosimilars. For more details visit: About Agenus Agenus Inc. is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company committed to developing immune therapies that effectively combat cancer. Leveraging proprietary scientific platforms, the company's pipeline includes multiple checkpoint antibody candidates, vaccines, and cell therapies. Headquartered in Lexington, MA, Agenus operates globally, driving innovations to bring better cancer treatments to patients. For more details visit: Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the successful integration of the acquired business, market conditions, and other factors. Sujatha Rajesh (Media Relations), Zydus Lifesciences Limited, +91-9974051180 Arvind Bothra (Investor Relations), Zydus Lifesciences Limited, +91-7045656895
Business Upturn
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
Agenus and Zydus Lifesciences Enter $141M Strategic Collaboration to Advance BOT/BAL, Expand Zydus' Biologics Manufacturing in the US
LEXINGTON, Mass., United States: $75M upfront payment to Agenus for the transfer of manufacturing assets $50M of contingent payments to Agenus Exclusive license for BOT/BAL in India and Sri Lanka $16M equity investment at $7.50 per share Agenus Inc. (Nasdaq: AGEN), a leader in immuno-oncology innovation, today announced it has signed definitive partnership agreements with Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. (NSE: ZYDUSLIFE), including its subsidiaries/affiliates, hereafter referred to as 'Zydus,' designed to accelerate clinical development, scale global manufacturing, and expand patient access to botensilimab and balstilimab (BOT/BAL). The strategic collaboration includes an exchange of Agenus' state-of-the-art biologics CMC facilities in Emeryville, CA and Berkeley, CA for upfront consideration of $75M; Agenus to receive up to an additional $50M in contingent payments triggered by BOT/BAL production orders. Zydus, an India-based multinational pharmaceutical company with over 27,000 employees and operations in 55 countries, will launch a BioCDMO business using the facilities as their flagship U.S. sites to provide biologics contract manufacturing services to biopharmaceutical companies globally. Agenus will become Zydus' first BioCDMO customer through an exclusive manufacturing agreement for BOT/BAL to ensure the combination regimen's BLA and launch readiness needs. This collaboration enables Agenus to unlock the value of its manufacturing assets and secure strategic capital to drive BOT/BAL toward global regulatory engagement and commercialization. Agenus will also grant Zydus an exclusive license to develop and commercialize BOT and BAL in India and Sri Lanka, capitalizing on Zydus' established local market presence and infrastructure. Zydus will pay Agenus a 5 percent royalty on net sales in those countries. In a demonstration of mutual commitment, Zydus will also make a strategic equity investment in Agenus by purchasing approximately 2.1 million shares of common stock at $7.50 per share, totaling approximately $16 million in gross proceeds. Agenus intends to apply the net proceeds from the sale of the purchased shares for working capital and general corporate purposes, and will accelerate ongoing clinical development, registration and potential commercialization of BOT/BAL. By uniting Agenus' pioneering research and development capabilities with Zydus' worldwide manufacturing, commercialization and operational strength, this partnership sets the stage for a new era in cancer immunotherapy in India and beyond. 'With a trade agreement between the United States and India seemingly imminent, there is a renewed sense of confidence by trading partners in both countries in the future of Indian-American relations,' said Dr. Garo Armen, CEO of Agenus. 'There is also a growing recognition by both countries of the need for the United States to ensure that biopharma supply chains are secure. We are working with Zydus to accelerate future clinical trials for BOT/BAL and eventually its global footprint in oncology therapeutics. This agreement is an expression of confidence in the future of Agenus and in the regulatory environment of the United States. The administration has created an environment that has brought these two trading partners together. The United States is the second largest trading partner with India. For these reasons and the strong collaborative spirit we feel with our new partners at Zydus, we decided to enter into this partnership now.' 'We are thrilled to be partnering with Agenus to advance BOT/BAL, which has the potential to benefit thousands of patients in our core markets of India and Sri Lanka annually and millions of solid tumor patients globally. We plan to run clinical trials testing BOT/BAL in both early-stage and late-stage disease, along with expansion beyond colorectal cancer to other major disease settings like triple negative breast cancer,' said Dr. Sharvil Patel, Managing Director at Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and satisfactory due diligence. The parties aim to complete closing agreements within 60 days. Conference Call and Webcast Date/Time: Tuesday, June 3rd; 4:30 p.m. ET To access dial-in numbers, please register at: . Conference ID: 12788 Advisors As part of this effort, Agenus was advised by Biotech Value Advisors (BVA), a strategic advisory firm, which provided guidance on transaction structure, partner selection and negotiations. About Agenus Agenus is a leading immuno-oncology company targeting cancer with a comprehensive pipeline of immunological agents. The company was founded in 1994 with a mission to expand patient populations benefiting from cancer immunotherapy through combination approaches, using a broad repertoire of antibody therapeutics, adoptive cell therapies (through MiNK Therapeutics) and adjuvants (through SaponiQx). Agenus has robust end-to-end development capabilities, across commercial and clinical cGMP manufacturing facilities, research and discovery, and a global clinical operations footprint. Agenus is headquartered in Lexington, MA. For more information, visit or @agenus_bio. Information that may be important to investors will be routinely posted on our website and social media channels. About Zydus Lifesciences Zydus Lifesciences Ltd. with an overarching purpose of empowering people with freedom to live healthier and more fulfilled lives, is an innovative, global lifesciences company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of healthcare therapies. The group employs over 27,000 people worldwide, including 1,400 scientists engaged in R&D, and is driven by its mission to unlock new possibilities in lifesciences through quality healthcare solutions that impact lives. The group aspires to transform lives through path-breaking discoveries. For more details visit About Botensilimab (BOT) Botensilimab (BOT) is a human Fc enhanced CTLA-4 blocking antibody designed to boost both innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune responses. Its novel design leverages mechanisms of action to extend immunotherapy benefits to 'cold' tumors which generally respond poorly to standard of care or are refractory to conventional PD-1/CTLA-4 therapies and investigational therapies. Botensilimab augments immune responses across a wide range of tumor types by priming and activating T cells, downregulating intratumoral regulatory T cells, activating myeloid cells and inducing long-term memory responses. Approximately 1,200 patients have been treated with botensilimab and/or balstilimab in phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials. Botensilimab alone, or in combination with Agenus' investigational PD-1 antibody, balstilimab, has shown clinical responses across nine metastatic, late-line cancers. For more information about botensilimab trials, visit . About Balstilimab (BAL) Balstilimab is a novel, fully human monoclonal immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) designed to block PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) from interacting with its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2. It has been evaluated in >900 patients to date and has demonstrated clinical activity and a favorable tolerability profile in several tumor types. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding its botensilimab and balstilimab programs, expected regulatory timelines and filings, and any other statements containing the words 'may,' 'believes,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'hopes,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'forecasts,' 'estimates,' 'will,' 'establish,' 'potential,' 'superiority,' 'best in class,' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the factors described under the Risk Factors section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2024, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Agenus cautions investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and Agenus undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements, other than to the extent required by law. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. View source version on Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
