Latest news with #SBMA
RNZ News
28-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Cook Islands PM leads seabed minerals dialogue in Australia
By Losirene Lacanivalu , Cook Islands News Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown Photo: Tiana Haxton Prime Minister Mark Brown will lead a 11-member delegation to Australia this week for an "open dialogue" on seabed exploration activities. The Cook Islands government held a similar consultation tour in New Zealand in November last year, which Brown, also the Minister for Seabed Minerals, declared a significant success. According to the Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA), the delegation will travel to Australia from 28 May to 6 June to engage Cook Islands communities in Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Melbourne. The face-to-face sessions will focus on the Cook Islands' journey towards a "science-led, environmentally responsible, and sovereign approach to seabed minerals exploration". In a statement, SBMA said that this engagement marks the next step in strengthening the relationship between government and diaspora, "built on a shared commitment to sustainable progress and guardianship of our moana". The consultation is facilitated by SBMA in collaboration with community leaders "clarifying what is happening, what is not, and how Cook Islanders remain at the centre of this seabed minerals journey". Brown said that this was not about extraction or shortcuts. "This is about science, stewardship, and sovereignty. We are exploring, carefully, transparently, and with the future of our people and ocean in mind." Brown reiterated that no mining has been approved. All current activities are exploratory only, governed by Cook Islands legislation and robust environmental frameworks, and informed by global best practices, he added. "These conversations reaffirm who we are and what we stand for. Our diaspora carries our culture and pride with them. They are part of our national direction, and their voice matters," Brown added. According to SBMA, this national strategy is about building Cook Islands capacity to lead in environmental science, global research and sustainable ocean economies. "Public trust, transparent governance, and cultural legitimacy underpin every step of the process," SBMA said. "The Cook Islands vision is clear: to be a leader and steward in a sustainable minerals future, delivering benefits not just in revenue but in knowledge, capability, and intergenerational wellbeing." Consultation will start on 29 May in Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and ending in Melbourne on 5-6 June. -This article was first published by Cook Islands News .
CNA
26-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
Silver prices up 14% so far in 2025 in catch-up game with gold
SINGAPORE: Silver prices have surged 14 per cent so far this year, driven by industrial use in growing sectors like electronics and renewable power. But investors are also turning to the precious metal as the price of gold soars to record highs on the back of global economic uncertainty. Already, the Singapore Bullion Market Association (SBMA) said it has seen more investments in silver over the last quarter. 'Allocating gold as an asset class to the portfolio is a norm. But as the price of gold increases … some people are looking at silver as an alternative to be included into their portfolio,' said its CEO Albert Cheng. Currently, the gold-to-silver ratio is at about 100, meaning one unit of gold is worth 100 units of silver. '(The ratio) is extremely high, which basically means silver is extremely cheap,' said Mr Gregor Gregersen, founder of The Reserve – a high-capacity vault for the storage of gold and silver in Changi. 'We have had clients buying 30 to 40 tonnes of silver, some coming in by container ... they're holding it long term (to) switch between physical silver and physical gold (in the future).' He told CNA938 that such investors typically wait for the gold-to-silver ratio to readjust before switching their assets, with gold usually preferred as it is less volatile than silver. Market watchers expect that the price of silver will keep pace, bringing the ratio closer to the 40-year average of about 70. SILVER USE IN INDUSTRIES About 60 per cent of silver in the market is used for industrial production, while 10 to 20 per cent goes to investors. Demand on both sides has been on the rise. The rest is used in jewellery, silverware and for other purposes. Considered an excellent conductor of electricity, silver is sought after in sectors such as electric vehicles, semiconductors and artificial intelligence technology. The rapid growth in such industries with a high usage of silver has fuelled concerns that it could cause a deficit in the precious metal and fuel strong price appreciation. For instance, silver is an indispensable resource in the production of renewable energy systems like solar panels. It is used in thin wires running down each grid that collect and transport electrons generated by sunlight. Unlike other metal electrical conductors such as copper, it does not rust and decay – making it the preferred choice. According to the World Silver Survey, demand from the solar panel industry has surged close to 139 per cent over the past decade. But supply is struggling to keep up, with mine production down some 7 per cent. 'Silver is used a lot in our busbar. If we (have) a shortage, then this will disrupt the whole solar industry,' said Larry Zhang, senior business development manager at JA Solar. To mitigate disruptions, the Beijing-headquartered solar development firm said it has secured partnerships with suppliers to ensure a steady flow of material for its panels. HOW DEMAND COULD BE AFFECTED While demand for silver is expected to stay strong, a weaker economic outlook could change things for the precious metal. Dr Tan Kee Wee, an economist at the Singapore Precious Metals Exchange, said that in a downturn, consumers stop purchasing big ticket items like cars or solar panels, driving down demand for the metal and causing prices to fluctuate. 'The health of the global economy affects the price of silver,' he said. 'Whereas (for) gold, usually even when the whole world goes into a downturn, the price of gold will not drop (as drastically).' For investors, silver has delivered an approximate price return of 20.3 per cent in the past two years, despite being more volatile than gold. But whether silver or gold, market watchers believe investors will continue to flock to safe haven assets as long as instability prevails in the global economy. 'Precious metal is often termed as a crisis commodity because it reacts as a hedge against uncertainty,' said SMBA's Mr Cheng. 'With the uncertainty in the macro environment and tariff war still ongoing, I would say that gold will continue to perform well in the coming few quarters. With this as a backdrop … silver will continue to behave in the same direction as gold.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AnnJi Pharmaceutical Company Announces Positive Phase 1/2a Results for AJ201 in Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (SBMA) Patients
TAIPEI, May 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AnnJi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a clinical-stage Taiwanese biotechnology company focused on addressing unmet medical needs in dermatology, neurology, and rare diseases, today announced positive results from its Phase 1/2a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, first-in-patient clinical trial of AJ201 in adults with Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (SBMA). Conducted across six U.S. clinical sites, the study evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) of AJ201 ( Identifier: NCT05517603). While not powered to assess efficacy, exploratory endpoints revealed meaningful treatment-related improvements that support continued clinical development. Safety and Pharmacokinetics The safety and pharmacokinetic profiles in SBMA patients were consistent with prior healthy volunteer data. AJ201 was generally well tolerated, and no systemic drug accumulation was observed. Positive Clinical Signals After 12 weeks of oral treatment, AJ201 recipients showed clinically meaningful improvements in physical and muscle function compared to placebo, including a 17.6-meter gain in the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and a 0.8-point increase in the SBMA Functional Rating Scale (SBMAFRS) on average, while the placebo group experienced slight declines. AJ201 also led to reduction in serum creatine kinase and myoglobin levels—suggesting a positive therapeutic effect. Most responders are in the AJ201 group: 11 of 15 for 6MWT, 6 of 7 for SBMAFRS, 14 of 14 for creatine kinase, and 11 of 12 for myoglobin, further supporting AJ201's benefit. Additionally, patients in AJ201 group reported significant improvement in physical function component of SF36v2 quality-of-life questionnaire, while placebo group a decline (p=0.026). Biomarker Findings and RNA Sequencing Reveal Mechanistic Support Mutant androgen receptor (mAR) levels, a proposed biomarker for SBMA, were assessed via muscle biopsies. Nuclear mAR levels were reduced by more than 50% in 53% of AJ201-treated patients, compared to 17% of placebo, indicating potential therapeutic activity. RNA sequencing of muscle biopsies from AJ201-treated patients revealed activation of the Nrf2 pathway, along with modulation of several disease-relevant signaling cascades. These changes, absent in the placebo group, offer support for AJ201's therapeutic mechanism of action. Conclusion and Expert Commentary Consistent improvements across functional, biochemical, and molecular markers observed in this study support continued development of AJ201 for SBMA. "The study results are highly encouraging. AJ201 has shown evidence of clinical benefit, demonstrated through improvements in functional assessments, positive shifts in serum biomarkers, and RNA sequencing data supporting activation of the Nrf2 pathway. Together, these findings reinforce the therapeutic potential of AJ201," said Dr. Christopher Grunseich, Principal Investigator of the study. Dr. Grunseich is a Lasker Clinical Research Scholar and Head of the Inherited Neuromuscular Diseases Unit at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH). "SBMA is a slowly progressing neuromuscular disorder, and I am greatly encouraged by the positive clinical outcomes observed after a relatively short course of AJ201 treatment," said Wendy Huang, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the Board at AnnJi. "AnnJi is committed to advancing the program into Phase 3 clinical trials, with the aim of delivering a safe, effective, and much-needed therapeutic option for patients living with SBMA—a disease that currently lacks any FDA-approved treatments." About SBMA and AJ201 SBMA, or Kennedy's disease, is a rare X-linked inherited neuromuscular disorder caused by CAG repeat expansion in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. The resulting mutant AR protein contributes to muscle and neuron degeneration through mechanisms involving cellular toxicity, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. SBMA affects ~1 in 40,000 males globally and currently has no FDA-approved treatment. AJ201, also known as JM17, is a novel investigational compound that has shown potential in reducing mutant AR toxicity and improving motor function in preclinical SBMA models. At the molecular level, it promotes degradation of pathogenic mAR protein, induces expression of antioxidant enzymes, proteasome subunits, and heat shock proteins, all of which may slow disease progression (Bott et al., 2016). About AnnJi Pharmaceutical AnnJi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., founded in 2014, is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing first-in-class small molecule therapies for serious and underserved diseases. Our pipeline spans neurology, dermatology, and rare disorders like SBMA. AnnJi is committed to translating cutting-edge science into differentiated treatments and advancing them through global collaboration and commercialization. For more information, visit: Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding AnnJi's plans, programs, and expected results. These statements are based on current assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially. AnnJi undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by law. Contact Anne YuAnnJi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.(+886) View original content: SOURCE AnnJi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
