Latest news with #InternationalConference
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Pakistan won't let India cross water treaty red line: PM
DUSHANBE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains, outrightly rejecting weaponization of water. Addressing the three-day high-level international conference on Glaciers' Preservation being held in Dushanbe from May 29-31, 2025, Shehbaz Sharif said 'Delhi's unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Water Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin's water, is deeply regrettable. Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed.' Shehbaz Sharif warned that there are 13,000 glaciers in Pakistan and they are fast melting due to climate change. 'Pakistan gets half of its water from these glaciers and Sindh River is its lifeline,' he added. Apprising the participants about the impacts of climate change on Pakistan, the prime minister reaffirmed the country's unwavering commitment to environmental protection and glacier conservation. The international conference is being attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organizations, including prime ministers, vice-presidents, ministers, and UN assistant secretaries-general. In his comprehensive address, Shehbaz Sharif touched all the relevant issues, including glacial preservation, Pakistan's climate vulnerability, 2022 floods in Pakistan, global climate action and responsibility, scientific projections on glacial melt, weaponization of water and call to protect nature and humanity's shared destiny. 'The world today bears fresh scars from the use of conventional weapons in Gaza that have left deep wounds. As if that were not enough, we are now witnessing an alarming new low—the weaponization of water,' he told the international conference being hosted by Government of Tajikistan in collaboration with the United Nations, UNESCO, WMO, the Asian Development Bank, and other key partners as a historic moment for climate ambition, glacier preservation, and international cooperation. The 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, through a resolution, had declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, 21st of March as World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025, and that the Government of Tajikistan will host the International Conference on the subject in 2025.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Won't allow India to cross IWT red line: PM
Rejecting the weaponisation of water, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains. "India's unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin's water, is deeply regrettable. Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed," the prime minister said, addressing the three-day High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation. The conference is being attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organizations, including prime ministers, vice presidents, ministers, and UN assistant secretaries-general. The prime minister, in his comprehensive address, touched all the relevant issues, including glacial preservation, Pakistan's climate vulnerability, the 2022 floods in Pakistan, global climate action and responsibility, scientific projections on glacial melt, weaponisation of water and call to protect nature and humanity's shared destiny. "The world today bears fresh scars from the use of conventional weapons in Gaza that have left deep wounds. As if that were not enough, we are now witnessing an alarming new lowthe weaponisation of water," he told the international conference being hosted by the Government of Tajikistan in collaboration with the United Nations, UNESCO, WMO, the Asian Development Bank, and other key partners as a historic moment for climate ambition, glacier preservation, and international cooperation. The 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, through a resolution, had declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, 21st of March as World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025, and that the Government of Tajikistan will host the International Conference on the subject in 2025. The prime minister said that Pakistan, being home to over 13,000 glaciers, was the most concerning as glaciers contributed nearly half of the annual flows in the Indus River system – the lifeline of our civilisation, culture and economy.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
At Tajikistan summit, Pakistan PM urges world action over India's ‘weaponization' of Indus waters
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday drew the world's attention to India's 'weaponization' of water by suspending Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, urging the world to not let millions of lives to be held 'hostage.' India announced on April 23 that it was putting the 1960 World Bank-mediated treaty in abeyance after it accused Pakistan of backing an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad has denied complicity and called for a credible, international probe into it. The IWT grants Pakistan rights to the Indus basin's western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower, while India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow. India can use the western rivers for limited purposes such as power generation and irrigation, without storing or diverting large volumes, according to the agreement. Speaking at the International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation in Dushanbe, Sharif said the world must recognize that water transcends political boundaries, connects communities and sustains ecosystems and cultures, demanding world action over New Delhi's move to suspend the IWT. 'We are now witnessing an alarming new low, the weaponization of water, India's unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Water Treaty which governs the sharing of the Indus basin's water is deeply regrettable,' he said, urging that lives of millions of Pakistanis must not be held hostage to 'narrow political gains.' 'Our waters and our glaciers... bind us in a shared destiny. Let us protect and preserve nature's precious bounties for our planet and our peoples.' The IWT suspension was among a series of punitive measures India announced against Pakistan over the Kashmir attack that killed 26 people. The archfoes this month traded missile, drone and artillery fire in their worst fighting since 1999 Kargil War before agreeing to a ceasefire on May 10. India has maintained its decision to keep the treaty, which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, in abeyance, while Islamabad has said it will contest the move at every forum. Sharif also urged the world to expedite its climate action to protect glacial systems, which were the lifeline of their civilization, culture and economy. He said his country witnessed firsthand the peril of glacial melt in 2022, when devastating floods submerged Pakistan, washing away standing crops over millions of acres, affecting over 30 million people and causing more billions of dollars in damages. 'We only contribute less than half percent of the total world emissions, and yet we are one of those 10 most vulnerable countries facing this menace [of climate change],' he said. 'I pray to Allah Almighty that other countries do not face this kind of devastation which we faced back in 2022, but it will not be protected through words and speeches, it requires comprehensive, a plan, and immediate implementation.' Pakistan believes in shared responsibility and collective action, according to Sharif. There is an urgent need for an enhanced global climate action to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. 'The developed countries must meet their climate financial commitments without any delay and with a balanced focus on adaptation and mitigation as well as loss and damage,' he said. 'Adequate funding for climate resilient infrastructure and overcoming financing gap remains critical for climate vulnerable countries.' Islamabad has been urging the international community to ensure faster and simpler disbursements from the global fund to help vulnerable countries respond to climate-related losses. The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) was established at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt in 2022 and a year later, nearly 200 nations agreed to the operationalization of $575 million as part of it. However, disbursements under the program have since been slow, hampering climate adaptation efforts in developing countries.
The Star
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Southern African bloc reaffirms commitment to environmental conservation
HARARE, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to environmental conservation to ensure sustainable development in the region. According to a communique issued at the end of the one-day SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) International Conference and Summit held in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare, the summit emphasized the need for continued and strengthened collaboration among stakeholders. SADC member states were urged to continue with collaborative efforts to maximize the trade and tourism benefits of TFCAs, and to embrace innovative and sustainable financing mechanisms to ensure that TFCAs continue to deliver socio-economic and conservation benefits to the SADC region, the communique said. According to the communique, the summit urged member states to promote the establishment of coastal and marine TFCAs for enhanced benefits to local communities and regional economies, and it also called for the development of a regional carbon market framework. There are 13 TFCAs within the SADC region spanning both terrestrial and marine environments, covering 7 percent of the region's surface area. The SADC is a 16-member southern African regional bloc, comprising Angola, Botswana, the Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PureTech's Deupirfenidone (LYT-100) Demonstrates Strong and Durable Efficacy as a Monotherapy with Favorable Tolerability in Phase 2b ELEVATE IPF Trial
Deupirfenidone 825 mg TID slowed lung function decline in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) to the range expected of healthy older adults over 6 months; new, preliminary open-label extension data support durability of this treatment effect over at least 52 weeks Deupirfenidone 825 mg TID demonstrated a statistically significant benefit compared to placebo in delaying IPF progression Detailed safety analysis underscores favorable tolerability profile for deupirfenidone PureTech plans to meet with FDA before end of Q3 2025, with the goal of initiating a Phase 3 trial by year-end BOSTON, May 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PureTech Health plc (Nasdaq: PRTC, LSE: PRTC) ("PureTech" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company dedicated to changing the lives of patients with devastating diseases, delivered a late-breaking, oral presentation at the 2025 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference in San Francisco. The presentation provided further insights into the successful Phase 2b ELEVATE IPF trial of deupirfenidone (LYT-100), highlighting the strength and durability of deupirfenidone's treatment effect through at least 52 weeks while maintaining favorable tolerability in patients living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). "The ELEVATE IPF trial is one of the most promising Phase 2 studies we've seen in IPF in recent years," said Toby Maher, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Director of Interstitial Lung Disease at Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and lead investigator in the ELEVATE IPF trial. "The ability for a monotherapy to reduce lung function decline close to a level seen in healthy older adults, and to sustain that effect over time without compromising tolerability, is not something we have seen with currently available therapies. Deupirfenidone has the potential to raise the bar for what patients and physicians can expect from IPF treatment." Data presented from PureTech's global Phase 2b randomized, double-blind, active- and placebo-controlled, dose-ranging ELEVATE IPF trial demonstrated the potential for deupirfenidone to offer a differentiated treatment option for patients with IPF. In the trial, patients treated with deupirfenidone 825 mg three times a day (TID) experienced a slower rate of lung function decline,1 as measured by Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), at 26 weeks versus those who were treated with placebo (-21.5 mL vs. -112.5 mL, respectively; p=0.02).2 This statistically significant difference represents a robust treatment effect versus placebo of 80.9% for deupirfenidone 825 mg TID as a monotherapy. This result compares favorably against the rate of decline in FVC observed in the trial among patients treated with pirfenidone 801 mg TID versus placebo (-51.6 mL vs. -112.5 mL, respectively), which was consistent with previously reported pirfenidone clinical trial data3 and represents a treatment effect of 54.1%. Taken together, these results indicate that the treatment effect with deupirfenidone 825 mg TID was approximately 50% greater than that of pirfenidone 801 mg TID, based on their respective reductions in lung function decline versus placebo (80.9% vs. 54.1%). In addition to these findings, deupirfenidone 825 mg TID also demonstrated a statistically significant benefit in delaying time to IPF progression4 compared to placebo (hazard ratio = 0.439; p=0.0023), further supporting the clinical relevance of the treatment effect. Importantly, the rate of FVC decline observed over 26 weeks with deupirfenidone 825 mg TID (-21.5 mL) was similar to the expected natural decline in lung function in healthy older adults (approximately -15.0 mL to -25.0 mL).5,6 Furthermore, preliminary data from the ongoing open-label extension (OLE) study suggest that this treatment effect is durable out to at least 52 weeks. As of May 9, 2025, a total of 101 patients had received at least 52 weeks of treatment with deupirfenidone. Those in the deupirfenidone 825 mg TID arm experienced a decline in FVC of -32.8 mL over the 52-week period,7 which is similar to the expected natural decline in lung function in healthy older adults over one year (approximately -30.0 mL to -50.0 mL).6 These new data provide additional support for the durability of the treatment effect observed with this dose and reinforce its potential to stabilize lung function decline over time, while maintaining favorable safety and tolerability. Additional details from the ongoing OLE are expected to be shared in a future scientific forum. These results are further supported by preliminary pharmacokinetic (PK) data, which underscore the differentiated profile of deupirfenidone. Compared to pirfenidone 801 mg TID, deupirfenidone 825 mg TID resulted in an approximately 50% increase in drug exposure. Notably, the dramatically increased drug exposure did not result in an increase in tolerability challenges, suggesting that the deuterated structure of deupirfenidone may overcome the dose-limiting adverse events associated with pirfenidone. PureTech believes these PK results are consistent with the enhanced efficacy and favorable tolerability seen with deupirfenidone 825 mg TID in the trial. "The IPF community has long needed therapies that can provide meaningful efficacy without compromising tolerability," said Bharatt Chowrira, Ph.D., J.D., Chief Executive Officer of PureTech. "Data from our Phase 2b trial and open-label extension study suggest that deupirfenidone may slow lung function decline in a way that more closely mirrors the natural aging process, and that this effect is durable. These data are quite remarkable and – to our knowledge – this level of efficacy has not been observed with other monotherapies. These findings further support our belief that deupirfenidone may offer a substantially differentiated treatment option for people living with IPF and support its potential to become a new standard of care." Deupirfenidone was well tolerated at both doses studied. Safety analyses included identification of the 16 most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), defined as occurring in more than 5% of participants in at least one treatment group, and characterized the arm with the highest relative incidence of each of these 16 TEAEs. The pirfenidone 801 mg treatment group had the highest relative incidence for 9 of these TEAEs, followed by deupirfenidone 825 mg (5), placebo (2), and deupirfenidone 550 mg (0). "The results of the ELEVATE IPF trial demonstrate the potential for deupirfenidone to address the persistent suboptimal efficacy offered by current standard-of-care treatments for IPF, without sacrificing tolerability," Camilla Graham, M.D., M.P.H., Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at PureTech. "We are excited to continue development of deupirfenidone to meaningfully improve the lives of patients living with IPF." PureTech is targeting a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by the end of the third quarter of 2025 to discuss the results of the Phase 2b trial and align on a potential registrational pathway, with the goal of initiating a Phase 3 trial by the end of 2025. PureTech anticipates providing further guidance later this year following the finalization of the trial design and FDA interactions. About the ELEVATE IPF TrialThe Phase 2b ELEVATE IPF trial was a global, randomized, double-blind, active- and placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trial designed to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, safety and dosing regimen of deupirfenidone (LYT-100) in patients with IPF compared to placebo. 257 participants were randomized in a ratio of 1:1:1:1 to receive either 550 mg of deupirfenidone, 825 mg of deupirfenidone, 801 mg pirfenidone or placebo three times a day (TID) for 26 weeks. Participants who completed the trial had the option to enroll in an open-label extension, which is ongoing. The primary endpoint of the trial was the rate of decline in Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) for the combined deupirfenidone arms versus placebo over the 26-week treatment period. FVC is a measure of the maximum amount of air (in mL) that an individual can forcibly exhale after fully inhaling. It is a standard measurement in clinical trials for IPF and is used to assess disease progression as well as to predict mortality. A prespecified Bayesian analysis was utilized to assess the primary endpoint and provided a posterior probability, which is the probability of superior efficacy for deupirfenidone compared to placebo. This also allowed for augmentation of the placebo arm with placebo data from historical IPF trials. This approach enabled a more patient-centric clinical trial design by minimizing the number of trial participants exposed to placebo – a key consideration since IPF is progressive and fatal – while delivering a robust, placebo-controlled dataset. About Deupirfenidone (LYT-100)Deupirfenidone (LYT-100) is an investigational therapy in development as a potential new standard of care (SOC) for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). It is a deuterated form of pirfenidone, which – along with nintedanib – is one of the two FDA-approved treatments for IPF. Despite achieving blockbuster status, the current SOC treatments only modestly slow lung function decline, with tolerability limiting the ability to achieve higher doses. This results in suboptimal efficacy, reduced patient uptake, and poor adherence – all due to a tolerability ceiling that prevents dosing levels that could significantly improve patient outcomes. Deupirfenidone may overcome these limitations. In the global Phase 2b ELEVATE IPF trial, deupirfenidone demonstrated the potential to stabilize lung function decline over at least 26 weeks as a monotherapy while maintaining safety and tolerability – a result not previously achieved by other investigational or marketed IPF therapies to the Company's knowledge. These findings support the potential for deupirfenidone to offer a meaningful advance for patients living with this progressive and life-limiting disease. Beyond IPF, deupirfenidone may also address multiple underserved fibrotic diseases, including progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases and other fibrotic conditions. About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a rare, progressive and fatal lung disease characterized by irreversible scarring of lung tissue. Median survival following diagnosis is estimated to be two to five years.8 IPF affects more than 230,000 people across the United States and EU5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom).9 Although two therapies are approved to treat IPF, their use remains limited, and nearly three out of four people with IPF in the United States have never received either treatment.10 There remains a significant need for therapies that can more effectively slow or stabilize disease progression, while maintaining favorable tolerability, to improve outcomes for people living with IPF. About PureTech HealthPureTech is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company dedicated to giving life to new classes of medicine to change the lives of patients with devastating diseases. The Company has created a broad and deep portfolio through its experienced research and development team and its extensive network of scientists, clinicians, and industry leaders that is being advanced both internally and through its Founded Entities. PureTech's R&D engine has resulted in the development of 29 therapeutics and therapeutic candidates, including three that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A number of these programs are being advanced by PureTech or its Founded Entities in various indications and stages of clinical development, including registration-enabling studies. All of the underlying programs and platforms that resulted in this portfolio of therapeutic candidates were initially identified or discovered and then advanced by the PureTech team through key validation points. For more information, visit or connect with us on X (formerly Twitter) @puretechh. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains statements that are or may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation those related to the deupirfenidone (LYT-100) development program and development plans, its potential benefits to patients, plans for discussions with regulatory authorities, the further development of the program, future presentation of additional data from the trial and our future prospects, developments and strategies. The forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from current expectations, including, but not limited to, those risks, uncertainties and other important factors described under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC and in our other regulatory filings. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions regarding the present and future business strategies of the Company and the environment in which it will operate in the future. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as at the date of this press release. Except as required by law and regulatory requirements, we disclaim any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. References 1 Efficacy analysis used a random coefficient regression model with absolute FVC including baseline as response variable and week, treatment and interaction between week and treatment as fixed effect. The analysis was performed based on the predefined Full Analysis Set. 2 All p values are two-sided and have not been corrected for multiplicity. 3 Roche. (2014). Esbriet® (pirfenidone) prescribing information. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 4 IPF progression was defined as a ≥5% decline in FVCpp or death. 5 FVC decline at 6 months was estimated assuming linear decline over time. 6 Valenzuela, C., Bonella, F., Moor, C., Weimann, G., Miede, C., Stowasser, S., & Maher, T. (2024, September). Decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) in subjects with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) compared with healthy references [Poster presentation]. European Respiratory Society International Congress, Vienna, Austria; and Luoto, J., Pihlsgård, M., Wollmer, P., & Elmståhl, S. (2019). Relative and absolute lung function change in a general population aged 60–102 years. European Respiratory Journal, 53(3), 1701812. View source version on Contacts PureTech Public Relationspublicrelations@ Investor Relationsir@ UK/EU MediaBen Atwell, Rob Winder+44 (0) 20 3727 1000puretech@ US MediaJustin Chen+1 609 578 7230jchen@
