Day: September 5, 2023

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Zoom introduces Zoom AI Companion — available at no additional cost with paid Zoom user accounts

New generative AI-powered assistant helps improve collaboration and productivity

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) announced that Zoom AI Companion (formerly Zoom IQ), the company’s generative AI digital assistant, is now included at no additional cost for customers with the paid services in their Zoom user accounts¹. AI Companion reinforces Zoom’s vision to deliver limitless human connection on one platform, empowering people by increasing their productivity, enhancing their skills, and improving team effectiveness. Zoom also announced today that Zoom IQ for Sales, its conversational intelligence software, will be renamed Zoom Revenue Accelerator.

Since Zoom introduced generative AI in early June, thousands of companies have benefited from free trials of Team Chat compose and Meeting summary. Beginning this fall, Zoom will significantly expand its generative AI offering across its platform with the launch of AI Companion, at no additional cost with paid Zoom user accounts.

Zoom’s federated approach to AI delivers high-quality results and lowers costs by dynamically incorporating its own large language models, along with third-party models such as Meta Llama 2, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

Rooted in this unique approach, Zoom AI Companion delivers powerful, real-time digital assistant capabilities to help users improve productivity and work together more effectively. Zoom customers can expect to see AI Companion throughout the entire platform, from Meetings, Team Chat, Phone, Email, and Whiteboard, with additional features on the roadmap.

“We are transcending the hype in generative AI by delivering tangible products and disrupting the industry’s pricing model, making it easy for businesses and people like you and me to leverage generative AI’s full benefits in our day-to-day work,” said Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom. “We were founded on doing what’s right for our customers, and we firmly believe that offering Zoom AI Companion at no additional cost to our paid Zoom user accounts delivers tremendous value as we all navigate the challenges facing us today. We are excited to see our customers and users start using AI Companion and about our strong roadmap for further innovation underpinned by a commitment to responsible AI.”

How Zoom is Putting Customer Privacy First with Generative AI

Zoom’s goal is to invest in AI-driven innovation that enhances user experience and productivity while prioritizing trust, safety, and privacy. In August, Zoom shared that it does not use any customer audio, video, chat, screen-sharing, attachments, or other communications-like customer content (such as poll results, whiteboards, or reactions) to train Zoom’s or third-party artificial intelligence models. Additionally, AI Companion is turned off by default — account owners and administrators control whether to enable these AI features for their accounts. Zoom provides admins and users control and visibility when AI features are being used or activated. By putting its customers’ privacy needs first, Zoom is taking a leadership position, enabling its customers to use AI Companion and its capabilities with confidence.

Modern Work Powered by Zoom AI Companion

AI Companion makes it easy and frictionless to collaborate and become more productive, removing repetitive tasks and distractions, and helping teams collaborate more effectively.

AI Companion incorporates several new real-time AI capabilities immediately, with additional capabilities expected to launch over the next few months. AI Companion is transforming modern work in the following ways:

  • With Zoom Meetings, users can watch recordings faster through highlights and smart chapters, and review summaries and next steps, so they can easily catch up on a missed meeting. In the meeting, if enabled by the meeting host, attendees can catch up quickly without disrupting the meeting flow by discreetly submitting questions via the in-meeting AI Companion side panel to receive an AI-generated answer on what they missed. Post-meeting, hosts can receive an automated meeting summary to share with attendees and those who were unable to attend a meeting. These capabilities help team members who may be in different time zones catch up asynchronously. Planned for spring 2024, users will also have the ability to receive real-time feedback on their presence in meetings, as well as coaching on their conversational and presentation skills.
  • Zoom Team Chat is critical for real-time and asynchronous work, but it is easy to get lost in the volume of messages. AI Companion allows users to quickly draft messages based on the context of a chat thread, as well as change tone and length, so they can spend less time composing replies. In the coming weeks, users will be able to catch up on long chat threads through generative AI summarization, and by early 2024, users will have the ability to auto-complete chat sentences and schedule meetings from a chat.
  • This fall, Zoom Whiteboard users will get help from AI Companion with generating and categorizing ideas, and by spring 2024, users will be able to harness their whiteboard content to generate images and populate whiteboard templates.
  • Additionally, in early fall, Zoom Mail users will be able to get draft email suggestions. By spring 2024, users will be able to add meeting summaries to Zoom Notes and summarize SMS threads and calls with Zoom Phone.
  • In spring 2024, users will be able to interact with AI Companion through a conversational interface that will be able to understand the context of questions and support users with their content across the Zoom platform, such as prior meetings, chats, and select connected third-party apps, even initiating actions on their behalf. For example, users will be able to interact with AI Companion to get help with:
    • Pre-meeting preparation: Ask AI Companion to find the status of key projects to prepare for an upcoming customer meeting. AI Companion will be able to surface knowledge from meetings, chats, whiteboards, emails, documents, and, with users’ permission, from third-party applications on behalf of the user, to provide the latest updates.
    • In-meeting real-time support: Ask AI Companion real-time questions during the meeting to catch up on key points in the discussion, create and file a support ticket on an issue raised during a call, or provide a draft response to a question raised during the meeting.
    • Post meeting: Ask AI Companion to summarize the meeting that was held, automatically identify action items and key stakeholders, and surface the next steps to the relevant stakeholders in Team Chat or, with users’ permission, in their third-party applications.

Easy intuitive interface

Users will be able to access AI Companion from within their existing workflows such as within Zoom Meetings, Zoom Team Chat, and Zoom Whiteboard for capabilities such as Meeting summaries, Team Chat compose, and Whiteboard generation with a simple, easy-to-use experience. Starting now, users can additionally have interactive capabilities with AI Companion via a side panel by accessing these directly within the Meetings experience; this capability will expand across the Zoom platform in spring 2024, as capabilities are added.

For more information on AI Companion, visit the Zoom website.

About Zoom
Zoom is an all-in-one intelligent collaboration platform that makes connecting easier, more immersive, and more dynamic for businesses and individuals. Zoom technology puts people at the center, enabling meaningful connections, facilitating modern collaboration, and driving human innovation through solutions like team chat, phone, meetings, omnichannel cloud contact center, smart recordings, whiteboard, and more, in one offering. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more info at zoom.com.

Zoom Public Relations
Lacretia Taylor
[email protected]

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¹ Zoom AI Companion may not be available for select verticals and select regional customers.

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8916139

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Zenas BioPharma Announces Strategic License and Collaboration Agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb to Develop and Commercialize Novel Bi-Functional Antibody Obexelimab in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia

Collaboration furthers Zenas’ vision to bring innovative immunology-based medicines to patients around the world by leveraging Bristol Myers Squibb’s long-standing expertise in immune-mediated diseases

Zenas will receive a $50 million up-front cash payment and an equity investment from Bristol Myers Squibb, along with additional potential milestone-based payments and royalties in the licensed territory

WALTHAM, Mass., Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zenas BioPharma, a global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of immunology-based therapies, today announced that it has entered into a license and collaboration agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb Company to develop and commercialize obexelimab for autoimmune diseases in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.

Obexelimab is an investigational bifunctional, non-cytolytic, humanized monoclonal antibody that binds CD19 and FcγRIIb to inhibit B cells, plasmablasts, and CD19-expressing plasma cells. Obexelimab is currently being studied as a subcutaneous injection in a global Phase III trial in patients with IgG4-Related Disease (IgG4-RD), a disease for which there are currently no approved treatments. The compound is also being studied in a global Phase II/III trial in patients with warm antibody Auto-Immune Hemolytic Anemia (wAIHA).

“This collaboration marks an important step forward in realizing our vision for obexelimab to benefit patients living with auto immune diseases globally,” said Lonnie Moulder, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zenas BioPharma. “The deeply experienced and passionate team at Bristol Myers Squibb is an ideal partner based on their proven development, regulatory and commercial capabilities in Japan and throughout the licensed territory.”

“This collaboration represents an important opportunity to address unmet needs for people living with IgG4-RD, for which there are no approved treatment options,” said Steve Sugino, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Japan, Bristol Myers Squibb. “We are excited to work with Zenas BioPharma to expand the reach of obexelimab in the licensed territory and to make an impact on the lives of patients that are waiting.”

Under the terms of the license agreement, Zenas will receive a $50 million up-front cash payment and is eligible to receive additional payments in connection with the achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on net sales of obexelimab in the licensed territory. In exchange, Bristol Myers Squibb will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize obexelimab in the licensed territory. In addition, Bristol Myers Squibb is making an equity investment in Zenas.

About Obexelimab

Obexelimab is an investigational Phase 3-stage, bifunctional, non-cytolytic, humanized monoclonal antibody that mimics the action of antigen-antibody complexes by binding CD19 and FcγRIIb to inhibit B-lineage cell activity. In several early-stage clinical studies, including in various autoimmune diseases, 198 subjects were treated with obexelimab. In these clinical studies, obexelimab demonstrated inhibition of B cell function without depleting the cells, resulting in encouraging treatment effect in patients with various autoimmune diseases. Zenas acquired exclusive worldwide rights to obexelimab from Xencor, Inc.

More information on the Phase 3 (INDIGO) study for the treatment of IgG4 Related Disease is available at clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05662241. More information on the Phase 3 (SApHiAre) study is available at clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05786573.

About IgG4-related disease

IgG4-RD is a chronic, immune-mediated fibro-inflammatory disease that can affect multiple organs including the major salivary glands, orbits, lacrimal glands, pancreas, biliary tree, lungs, kidneys, and retroperitoneum. Approximately 20,000 patients are diagnosed with IgG4-RD in the United States alone. Despite its increasing recognition, there remains a need for further research and effective therapeutic options for individuals living with this debilitating disease.

Across the world, the use of glucocorticoids is widely considered to be the standard of care for treating IgG4-RD. There are no approved treatment options for this condition. While commonly used, glucocorticoids and available B cell depleting therapies rarely lead to long-term, treatment-free remissions, and are associated with a high risk of toxicity in these patients. Such therapies may also impair vaccine responses, including those for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza.

About Zenas BioPharma

Zenas BioPharma is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of immunology-based therapies for patients around the world. With clinical development and operations globally, Zenas is advancing a deep and balanced global portfolio of potential first- and best-in-class autoimmune therapeutics in areas of high unmet medical need while meeting the value requirements of the dynamic global healthcare environment. The company’s pipeline continues to grow through our successful business development strategy. Our experienced leadership team and network of business partners drive operational excellence to deliver potentially transformative therapies to improve the lives of those facing autoimmune and rare diseases. For more information about Zenas BioPharma, please visit www.zenasbio.com and follow us on Twitter at @ZenasBioPharma and LinkedIn.

Investor and Media Contact:
Joe Farmer, President & COO
Zenas BioPharma
[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8916029

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Sabin Vaccine Institute Leads Public and Private Sector Fight to Prevent HPV and End Cervical Cancer with Global HPV Consortium Launch in Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sept. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Global HPV Consortium, a worldwide public and private collaboration focused on accelerating prevention of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and eliminating cervical cancer, launched today in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Sabin Vaccine Institute will lead the Consortium as its Secretariat.

“We are building a new ecosystem in global public health,” said Anuradha Gupta, President of Global Immunization at Sabin. “We aim to create and implement a strategic roadmap focused on improving access and adoption of the tools in our HPV prevention arsenal – vaccines, screening, and treatment of precancerous lesions.”

Cervical cancer affects more than 600,00 women each year. It kills approximately 350,000 women annually, is increasing in frequency, and is highly preventable with the HPV vaccine. Almost 90% of the deaths from cervical cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries, where resources including secondary prevention such as screening and treatment, are limited. Without action, cervical cancer is projected to increase almost 50% by 2040.

“Today, we gather at a crossroads of innovation, commitment and resolve, to confront an issue of key importance to women and families world-wide: HPV – the human papillomavirus – and cervical cancer,” said Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization. “Cervical cancer is not only a health concern, but also a barrier to women’s ability to pursue an education, advance their economic opportunities and support the well-being of their families. That’s why the launch of the HPV Consortium is not just timely, but essential.”

The Consortium brings together a transdisciplinary alliance of public and private stakeholders, including organisations working on vaccination, cancer-control, non-communicable diseases, HIV, reproductive and adolescent health, gender equity and women empowerment. Joining the launch are country leaders, policy makers, implementers, researchers, youth advocates, women champions, non-profits, and industry representatives including manufacturers of vaccines, syringes, cold-chain, diagnostics, and therapeutics.

These goals support the groundbreaking 2018 World Health Organization Initiative to end cervical cancer –the first cancer targeted for elimination – and the World Health Organization’s 90-70-90 strategy of 90 percent of women vaccinated, 70 percent screened, and 90 percent treated by 2030.

“The Consortium is critical for building a better understanding of the impact of HPV and of cervical cancer on women,” said Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, who is delivering the keynote address. “We have work to do if we truly want to eliminate cervical cancer.”

Although the HPV vaccine has been available for 17 years, fewer than 1 in 7 eligible girls have received the vaccine and the global number vaccinated for HPV fell during the pandemic.

“The pandemic has highlighted the need for new collaborations. The Consortium’s uniqueness lies in the wide range of diverse partners uniting behind a common cause,” said Gupta. “It is time to topple silos and work across disciplines to prevent HPV, stop needless deaths and end cervical cancer.”

The Consortium will meet through Sept. 6.

For more information about the Consortium, visit: www.globalhpvconsortium.org

For media inquiries: [email protected]

About the Sabin Vaccine Institute

The Sabin Vaccine Institute is a leading advocate for expanding vaccine access and uptake globally, advancing vaccine research and development, and amplifying vaccine knowledge and innovation. Unlocking the potential of vaccines through partnership, Sabin has built a robust ecosystem of funders, innovators, implementers, practitioners, policy makers and public stakeholders to advance its vision of a future free from preventable diseases. As a non-profit with three decades of experience, Sabin is committed to finding solutions that last and extending the full benefits of vaccines to all people, regardless of who they are or where they live. At Sabin, we believe in the power of vaccines to change the world. For more information, visit www.sabin.org and follow us on X, @SabinVaccine.

Media Contact:
Monika Guttman
Media Relations Specialist
Sabin Vaccine Institute
+1 (202) 662-1841
[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8916130

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Use Heritage Month to build unity and social cohesion

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has encouraged citizens of the province to use this year’s Heritage Month to foster social cohesion, forge unity and work to promote the country’s democratic values, as enshrined in the country’s Constitution.

The Premier made the call as South Africa marks the beginning of Heritage Month under the theme, ‘Celebrating our Cultural Diversity in a Democratic South Africa’, which underscores the declaration of the Constitution that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in their diversity.

Dube-Ncube said this year’s theme for Heritage Month aims to reinforce the message of building a united and prosperous nation. She said the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government fully embraces this theme and will utilise this year’s celebration to deepen social cohesion, engender solidarity amongst the different communities, and drive growth and prosperity.

“Ours is a province that boasts a rich history and is home to a number of diverse cultures and icons who have helped shape not only our province, but the world. From the founder of the AmaZulu Nation, King Shaka of Senzangakhona, to the global icon of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi.

“Over the centuries, we have produced women and men who have changed the course of history globally. It is through embracing this diversity that our province has gained recognition as a province where the country and the world’s seminal moments are made,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Premier noted that over the years, the province has seen various cultures, including African, Indian, Afrikaner and English, amongst others, merge into an all-embracing KwaZulu-Natal culture that gives the province its cultural uniqueness.

“It is these various cultures that must come to the fore during this month, proving in the process, the maturity of our democracy.”

She also urged all South Africans to observe this month through events and meaningful engagements, whose aim is to celebrate and show case the provinces’ diverse cultures, forge unity and celebrate the country’s democracy.

The province will kick off its Heritage Month partnering with the Zulu Royal Household in celebrating the Royal Reed Dance (UMkhosi WoMhlanga), which will be presided over by His Majesty, King Misuzulu kaZwelithini.

The two-tiered Reed Festival will be held at Emachobeni Royal Palace in Jozini Local Municipality and at Enyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma Local Municipality on 2 – 3 September and 9 – 10 September 2023, respectively.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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SA strives to meet national ambient air quality standards

While South Africa’s air quality monitoring network shows that the country has not yet met the national ambient air quality standards, significant strides to attain improvements in the quality of air have been made.

Addressing the National Air Quality Governance Lekgotla, Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Makhotso Sotyu, said despite government’s efforts over the years, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and ozone remain the key pollutants of concern, especially in metropolitan municipalities and the air quality priority areas.

“Large scale industrial activities, power stations, vehicles, waste burning, and the burning of open veld continue to be major causes of air pollution. Recently, load shedding has increased the country’s reliance on alternative energy sources such as generators, coal, wood, charcoal, and paraffin in communities. The reliance on these alternative energy sources not only poses health hazards to the individuals themselves, but also exacerbate the deterioration of air quality,” Sotyu said on Monday.

Since the promulgation of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, South Africa has made significant strides to attain improvements in the quality of air.

“Our country has progressively facilitated the realisation of the Constitutional Right to an environment that promotes sustainable, equitable and inclusive growth that is not harmful to the health and well-being of citizens.

“We have advanced these constitutional rights to a safe and healthy environment with strong laws, vibrant cooperative governance, and innovative tools on air pollution management. These laws and tools must be supported by an effective and proactive enforcement to reduce harmful levels of air pollution and ensure a safe and healthy environment,” Sotyu said.

She further noted that South Africa’s quality monitoring stations continue to face increasing pressure due to escalating operational and maintenance costs and ageing infrastructure.

“At a time when the country is faced with economic and social challenges, and fiscal constraints, the national Department has had to find new ways to meet monitoring objectives through the support of the South African Weather Service (SAWS).

“We will be calling upon the entity to assist all spheres of government in managing several strategic stations for the foreseeable future. Such an intervention must ultimately build the much-needed technical capacity in government that will be sustainable,” she said.

The National Air Quality Governance Lekgotla took place in Polokwane, Limpopo, under the theme: “Scalable Emission Reductions by 2030.”

“While capacity at local government remains a challenge, the implementation of the Special Cabinet decision to assist struggling municipalities with the administrative function of processing atmospheric emission licences has enabled significant improvements in this regard.

“The sector has achieved an efficiency of 88% in processing atmospheric emission licences in the last financial year, compared to 63% achieved in the previous financial year,” Sotyu said.

The Deputy Minister said the department is developing priority area regulations to implement and enforce Priority Area Air Quality Management Plans.

“I am happy to report that these regulations have undergone extensive public consultations and will be considered for publication soon. These regulations will intensify accountability and a shared responsibility across all sectors of society in improving the quality of air,” the Deputy Minister said.

Source: South African Government News Agency

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Deadline looms for comments on minimum wage adjustments

Stakeholders with an interest in the adjustment of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) have until Friday to submit their written representations.

The National Minimum Wage Commission, through its Chairperson Professor Adriaan van der Walt, issued a notice on 1 August 2023 inviting all interested parties to submit written representations concerning possible adjustment to the NMW in 2024.

“The written comments/representations concerning possible adjustments to the National Minimum Wage will be considered by the Commission before it publishes its annual report and recommendations on the annual review of the national minimum wage later in the year,” Van der Walt said.

The invite for written submissions is conducted in accordance with section 6(2) of the National Minimum Wage Act, No. 9 of 2018.

The current rate of NMW as announced by Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi in February 2023 jumped from R23.19 (in 2022) to R25.42 for each ordinary hour worked.

The annual rate came into effect from 01 March 2023.

The existing National Minimum Wage determination now includes the vulnerable sectors of farm workers and the domestic workers – whom with effect from last year were also aligned with the NMW rates.

The National Minimum Wage Act applies to all workers and their employers except members of the South African National Defence Force, the National Intelligence Agency and the South African Secret Service.

The act does not apply to a volunteer, who is a person who performs work for another person and who does not receive or is not entitled to receive, any remuneration for his or her service

A fine maybe imposed on an employer who paid an employee less than the national minimum wage.

The primary functions of the Commission is to review the NMW and make recommendations annually for its adjustment, and to investigate the impact of the NMW on the economy, collective bargaining and income differentials among others.

Representations should reach the directorate: Employment Standards, Department of Employment and Labour, Private Bag X117, Pretoria, 0001 or be sent to [email protected]

Source: South African Government News Agency