2007'12.04.Tue
Spirit AeroSystems to Provide Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Services in Europe
November 07, 2007
WICHITA, Kan., Nov. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Spirit
AeroSystems, Inc. today announced its intention to provide
Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul services in Europe. The
Spirit AeroSystems Europe (Prestwick) facility has been
selected to assist in the performance of repair services
and will support the European and Middle East regions.
The initial scope of work will be focused on repair,
overhaul and modification of engine nacelles/thrust
reversers for Boeing 737NG and 777 aircraft commencing
mid-2008.
The European repair activities will complement Spirit's
Wichita Repair Center, which has been in operation since
2002, which continues global support of operators of Spirit
nacelles/thrust reverser products.
For more information, please contact:
Prestwick:
Conrad King
Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.
PR and Communications
Tel: +44-1292-672323
Wichita:
Debbie Gann
Director of Communications
Spirit AeroSystems, Inc.
Tel: +1-316-519-7340
PR
2007'12.04.Tue
Xinhua Finance Media Announces a Joint Project with NBC Olympics to Produce Animated Series `Ring Force Five'
November 07, 2007
BEIJING, Nov. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua Finance
Media ("XFMedia"; Nasdaq: XFML), China's leading
diversified financial and entertainment media company,
announced today that its subsidiary Small World Television
Limited ("Small World") has reached an agreement
with NBC Olympics to jointly produce the animated series,
"Ring Force Five".
In anticipation of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games next
summer, "Ring Force Five" is an animated series
featuring five futuristic Olympians who travel back in time
to experience the true essence and spirit of the modern
Games, which were revived from their ancient model in 1896.
As they pursue their adventures through the defining
moments of the Games, the young Olympians of "Ring
Force Five" are assisted by both ancient wisdom and
advanced technology, with the goal of keeping the Olympic
flame burning forever bright.
"We are very proud that Small World has been
chosen for this project," said XFMedia CEO Fredy Bush.
"The association with NBC Universal is of great
significance to XFMedia. We are looking forward to working
closely with them and building a bridge to the major US
sponsors involved with the Olympic Games and NBC."
"Our recent acquisition of Small World, was
specifically targeted for creating production and
advertising revenue opportunities in the US and we look
forward to future collaborations with US broadcasters and
media companies," added Ms. Bush.
The two companies will cooperate in the creation,
promotion, distribution, product merchandising, sponsored
product placement and advertising sales related to the
series. The first anticipated project is a one-hour DVD,
which is to be released in the US just prior to the 2008
Beijing Games. NBC Olympics and Small World will be
responsible for the global marketing and merchandising of
the DVD.
NBC Olympics is a division of NBC Universal. Dick
Ebersol is Chairman, Olympic and Sports; Gary Zenkel is
President. "Ring Force Five" is being produced
in conjunction with the unit's development arm, The Edison
Project.
Small World Television Limited, a Xinhua Finance Media
Company, is a television programming and production
consulting company based in Hong Kong with offices in
Beijing, China and New York City.
About Xinhua Finance Media Limited
Xinhua Finance Media ("XFMedia"; Nasdaq:
XFML) is China's leading diversified financial and
entertainment media company targeting high net worth
individuals nationwide. The company reaches its target
audience via TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and other
distribution channels. Through its five synergistic
business groups, Advertising, Broadcast, Print, Production
and Research, XFMedia offers a total solution empowering
clients at every stage of the media process and keeping
people connected and entertained.
Headquartered in Beijing, the company has offices and
affiliates in major cities of China including Beijing,
Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. For more
information, please visit http://www.xinhuafinancemedia.com
.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements.
These statements are made under the "safe harbor"
provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be
identified by terminology such as "will,"
"expects," "anticipates,"
"future," "intends," "plans,"
"believes," "estimates," ``confident''
and similar statements. Among other things, expectations
about the production schedules and quotations from
management in this announcement contain forward-looking
statements. Statements that are not historical facts,
including statements about XFMedia's beliefs and
expectations, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but
are not limited to, risks outlined in XFMedia's filings with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its
registration statement on Form F-1. All information
provided in this press release is as of the date hereof,
and XFMedia undertakes no duty to update such information,
except as required under applicable law.
For more information, please contact:
China
Xinhua Finance Media
Joy Tsang
Tel: +86-21-6113-5999
Mobile: +86-136-2179-1577
Email: joy.tsang@xinhuafinancemedia.com
2007'12.04.Tue
Thomson Scientific Broadens Chinese Patent Coverage in Derwent World Patents Index
November 07, 2007
New Patent Data Offers Comprehensive Coverage of
English-translated Chinese Utility Model Registrations
PHILADELPHIA and LONDON, Nov. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Thomson Scientific, part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE:
TOC; TSX: TOC) and leading provider of information
solutions to the worldwide research and business
communities, has broadened its coverage of China's growing
patent activity with the addition of English-translated
Chinese Utility Model Registrations in Derwent World
Patents Index(R) (DWPI(SM)). Thomson Scientific is the
first patent information provider to offer weekly
comprehensive coverage of all Chinese Utility Model
Registrations in English. Utility models are similar to
patents, but require a less stringent review process and
offer a shorter protection period. Like conventional
patents, utility models reveal important new technology
advances and are a significant part of any prior art
search.
"As China's economy continues to grow rapidly and
shifts from manufacturing to one that is more
innovation-based, it is becoming a hotbed of patent
activity," said David Brown, Executive Vice President,
Thomson Scientific. "Thomson Scientific is pleased to
be able to offer this critical patent data through our
Derwent World Patents Index database, providing patent
researchers with the most comprehensive view of global
patent activity, including China."
According to Thomson Scientific's World IP Today Global
Patent Activity Report, published in April 2007, patent
activity in China grew by 470 percent from 1997 to 2006,
outpacing all other countries in terms of growth.
The Chinese Utility Model Registrations, beginning with
records published on October 3, 2007, are initially
available in Derwent World Patents Index First View(SM)
(DWPI First View(SM)), the companion file to DWPI. Records
in DWPI First View include human translation of the
author's title, abstract and first claim. Each record is
then reviewed by one of Thomson Scientific's expert
analysts before it is uploaded into DWPI, where Chinese
Utility Registration records have the same benefits that
are available for all DWPI patent records, including an
alerting abstract and manual coding.
DWPI is the world's most comprehensive database of
value-added patent documents, and is available on the
Dialog(R), STN International and Questel*Orbit online
services. For more information about DWPI, please visit
http://scientific.thomson.com/products/dwpi/ .
Thomson Scientific's World IP Today Global Patent
Activity Report is available for download at
http://scientific.thomson.com/media/pdfs/Patent-Report-4.26.07.pdf
.
About The Thomson Corporation
The Thomson Corporation ( http://www.thomson.com ) is a
global leader in providing essential electronic workflow
solutions to business and professional customers. With
operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson
provides value-added information, software tools and
applications to professionals in the fields of law, tax,
accounting, financial services, scientific research and
healthcare. The Corporation's common shares are listed on
the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX:
TOC).
Thomson Scientific is a business of The Thomson
Corporation. Its information solutions assist
professionals at every stage of research and
development-from discovery to analysis to product
development and distribution. Thomson Scientific
information solutions can be found at
scientific.thomson.com.
For more information, please contact:
Kevin Bonsor
Thomson Scientific
Tel: +1-919-461-7428
Email: kevin.bonsor@thomson.com
2007'12.04.Tue
Marsh Has Got The Largest Wheel in the World Covered
November 07, 2007
BEIJING, Nov. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Marsh has placed
a tailor-made insurance program for the construction and
erection of the Great Observation Wheel in Beijing, the
world's largest observation wheel. The construction and
erection of the Great Observation Wheel is scheduled for
completion next year.
(Logo: http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/200708011810-min.jpg
)
At a height of 208 meters, the Great Observation Wheel
-- Beijing will be the tallest in the world. It has been
specifically designed and positioned to be a prominent
Beijing landmark with exciting and convenient supporting
retail facilities. Development, planning and operations for
the project will draw from both traditional sources and more
recent successful leisure and entertainment models now
operating in the United States and Europe.
"We expect it will be a most successful attraction
for visitors," says Mr. Stephen Matter, the chief
executive of the Great Beijing Wheel Company. The wheel is
scheduled to be opened in time for the Beijing Olympic
Games next year.
Marsh, the world's leading risk and insurance
specialist, was engaged by Great Beijing Wheel Company
Limited to advise on risk and place the insurance for the
project.
"We are proud to be associated with such a
tremendous achievement as the Great Observation
Wheel," says Paul Wilkins, the chief executive of
Marsh Greater China.
Marsh brought its experience from Britain's London Eye
observation wheel and other large infrastructure projects
from around the world to devise an appropriate insurance
program. The program includes insurance for Delay in
Start-up, Project Cargo and Project Professional Indemnity,
and was strongly supported by leading reinsurers in the
global market.
The official signing of the insurance contact was held
during the construction commencement ceremony for the
project on November 5 at 11am in Chaoyang Park, Beijing.
About Marsh:
As the world's leading insurance broker and risk
advisor, Marsh has 26,000 employees and provides advice and
transactional capabilities to clients in over 100 countries.
Marsh is a unit of Marsh & McLennan Companies (MMC), a
global professional services firm with approximately 55,000
employees and approximately $12 billion of annual revenues.
MMC also is the parent company of Guy Carpenter, Kroll,
Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Oliver Wyman, and Putnam
Investments. MMC's stock (ticker symbol: MMC) is listed on
the New York, Chicago, and London stock exchanges. MMC's
Web Site is http://www.mmc.com .
For further information, please contact:
Starry Zou
Marketing & Communications Manager -- Greater
China
Tel: +86-10-6533-4008
Email: starry.zou@marsh.com
2007'12.04.Tue
China Precision Steel Closes $47.9 Million Financing
November 07, 2007
SHANGHAI, China, Nov. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- China
Precision Steel (Nasdaq: CPSL), a niche precision steel
processing company principally engaged in producing and
selling high precision cold-rolled steel products,
announced today that it has successfully completed the sale
to certain institutional investors of an aggregate of
7,100,000 shares of its common stock at a purchase price of
$6.75 per share and an aggregate of 1,420,000 warrants to
purchase its common stock, for gross proceeds of
$47,925,000. Roth Capital Partners, LLC acted as the
placement agent for this registered direct transaction.
"The market opportunity for high value ultra-thin
precision steel remains strong. With this additional
capital, we plan to expand our production capacity of high
carbon and specialty precision steel as we build our
dominant position in China and expand into international
markets," commented Dr. Wo Hing Li.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell
or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security and
shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any
securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer,
solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to
registration or qualification under the securities laws of
such jurisdiction.
Any offering of the Company's common stock and warrants
in the United States is being made only by means of a
written prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10
of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
About China Precision Steel
China Precision Steel is a niche precision steel
processing company principally engaged in the production
and sale of high precision cold-rolled steel products and
provides value added services such as heat treatment, and
cutting medium and high carbon hot-rolled steel strips.
China Precision Steel produces high precision ultra-thin
and high-strength (0.03 mm to 7.5 mm) cold-rolled steel
products primarily for automotive components, food
packaging materials, saw blades and textile needle
manufacturing companies in the People's Republic of China.
The Company's operations are primarily located in China,
with sales to Southeast Asia and Africa. For more
information please visit
http://www.chinaprecisionsteelinc.com .
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are
statements that are not historical facts. Such
forward-looking statements are based upon the current
beliefs and expectations of the Company's management and
are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause
actual results to differ from the forward-looking
statements. The following factors, among others, could
cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the
forward-looking statements: business conditions in China,
weather and natural disasters, changing interpretations of
generally accepted accounting principles; outcomes of
government reviews; inquiries and investigations and
related litigation; continued compliance with government
regulations; legislation or regulatory environments,
requirements or changes adversely affecting the businesses
in which the Company is engaged; cyclicality of steel
consumption including overcapacity and decline in steel
prices, limited availability of raw material and energy may
constrain operating levels and reduce profit margins,
environmental compliance and remediation could result in
increased cost of capital as well as other relevant risks
not included herein. The information set forth herein
should be read in light of such risks. The Company does not
assume any obligation to update the information contained in
this press release.
For more information, please contact:
CCG Elite
Crocker Coulson, President /
Leslie Richardson, Financial Writer
Tel: +1-310-231-8600
Email: crocker.coulson@ccgir.com /
leslie.richardson@ccgir.com
China Precision Steel
Leada Li, CFO
Email: leadali@biznetvigator.com
2007'12.04.Tue
Safety-Kleen Expands Operations Into China, Opens Shanghai Office Focused on Manufacturing, Environmental Services
November 07, 2007
PLANO, Texas and SHANGHAI, China, Nov. 7
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc., has expanded its operations
into China, opening its first mainland office on Oct. 10,
2007, in the Shanghai World Trade Tower.
( Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071106/LATU106 )
"We're very excited about establishing a long-term
presence in China, and the Shanghai office marks the
beginning of that effort," said Safety-Kleen CEO and
President Frederick J. Florjancic. "During the past
year, we've been very pleased with the high-quality
equipment we have been able to have manufactured in China,
and we plan to make Shanghai the hub of our China sourcing
operations."
Florjancic said Safety-Kleen International Asia
Investment Co., Ltd., will be led by Henry Chan, an
experienced strategic sourcing and supply chain management
expert, and will initially focus on rapidly accelerating
the company's efforts to manufacture equipment and parts in
China. Safety-Kleen will also seek to identify potential
strategic partners as it evaluates opportunities for
expanding its environmental services business in China.
Safety-Kleen, a privately held company, is the leading
oil recycling and re-refining, parts cleaner and industrial
waste management services company in North America, and
currently has licensee operations in Japan, South Korea,
Thailand and Israel. The company has also signed an
agreement for licensee expansion in Vietnam, which will
begin in 2008.
"As many of our existing customers expand their
operations globally, and especially in Asia, they are
increasingly asking us to provide them the same kind of
world-class environmental services they now receive in
North America," said Safety-Kleen Senior Vice
President Mike Fraser. "With today's international
focus on environmental protection and product stewardship,
smart, sustainable businesses want to be sure they have a
reliable and proven partner like Safety-Kleen to help them
meet their environmental service needs, regardless of where
those needs arise."
While in China, Florjancic and other Safety-Kleen
executives also met with Central, Provincial and local
government leaders, as well as with other executives in the
petrochemical and environmental services industries.
"We are looking forward to expanding our staff and
our operations in China," said Chan, Safety-Kleen's
Managing Director for China. "With its skilled
workforce and vast range of international companies, we
believe China represents a dual opportunity -- we can lower
our costs for acquiring high-quality equipment, and provide
businesses in China with the very best environmental
solutions for their used oil, parts cleaning and hazardous
waste management needs."
About Safety-Kleen
Safety-Kleen, a privately held company, is the leading
oil recycling and re-refining, parts cleaner and industrial
waste management services company in North America, with
approximately 4,500 employees serving hundreds of thousands
of customers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
For more general information, please visit
http://www.safety-kleen.com .
For more information, please contact:
John Kyte
Tel: +1-972-265-2030
Email: Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc.
Information about the Shanghai office
Mr. Henry Chan
Safety-Kleen International Asia Investment Co., Ltd.
Tel: +021-63621133
Cell: +13902262991
Email: henry.chan@safety-kleen.com
2007'12.04.Tue
CDMA2000: SISVEL Announces Development of Patent License and Issues Call for Essential Patents
November 07, 2007
TURIN, Italy, Nov. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- SISVEL
announced today that it is acting as the facilitator for
the creation of a joint CDMA2000 patent license and is
issuing a call for patents and other enforceable patent
rights that are essential to the CDMA2000 standard.
SISVEL invites all parties that have a patent that they
consider to be essential to the CDMA2000 standard, and that
would like to join a patent portfolio license, to submit
its patent(s) for an evaluation of essentiality by
independent patent experts retained by SISVEL for possible
inclusion in the joint patent license. Interested parties
are invited to request information on the terms and
procedures for patent submissions by sending an email to
SISVEL at the following address: cdma2000@sisvel.com.
The company's Chief Executive Officer, Gianni Pancot,
stated: "SISVEL is proud to be the facilitator for the
creation of a joint CDMA2000 patent license." He added:
"We believe that with its 25 years of experience and a
worldwide presence with operations on three continents,
SISVEL is the ideal partner to make available to the market
licenses for patents essential to this technology.
Evaluation of the essentiality to the CDMA2000 standard of
patents submitted by various parties continues and we hope
that more parties will join in order to allow users of such
patents to capture as much essential intellectual property
as possible in a single license."
SISVEL has discussed with parties holding essential
CDMA2000 patents to advance the process of structuring a
joint license to make essential CDMA2000 patents easily
accessible to all users on fair, reasonable, and
non-discriminatory terms. Several meetings will be held in
the coming months to reach consensus on licensing terms
with the objective of reaching an agreement by the
beginning of 2008, and upon successful evaluation, all
parties holding essential patents will be invited to join
the process.
About CDMA2000
CDMA2000 represents a family of ITU-approved, IMT-2000
(3G) standards and includes CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
and UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband) technologies. They deliver
increased network capacity to meet growing demand for
wireless services and high-speed data services. For more
information on CDMA2000 standards, please refer to
http://www.3gpp2.org/Public_html/specs/index.cfm. The
approved 3gpp2 output documents are converted into
standards by each of the Project's Organizational Partners
(such as TIA, ARIB, TTA etc).
About SISVEL S.p.A.
SISVEL is a patent management company that has become a
leader in promoting innovation and in licensing patents for
the past 25 years and is a recognized world leader in
increasing the value of patents. SISVEL enables users to
acquire patent rights necessary for a particular technology
standard from multiple patent holders in a single
transaction, providing one-stop technology platform patent
licenses. For more information, please refer to
http://www.sisvel.com.
For more information, please contact:
SISVEL
Paolo D'Amato
Tel: +39-011-990-4114
Fax: +39-011-986-3725
Email: cdma2000@sisvel.com
Media Relations contact
Alberto Leproni
Tel: +39-0-11-990-4114
2007'12.04.Tue
Geely Unveils New Logo in Beijing on November 6
November 07, 2007
BEIJING, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Zhejiang Geely
Holding Group announced today that the new Geely logo was
unveiled at Beijing Geely University on November 6. The
new logo is the result of a global design contest lasting
over 300 days. The winning logo was decided by online
public voting and by 66 professional adjudicators. The
total prize money for the contest was RMB3.6 million.
(PHOTO: http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/200711070151.jpg )
For Geely, the change in logo demonstrates its fast
development in the global arena. It signals not only a
significant milestone for Geely's brand building, but also
the maturity of China's self-owned and corporate brands.
Geely spokesperson, Wang Ziliang said, "China's
self-owned brands have come to realize the importance
behind having the right auto brand and auto culture when
trying to succeed overseas."
Geely has enjoyed strong popularity since it kicked off
the global design contest on January 9, 2007. According to
data from organizers of the contest, 27,336 entries were
received before the August 7 deadline, of which, 12,205
were successful. Entries were received from more than 100
countries worldwide, setting world records for a corporate
logo design contest, and more than 9,000 media
organizations worldwide reported on this event. The
winning logo, designed by Yue Xiande from Anhui province
outshined fellow designs and was a welcome recipient of the
top prize.
A decade ago saw Geely formally set foot in the auto
industry with a philosophy of "making cars affordable
for the common citizen." Following 10 years of
unremitting efforts, and 700,000 Geely cars built on this
philosophy, Geely now enjoys the benefits of vehicle &
spare parts production bases in areas including Shanghai,
Ningbo, Luqiao, Linhai, Xiangtan and Lanzhou. With a gross
asset value of RMB11 billion, Geely has been recognized as
one of the top 500 Chinese companies for five years in a
row, and one of the top 10 Chinese car markers three years
running. Geely is also regarded as the company with the
fastest growth and the most remarkable development in the
last 50 years of Chinese car making.
In 2007, Geely took the lead in reinventing itself.
Under the new transformation strategy, the Company will
shift its priorities from cost control to brand innovation
strategies; from success through low prices to leadership
in technology, quality, customer satisfaction and
comprehensive services; from profit-oriented to
user-oriented; and from corporate benefits to maximizing
overall benefits. With its existing core technologies,
including its CVVT engine technology, automatic
transmissions and electric power-assisted steering (EPS),
Geely has again made breakthroughs in safety, efficiency
and environment protection fields, including hybrid
oil-electricity power and proprietary electronic
powertrains, high-speed blowout-proof tires and braking
technologies.
The new logo was announced several months ahead of
schedule after a sharpening of its brand strategy. The
Company believes that the earlier unveiling of the new logo
will help accelerate the pace of its strategic
transformation.
At the unveiling ceremony of the new logo, Geely
announced the winners of the gold award, the 10 silver
awards and the 100 bronze awards. The jury panel,
comprised of industry experts, leaders, journalists,
designers and Geely customers, reviewed statements made by
both candidates vying for the gold award -- Yang Yourui
from Shanghai and Yue Xiande from Anhui province -- fully
reflecting the principle of an open, fair and just
selection process.
For more information, please contact:
Zhang Xiaodong
Public Relations Dept.
Tel: +86-571-8776-6891
Fax: +86-571-8776-6881
Mobile: +86-135-7571-9950
Email: zhangxiaodong@vip.sohu.com
Website: http://www.geely-global.com
2007'12.04.Tue
Geely Unveils New Logo in Beijing on November 6
November 07, 2007
BEIJING, Nov. 7 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Zhejiang Geely
Holding Group announced today that the new Geely logo was
unveiled at Beijing Geely University on November 6. The
new logo is the result of a global design contest lasting
over 300 days. The winning logo was decided by online
public voting and by 66 professional adjudicators. The
total prize money for the contest was RMB3.6 million.
(LOGO: http://www.xprn.com/xprn/sa/200711070151.jpg )
For Geely, the change in logo demonstrates its fast
development in the global arena. It signals not only a
significant milestone for Geely's brand building, but also
the maturity of China's self-owned and corporate brands.
Geely spokesperson, Wang Ziliang said, "China's
self-owned brands have come to realize the importance
behind having the right auto brand and auto culture when
trying to succeed overseas."
Geely has enjoyed strong popularity since it kicked off
the global design contest on January 9, 2007. According to
data from organizers of the contest, 27,336 entries were
received before the August 7 deadline, of which, 12,205
were successful. Entries were received from more than 100
countries worldwide, setting world records for a corporate
logo design contest, and more than 9,000 media
organizations worldwide reported on this event. The
winning logo, designed by Yue Xiande from Anhui province
outshined fellow designs and was a welcome recipient of the
top prize.
A decade ago saw Geely formally set foot in the auto
industry with a philosophy of "making cars affordable
for the common citizen." Following 10 years of
unremitting efforts, and 700,000 Geely cars built on this
philosophy, Geely now enjoys the benefits of vehicle &
spare parts production bases in areas including Shanghai,
Ningbo, Luqiao, Linhai, Xiangtan and Lanzhou. With a gross
asset value of RMB11 billion, Geely has been recognized as
one of the top 500 Chinese companies for five years in a
row, and one of the top 10 Chinese car markers three years
running. Geely is also regarded as the company with the
fastest growth and the most remarkable development in the
last 50 years of Chinese car making.
In 2007, Geely took the lead in reinventing itself.
Under the new transformation strategy, the Company will
shift its priorities from cost control to brand innovation
strategies; from success through low prices to leadership
in technology, quality, customer satisfaction and
comprehensive services; from profit-oriented to
user-oriented; and from corporate benefits to maximizing
overall benefits. With its existing core technologies,
including its CVVT engine technology, automatic
transmissions and electric power-assisted steering (EPS),
Geely has again made breakthroughs in safety, efficiency
and environment protection fields, including hybrid
oil-electricity power and proprietary electronic
powertains, high-speed blowout-proof tires and braking
technologies.
The new logo was announced several months ahead of
schedule after a sharpening of its brand strategy. The
Company believes that the earlier unveiling of the new logo
will help accelerate the pace of its strategic
transformation.
At the unveiling ceremony of the new logo, Geely
announced the winners of the gold award, the 10 silver
awards and the 100 bronze awards. The jury panel,
comprised of industry experts, leaders, journalists,
designers and Geely customers, reviewed statements made by
both candidates vying for the gold award -- Yang Yourui
from Shanghai and Yue Xiande from Anhui province -- fully
reflecting the principle of an open, fair and just
selection process.
For more information, please contact:
Zhang Xiaodong,
Public Relations Dept.
Tel: +86-571-8776-6891
Fax: +86-571-8776-6881
Mobile: +86-135-7571-9950
Email: zhangxiaodong@vip.sohu.com
Website: http://www.geely-global.com
2007'12.04.Tue
Shire Announces Results of FOSRENOL(R) Study in Pre-Dialysis CKD Stage 3 & 4 Patients
November 07, 2007
PHILADELPHIA and BASINGSTOKE, England, Nov. 6
/Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, Nasdaq: SHPGY, TSX: SHQ) today
announced the results of a Phase II study indicating that
FOSRENOL can effectively reduce serum phosphate levels in
chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients not on dialysis.(1)
FOSRENOL is a non-calcium phosphate binder, indicated to
treat hyperphosphatemia in end stage renal disease (ESRD),
also known as CKD Stage 5.(2)
While the results of this exploratory study did not
achieve its specified primary endpoint (control of serum
phosphate to within normal levels), more FOSRENOL treated
patients achieved this goal than did patients in the
placebo arm of this multi-center, double-blind,
placebo-controlled study of 90
pre-dialysis patients with CKD Stage 3 and 4 and
hyperphosphatemia(1) (serum phosphate above the upper limit
of normal, which the body cannot excrete). (3), (1)
As a secondary endpoint, patients taking FOSRENOL were
found to have statistically significant reductions in serum
phosphate levels after eight weeks of treatment vs those
patients in the placebo arm.
The findings complement the conclusions of a recent
Shire initiated U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee,(4) which
voted by majority to recommend in favor of phosphate binders
extending their label to treat CKD Stage 4 patients with
hyperphosphatemia.
"This study provides valuable insights into the
evolution of kidney disease and the development of the
hyperphosphatemic state in patients with CKD," said
Raymond Pratt, vice president and scientific leader for the
Renal Business Unit of Shire Pharmaceuticals. "There is
a paucity of data in this population and this study marks an
important step toward learning more about the management of
this patient population -- and importantly, shows that a
little bit of kidney function still goes a long way to
maintain phosphate balance."
"The need for effective phosphate management
before patients reach dialysis is recommended by the KDOQI
guidelines and is a growing area of interest and debate. As
a company, Shire is committed to continued research in this
area and to understand how effective treatment may help
patients cope with some of the serious complications of
kidney disease."
This Phase II study involved the initial screening of
281 CKD Stage 3 & 4 patients with 90 randomized to
receive either FOSRENOL or placebo.(1) When investigators
looked at the change in phosphate levels from baseline,
they found statistically significant reductions in serum
phosphate at week 8 versus placebo.(5) Serum parathyroid
hormone (PTH) levels were significantly decreased in the
FOSRENOL-treated subjects compared with an increase in the
placebo group. The full results will be submitted for
publication and presentation at upcoming scientific
meetings.
Shire is working closely with the FDA to explore the
regulatory pathway forward for phosphate binding medicines
in pre-dialysis patients with CKD Stage 4.
As kidney disease progresses, the kidneys lose the
ability to effectively excrete phosphate and patients
ultimately develop hyperphosphatemia.(6) While the
condition is more common when patients have reached CKD
Stage 5, the problem of elevated serum phosphate can start
before patients require dialysis.(6) Phosphate control is
critical for these patients because, if not managed
successfully, hyperphosphatemia can lead to serious health
problems, including renal osteodystrophy (a bone disorder
resulting in painful, brittle bones that may fracture or
lead to deformities) and cardiovascular disease, which
accounts for almost half of all deaths in dialysis
patients.(6), (7)
Over 5,200 patients have been treated with FOSRENOL
during an extensive clinical development program,(5) with
some having been followed up for up to six years.(8) In the
United States, over 87,000 patients have been prescribed
FOSRENOL since it was launched in 2005.(5), (9) FOSRENOL
has the most extensive long-term safety data package of any
phosphate binder and is generally well tolerated. Trials
involving patients treated with FOSRENOL showed sustained
serum phosphate reduction in a majority of patients, with
some patients being followed up over a six-year
duration.(8)
FOSRENOL is now available in 23 countries worldwide and
has been met with solid support from the clinical nephrology
community, because it provides a simplified and effective
monotherapy treatment option(2) for the 1.5 million people
on dialysis(7) globally who are at risk from the serious
consequences of hyperphosphatemia.
Managing Hyperphosphatemia
Phosphorus, an element found in nearly all foods, is
absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into the
bloodstream.(3) When the kidneys fail, they no longer
effectively remove phosphorus.(3) While the normal adult
range for phosphorus is 2.5 to 4.5 mg/dL,(10) the blood
phosphorus levels of many patients on dialysis often exceed
6.5 mg/dL.(11) Such levels have been linked to a
significantly higher morbidity and mortality risk for
patients who have undergone at least one year of
dialysis.(12) Research has shown that for each mg/dL
increase in mean serum phosphorus, the relative risk of
death increases by six percent.(11)
Hyperphosphatemia is managed with a combination of
dialysis, diet restriction, and phosphorus-binding agents,
because diet and dialysis alone generally cannot adequately
control phosphorus levels.(10) Such binders "soak
up" phosphorus in the gastrointestinal tract, before
it can be absorbed into the blood, and aid patients in
maintaining acceptable levels of mean serum
phosphorus.(10), (11)
FOSRENOL
FOSRENOL is indicated to reduce serum phosphate in
patients with ESRD.(2)
FOSRENOL is an effective, non-calcium, phosphate binder
that reduces high phosphorus levels in ESRD patients.(2)
FOSRENOL is formulated as an easy-to-use, unflavored,
chewable tablet that can be taken without water,(2) an
important consideration for ESRD patients who must restrict
their fluid intake.
FOSRENOL is available in a broad range of dosage
strengths comprised of 500-milligram (mg), 750-mg, and 1-g
tablets.(2) Patients taking FOSRENOL can achieve serum
phosphorus target levels with as few as three tablets per
day. (Dosing based on three meals per day. Number of meals
per day may vary. To achieve certain doses, additional
tablets may be required.)
FOSRENOL has a high affinity for phosphate and works by
binding to dietary phosphorus in the gastrointestinal
tract.(2) Once bound, the FOSRENOL/phosphorus complex
cannot pass into the bloodstream and is eliminated from the
body, thereby decreasing mean serum phosphorus levels.
Important Safety Information
The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal,
such as nausea and vomiting, and generally abated over time
with continued dosing. The most common side effects leading
to discontinuation in clinical trials were gastrointestinal
events (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea). Other side effects
reported in trials included dialysis graft complications,
headache, abdominal pain, and hypotension. Although studies
were not designed to detect differences in risk of fracture
and mortality, there were no differences demonstrated in
patients treated with FOSRENOL compared to alternative
therapy for up to three years. The duration of treatment
exposure and time of observation in the clinical program
were too short to conclude that FOSRENOL does not affect
the risk of fracture or mortality beyond three years. While
lanthanum has been shown to accumulate in the GI tract,
liver, and bone in animals, the clinical significance in
humans is unknown. Patients with acute peptic ulcer,
ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, or bowel obstruction
were not included in FOSRENOL clinical studies. Caution
should be used in patients with these conditions. FOSRENOL
should not be taken by patients who are nursing or
pregnant. FOSRENOL should not be taken by patients who are
under 18 years of age.
For Full US Prescribing Information on FOSRENOL, please
visit http://www.fosrenol.com.
Shire plc
Shire's strategic goal is to become the leading
specialty biopharmaceutical company that focuses on meeting
the needs of the specialist physician. Shire focuses its
business on attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD), human genetic therapies (HGT), gastrointestinal
(GI) and renal diseases. The structure is sufficiently
flexible to allow Shire to target new therapeutic areas to
the extent opportunities arise through acquisitions.
Shire's in-licensing, merger, and acquisition efforts are
focused on products in niche markets with strong
intellectual property protection either in the US or
Europe. Shire believes that a carefully selected portfolio
of products with strategically aligned and relatively
small-scale sales forces will deliver strong results.
For further information on Shire, please visit the
Company's website: http://www.shire.com.
"Safe Harbor" Statement Under the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Statements included herein that are not historical
facts are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties and
are subject to change at any time. In the event such risks
or uncertainties materialize, Shire's results could be
materially affected. The risks and uncertainties include,
but are not limited to, risks associated with: the inherent
uncertainty of pharmaceutical research; product development
including, but not limited to, the successful development
of JUVISTA (Human TGF beta 3) and GA-GCB (velaglucerase
alfa); manufacturing and commercialization including, but
not limited to, the launch and establishment in the market
of VYVANSE(TM)(lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) (Attention
Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder ("ADHD")); the
impact of competitive products including, but not limited
to, the impact of those on Shire's ADHD franchise; patents
including, but not limited to, legal challenges relating to
Shire's ADHD franchise; government regulation and approval
including, but not limited to, the expected product
approval date of INTUNIV(TM) (guanfacine extended release)
(ADHD); Shire's ability to secure new products for
commercialization and/or development; and other risks and
uncertainties detailed from time to time in Shire plc's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
particularly Shire plc's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2006.
References:
(1). SM Sprague, WF Finn, and P Qiu (2007)
Hyperphosphatemia in Chronic
Kidney Disease Stages 3 and 4: Findings from a
Randomized, Multi-
Center Trial. Abstract for ASN Renal Week 2007,
Filename: 555494
(2). FOSRENOL(R) U.S. PI.
(3). Venes D and CL Thomas, eds. (2001) Cyclopedic
Medical Dictionary.
20th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: FA Davis Company.
1037, 1173, 1543.
(4). U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Cardiovascular and Renal
Drugs Advisory Committee. Federal Register / Vol.
72, No. 176 /
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 / Notices.
(5). Data on file, Shire U.S., Inc.
(6). National Kidney Foundation. K/DOQI clinical
practice guidelines for
bone metabolism and disease in chronic kidney
disease. Am J Kidney
Disease 2004; 42: 24-45, 55-63, 69-71.
(7). Vanholder R, et al. (2005) Chronic kidney disease
as cause of
cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Dial
Transplant; 20: 1048-
1056.
(8). Hutchison AJ and R Pratt. (2005) Evidence for the
long-term safety
and tolerability of lanthanum carbonate. Poster
presented at 38th
annual meeting of the American Society of
Nephrology, Philadelphia,
PA. November 8-13.
(9). Verispan's Total Patient Tracker: January
2005-August 2007.
(10). Moe SM. Calcium, phosphorus and vitamin d
metabolism in renal
disease and chronic renal failure. In: Kopple JD
and SG Massry,
eds. Nutritional Management of Renal Disease.
Philadelphia, PA:
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2004: 261.
(11). Block GA, Hulbert-Shearon TE, Levin NW and FK
Port. (1998)
Association of serum phosphorus and calcium x
phosphate product
with mortality risk in chronic hemodialysis
patients: A national
study. Am J Kidney Dis; 31: 607-617.
(12). Block GA. (2000) Prevalence and clinical
consequences of elevated
Ca x P product in haemodialysis patients. Clin
Nephrol; 54(4): 318-
24.
For more information, please contact:
Ann Blumenstock
Resolute (ex-US.)
Phone: +44-207-357-8187
Mobile: +44-7788-543-537
Email: Ann.blumenstock@resolutecommunications.com
Carrie Fernandez of Porter Novelli (US)
Phone: +1-212-601-8336
Mobile: +1-917-202-5553
Email: carrie.fernandez@porternovelli.com
2007'12.04.Tue
Supermicro Announces World's Densest Blade Server With Quad-Core AMD Opteron(TM) Processors
November 06, 2007
New 4-Way SuperBlade(TM) Enables 960 Processor Cores per
42U Rack
SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Super
Micro Computer, Inc. (Nasdaq: SMCI), a leader in
application optimized high performance server solutions,
today introduced a new addition to the SuperBlade(TM)
family. With 16 cores and 64GB of DDR2 memory, the
SuperBlade SBA-7141M-T enables 160 processor cores and
640GB of DDR2 memory in ten blades per 7U enclosure, which
also supports up to four networking switches. This
industry-leading density makes the SuperBlade, optimized
for Quad-Core AMD Opteron(TM) 8300 Series processors, not
only the best platform for performance, energy efficiency
and low total cost of ownership (TCO), but also an ideal
virtualization platform to consolidate hundreds of
applications into a small package.
"By expanding the SuperBlade product line with
these high-density quad-processor blades, we empower
Supermicro customers to service the needs of enterprise
virtualization with our centralized management," said
Alex Hsu, chief sales and marketing officer of Supermicro.
"These SuperBlade servers deliver outstanding
performance and energy efficiency, and help reduce TCO and
preserve our environment for future generations."
"By combining the strength of AMD
Virtualization(TM) technology with Supermicro's server
design expertise, these 4P quad-core solutions indeed
exemplify truly optimal server virtualization," said
Randy Allen, corporate vice president and general manager,
Server/Workstation Division, AMD (NYSE: AMD). "AMD's
industry-defining native quad-core technology and Direct
Connect Architecture enable superior overall system
performance and efficiency, making Quad-Core AMD Opteron
processors the smarter choice to address the
compute-intensive demands of today's datacenter."
The SuperBlade SBA-7141M-T supports both Quad-Core AMD
Opteron 8300 Series and Dual-Core AMD Opteron 8200 Series
processors at all speeds. With AMD's new Dual Dynamic
Power Management technology, SuperBlade SBA-7141M-T
delivers breakthrough performance-per-watt.
In addition to the incredible density of up to 960
processor cores and 3.84TB of memory per 42U rack, the
SuperBlade also features high-efficiency (up to 93%) power
supplies and a flexible selection of hot-swap and redundant
modules. For networking, the choices include Gigabit
Ethernet switch modules, Gibabit Ethernet pass-thru modules
and 4x DDR (20Gbps) InfiniBand switch modules. The
SuperBlade also features a high bandwidth backplane with no
active components for maximum reliability. For the optimal
redundant power configuration, customers can select up to
four high-efficiency (90%+) 1400-watt, 2000-watt or
2500-watt power supply modules. While one chassis
management module (CMM) comes standard, the SuperBlade also
supports a second CMM for redundancy.
Supermicro Server Building Block Solutions(R) offer
exceptional flexibility and feature advantages. For more
information on Supermicro's complete line of server and
workstation solutions please visit
http://www.supermicro.com .
About Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMCI)
Supermicro emphasizes superior product design and
uncompromising quality control to produce industry-leading
serverboards, chassis and server systems. These
mission-critical Server Building Block Solutions provide
benefits across many environments, including data center
deployment, high-performance computing, high-end
workstations, storage networks and standalone server
installations. For more information on Supermicro's
complete line of advanced motherboards, SuperServers, and
optimized chassis, visit http://www.Supermicro.com , email
Marketing@Supermicro.com or call the San Jose, CA
headquarters at +1 408-503-8000.
SMCI-F
Supermicro and Server Building Block Solutions are
registered trademarks, while SuperBlade is a trademark of
Super Micro Computer, Inc. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
For more information, please contact:
Super Micro Computer, Inc.,
San Jose, CA Headquarters
Tel: +1-408-503-8000
Email: Marketing@Supermicro.com
2007'12.04.Tue
China Automotive Systems to Attend Goldman Sachs China Frontier Conference
November 06, 2007
WUHAN, Hubei, China, Nov. 6
/Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- China Automotive Systems,
Inc. (Nasdaq: CAAS), a leading power steering components
and systems supplier in China, today announced the Company
is invited to attend Goldman Sachs & Gao Hua
Securities' China Frontier Conference at Grand Hyatt Hotel
in Beijing on November 12th and 13th, 2007.
This two-day conference will be focusing on the top
Chinese companies representing key sectors such as
retail/consumer, property, financial, power, commodities,
telecom, technology, auto, manufacturing, media and
conglomerates.
About CAAS
Based in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China,
China Automotive Systems, Inc. is a leading supplier of
power steering components and systems to the Chinese
automotive industry, operating through seven
Sino-foreign joint ventures. The Company offers a full
range of steering system parts for passenger automobiles
and commercial vehicles. The Company currently offers 4
separate series of power steering and 307 models of power
steering with an annual production capacity of 1,100,000
sets, steering columns, steering oil pumps and steering
hoses. Its customer base is comprised of leading Chinese
auto manufacturers such as China FAW Group, Corp., Donfeng
Auto Group Co., Ltd., Brilliance China Automotive Holdings
Ltd., Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. and Chery Automobile Co.,
Ltd. etc. For more information, please visit:
http://www.caasauto.com .
Safe Harbor Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are
based on current expectations or beliefs, including, but
not limited to, statements concerning the Company's
operations, financial performance and, condition. For this
purpose, statements that are not statements of historical
fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. The
Company cautions that these statements by their nature
involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may
differ materially depending on a variety of important
factors, including, among others, the impact of competitive
products, pricing and new technology; changes in consumer
preferences and tastes; and effectiveness of marketing;
changes in laws and regulations; fluctuations in costs of
production, and other factors as those discussed in the
Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission from time to time.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Jie Li
Chief Financial Officer
China Automotive Systems, Inc.
Tel: +86-27-5981-8527
Email: jieli@chl.com.cn
Kevin Theiss
The Global Consulting Group
Tel: +1-646-284-9409
Email: ktheiss@hfgcg.com
2007'12.04.Tue
Kellwood to Sell Smart Shirts to Youngor Group Co., Ltd.
November 06, 2007
Company Sells Related Real Estate Assets in Hong Kong
Proceeds Expected to Be Used to Repurchase Shares and
Reduce Debt
Reaffirms 2007 Guidance, As Adjusted For the Sale of Smart
Shirts
Company to Hold Conference Call Today at 10:00 AM ET
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire / -- Kellwood
Company (NYSE: KWD) announced today that its Board of
Directors has unanimously approved the sale of its Smart
Shirts manufacturing operations as well as related real
estate assets in two separate transactions that will bring
Kellwood gross proceeds of approximately $161 million in
cash in the aggregate. The Company expects to utilize the
proceeds from the transactions to repurchase shares and
reduce debt.
The Company announced that Youngor Group Co., Ltd.
(Youngor Group) has agreed to acquire Kellwood's Smart
Shirts business for approximately $120 million in cash.
The transaction, which is subject to certain customary
closing conditions including regulatory approvals, is
expected to close by the end of fiscal year 2007.
Separately, the Company has sold its Smart Shirts real
estate assets in Hong Kong to Bright Treasure Development
Ltd. for approximately $41 million in cash.
"As part of our strategy to increase shareholder
value, we continually assess our portfolio of businesses to
ensure that we are focused on our strongest opportunities
for sales and earnings growth," stated Robert C.
Skinner, Jr., chairman, president and chief executive
officer of Kellwood Company. "Following a careful
review of the Company's strategy and operations, the Board
and management have concluded that Smart Shirts is not
consistent with our long-term strategic plan, which
includes developing better and above price point brands and
reinvigorating our legacy businesses. Eliminating
capital-intensive manufacturing from our operations and
enhancing the Company's focus on the development of our
lifestyle brands will enable us to elevate Kellwood's
position in the apparel industry. Consistent with our
strategy to transform Kellwood into a brand-focused
marketing enterprise, this move allows us to significantly
reduce our concentration in private brand sales from 28% to
12% today."
Use of Proceeds
Kellwood expects to use proceeds from the transactions
to repurchase shares and reduce debt. The repurchase of
shares would be in addition to the previously approved $50
million stock repurchase program announced in September
2007.
Kellwood expects to report a pre-tax gain on the sale
of the Smart Shirts business and Hong Kong building of
approximately $10 million.
Guidance
Given today's announced sale of the Smart Shirts
business, Kellwood has updated its previously issued net
sales and earnings guidance to exclude Smart Shirts from
ongoing operations. Other than these adjustments, guidance
for the third quarter and total year from ongoing operations
remains the same as previously provided on September 6,
2007. The Smart Shirts business will be included in
discontinued operations for historical and future periods.
In addition, the gain on the sale of the Smart Shirts
business and Hong Kong building, as well as costs
associated with these transactions, will be included in
discontinued operations.
Third Quarter 2007
For the third quarter of fiscal 2007, the Company
expects net sales from ongoing operations as adjusted for
the newly discontinued Smart Shirts business to be
approximately $400.0 million to $415.0 million. This
compares to its previous expectation, which includes Smart
Shirts, for net sales from ongoing operations of $520.0
million to $535.0 million, and versus actual net sales from
ongoing operations, excluding Smart Shirts, of $397.0
million in the third quarter of last year. Operating
earnings (gross profit less selling, general &
administrative expense before stock option expense,
amortization and impairment, restructuring and other
non-recurring charges) from ongoing operations are
currently expected to range from $16.5 million to $18.5
million, as compared to the Company's previous expectation,
which includes Smart Shirts, for operating earnings from
ongoing operations of approximately $24.0 million to $26.0
million, versus $22.4 million last year, excluding Smart
Shirts.
Net earnings from ongoing operations are currently
estimated to be approximately $2.4 million to $3.9 million,
or $0.10 to $0.15 per diluted share. This compares to the
Company's previous guidance, which includes Smart Shirts,
for net earnings from ongoing operations of $7.5 million to
$9.0 million, or $0.30 to $0.35 per diluted share, and
versus net earnings from ongoing operations, excluding
Smart Shirts, of $10.6 million, or $0.41 per share, in the
third quarter of 2006.
Fiscal 2007
For fiscal 2007, the Company expects net sales from
ongoing operations as adjusted for the newly discontinued
Smart Shirts business to range from $1.500 billion to
$1.550 billion. This compares to its previous expectation,
which includes Smart Shirts, for net sales from ongoing
operations of approximately $1.950 billion to $2.0 billion
and versus actual net sales from ongoing operations,
excluding Smart Shirts, of $1.514 billion in fiscal 2006.
The Company is forecasting that operating earnings (gross
profit less selling, general & administrative expense
before stock option expense, amortization and impairment,
restructuring and other non-recurring charges) from ongoing
operations will approximate $68.0 million to $73.0 million.
This compares to the Company's previous expectation, which
includes Smart Shirts, for operating earnings from ongoing
operations of approximately $87.5 million to $92.5 million,
and versus actual operating earnings from ongoing
operations, excluding Smart Shirts, of $64.4 million last
year.
On an ongoing basis, net earnings for fiscal 2007 are
currently estimated to range from $17.0 million to $20.0
million, as compared to the Company's previous expectation,
which includes Smart Shirts, for net earnings from ongoing
operations of approximately $33.5 million to $36.5 million
and with fiscal 2006 net earnings from ongoing operations,
excluding Smart Shirts, of $23.2 million. Also, on an
ongoing basis, fiscal 2007 diluted earnings per share are
currently estimated in the range of approximately $0.66 to
$0.76, as compared to the Company's previous expectation,
which includes Smart Shirts, for diluted earnings per share
of approximately $1.30 to $1.40. This compares to actual
earnings per diluted share, excluding Smart Shirts, of
$0.90 in fiscal 2006.
Adjusted Historical Financial Information
The Company will post schedules on its website under
Investor Relations / Presentations that reflect the results
of ongoing operations excluding the Smart Shirts business
for each quarter in fiscal 2005 and 2006 and for the first
two quarters of 2007. These schedules set forth the
various components of the statement of operations for
ongoing operations, impairment, restructuring and
non-recurring charges, discontinued operations and the
repatriation tax benefit included in overall operating
results.
The Phat Fashions business will now be included in the
women's sportswear segment as a result of transforming Phat
Farm men's business to solely a licensing model. This
change has also been reflected in the schedules posted on
the Company's website for each quarter in fiscal 2005 and
2006 and for the first two quarters of 2007.
As a result of the sale of the Smart Shirts business
and inclusion of the Phat Fashions business in the women's
sportswear segment, the Company will no longer report a
men's sportswear segment.
Conference Call Information
The Company will host a conference call with management
to discuss today's announcements at 10:00 a.m. ET today. If
you wish to participate, you may do so by dialing
888-694-4728 or 973-582-2745 (toll / international). This
call will be webcast to the general public and can be
accessed via Kellwood's website at
http://www.kellwood.com.
About Smart Shirts
Smart Shirts is a leading manufacturer, marketer,
seller and distributor of woven and knit garments --
principally men's shirts -- around the world. While
primarily a manufacturer for private brands, this business
also designs, makes, and sells licensed brands of men's
shirts including Nautica, Claiborne, Axcess A Claiborne
Company, Concepts by Claiborne, O Oscar, an Oscar de la
Renta Company, and Perry Ellis. Smart Shirts has 14
manufacturing facilities located in the People's Republic
of China, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.
About Kellwood
Kellwood (NYSE: KWD) is a $1.6 billion leading marketer
of apparel and consumer soft goods. The Company's brands are
designed to meet and exceed its consumers' needs and
expectations. Specializing in branded products, the
Company markets to all channels of distribution with
products and brands tailored to each specific channel. For
more information, visit http://www.kellwood.com .
About Youngor Group Co., Ltd.
Youngor Group Co., Ltd.'s (SHG:600177) principal
activities are designing, manufacturing, selling and
trading clothing products and accessories. It carries the
"Youngor" brand for men's clothing, which
includes shirts, pants, suits, ties, T-shirts and pajamas,
among others. In addition, the Company is one of China's
largest manufacturers of high grade yarn dyed woven
fabrics. Other activities include developing, leasing and
selling condominium and residential buildings and operating
hotels. It also provides transportation and warehouses,
technical consultation, management and investment services
and distribution and selling of electrical and thermal
power. Headquartered in Ningbo, China, operations are
carried out in the People's Republic of China and other
countries.
Statements in this press release that are not strictly
historical are "forward-looking" statements
within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the
federal securities laws. Actual results may differ
materially due to risks and uncertainties that are
described in the Company's Form 10-K and other filings with
the SEC.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES
LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995.
This press release contains "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words
"believe", "expect", "will",
"estimate", "project",
"forecast", "planned",
"should", "anticipate" and similar
expressions may identify forward-looking statements.
Although we believe that our expectations reflected in the
forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot and do
not give any assurance that such expectations will prove to
be correct. These forward-looking statements, which
represent the Company's expectations concerning future
events, are based on various assumptions and are subject to
a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks include,
without limitation: intense competition in the apparel
industry on many fronts, including from our retail
customers' private label or exclusive brand programs;
failing to continually anticipate fashion trends and
consumer tastes; uncertainties regarding consumer
confidence and spending patterns; concentration of our
customers; consolidation and change in the retail industry;
performance of our retail customers in selling our goods;
execution of the long-term corporate strategy; loss of key
personnel; continued value of owned and licensed brands;
ability to generate sufficient sales to offset the minimum
royalty payments we must pay with respect to licensed
brands; inability to protect our intellectual property
rights; reliance on independent manufacturers; the
continued movement in the global location of lowest cost
manufacturing sources; fluctuations in the price,
availability and quality of raw materials; availability of
suitable acquisition candidates; integration of completed
acquisitions into our existing business and the
availability of reasonably priced debt. These factors
should be read in conjunction with the risk factors
included in our Annual Report to Stockholders on Form 10-K
for 2006 (the fiscal year ended February 3, 2007) and
subsequent periodic filings. Actual results could differ
materially from those expressed or implied in
forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any
obligation to publicly update or revise any of its
forward-looking statements.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The Company has provided non-GAAP adjusted earnings and
earnings per share information for its third quarter and
full year 2007 guidance and third quarter and full year
2006 results in this release, in addition to providing
financial results in accordance with GAAP. This non-GAAP
financial information is provided to enhance the user's
overall understanding of the Company's current financial
performance. Specifically, the Company believes the
non-GAAP adjusted results provide useful information to
both management and investors by excluding items that the
Company believes are not indicative of the Company's core
operating results. The non-GAAP financial information
should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute
for or as being superior to, operating income, cash flows
or other measures of financial performance prepared in
accordance with GAAP.
The following tables summarize net sales, operating
earnings, net earnings and diluted earnings per share from
Kellwood's ongoing operations, the impairment,
restructuring and non-recurring charges, amortization of
intangible assets and stock option expense included in
continuing operations. See the last page of the release
for footnotes (1), (2) and (3) to the tables. (Amounts in
thousands, except per share data.)
Third Quarter:
Adjusted Guidance for FY 2007 at the Mid-Point of the
Range
Impairment,
Restructuring
Adjusted Stock Amortization
and Non Adjusted
Continuing Option of Intangible
Recurring Ongoing
Operations Expense(2) Assets(2)
Charges Operations
Net sales $407,500 $- $-
$- $407,500
Operating
earnings
(loss)(1) $(4,100) $300 $3,800
$17,500 $17,500
Net
earnings
(loss) from
continuing
operations $(7,450) $- $-
$10,600 $3,150
Diluted
earnings
(loss) per
share from
continuing
operations $(0.29) $- $-
$0.41 $0.12
Previous Guidance for FY 2007 at the Mid-Point of the
Range
Impairment,
Restructuring
Previous Stock Amortization and
Non Previous
Continuing Option of Intangible
Recurring Ongoing
Operations Expense(2) Assets(2)
Charges Operations
Net sales $527,500 $- $-
$- $527,500
Operating
earnings(1) $3,400 $300 $3,800
$17,500 $25,000
Net earnings
(loss) from
continuing
operations $(2,350) $- $-
$10,600 $8,250
Diluted
earnings
(loss) per
share from
continuing
operations $(0.09) $- $-
$0.41 $0.32
Guidance Adjustments for FY 2007 at the Mid-Point of
the Range
Previous Adjusted
Ongoing Smart Ongoing
Operations Shirts(3) Operations
Net sales $527,500 $(120,000) $407,500
Operating
earnings(1) $25,000 $(7,500) $17,500
Net earnings
from
continuing
operations $8,250 $(5,100) $3,150
Diluted
earnings
per share
from
continuing
operations $0.32 $(0.20) $0.12
Third Quarter:
Adjusted Results for FY 2006
Impairment,
Restructuring
Adjusted Stock Amortization
and Non Adjusted
Continuing Option of Intangible
Recurring Ongoing
Operations Expense(2) Assets(2)
Charges Operations
Net sales $397,007 $- $-
$- $397,007
Operating
earnings(1) $277 $468 $2,628
$19,041 $22,414
Net earnings
(loss) from
continuing
operations $(1,483) $- $-
$12,092 $10,609
Diluted
earnings
(loss) per
share from
continuing
operations $(0.06) $- $-
$0.47 $0.41
As Reported Results for FY 2006
Impairment,
Restructuring As
As Reported Stock Amortization
and Non Reported
Continuing Option of Intangible
Recurring Ongoing
Operations Expense(2) Assets(2)
Charges Operations
Net sales $516,397 $- $-
$- $516,397
Operating
earnings(1) $9,412 $468 $2,628
$19,041 $31,549
Net earnings
from
continuing
operations $5,521 $- $-
$12,092 $17,613
Diluted
earnings
per share
from
continuing
operations $0.21 $- $-
$0.47 $0.68
Results Adjustments for FY 2006
As Reported Adjusted
Ongoing Smart Ongoing
Operations Shirts(3) Operations
Net sales $516,397 $(119,390) $397,007
Operating
earnings(1) $31,549 $(9,135) $22,414
Net earnings
from
continuing
operations $17,613 $(7,004) $10,609
Diluted
earnings
per share
from
continuing
operations $0.68 $(0.27) $0.41
Fiscal Year:
Adjusted Guidance for FY 2007 at the Mid-Point of the
Range
Impairment,
Restructuring
Adjusted Stock Amortization
and Non Adjusted
Continuing Option of Intangible
Recurring Ongoing
Operations Expense(2) Assets(2)
Charges Operations
Net sales $1,525,000 $- $-
$- $1,525,000
Operating
earnings
(loss)(1) $(84,600) $1,400 $14,500
$139,200 $70,500
Net earnings
(loss) from
continuing
operations $(73,000) $- $-
$91,500 $18,500
Diluted
earnings
(loss) per
share from
continuing
operations $(2.81) $- $-
$3.52 $0.71
Previous Guidance for FY 2007 at the Mid-Point of the
Range
Impairment,
Restructuring
Previous Stock Amortization
and Non Previous
Continuing Option of Intangible
Recurring Ongoing
Operations Expense(2) Assets(2)
Charges Operations
Net sales $1,975,000 $- $-
$- $1,975,000
Operating
earnings
(loss)(1) $(65,100) $1,400 $14,500
$139,200 $90,000
Net earnings
(loss) from
continuing
operations $(56,500) $- $-
$91,500 $35,000
Diluted
earnings
(loss)
per share
from
continuing
operations $(2.17) $- $-
$3.52 $1.35
Guidance Adjustments for FY 2007 at the Mid-Point of
the Range
Previous Adjusted
Ongoing Smart Ongoing
Operations Shirts(3) Operations
Net sales $1,975,000 $(450,000) $1,525,000
Operating
earnings(1) $90,000 $(19,500) $70,500
Net
earnings
from
continuing
operations $35,000 $(16,500) $18,500
Diluted
earnings
per share
from
continuing
operations $1.35 $(0.63) $0.71
Fiscal Year:
Adjusted Results for FY 2006
Impairment,
Restructuring
Adjusted Stock Amortization and
Non Adjusted
Continuing Option of Intangible
Recurring Ongoing
Operations Expense(2) Assets(2)
Charges Operations
Net sales $1,514,287 $- $-
$- $1,514,287
Operating
earnings(1) $15,467 $4,345 $10,935
$33,632 $64,379
Net earnings
from
continuing
operations $1,728 $- $-
$21,423 $23,151
Diluted
earnings
per share
from
continuing
operations $0.07 $- $-
$0.83 $0.90
As Reported Results for FY 2006
Impairment,
Restructuring As
As Reported Stock Amortization
and Non Reported
Continuing Option of Intangible
Recurring Ongoing
Operations Expense(2) Assets(2)
Charges Operations
Net sales $1,961,750 $- $-
$- $1,961,750
Operating
earnings(1) $43,010 $4,345 $10,935
$33,632 $91,922
Net
earnings
from
continuing
operations $21,083 $- $-
$21,423 $42,506
Diluted
earnings
per share
from
continuing
operations $0.82 $- $-
$0.83 $1.64
Results Adjustments for FY 2006
As Reported Adjusted
Ongoing Smart Ongoing
Operations Shirts(3) Operations
Net sales $1,961,750 $(447,463) $1,514,287
Operating
earnings(1) $91,922 $(27,543) $64,379
Net
earnings
from
continuing
operations $42,506 $(19,355) $23,151
Diluted
earnings
per share
from
continuing
operations $1.64 $(0.75) $0.90
(1) Operating earnings for ongoing operations is a
non-GAAP measure that
differs from GAAP operating earnings in that it
excludes impairment,
restructuring and non-recurring charges, stock
option expense and
amortization of intangible assets. Operating
earnings for the
ongoing operations should not be considered as an
alternative to GAAP
operating earnings. Operating earnings before
impairment,
restructuring and non-recurring charges, stock
option expense and
amortization of intangible assets is the primary
measure used by
management to evaluate the Company's performance,
as well as the
performance of the Company's divisions and
segments. Management
believes the comparison of operating earnings
before impairment,
restructuring and non-recurring charges, stock
option expense and
amortization of intangibles assets between periods
is useful in
showing the interaction of changes in sales, gross
profit and
selling, general and administrative expenses.
Operating earnings
before impairment, restructuring and non-recurring
charges, stock
option expense and amortization of intangible
assets may not be
comparable to any similarly titled measure used by
another company.
(2) Stock option expense and amortization of intangible
assets is not
included in operating earnings for the ongoing
operations; however,
it is included in net earnings. See footnote (1)
for further
discussions of the presentation of operating
earnings for the ongoing
operations.
(3) Smart Shirts represents the newly discontinued
operations.
For more information, please contact:
Media:
Donna B. Weaver
VP Corporate Communications
Kellwood Company
Tel: +1-212-329-8072
Email: donna.weaver@kellwood.com
Financial:
Samuel W. Duggan II
VP Investor Relations and Treasurer
Kellwood Company
Tel: +1-314-576-8580
Email: sam.duggan@kellwood.com
Joele Frank or Eric Brielmann or Jennifer Schaefer
Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
Tel: +1-212-355-4449
Allison Malkin
Integrated Corporate Relations
Tel: +1-203-682-8225
2007'12.04.Tue
AU Optronics Corp. October 2007 Consolidated Revenues Totaled NT$53.1 Billion
November 06, 2007
HSINCHU, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- AU Optronics
Corp. ("AUO" or the "Company") (TAIEX:
2409; NYSE: AUO) today announced October 2007 revenue with
preliminary consolidated revenue of NT$53,121 million and
unconsolidated revenue of NT$53,062 million; both slightly
dropped 1.1% sequentially from the previous month. On a
year-over-year comparison, consolidated and unconsolidated
September 2007 revenues still increased significantly by
59.7% and 59.5% respectively.
In supporting the upcoming seasonal demand, AUO's
current loading rate remains to be full. In the meanwhile,
AUO shifted most of the shipments to be transited by air
from September resulted in the decrease of goods-in-transit
and lower inventory turnover days. With a much higher base
generated in September, the shipment of large-sized
panels(a) for October experienced a slight 3.4% sequential
decline and amounted to 7.9 million. Shipments of
small-and-medium-sized panels set a new record of 15.5
million units, presented a 9.4% sequential increase.
(a) Large-size refers to panels that are 10 inches and
above in
diagonal measurement while small- and medium-size
refers to those
below 10 inches
Sales Report: (Unit: NT$ million)
Net Sales(1) (2) Consolidated(3)
Unconsolidated
October 2007 53,121
53,062
September 2007 53,729
53,672
M-o-M Growth (1.1%)
(1.1%)
October 2006 33,270
33,273
Y-o-Y Growth 59.7%
59.5%
Jan to Oct 2007 377,810
377,534
Jan to Oct 2006 231,731
231,700
Y-o-Y Growth 63.0%
62.9%
(1) All figures are prepared in accordance with
generally accepted
accounting principles in Taiwan.
(2) Monthly figures are unaudited, prepared by AU
Optronics Corp.
(3) Consolidated numbers include AU Optronics Corp., AU
Optronics (L)
Corporation, AU Optronics (Suzhou) Corporation, AU
Optronics (Shanghai)
Corporation, Tech - Well (Shanghai) Display Co., AU
Optronics (Xiamen)
Corp., Darwin Precisions (L) Corp. and Toppan CFI
(Taiwan) Co, Ltd.
About AU Optronics
AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO") is one of the top
three largest manufacturers* of large-size thin film
transistor liquid crystal display panels
("TFT-LCD"), with approximately 20.2%* of global
market share with revenues of NT$293.1billion (US$9.0bn)*
in 2006. TFT-LCD technology is currently the most widely
used flat panel display technology. Targeted for 40"+
sized LCD TV panels, AUO's new generation (7.5-generation)
fabrication facility production started mass production in
the fourth quarter of 2006. The Company currently operates
one 7.5-generation, two 6th-generation, four 5th-generation,
one 4th-generation, and four 3.5-generation TFT- LCD fabs,
in addition to eight module assembly facilities and the AUO
Technology Center specializes in new technology platform and
new product development. AUO is one of few top-tier TFT-LCD
manufacturers capable of offering a wide range of small- to
large- size (1.5"-65") TFT-LCD panels, which
enables it to offer a broad and diversified product
portfolio.
* DisplaySearch 2Q2007 WW Large-Area TFT-LCD Shipment
Report dated Aug 7,
2007. This data is used as reference only and AUO does
not make any
endorsement or representation in connection therewith.
2006 year end
revenue converted by an exchange rate of NTD32.59:USD1.
For more information, please contact:
Rose Lee
Corporate Communications Dept
AU Optronics Corp
Tel: +886-3-5008899 x3204
Fax: +886-3-5772730
Email: rose.lee@auo.com
Yawen Hsiao
Corporate Communications Dept.
AU Optronics Corp.
Tel: +886-3-5008899 x3211
Fax: +886-3-5772730
Email: yawen.hsiao@auo.com
2007'12.04.Tue
Xinhua Finance Media Appoints New Director to Audit Committee and Retains Protiviti Inc. for SOX Compliance
November 06, 2007
BEIJING, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua Finance
Media ("XFMedia"; Nasdaq: XFML), China's leading
diversified financial and entertainment media company,
today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed
independent director Mr. Steve Richards to its Audit
Committee, joining existing members, Mr. Aloysius T. Lawn,
committee chairman, and Mr. John Springer, committee
member. Moreover, the Company also announced that it has
retained Protiviti Inc., a leading independent organization
dedicated exclusively to risk consulting and internal
auditing, to provide consulting services related to the
Company's Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 compliance efforts.
Mr. Steve Richards currently is COO of Silver Pictures,
a film production company founded by film producer Joel
Silver and affiliated with Warner Bros., and co-president
of Dark Castle Entertainment, a division of Silver
Pictures. Prior to these positions, he had been CFO of
Silver Pictures since 1996 and took a number of finance or
controller positions in other companies, public and
private, with a focus on the entertainment industry. Mr.
Richards obtained his CPA in 1992 after working for Arthur
Andersen in Los Angeles. He holds an MBA from UCLA's
Anderson School and a BA in accounting from Temple
University.
Photo link:
http://www.xinhuafinancemedia.com/SteveRichards
Mr. Steve Richards said, "I am privileged to join
the Board of a company with such an impressive track
record, potential for growth, and strong positioning in the
marketplace. Coming from the financial side of the
entertainment industry, I look forward to the opportunity
to apply my knowledge of finance and accounting in an
effort to help XFMedia reach its objectives for growth and
expand its range of services."
"On behalf of the Board, I would like to express
our appreciation to Mr. Richards for taking more
responsibilities at the Board level. His CFO experience and
qualified finance background will be of great value to our
Audit Committee as well as the company itself," said
Ms. Fredy Bush, Chairman and CEO of XFMedia. "The
strengthened composition of the board and its committee,
combined with the engagement of Protiviti, will boost our
continued efforts to ensure we meet a high standard of
corporate governance."
Protiviti Inc. is one of the leading providers of
independent risk consulting services working with companies
on Sarbanes-Oxley compliance efforts. Protiviti has served a
number of Chinese companies listed on NASDAQ and NYSE.
Notes to Editors
Biography of Mr. Steve Richards
Mr. Steve Richards is COO of Silver Pictures, a film
production company founded by film producer Joel Silver and
affiliated with Warner Bros., and co-president of Dark
Castle Entertainment, a division of Silver Pictures.
Formerly CFO of Silver Pictures, Mr. Richards began his
relationship with Joel Silver and Silver Pictures in 1995.
He was instrumental in developing the $450 million business
plan for Dark Castle and in forging a financial partnership
with CIT Group Inc., which will finance the production of 15
films over the next six years. Mr. Richards began his
career in film production and distribution as controller
for the International Movie Group, a publicly listed
company. Subsequently, he helped launch Scott Free, a
production company founded by renowned directors Ridley and
Tony Scott.
Mr. Richards obtained his CPA in 1992 after working for
Arthur Andersen in Los Angeles with a focus on the
entertainment industry. He holds an MBA from UCLA's
Anderson School and a BA from Temple University.
About Protiviti Inc.
Protiviti is a leading provider of independent internal
audit and business and technology risk consulting services.
Protiviti helps clients identify, assess and manage
financial, operational and technology-related risks
encountered in their industries, and assist in the
implementation of the processes and controls to enable
continued monitoring. Protiviti also offer a full spectrum
of internal audit services to assist management and
directors with their internal audit functions, including
full outsourcing, co-sourcing, technology and tool
implementation, and quality assessment and readiness
review.
Protiviti employs more than 3,000 professionals in 60
locations throughout the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
The name Protiviti represents professionalism, integrity
and independence.
Protiviti is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half
International (RHI), a $4.0 billion public company and a
member company of the S&P 500 index.
About Xinhua Finance Media Limited
Xinhua Finance Media ("XFMedia"; Nasdaq:
XFML) is China's leading diversified financial and
entertainment media company targeting high net worth
individuals nationwide. The company reaches its target
audience via TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and other
distribution channels. Through its five synergistic
business groups, Advertising, Broadcast, Print, Production
and Research, XFMedia offers a total solution empowering
clients at every stage of the media process and keeping
people connected and entertained.
Headquartered in Beijing, the company has offices and
affiliates in major cities of China including Beijing,
Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. For more
information, please visit http://www.xinhuafinancemedia.com
.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements.
These statements are made under the "safe harbor"
provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be
identified by terminology such as "will,"
"expects," "anticipates,"
"future," "intends," "plans,"
"believes," "estimates,"
"confident" and similar statements. Among other
things, quotations from management in this announcement
contain forward-looking statements. Statements that are
not historical facts, including statements about XFMedia's
beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but
are not limited to, risks outlined in XFMedia's filings
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including
its registration statement on Form F-1. All information
provided in this press release is as of the date hereof,
and XFMedia undertakes no duty to update such information,
except as required under applicable law.
For more information, please contact:
Xinhua Finance Media
Joy Tsang
Tel: +86-21-6113-5999
Email: joy.tsang@xinhuafinancemedia.com
2007'12.04.Tue
Sanofi Pasteur Presents Positive Results of Tetravalent Dengue Candidate Vaccine
November 06, 2007
PARIS, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Sanofi Pasteur,
the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, announced
today positive results in the development of a vaccine for
the global prevention of dengue fever, one of the most
widespread tropical diseases. The results are being
presented today at the American Society of Tropical
Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)'s 56th annual meeting held in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
These results have prompted Sanofi Pasteur to
immediately expand ongoing clinical trials in Asia and
Latin America. Submission to health authorities for
registration is anticipated in 2012.
"Sanofi Pasteur made research for a vaccine
against dengue fever one of its top priorities by investing
in the most promising technology and dedicating top
scientists to this lifesaving project," said Wayne
Pisano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sanofi
Pasteur. "Sanofi Pasteur's goal is to make dengue
fever a vaccine-preventable disease as quickly as possible
with a vaccine available to people living in endemic
countries or traveling to tropical destinations."
Immunization with Sanofi Pasteur's tetravalent dengue
candidate vaccine generated a sero-neutralizing antibody
response against all four serotypes of the virus
responsible for dengue fever in 100 percent of adults who
participated in a trial in the United States.(1)
"Developing a dengue vaccine has been a major
challenge for over a decade, and we are very pleased with
the breakthrough progress made by Sanofi Pasteur with its
tetravalent dengue vaccine," said Harold Margolis, MD,
Director of the Pediatric Dengue Vaccine Initiative (PDVI).
"We believe this moves the world closer to a dengue
vaccine that will be available for people who most need
it."
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease affecting up
to 100 million people each year and resulting in 24,000
deaths, mostly among children, according to estimates from
the World Health Organization (WHO).(2),(3) Overall, the
disease is a potential threat for close to half the world's
population. Dengue disease if often cyclical and causes
spikes in demand on local medical resources and places
tremendous pressure on strained hospitals and clinics
located in endemic countries.
Dengue fever occurs mostly in tropical and subtropical
countries and it is spreading to new parts of the globe
each year. For example, outbreaks recently have been
observed in Paraguay and the Middle East. In addition,
dengue affects countries such as Australia (Queensland) and
the United States (Puerto Rico, Texas-Mexico border, Hawaii
and the US-affiliated Pacific Islands). A substantial
number of people traveling to endemic regions are also
infected each year.
Sanofi Pasteur's tetravalent dengue candidate vaccine
is based on a new technology incorporating the protein
envelopes that provide immunity against the four virus
types responsible for dengue fever and the most severe
forms of the disease-dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue
shock syndrome.
About Sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical
company, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic
solutions to improve the lives of everyone. Sanofi-aventis
is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE:
SNY).
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis
Group, provided more than a billion doses of vaccine in
2006, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million
people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine
industry, Sanofi Pasteur offers the broadest range of
vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The
company's heritage, to create vaccines that protect life,
dates back more than a century. Sanofi Pasteur is the
largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day,
the company invests more than EUR1 million in research and
development. For more information, please visit:
http://www.sanofipasteur.com or
http://www.sanofipasteur.us.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements
as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are
statements that are not historical facts. These statements
include financial projections and estimates and their
underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans,
objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to
future events, operations, products and services, and
statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking
statements are generally identified by the words
"expects," "anticipates,"
"believes," "intends,"
"estimates," "plans" and similar
expressions. Although sanofi-aventis' management believes
that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking
statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that
forward-looking information and statements are subject to
various risks and uncertainties, many of which are
difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of
sanofi-aventis, that could cause actual results and
developments to differ materially from those expressed in,
or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information
and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those
discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC
and the AMF made by sanofi-aventis, including those listed
under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary
Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in
sanofi-aventis' annual report on Form 20-F for the year
ended December 31, 2006. Other than as required by
applicable law, sanofi-aventis does not undertake any
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
information or statements.
(1) Data analyzed by the WHO Flavivirus Laboratory
Reference Center,
Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
(2) State of the art of vaccine research and
development. WHO/IVB/06.01
(3) World Health Organization, What is dengue? What is
dengue
haemorrhagic fever? Available at:
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2001/WHO_CDS_CPE_SMT_2001.9.pdf
For more information, please contact:
Sanofi Pasteur
Pascal Barollier
Media Relations
Tel: +33(0)4-37-37-51-41
pascal.barollier@sanofipasteur.com
Sanofi Pasteur
Len Lavenda
Media Relations US
Tel: +1-570-839-4446
len.lavenda@sanofipasteur.com
2007'12.04.Tue
Thomson Scientific Releases New Data on Emerging Economic Markets
November 06, 2007
Japan Leads Patent Output as Chinese Inventions Grew By
300% in 2000-2005.
PHILADELPHIA and LONDON, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Thomson Scientific, part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE:
TOC; TSX: TOC) and leading provider of information
solutions to the worldwide research and business
communities, today revealed new research comparing
patenting numbers in Japan to those in Brazil, India,
Russia and China, some of the world's most important
emerging economic markets. Using Derwent World Patents
Index (DWPI), Thomson Scientific's comprehensive database
of global patent documents, expe analyzed the number of
patent applications between 2000 and 2005.
Patenting trends show that the number of Chinese
inventions has increased 300 percent over the last five
years. China is second only to the United States in patent
authorities of natural products and polymers which include
pharmaceuticals and medical or chemical testing. However,
in 2005 Japan produced four and a half times more patents
than China, remaining a driving force in Asia in terms of
creativity and innovation.
"Patent analysis provides a valuable accurate
snapshot of levels of innovation and economic activity in a
particular region or country," said Mark Garlinghouse,
vice president, Thomson Scientific, Asia Pacific. "If
China's growth continues at this rate it could soon rival
Japan as Asia's innovation engine."
Other highlights of the research include:
-- Slight decline of Japanese patent filings over the
last five years;
down from 365,000 in 2000 to 335,000 in 2005.
-- Six of top seven areas of interest for India are in
chemical,
pharmaceutical and/or medical innovations.
-- Chinese patents have risen steadily from 25,000 in
2000 to 72,000 in
2005.
-- Brazil is focusing its research in the fields of
domestic and
industrial electrical equipment and is 13th and
17th highest in the
world respectively in terms of volumes.
Derwent World Patents Index (DWPI) is the most
comprehensive database of value-added patent documents
published in the world. Constantly updated and evolving, it
consists of 15.5 million patent documents drawn from 41
patent-issuing authorities, which are assessed, classified
and indexed by a team of 350 specialist editors.
Thomson Scientific will have a stand at the annual
Patent Information Fair and Conference, being held November
7-9, 2007, in Tokyo's Science Museum. Attendees are
cordially invited to meet with the Thomson Scientific
representatives and learn more about Derwent World Patents
Index (DWPI). http://www.business-i.net/event/pif/
For further information about Derwent World Patents
Index (DWPI): http://scientific.thomson.com/products/dwpi/
About The Thomson Corporation
The Thomson Corporation ( http://www.thomson.com ) is a
global leader in providing essential electronic workflow
solutions to business and professional customers. With
operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson
provides value-added information, software tools and
applications to professionals in the fields of law, tax,
accounting, financial services, scientific research and
healthcare. The Corporation's common shares are listed on
the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX:
TOC).
Thomson Scientific is a business of The Thomson
Corporation. Its information solutions assist professionals
at every stage of research and development-from discovery to
analysis to product development and distribution. Thomson
Scientific information solutions can be found at
scientific.thomson.com.
For more information, please contact:
Eoin Bedford,
Thomson Scientific
Tel: +44-207-433-4691
Email: eoin.bedford@thomson.com
2007'12.04.Tue
China Open Advances to Become One of the World's Top Tennis Tournaments
November 06, 2007
BEIJING, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- An official
press conference for the China Open 2007 was held on Nov.
5, 2007 at the Beijing Shangri-la Hotel. The conference
was held to celebrate the upgrading of China Open
tournament into the ATP 500 Series. Earlier this year, the
WTA event of the China Open had already been successfully
upgraded to a Crown-Jewel event. Starting from 2009, the
China Open will take a huge leap, and will truly become
Asia's most prominent combined tennis tournament.
Four Significant Changes are Expected Due to the China
Open Upgrade
First, the significance of the event: The ATP "500
Events" are second only to the four Grand Slams and the
9-station "1000 Events" in terms of the number of
participating players. On the whole, the China Open will
be one of the best combined tournaments after the four
Grand Slams, together with Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid,
and they will be known as the "Four Super
Tournaments". Top male players must participate in
one of the ATP "500 Events" after the US Open and
they can only choose from Beijing, Tokyo, Basel
(Switzerland) or Valencia (Spain). They are also required
to participate in 4 of the 10 stations of the "500
Events" over a year.
Second, the prize money: Total prize money will be no
less than 4 million dollars for the WTA Crown-Jewel event
and no less than 2 million dollars for the ATP "500
Events". This is undoubtedly a tremendous attraction
for top tennis players since the total prize money for
previous China Opens was just over one million dollars.
Third, international influence: All the tennis stars
that came to Beijing and participated in the China Open
2007 have expressed their intentions to take part in the
2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. As the influence of the
Beijing Olympics expands and the tournament leap in 2009,
the China Open will certainly attract more of the best
tennis players from around the world.
The China Open has become one of the top arenas where
outstanding male and female tennis players from all over
the world come to actively participate, and it is expected
to grow even more influential.
For more information, please contact:
Zoe Zhou
China Open Promotions Ltd.
Tel: +86-10-5820-6667 x805
Email: zoe.zhou@chinaopen.com.cn
2007'12.04.Tue
Fenofibrate - First Lipid Modifying Agent Shown to Protect Diabetic Eye
November 06, 2007
SYDNEY, Australia, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
- First Lipid Modifying Agent Shown to Reduce Risk of
Leading Causes of
Blindness and Deteriorating Vision in Patients With
Type 2 Diabetes
- Reduces Need for Laser Treatment in Patients With
and Without Known
Diabetic Retinopathy
- Significantly Decreases Progression of Diabetic Eye
Disease
Fenofibrate is the first and only widely available
lipid modifying agent to demonstrate significant protection
to the eye of patients with type 2 diabetes, reducing the
need for laser therapy in a wide spectrum of patients which
should decrease the risk of progressive loss of vision.
These effects appear independent from blood glucose as
well as baseline lipid levels, and are not explained by
blood pressure values.
These important, new results are published online in
the Lancet today by investigators from the Fenofibrate
Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD) Study.
Analyses of the results show that fenofibrate:
- Significantly reduces the requirement for a first
laser treatment for
diabetic eye disease:
- 31 per cent overall (p = 0.0002)
- 31 per cent (p = 0.002) for maculopathy, a major
cause of blindness
- 30 per cent for proliferative retinopathy (p=0.015).
- Significantly decreases the total number of laser
therapies by 37
percent (p = 0.0003).
Additionally, fenofibrate almost halved (49 per cent,
p=0.0002) the need for laser therapies in patients who were
not known to have diabetic eye disease at study entry when
considering all courses of laser therapy.
These protective effects appear to begin after only
eight months of treatment and increase throughout the
five-year treatment period.
Fenofibrate also demonstrated, in a sub-study, a
significant reduction in the progression of eye disease
with a:
- 34 per cent reduction in a combined exploratory
endpoint (progression
of retinopathy grading by 2 steps, development of
macular oedema and one
or more laser treatments, 16.1% vs. 11.1% - HR 0.66,
95% CI 0.47-0.94;
p=0.022).
- Reduction by 79 per cent of the progression of
existing retinopathy (14
cases with placebo, 14.6% vs. 3 cases with
fenofibrate, 3.1% p=0.004).
- Several other endpoints did not differ significantly
between groups
such as the occurrence of new retinopathy, of hard
exudates or worsening
in visual acuity.
These new results from the FIELD trial conducted in
Australia, New Zealand and Finland, come from an analysis
of the reasons for the reduction in laser therapy reported
in the initial FIELD publication and a pre-specified
ophthalmology sub-study of the effect of fenofibrate on the
progression of diabetic retinopathy in 1,012 patients who
had repeated eye examinations.
Lead investigator of FIELD, Professor Anthony Keech of
the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney,
Australia, said: "For the first time we have shown
that a widely available lipid modifying agent, fenofibrate,
reduces the complications of diabetic eye disease -- the
major cause of impaired vision in adults in the
industrialised world."
"Importantly, the study also demonstrates that
patients without prior known diabetic eye disease (but
probably already at early stage of retinopathy) gain
significantly from fenofibrate.
"In this group the subsequent need for total laser
therapy was almost halved. Therefore, we can now hope that
we can intervene to significantly reduce the progression of
retinopathy before it requires laser treatment."
Importance for millions of diabetics
Eye disease, including diabetic retinopathy and macular
oedema, affects up to 50 million of the 200 million people
with diabetes worldwide, as after about 10 years of
diabetes most patients will experience clinically
significant changes in their vision.
Even with intensive multifactorial therapy
(antihypertensive agents, oral antidiabetic agents,
statins) retinopathy either developed or progressed in
about half of patients with type 2 diabetes within eight
years (STENO 2 study).
Moreover, beyond control of blood pressure and blood
glucose, no effective treatment is widely available,
according to another FIELD investigator, Professor Paul
Mitchell of Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
He said: "We have to rely on laser treatment which
is only partially effective and can result in diminished
visual field and other adverse effects. Additionally,
access to laser treatment is limited in many countries.
Therefore, these results offer an important new treatment
option to protect the eye of many patients with type 2
diabetes."
Other clinical benefits
Additional results from the FIELD Study reported this
week at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart
Association in Orlando, show that fenofibrate significantly
decreased the risk of non-traumatic amputations by 38 per
cent (p = 0.011). Meanwhile, earlier data demonstrated that
fenofibrate also significantly reduces microalbuminuria, a
marker of the risk of progressive renal disease.
In addition to these microvascular benefits, new data
presented at the AHA 2007 demonstrate that fenofibrate
reduced total CVD events by 26 per cent in diabetic
patients with elevated triglycerides (> 2.26mmol/L) and
low HDL-cholesterol ( < 1 mmol/L for men and < 1.3
mmol/L for women).
Discussing the implications of these new results,
Professor Keech said: "The microvascular benefits of
fenofibrate -- in the eye, the limbs and the kidney --
combined with the reduction in overall cardiovascular
events, means that fenofibrate offers an important
opportunity to protect patients from the most serious
consequences of type 2 diabetes.
The FIELD study and the detailed examinations in the
sub-study represent the largest randomised trial database
addressing the effects of a fibrate on diabetic retinopathy
and its treatment. The protective effects on the eye alone
are enough to support its consideration for many patients
but the determination of the stage of the disease as to
when to intervene should be considered exploratory."
Notes to editors
About the study
The Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in
Diabetes (FIELD) study was conducted in 9795 patients aged
50-75 from Australia, New Zealand and Finland with type 2
diabetes. In addition a sub-study was conducted in 1,012 to
evaluate the development of diabetic retinopathy and the
symptoms of eye disease. The study was supported by the
manufacturer of fenofibrate, Laboratoires Fournier SA, part
of the Solvay Group: FIELD was designed, conducted and
analysed independently of the sponsor by the FIELD study
investigators, and coordinated by the NHMRC Clinical Trials
Centre, University of Sydney. Fenofibrate is marketed
world-wide by Solvay Pharmaceuticals and Abbott USA.
Results of the latest study are published on-line in the
Lancet ( http://www.thelancet.com/journals/eop ).
The absolute risk reductions in first laser treatment
were:
- Overall 1.5 per cent
- Maculopathy 1.0 per cent
- Proliferative retinopathy 0.7 per cent.
About diabetic eye disease
Diabetes-related eye disease is common and if untreated
or poorly treated leads to deterioration of vision and
ultimately blindness. It occurs when the small vessels
(microvasculature) of the eye are damaged by the
consequences of diabetes such as increased glucose and
raised blood pressure. Research also suggests other
critically important factors such as inflammation of the
small vessels of the eye which significantly increase the
risk of damage to the retina.
What are diabetic retinopathy and macular oedema?
Diabetic retinopathy arises from changes in the blood
vessels of the retina, a nerve layer behind the eye that
senses light. When these blood vessels become damaged,
vision loss occurs by two processes known as
"proliferative retinopathy" and "macular
oedema". Proliferative retinopathy occurs when new
vessels bleed into the centre of the eye often resulting in
blurred vision. Macular oedema occurs when fluid leaks from
these blood vessels into the centre of the retina or
macula, making it difficult to focus. Both of these
conditions may eventually destroy the retina if left
untreated. While laser therapy is a successful treatment in
preventing blindness, it may result in the loss of vision
when the macula is already involved.
For more information, or to arrange an interview,
please contact:
Australia:
Justin O'Day, Ophthalmologist, Peter Colman
Diabetologist, Tim Davis, Diabetologist
Via: Beth Quinlivan, University of Sydney
Tel: +61-2-9036-6528
Mobile: +61-419-229-134
At the AHA Conference
Orlando Florida, Anthony Keech, Study Chairman
Paul Mitchell, Ophthalmologist
Via: Olivia Rajabaly, Euro RSCG Life
Tel: +33-1-58-47-87-64
Mobile: +33-6-87-24-16-75
2007'12.04.Tue
TrendChip Launches the Next Generation ADSL2+ Chipsets and the Industry's Best Price-Performance ADSL2+ CPE Platform
November 06, 2007
HSINCHU, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- TrendChip
Technologies Corporation, a leading xDSL IC developer and
provider, announced the next generation ADSL2+ chipset,
composed of TC3162L2H/P2H ADSL2+ processor and TC3086
Analog Front End(AFE), for customer premise equipment (CPE)
that offers TR-100 performance, wire-speed routing
throughput, enhanced features, and the best
price-performance ratio, targeting to ADSL2+ Bridge,
Router, and WiFi Gateway applications.
TrendChip's TC3162L2H/P2H is a high performance ADSL2+
CPE processor with enhanced DMT structure and optimized
cache architecture which provides high processing power,
enhanced Impulse Noise Protection (INP) capability for
IPTV, advanced IP routing and bridging functionalities,
best-in-class quality of service(QoS) support, and high
throughput performance. In addition, the new SPI(Serial
Peripheral Interface) flash boot up feature allows
customers to adopt serial flash memory and helps lower the
memory component cost. By adding a second UART interface,
designers can easily connect to new peripherals like
Bluetooth and DECT cordless chips to develop their
value-added applications. TC3086 is a high-performance CMOS
analog front end with an integrated line driver which
provides a lower-cost, lower-power and higher performance
solution to satisfy customer's demand on the emerging DSL
Forum TR-100 requirements as well as all legacy ADSL1/2/2+
standards, including ITU-T G.992.x Annex A,B,I,J,M,and L.
Shinjou Fang, CEO of TrendChip Technologies Corp.
stated, "By offering this industry's best
price-performance ADSL2+ turnkey solution, Trendchip is
enabling our customers to deliver the best performance and
most cost-effective ADSL2+ CPE Products".
TC3162L2H is available in LQFP-128 for wired
bridge/router applications and TC3162P2H is available in
PQFP-208 package for WiFi ADSL2+ gateway solution.
TrendChip provides the industry's most cost-effective wired
bridge/router and 802.11g WiFi ADSL2+ gateway designs by
using 2-layer PCB and SPI Flash for the cost sensitive
emerging markets. By offering a completed
hardware/software turnkey reference design, customers can
significantly reduce their efforts and time to market.
Engineering samples of the TC3162L2H/P2H and TC3086 are
currently available, with production ramp-up planned for Q4
2007.
For more information of TC3162L2H/P2H and TC3086
chipsets, please visit http://www.trendchip.com.tw .
About TrendChip Technologies Corporation
TrendChip Technologies Corporation, founded in 2001, is
a fast growing communication IC company that focuses on
broadband ICs such as DSL chipsets. TrendChip has shipped
more than 14 million sets of DSL chipset, the majority are
installed in Europe. Thirty telephony companies/ISP in
more than twenty countries worldwide have successfully
deployed TrendChip's xDSL chipsets.
TrendChip is headquartered at Suite 215, Bldg. 53,
No.195, Sec.4, Chung Hsing Rd., Chutung, Hsinchu, Taiwan
310, R.O.C., Tel: +886-3-591-0108,
http://www.trendchip.com.tw .
For more information, please contact:
Eddy Tsai
Tel: +886-3-591-0108 ext.229
Email: eddytsai@trendchip.com.tw
2007'12.04.Tue
Xinhua Finance Media updates its guidance for quarter ended September 30, 2007
November 06, 2007
BEIJING, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Xinhua Finance
Media Limited ("XFMedia", or "the
Company"; Nasdaq: XFML), China's leading diversified
financial and entertainment media company, today updates
its guidance for the third quarter ended September 30,
2007. The Company will release financial results for the
quarter ended September 30, 2007 on Tuesday, November 13,
2007, after the US markets close.
Due to stronger than expected growth in its business as
well as contribution from acquisitions, the Company now
raises its projected net revenues for third quarter 2007 to
be in the range of US$38 million to US$40 million, compared
to the previous guidance of US$35 million to US$37
million.
The Company expects net income to be in the range of
US$8.0 million to US$9.0 million and adjusted net income (a
non-GAAP financial measure), which the Company defines as
net income before amortization of intangible assets,
imputed interest, and share-based compensation expenses, is
expected to be in the range of US$13.8 million to US$14.8
million.
To assist investors in understanding adjusted net
income, the following is a table reconciling net income to
adjusted net income:
(US$ million) Range
Net income 8.0 - 9.0
Amortization of intangible assets 4.2
Imputed interest 1.1
Share-based compensation expenses 0.5
Adjusted net income 13.8 - 14.8
To further assist investors in understanding the
computation of net income and adjusted net income per ADS,
the following is a table showing the details:
Earnings per ADS (US$) Range
Net income per ADS - basic * 0.13 - 0.14
Net income per ADS - diluted * 0.11 - 0.13
Adjusted net income per ADS - basic * 0.22 - 0.23
Adjusted net income per ADS - diluted * 0.20 - 0.21
* Weighted average number of ADS - basic: 63.5 million;
weighted average
number of ADS - diluted: 70.1 million. One ADS
represents two shares.
This guidance reflects the Company's preliminary view
based on current plans, estimates, and projections. A
number of important factors could cause the actual results
to differ materially from those contained in such
guidance.
Non-GAAP Financial Measure
To supplement XFMedia's consolidated financial results
presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP, XFMedia uses the
following non-GAAP financial measure: adjusted net income,
which is defined as net income before amortization of
intangible assets, imputed interest, and share-based
compensation expenses. The presentation of this non-GAAP
financial measure is not intended to be considered in
isolation or as a substitute for the financial information
prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Conference Call Information
Date: November 13, 2007 (New York) / November 14, 2007
(Beijing)
Time: 5:00 PM (New York) / 6:00 AM (Beijing)
Duration: 1 Hour
Interested parties may dial into the conference call
at:
(US) +1-480-293-1744
(UK) +44-20-7190-1232
(Asia Pacific) +852-3009-5027
A telephone replay will be available shortly after the
call for one week at:
(US) +1 303 590 3030 (Passcode: 3800017#)
(UK) +44 207 154 2833 (Passcode: 3800017#)
(Asia Pacific) +852 2287 4304 (Passcode: 124110#)
About Xinhua Finance Media Limited
Xinhua Finance Media ("XFMedia"; Nasdaq:
XFML) is China's leading diversified financial and
entertainment media company targeting high net worth
individuals nationwide. The company reaches its target
audience via TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and other
distribution channels. Through its five synergistic
business groups, Advertising, Broadcast, Print, Production
and Research, XFMedia offers a total solution empowering
clients at every stage of the media process and keeping
people connected and entertained.
Headquartered in Beijing, the company has offices and
affiliates in major cities of China including Beijing,
Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. For more
information, please visit
http://www.xinhuafinancemedia.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements.
These statements are made under the "safe harbor"
provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can
be identified by terminology such as "will,"
"expects," "anticipates,"
"future," "intends," "plans,"
"believes," "estimates" and similar
statements. Among other things, the outlook for third
quarter 2007 contains forward-looking statements. XFMedia
may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in
its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission in its annual report to shareholders, in press
releases and other written materials and in oral statements
made by its officers, directors or employees to third
parties. Statements that are not historical facts,
including statements about XFMedia's beliefs and
expectations, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and
uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual
results to differ materially from those contained in any
forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the
following: our growth strategies; our future business
development, results of operations and financial condition;
our ability to attract and retain customers; competition in
the Chinese advertising market; changes in our revenues and
certain cost or expense items as a percentage of our
revenues; the outcome of ongoing, or any future, litigation
or arbitration, including those relating to copyright and
other intellectual property rights; the expected growth of
the Chinese advertising and media market; and Chinese
governmental policies relating to advertising and media.
Further information regarding these and other risks is
included in our registration statement on Form F-1, as
amended, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
XFMedia does not undertake any obligation to update any
forward-looking statement, except as required under
applicable law.
For more information, please contact:
IR Contact
China
Xinhua Finance Media
Ms. Jennifer Chan Lyman
Phone: +86-21-6113-5960
Email: jennifer.lyman@xinhuafinancemedia.com
2007'12.04.Tue
ISPA Issues Immediate Recall of 2007 Global Consumer Studies
November 06, 2007
LEXINGTON, Ky., Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The
International SPA Association Monday issued a recall of its
2007 Global Consumer Studies conducted by a major outside
research firm, citing a number of statistical and
analytical errors associated with the research. This recall
includes all information contained in the ISPA 2007 Global
Consumer Report; the ISPA 2007 Asia-Pacific Consumer
Report; and the Spa & Institut Beyond Beauty Paris 2007
European Consumer Report, done in partnership with ITEC
France. The recall includes copies of the reports and/or
speeches, PowerPoint presentations and press releases that
included information from the studies.
"We value our members and the relationships we
have forged with them over the years," said ISPA
President Lynne Walker McNees. "Our members and the
media trust ISPA and the quality research we deliver. This
cannot be compromised. That's why we have terminated our
relationship with the research firm and are issuing this
recall in conjunction with our sincere regret for the
errors in the research. We also want to offer our personal
pledge to issue a refund to everyone who purchased this
information. Our intention is to immediately begin working
on a more comprehensive Global Report."
McNees stressed that only the 2007 Global Consumer
Report data and analysis were being recalled, not any of
the data collected in prior years and none of the data
included in the 2007 ISPA Spa Industry Study, which is
being released at the ISPA Conference & Expo, Nov.
12-15. "We have the utmost confidence in our previous
research, which was conducted by different firms, and stand
by it," said McNees.
All of the data and analysis in the 2007 Global
Consumer Studies are being recalled and will not be used as
benchmarks in future research. In order for all of the
recalled data and analysis to be eliminated from usage
immediately, please make note of some of the incorrect data
which has been used most frequently:
-- The number of active spa-goers worldwide.
-- The primary reasons for visiting spas worldwide.
-- The most popular spa treatments worldwide.
Copies of the 2007 Asia-Pacific Consumer Report were
distributed in China in June. Portions of the 2007 Global
Consumer Report were released during the ISPA Media Event
in New York City on August 9. The Spa & Institut
Beyond Beauty Paris 2007 European Consumer Report was
released in October during the Beyond Beauty Show in Paris.
Refunds
Those who purchased the European Report or pre-ordered
the Global Report through ITEC may contact ITEC for a
refund at infos@beyondbeautyparis.com and + 33 1 44 69 95
69.
If you pre-ordered a copy of the complete Global
Consumer Study through ISPA, your credit card will be
refunded.
About ITEC France
Organizer of the International Beyond Beauty Paris
event including five trade shows (Cosmeeting, Spa &
Institut, Pharmameeting Ingredients, Creative), the fifth
annual edition will now take place from Oct. 5 to 7, 2008
in Paris, France. Through its five specialized trade shows,
Beyond Beauty Paris is also positioned as an European
"industry reference" of the beauty and wellness
industries. Additional information on ITEC France is
available online at http://www.beyondbeautyparis.com.
About the International SPA Association
With more than 3,000 members in 75 countries, ISPA is
recognized worldwide as the leading professional
organization and voice of the spa industry. Founded in
1991, ISPA advances the spa industry by providing
invaluable educational and networking opportunities,
promoting the value of the spa experience and speaking as
the authoritative voice to foster professionalism and
growth.
For more information, please contact:
Debra Locker
International SPA Association
Tel: +1-859-226-4374
Email: debra.locker@ispastaff.com
2007'12.04.Tue
Nike Names Bert Hoyt Vice President of Global Football
November 06, 2007
BEAVERTON, Ore., Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
NIKE, Inc. (NYSE: NKE) today announced Bert Hoyt as
Vice President and General Manager of Global Football
(soccer), one of the company's biggest businesses in which
Nike is a global brand leader in the world's most popular
sport. Hoyt reports to Trevor Edwards, Nike's Vice
President of Global Brand and Category Management.
(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO )
Hoyt brings to the role close to 20 years of key
sporting goods footwear and apparel global experience,
including almost a decade at Nike. Most recently, Hoyt was
Vice President and General Manager of the Nike German
Alpine Region, which includes Germany, Austria, Switzerland
and Slovenia. He led this team to exceptional growth within
the region where football is a key consumer category.
"Bert is taking the reins of a very strong
football business with incredible depth and momentum,"
Edwards said. "He brings tremendous global experience
and a complete understanding of the game of football. We
look forward to his leadership as we continue to drive
energy, create premium performance product and provide rich
consumer experiences in football worldwide."
From 2003 to 2005, Hoyt served as Nike's Vice President
of Commerce in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Nike's
second largest region in the world. In this role, Hoyt led
all Nike sales and retail operations, re-energizing the
business and driving revenue growth. Under his leadership,
he realigned the sales team, elevated its retail
presentation, and successfully opened numerous franchise
and concept stores. Since joining Nike in 1998, Bert has
held numerous senior positions in EMEA's equipment
divisions, marketing and sales.
Hoyt succeeds Joaquin Hidalgo, who has been leading
Nike's global football business for the past year in
addition to his role as Vice President, Global Marketing
for the Nike brand. As Vice President, Global Marketing,
Hidalgo will focus full-time on driving Nike's marketing
efforts around the world. Under Hidalgo's leadership, Nike
football continued building energy and momentum worldwide
with successful launches of innovative products such as the
revolutionary new Total 90 Laser football boot and the
"Put It Where You Want It" campaign. The T90
offers a bigger sweet spot, enhanced ball control and
accuracy. The boot has been widely embraced by players such
as Wayne Rooney, Fabio Cannavaro and Fernando Torres.
Since the early 1990s, Nike has grown its football
revenues from about $40 million to approximately $1.5
billion and established global brand leadership in the
sport. Football is one of six core categories expected to
drive 75 percent of Nike's targeted growth by fiscal 2011.
About NIKE, Inc.
NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's
leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic
athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a
wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned
Nike subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs,
markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and
accessories; NIKE Bauer Hockey Inc., a leading designer and
distributor of hockey equipment; Cole Haan, a leading
designer and marketer of luxury shoes, handbags,
accessories and coats; Hurley International LLC, which
designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth
lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories and Exeter
Brands Group LLC, which designs and markets athletic
footwear and apparel for the value retail channel. For
further information about Nike visit
http://www.nikebiz.com.
For more information, please contact:
NIKE, Inc.
Investors:
Pamela Catlett
Tel: +1-503-671-4589
Media:
Derek Kent
Tel: +1-503-532-1405
2007'12.04.Tue
Duke Energy's Rogers to Speak at Inaugural Platts Lecture
November 06, 2007
CEO to Advocate Energy Efficiency as `Fifth Fuel'
NEW YORK, Nov. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- At the
inaugural Platts Lecture on "Climate, Energy, and the
Climate for Energy," Duke Energy Chairman, President
and CEO Jim Rogers is expected to challenge the energy
industry to "build a bridge to a low-carbon
economy." The lecture will be held Nov. 29 at the
Digital Sandbox in New York City.
Rogers will discuss his view of energy efficiency as a
valuable "fifth fuel," to complement coal,
nuclear, natural gas and renewable generation. He also
plans to discuss the important role of advanced new
technologies in addressing climate change and overall
sustainability.
"As a major energy provider in the Americas, Duke
Energy has a special responsibility, as do all carbon
emitters, to find real and lasting solutions to the issue
of global climate change," said Rogers.
In addition to his leadership role at Duke Energy,
Rogers served as
2006-2007 chairman of the Edison Electric Institute, the
national association for investor-owned electric companies.
He also spearheaded Duke Energy's participation in the U.S.
Climate Action Partnership, a coalition of businesses and
other groups calling for nationwide limits on CO2
emissions.
He is co-chair of two energy efficiency organizations
-- the Alliance to Save Energy and the National Action Plan
for Energy Efficiency. In September, he joined eight
utility-industry CEOs at the Clinton Global Initiative in
New York to make a major commitment to increase energy
efficiency.
"The issues facing energy providers today are far
different from those of a decade ago," said Platts
President Victoria Chu Pao. "Sustainability, carbon
emissions and security of supply, sometimes in conflict
with each other, all have moved to the top of the list of
the concerns facing the energy industry's leaders.
"Mr. Rogers has tackled all of these problems at
Duke Energy, and we're excited to be able to hear his views
on climate, energy and the climate for energy."
Gene Sperling, former White House National Economic
Advisor, will join Rogers to deliver a Platts Lecture Nov.
29, before the ninth annual Platts Global Energy Awards
event that evening. The lecture series aspires to raise
the level of global energy industry debate, creating the
definitive forum for the examination of serious long-term
issues facing the world's energy businesses and
policy-makers.
The Platts Global Energy Awards were established in
1999 to recognize outstanding achievement in the energy
industry. The annual ceremony singles out the energy
industry's top performers, recognizing corporate and
individual achievement, innovation and entrepreneurship.
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ministers, national regulators, heads of major energy
companies, leading academics and legislators.
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MHP), is a leading global provider of energy and
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2007'12.04.Tue
New Data Examines the Effect of Adding a Statin to Optimised Treatment for Patients with Advanced Heart Failure
November 05, 2007
ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 5 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
New data from the CORONA study presented today at the
American Heart Association 2007 Scientific Sessions showed
that adding a statin to optimised heart failure treatment
did not significantly improve the prognosis for patients
with advanced heart failure because it could not reverse or
prevent the deterioration of a failing heart.
Patients taking AstraZeneca's CRESTOR(TM)
(rosuvastatin) 10mg experienced an 8 percent reduction
(p=0.12) in the combined primary endpoint of cardiovascular
death or myocardial infarction or stroke, which was not
statistically significant. This reduction was primarily
driven by a decrease in atherosclerotic events, i.e. stroke
and myocardial infarctions (post hoc analysis p=0.05) which
is where statins have been proven to have benefit. In this
study the majority of deaths were due to sudden death, or
non-ischemic causes, which did not appear to be impacted by
statin therapy. In addition, significantly fewer
hospitalizations occurred in patients on CRESTOR compared
to placebo, whether due to any cause (p=0.007),
cardiovascular causes (p<0.001), or for worsening heart
failure (p=0.01).
"The CORONA results represent a major advancement
in medical research and understanding of patients with
advanced heart failure, they clearly differ from patients
without heart failure in their response to statin
treatment" said lead investigator Prof. John Kjekshus,
Department of Cardiology, Rikshospitalet University
Hospital, Oslo, Norway. "We added a highly effective
statin on top of an optimal treatment regimen. Our findings
suggest the major cause of death in these patients was
likely not to be related to atherosclerotic events, where
benefit with statins in non-heart failure patients has been
demonstrated, but instead may have been caused by the
deterioration of failing heart muscle damaged beyond
repair. CORONA underscores the need for early intervention
in the progression of atherosclerosis to prevent one of its
worst consequences, heart failure."
"The CORONA study was a novel and challenging
study and demonstrates our commitment to advancing medical
knowledge by investigating the effects of CRESTOR in
challenging patient populations with unmet medical need.
The CORONA study included patients with advanced heart
failure on optimal treatment who were not candidates for
statin therapy in the view of the investigators and which
sought to answer the question of whether or not statins
provide additional benefit or might even be harmful in this
population. As a result of this study, AstraZeneca has
provided new scientific information to help answer these
important questions", said Elisabeth Bjork, Global
Medical Science Director for CRESTOR.
CORONA (COntrolled ROsuvastatin MultiNAtional Study in
Heart Failure) was a long-term, randomised,
placebo-controlled study of more than 5,000 patients with
chronic, symptomatic, systolic heart failure (NYHA II-IV)
of ischaemic origin. The study was designed to evaluate the
effects of adding CRESTOR 10 mg to optimised treatment
(including multiple medications) on cardiovascular
mortality and morbidity and overall survival in patients
whom investigators felt did not need lipid-lowering
therapy.
CRESTOR 10 mg was well tolerated in over 2,500 patients
during the study, with a safety profile similar to placebo.
The frequency and type of adverse events were comparable in
all treatment groups throughout the study. CORONA was
conducted in 21 countries.
CORONA is a part of AstraZeneca's extensive GALAXY
clinical trials programme, designed to address important
unanswered questions in statin research. Currently, more
than 69,000 patients have been recruited from 55 countries
worldwide to participate in the GALAXY Programme.
CRESTOR has now received regulatory approvals in over
90 countries. Over 11 million patients have been prescribed
CRESTOR worldwide. Data from clinical trials and real world
use shows that the safety profile for CRESTOR is in line
with other marketed statins.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare
business engaged in the research, development, manufacture
and marketing of prescription pharmaceuticals and the
supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's
leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of
$26.47 billion and leading positions in sales of
gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience,
respiratory, oncology and infection products. AstraZeneca
is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as
well as the FTSE4 Good Index.
This press release has been made available on worldwide
press communication media for the benefit of correspondents
writing for the medical professional press. Differing
national legislation, codes of practice, medical practice
etc mean that you should contact your local AZ press office
to obtain information designed for use in your country. In
particular this press release has not been prepared for use
in the USA.
For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit:
http://www.astrazeneca.com
For further information please visit:
http://www.AstraZenecaPressOffice.com
For more information, please contact:
Ben Strutt
AstraZeneca, Global PR Manager
Cardiovascular Therapy Area
Tel: +44-1625-230076
Mob: +44-7919-565990
Email: ben.strutt@astrazeneca.com
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