Ascletis Expands Ritonavir Oral Tablet Production and Announces Oral Direct-Acting Antiviral Pipeline Against SARS-CoV-2 Virus

– Ritonavir oral tablet annual production capacity has been expanded to 100 million tablets and can be further rapidly expanded based on market demand

– ASC10 is an oral direct-acting antiviral drug candidate targeting RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection

– ASC11 is an oral direct-acting antiviral drug candidate targeting 3-chymotrypsin like protease (3CLpro), combined with ritonavir oral tablets, to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection

HANGZHOU and SHAOXING, China, Jan. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Ascletis Pharma Inc. (HKEX: 1672) today announces the expansion of the production of ritonavir oral tablets and oral direct-acting antiviral R&D pipeline for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The Company’s COVID-19 pipeline currently includes (i) ritonavir oral tablet (100mg), an authorized product, (ii) ASC10, an oral RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) inhibitor and (iii) ASC11, an oral 3-chymotrypsin like protease (3CLpro) inhibitor.

The Company owns the only authorized ritonavir oral tablet in China, which passed bioequivalence study. The Company’s ritonavir oral tablet was approved in September, 2021 by China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). As a pharmacokinetic booster of multiple antiviral protease inhibitors, a low dose ritonavir oral tablet (100mg) is a component of oral direct-acting antiviral drug Paxlovid (Nirmatrelvir+ritonavir). The Company applied the sophisticated formulation technology to significantly increase the human bioavailability of ritonavir which has a very poor solubility and successfully achieved human bioequivalence with the ritonavir oral tablets produced by the Originator, AbbVie. The Company is planning to file generic drug applications for registrations in multiple countries in the world. Ritonavir oral tablet annual production capacity has been expanded to 100 million tablets and can be further rapidly expanded based on market demand.

ASC10 is an oral direct-acting antiviral drug candidate targeting RdRp. In vitro data showed significant activity against SARS-CoV-2. ASC10 is an in-house discovered drug candidate with the global intellectual property and commercial rights. Compared to RdRp-targeted Molnupiravir which was approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ASC10 has a new and differentiated chemical structure. The Company has filed multiple compound and use patent applications. The data from animal studies demonstrated that ASC10 has higher bioavailability when compared to Molnupiravir. The Company plans to submit investigational drug applications (INDs) for clinical trials in China, USA etc. in the first half of 2022.

ASC11 is an oral direct-acting antiviral drug candidate targeting 3CLpro, in combination with the authorized ritonavir oral tablets produced by the Company, to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection. ASC11 is an in-house discovered drug candidate with the global intellectual property and commercial rights. Compared to 3CLpro-targeted Nirmatrelvir which was approved by US FDA, ASC11 has a new and differentiated chemical structure. The Company has filed the compound and use patent applications. The Company plans to submit INDs for clinical trials in China, USA etc. in the second half of 2022. The Company has extensive R&D experience in viral protease inhibitors and successfully developed and commercialized oral HCV protease inhibitor GANOVO® in combination with ritonavir oral tablets for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

“At the beginning of COVID-19 in 2020, based on its antiviral platform and R&D experience, the Company made the firm and rapid decision to invest in oral direct-acting antivirals R&D against RdRp and 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2. Meanwhile, the Company accelerated the development effort to obtain the approval of ritonavir oral tablets in China and successfully achieved the authorization by China NMPA for ritonavir oral tablets,” said Dr. Jinzi J. Wu, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ascletis, “The Company has tremendous experience in antiviral oral protease inhibitors and successfully developed the fixed-dose combination ASC09F (ASC09+ritonavir) to treat HIV infection, in addition to launching GANOVO®/Ritonavir combination for chronic hepatits C.”

CGTN: Exceptionally significant 2021: How the Party’s history mobilized the nation

BEIJING, Jan. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — How will the world describe 2021 for China and its ruling party, the Communist Party of China (CPC)? In Chinese President Xi Jinping’s words, 2021 was “a year of exceptional significance.”

Celebrating the CPC’s centenary is not the only highlight. The campaign on studying the Party’s history, the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, the resolution on the major achievements and the historical experience of the CPC over the past century also exemplify how the CPC has carried out “bold self-revolution to gain the historical initiative.”

Gaining strength from history

History emerged as something of a buzzword for all CPC members in 2021.

At the beginning of the year, the CPC launched a campaign on studying the Party’s history to mobilize the entire Party and the nation to be fully devoted to developing a modern socialist China with full confidence.

Founded in July 1921 with just over 50 members, the CPC has grown into the world’s largest political party, with more than 95 million members.

The campaign is of great and far-reaching significance for building a stronger Marxist ruling party and striving for the great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era at a new historical starting point, according to a circular issued by the CPC Central Committee.

While visiting an exhibition on the CPC history in June, Xi stressed that “the Party’s history is the most vivid and convincing textbook.”

He said it is necessary to study and review the Party’s history, carry forward its valuable experience, bear in mind the course of its struggles, shoulder the historic mission and draw strength from its history to forge ahead.

As the Party celebrated its centenary, China announced a landmark victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, also known as a “Xiaokang” society in Chinese, which was also the Party’s first centenary goal.

Delivering his 2022 New Year address on the last day of 2021, Xi called on the Chinese people to “never rest on what we have achieved” and stressed that “there is still a long way to go.”

Marching toward the future

“Carrying out bold self-revolution to gain the historical initiative,” as stressed by the president in his address, was another theme during 2021.

In November, a landmark resolution was adopted at the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee. The resolution reviewed the Party’s endeavors over the past century, setting a guideline for the Party to achieve national rejuvenation by learning from history.

The plenum also decided to convene the 20th CPC National Congress in the second half of 2022, a highly important event of great political significance for both the Party and the country.

The review will help lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups to achieve new and great success in building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, Xi said in his explanatory address on the resolution.

The resolution highlights the important experiences in 10 aspects accumulated over the past 100 years, including upholding the Party’s leadership, putting the people first, advancing theoretical innovation, staying independent, following the Chinese path, maintaining a global vision, breaking new ground, standing up for ourselves, promoting a united front and remaining committed to self-reform.

The resolution also stresses the decisive significance of Xi’s core position and “Xi Thought.”

In 2022, the Party will continue to lead the Chinese people toward its second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects by the middle of the century to celebrate the centenary of the People’s Republic of China.

“We must always keep a long-term perspective, remain mindful of potential risks, maintain strategic focus and determination, and ‘attain to the broad and great while addressing the delicate and minute,’” Xi said on Friday.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-01-02/Exceptionally-significant-2021-How-the-Party-history-mobilized-nation-16uoyfpPgd2/index.html

CGTN: ‘Poetry Sans Frontiers’ series embraces common humanity through poems

BEIJING, Jan. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The five-episode feature series “Poetry Sans Frontiers” was broadcast on CGTN’s multi-language channels and various new media platforms, embracing diversity and common humanity through poetry.

“Bosom friends make distance disappear,” wrote Chinese poet Zhang Jiuling in Tang Dynasty (618-907). The series, launched in the six official languages of the United Nations namely Chinese, English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian, aims to deliver the soothing power of poetry, promote the mutual learning of both Chinese and foreign cultures, create emotional resonance and bring together people from different countries, ethnic groups and cultures.

'Poetry Sans Frontiers' series embraces common humanity through poems

Each episode revolves around a thought-provoking theme: the pursuit of dreams, people’s yearnings for peace, the value of life, the relationship between man and nature, and what home means to people.

Some 16 guests from different walks of life, including diplomatic envoys in China, hosts of CGTN’s multi-language channels, influencers and musicians, were invited to share their life stories and some of the beautiful poems from around the world.

By acknowledging the diversity of human civilizations, the feature series also highlights the profound meaning of what the ancient Chinese historian Chen Shou wrote in the third century, “Delicious soup is made by combining different ingredients.”

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-01-02/-Poetry-Sans-Frontiers-series-embraces-common-humanity-through-poems-16unLk0CWmQ/index.html

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WqGR8LkWSQ

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1718570/CGTN_Poetry_Sans_Frontiers_series_embraces_common_humanity_poems.jpg

Abdullah Blehaq: The parliament session today ended with the call of the High Electoral Commission to set a new date for holding the elections.

Tripoli, The Parliament’s spokesman, Abdullah Blehaq, said that the parliament session today, Monday, concluded by calling on the High National Elections Commission to consult with the authorities and agencies concerned with the electoral process to remove force majeure and submit a proposal to the House of Representatives on setting a new date for elections in the nearest time.

Blehaq clarified in a press statement that the parliament session, which resumed today, headed by the Speaker-designate “Fawzi Al-Nuiri” and in the presence of the second Vice-President, “Ahmed Houma,” with the participation of about 802 deputies – was devoted to listening to the president and members of the High Electoral Commission who attended today’s session and gave a briefing to the House of Representatives about the entire electoral process.

The Spokesman affirmed that the Chairman and members of the High Electoral Commission gave their answers to the questions of members of the House of Representatives about all the reports submitted to the Council regarding the failure to meet the electoral entitlement on December 24th.

Source: Libyan News Network

Minister of Oil and Gas participates in OPEC meetings to appoint a new secretary general of the organization.

Tripoli, GNA Minister of Oil and gas Mohamed Aoun participated in a closed-circuit meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to appoint the new secretary general for the organization.

According to the official page of the Ministry of Oil and Gas, a decision was taken to appoint Haitham Faisal al-Ghais from Kuwait as Secretary-General for three years from 1-8 2022.

Libya has previously been honored by this high office in the person of a senior Libyan oil expert, Abdullah Salem Al-Badri, who held the post for the longest period in the organization’s history from 2007 to 2016.

Source: Libyan News Network

The director of port security discusses with the director of Zintan International Airport the latest preparations regarding the resumption of flights at the airport.

Tripoli, The Director of the General Administration of Ports Security, Brigadier Wanis Al Shukri, discussed this Monday morning with the Director of Security at the Zintan International Airport, the latest preparations regarding the resumption of flights at the airport.

The meeting also discussed the difficulties and obstacles facing the workflow of the port, according to what was published by the official page of the Ministry of Interior.

Source: Libyan News Network