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  • SCG Cell Therapy Announces Clearance of Investigational New Drug Application by the China NMPA for SCG101V

    SINGAPORE, July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SCG Cell Therapy Pte Ltd (SCG), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering TCR T cell therapy for infectious diseases and associated cancers, announced today that the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has cleared the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for SCG101V, marking the first-ever investigational cell therapy to enter regulatory approved Phase 1/2 clinical trial for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

    SCG101 is designed to cure chronic hepatitis B by eliminating HBV cccDNA and HBV-DNA integration within HBV-infected hepatocytes, which are the fundamental source of persistent infection and antigen production. These infected hepatocytes serve as the long-term viral reservoir that current antiviral therapies fail to eradicate. “SCG101 is designed to mimic the natural immune response observed in individuals who are able to clear HBV infection spontaneously. HBV-specific T cells play a central role in this process and, remarkably, through genetic engineering of T cells, we were able to replicate this natural process as demonstrated in our preclinical models and clinical data in hepatocellular carcinoma, providing strong evidence that this promise holds true in hepatitis B patients”, said Professor Ulrike Protzer, Scientific Founder of SCG Cell Therapy and Director of Institute of Virology Technical University of Munich / Helmholtz Munich.

    In Phase 1 clinical trial of SCG101 in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), SCG101 demonstrated a good safety profile and sustained clearance of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), even in heavily pre-treated patients. Among the treated patients, 94% of patients had previously received nucleoside analogue (NA) antiviral therapy, and 72% presented with baseline liver cirrhosis. Following a single infusion of SCG101, all patients experienced a rapid decline in HBsAg level. Notably, 94% achieved a 1.0–4.6 log₁₀ reduction in HBsAg within 28 days, with HBsAg levels remained <100 IU/mL for up to one year without rebound. Furthermore, 23% of patients achieved complete HBsAg loss, a critical benchmark for a cure.

    Professor Niu Jinqi, Vice President and Chief Physician of The First Hospital of Jilin University, commented: “SCG101 has demonstrated significant breakthrough potential in HBV-related liver cancer, remarkably, achieving HBsAg loss following a single dose. This IND approval by the NMPA marks a pioneering step toward a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B. We are excited about the prospects of this therapy and the benefit it could bring to millions of patients, helping to reduce the burden of liver disease in China and globally”.

    Chronic HBV infection affects an estimated 300 million people globally and is a leading cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, contributing to more than 820,000 deaths each year. While current standard-of-care therapies can suppress viral replication, they rarely achieve a functional cure and therefore cannot fundamentally halt disease progression.

    “This IND clearance represents a historic milestone—not only for SCG but for the broader field of hepatitis B treatment. With indications across HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma, HBV-related cholangiocarcinoma, and chronic hepatitis B, this IND clearance further validates our development strategy—expanding from virus-induced cancers to chronic infectious diseases“, said Christy Ma, Chief Executive Officer of SCG Cell Therapy. “SCG101 is the first cell therapy product to receive regulatory approval to enter a Phase 1/2 clinical trial specifically for HBV and HBV-induced cancer, and we are proud to lead the way in advancing toward a long-term functional cure. We remain on track for initiation of a pivotal study, following the recent completion of our Phase 1 study in patients with HBV-HCC. We look forward to sharing additional clinical data as we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in cell therapy.”

    – END –

    About SCG101

    SCG101 is an investigational autologous T cell receptor (TCR) T cell therapy designed to selectively target specific epitope of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Powered by SCG’s proprietary GianTCR™ screening platform, which enables the discovery of natural, high-affinity, high-avidity TCRs against intracellular antigens presented via the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). SCG101 delivers precise immune-mediated clearance of infected and malignant cells demonstrating significant tumour inhibition and the eradication of HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in preclinical and clinical studies.

    About HBV

    Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV can cause chronic infection which leads to a higher risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer. Chronic HBV infection is a major global health issue, affecting nearly 300 million people across the world. Approximately 1.1 million people die every year from complications related to chronic HBV infection despite the availability of effective vaccines and current treatment options.

    About SCG Cell Therapy

    SCG Cell Therapy is a leading biotechnology company dedicated to developing novel immunotherapies for infectious diseases and associated cancers. The company focuses on targeting some of the most common cancer-causing infections, including Helicobacter pylori, HPV, HBV, and EBV. SCG is advancing a broad pipeline of TCR-based therapeutics aimed at preventing and curing infection-related cancers. Headquartered in Singapore, SCG operates across Singapore, China, and Germany, leveraging regional strengths to cover the entire value chain, from innovative drug research and discovery to manufacturing, clinical development, and commercialization. For more information, please visit www.scgcell.com.

    SOURCE SCG Cell Therapy Pte Ltd

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  • Story without an end – Opinion

    Story without an end – Opinion

    There is a dark story in Pakistan that is narrated in a random, sporadic, and heartbreaking manner. It is a story without an end.

    Vislualise it as a cinematic experience in living colour. There is a plot that hangs like an umbrella over various sub plots.

    The grand scheme of things always defines the main plot which in turn revolves around well-known main characters. They make policies, pass laws, deliver judgements, fight wars, and run affairs that govern the lives of citizens. They control the resources of the state and spend them as they deem fit for the benefit of many, and often few, and often themselves. Themselves quite often, actually. New vehicles, refurbished offices, salary hikes, foreign junkets, and schemes that provide them real estate benefits.

    Then there’s the other story. This story revolves around plots where buildings collapse in Karachi because the main characters of the main story did not do what they are paid to do. Or two dozen infants die in Pakpattan because of the criminal negligence of those who live lives of privilege on taxpayers’ money. Or a dozen family members are swallowed by a raging flashflood in Swat because those mandated to save them could not do so because of incompetence and neglect.

    Every day of every week of every month brings forth similar stories across the length and breadth of the country. And yet, nothing changes. Nothing improves. Nothing is reformed. The main characters remain main, while the minor ones drown, suffocate or get crushed under the rubble of falling buildings.

    The tragic events of the last two weeks have once again reminded us that the heartbreaking story of Pakistan is narrated again and again through tragedies that are shrugged off as part of life in this country. The reactions from those responsible are evidence enough that heartbreak is also now institutionalized within the system.

    One person dismissed, another suspended, yet another transferred. Monetary compensation for the victim’s families in addition to condemnations from leaders (the wordings never change). All go through the motions, wait for the headlines and memories to fade, then return to doing things the way they have always been done. No expectations, no surprises and no lessons.

    Ask those who are mourning the family drowned in Swat. Do they expect a full review of the relief and rescue operations in KP will take place? Will they hear soon that provincial leaders have not just taken the responsible people to task but have also drawn a blueprint for an international standard rescue and relief organization?

    Will the mourners be assured that the new setup will have no shortage of resources (provinces are flush with money) and will be staffed with people who are trained professionally?

    Ask those whose loved ones breathed their last under the rubble of the building in Karachi. Will they be shocked to hear that the Sindh Building Control Authority’s (SBCA’s) corruption is the worst kept secret in Karachi? Will they be justified in asking why the Sindh government is only now deciding to demolish more than fifty dangerous buildings? Did the government not know of the presence of such buildings and the danger they pose to the lives of inhabitants?

    Will they now be assured that all corruption in SBCA will be stopped? That all those high officials receiving a cut from corruption will be identified and taken to task? That new system of approvals of buildings will be instituted and no one will be able to shortcut his way through permissions?

    Ask the grieving parents whose infants perished in the hospital in Pakpattan. Will they be informed that the root causes of this criminal negligence have been identified and resolved? That the arrest of senior officials is just the start of a process that will reform the entire supply chain of medical incompetence within the Punjab government? That standardized system of medical care and hospital management will be instituted across the province and the health minister will be directly held responsible for future tragedies in hospitals?

    The answer to all these questions is also the worst kept secret in the country.

    No surprise then that the more things are claimed to have been changed, the more they remain the same. We will keep hearing big talk of reforms in the tax machinery, and of privatization, and of provincial chief ministers’ ‘revolutionary’ schemes draped in photo-ops, and of information departments churning out press releases about governance successes, but what we will never hear of is the deep change in the rotten official system that governs Pakistan.

    We have won wars, but we are bleeding from the inside. This internal hemorrhaging is the real danger that no main character of our heartbreaking story is ready and willing to stop. It is a story draped in tragedy. It is a story without an end.

    Copyright Business Recorder, 2025

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  • Netanyahu says has nominated Trump for Nobel Peace Prize – Al Arabiya English

    1. Netanyahu says has nominated Trump for Nobel Peace Prize  Al Arabiya English
    2. Netanyahu nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize  Dawn
    3. US recognises Pakistan’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Trump  The Express Tribune
    4. Benjamin Netanyahu nominates Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize – as Gaza ceasefire talks continue  Sky News
    5. Netanyahu nominates Trump for Nobel peace prize at White House meeting  The Guardian

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  • Scientists discover how H5N1 virus invades cattle

    Scientists discover how H5N1 virus invades cattle

    Chinese scientists say they have uncovered how the H5N1 virus initially invades the mammary glands of dairy cattle, potentially triggering last year’s outbreak of bird flu across more than 1,000 dairy farms in the United States.

    The study, published recently in the journal National Science Review, was conducted by the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Heilongjiang province. Researchers found that tissues in the mouths of cattle support H5N1 virus binding and replication, allowing the virus to spread to the mammary glands during suckling.

    Chen Hualan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a chief scientist at the institute, and her team also confirmed that vaccination provides full protection against the virus in dairy cows. The study suggests that targeted control of milk-stealing behavior and immunization could help curb H5N1 outbreaks among cattle.

    Highly pathogenic bird flu subtype H5N1 is a major zoonotic disease, transmissible from animals to humans under natural conditions. Since 2021, a new strain has caused tens of thousands of outbreaks among poultry and wild birds worldwide.

    In March last year, the virus began infecting dairy cows in the US. As of June 7 this year, infections have been reported on more than 1,070 dairy farms across 17 states, with cow-to-cow transmission suspected during milking, according to the study.

    The outbreaks have resulted in a cow mortality rate of up to 10 percent and infected at least 41 farmworkers, raising concerns about dairy production and public health.

    Previous research found that H5N1 can damage cows’ mammary glands and contaminate milk, with about one-fourth of retail milk samples in the US testing positive for the virus. However, it was unclear how the virus initially entered the mammary glands, and no effective control measures were available.

    The new findings shed light on the virus’ transmission routes in cattle, Chen said. The study revealed that cows’ oral tissues are rich in sialic acid receptors, which are key binding sites for H5N1, making cattle vulnerable to infection through contaminated feed and water. The virus can replicate and remain in the mouth for several days. Behaviors such as self-suckling and cross-suckling from other cows can enable oral-to-udder transmission of the virus, the study found.

    Vaccination has been central to controlling highly pathogenic bird flu in China since 2004, with anti-genically well-matched vaccines providing complete protection in poultry. Applying this approach to cattle could be an effective and economical way to halt H5N1 transmission and reduce its threat to public health, Chen said.

    “We found that either an inactivated H5 vaccine or a hemagglutinin-based DNA vaccine could induce sterilizing immunity in cows against challenges from multiple H5N1 virus strains,” she said.

    Inactivated and DNA vaccines could prevent both naturally occurring H5N1 infections in cattle and mammary gland infections caused by high-dose virus exposure during milking, Chen said.

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  • Samsung flags big miss in Q2 profit, blames US AI chip curbs on China – Reuters

    1. Samsung flags big miss in Q2 profit, blames US AI chip curbs on China  Reuters
    2. Samsung expected to report 39 percent drop in second-quarter profit  Profit by Pakistan Today
    3. Samsung Electronics Announces Earnings Guidance for Second Quarter 2025  Samsung Newsroom
    4. Samsung Electronics to Debut One UI 8 with Enhanced AI Security on New Foldable Smartphone  MarketScreener
    5. Samsung posts earnings shock as profit plunges 56% in Q2  Nikkei Asia

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  • Bibliometric Analysis of the Epidemiological Research on Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment

    Bibliometric Analysis of the Epidemiological Research on Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment


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  • India seeks to tighten derivatives trading after Jane Street saga – Financial Times

    India seeks to tighten derivatives trading after Jane Street saga – Financial Times

    1. India seeks to tighten derivatives trading after Jane Street saga  Financial Times
    2. Should Jane Street be Banned in India?  Disruption Banking
    3. Sebi plans to heighten surveillance to check manipulation in derivatives market  The Economic Times
    4. “Options Trading Playground For Big Players”: Rahul Gandhi On Jane Street Saga  NDTV
    5. India to Upgrade Market Surveillance After Jane Street Ban  Regulation Asia

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  • Katie Holmes reacts to Tom Cruise, Ana de Armas’s new romance

    Katie Holmes reacts to Tom Cruise, Ana de Armas’s new romance

    Katie Holmes’ subtle move sparks buzz over Tom Cruise, Ana de Armas romance

    Katie Holmes’ subtle move sparked buzz among fans after her major move over Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas’ romance.

    It was discovered by attentive fans that the 46-year-old actress pressed the like button of a social media post talking about Tom and her rumored girlfriend Ana’s budding love.

    The post, which was posted by Daily Mail on their Instagram handle, reported about Tom and Ana’s helicopter fight, which they took in London before her 37th birthday bash.

    Katie apparently liked the post, as fans were quick to notice her and left a comment speculating about her move, however, she subtly unliked the icon.

    “Katie Holmes liked this post,” an eagle-eyed commenter noted, while another fan inquired, “Did anyone else notice that Katie Holmes liked the post?”

    It is pertinent to mention that Tom and Katie, who are also parents to 19-year-old daughter Suri, tied the knot back in 2006 and parted ways in 2012.

    Recently, Suri took a bold step of removing her father’s last name from her moniker and opted for Katie’s middle name, Noelle, as hers. 


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  • Australian business activity rebounds in June, survey finds – Reuters

    1. Australian business activity rebounds in June, survey finds  Reuters
    2. Australia Business Conditions and Confidence Jump Ahead of RBA Decision  Bloomberg.com
    3. Australian Business Activity Sees Remarkable Turnaround In June  Finimize
    4. Australia’s services PMI hits 13-month high to 51.8 in June amid rising optimism  MSN
    5. Australia’s Services Sector Shows Unexpected Growth  TipRanks

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  • Novak Djokovic teases crowd and De Minaur before reaching Wimbledon quarter-finals | Wimbledon 2025

    Novak Djokovic teases crowd and De Minaur before reaching Wimbledon quarter-finals | Wimbledon 2025

    Novak Djokovic won his 101st match at Wimbledon and advanced to his eighth consecutive quarter-final. Not that this was enough for the Serbian all-timer. In an act of grand generosity against his opponent Alex de Minaur, he also had his worst opening set at SW19, granting a rapt Centre Court crowd a rare moment of jeopardy at one of his matches.

    The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion was broken three times in the first set by the Australian 12 years his junior. Djokovic’s game was all over the place. In that short window it was possible to imagine a world in which decent, well‑rounded challengers such as De Minaur, the No 11 seed, might come into these matches with hope of something other than chastening defeat. It was a nice thought while it lasted.

    Everyone at this tennis sanctum knows better than to discount Djokovic, of course, at any point in a match. Even after such a disembodied display in the opening half-hour, the projected outcome was still success for the 38-year-old, and so it duly proved. The errors sharply declined, as if he had had a strong word with himself internally. The quality of his serve rose with each game to the point that it was the decisive weapon in the third set.

    The fourth set was a dogfight after going 3-0 down but Djokovic got his teeth into the contest and held on until De Minaur submitted. Next up is the Italian No 22 seed, Flavio Cobolli.

    “I was not feeling good, not finding the right timing,” Djokovic said of the first set, citing the swirling wind inside Centre Court.

    Roger Federer was in the royal box on Centre Court for Novak Djokovic’s match against Alex de Minaur. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

    “[De Minaur] was obviously feeling that. He was exposing my game, exposing my weaknesses, trying to mix things up, and returning extremely well. I think he’s one of the toughest opponents you can have on this kind of day where it’s very windy. He’s so quick, he constantly makes you play. He’s also a very smart player. On the grass, he knows how to use the slice and the angles.”

    Djokovic’s analysis was typically astute. With Roger Federer watching on from the royal box, something Djokovic claims has acted previously as a “curse” on his performance, De Minaur was dynamic, agile and clever. He could keep up with Djokovic’s power easily enough but could also read his range, responding to the lobs, drop shots and switches of side sharply. He bossed the longer rallies. His own error count was low and he bounced his way into the second set.

    Djokovic then did what he has almost always done in moments of adversity: he doubled down and turned the screw. The very first point of the second set was a blitz of furious stroke-making and the former world No 1 secured a break of serve at the first time of asking.

    To De Minaur’s credit he broke back straight away, but this was an arduous affair of seven deuces. Djokovic then stepped up and broke again. A second huge effort brought De Minaur level again but at 3-3 Djokovic broke him once more, this time to love and with the winning shot a delightful backhand slice across court that left the younger man frozen on his feet. As the Serb closed out the second set to level things up the familiar sense of inevitability began to rise.

    Alex de Minaur shows his disappointment as the match slips away against Novak Djokovic. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

    The third set went with serve for 10 games, but the sense of De Minaur having to scramble just to keep up was growing. Djokovic’s first‑serve percentage was at 80%, up from 48% in the first set. At the crucial juncture of 4-4 and with increasingly little room for error, the pressure finally told. Djokovic won a scintillating rally at 15-30 with a jaw-dropping volley on the slide back across himself, and then his opponent delivered a gift of a loose forehand to seal the break. A couple more errors from De Minaur and the third set was gone.

    Djokovic took his foot off the pedal for a moment at the start of the fourth and De Minaur stole a break of serve. He held it too, for a service game at least. At 4-2 it was all on the line and De Minaur found his best level for a final time, holding Djokovic to account in the rallies. It was not enough, though.

    By now Djokovic was hitting so well that he did not need to find a winner, just gradually, incrementally turn up the pressure in his favour. And so 4-2 became 4-3 then 4-4. In the blink of an eye he broke again and served out the match. All that early drama seemed a long way away.

    Djokovic is revving up for the opportunity to compete for the title once more. “I think I do have a chance – there’s no doubt about it,” he said.

    “I’ve been playing some really good tennis this year. So I feel good about myself. I feel confident. I feel motivated to go all the way. Let’s see what happens.”

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