Category: Local News

PRINCETON, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — The Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), a multidisciplinary research institute that uses machine learning and scaled data analysis to map contagious threats, has published new research findings that show new inroads for reaching communities that have been reluctant to take vaccines. Reaching these populations has become more critical with the arrival of the Omicron Covid variant, which experts believe may asymmetrically impact minority communities.

The research generated a data-driven large-scale climate model of vaccine reluctance with specific underlying indicators down to the county level, which revealed factors that quantitatively forecast reluctance to Covid vaccinations on the county level. These included social media factors ranging from searches on Google indicating concerns about side effects, to tweets about Covid-related conspiracies. These findings lay the groundwork for the ability to create a map that can be updated in nearly real time to provide public health officials, the local medical community and other community leaders a better understanding of the makeup of concerns underlying local vaccine reluctance.

In addition to Google search trends, social media comments, and aggregated event/demographic databases, the research combined data from the CDC on vaccination rates with Walmart’s data on vaccine distribution. Peter Norvig, Director of Research at Google, a professor at Stanford, and NCRI research contributor, said, “the NCRI is demonstrating how smart analysis of data can strengthen our dialogue across the country in the effort to beat COVID-19.”

An unexpected key finding in the research is that Walmart appears to be overperforming with communities that are high in vaccine reluctance. The research demonstrated that the presence of hard-to-reach communities such as African Americans and Trump voters was a significant predictor of success for Walmart’s vaccine distribution compared to general distribution. These findings follow on programmatic outreach by Walmart to target hard to reach communities. By sharing its data publicly and its best practices in community outreach, Walmart hopes to enhance the success of other community outreach programs and accelerate shared learnings.

Aaron Bernstein, Director of Analytics at Walmart, commented: “Access to affordable and accessible care is just one way leveraging our size and scale helps us better serve communities. We realized in talking with NCRI that the framework of network science and big data could allow us to contribute valuable, anonymous information to positively impact public health and help inform the research to understand more about vaccine reluctance.”

Bernstein continued: “The report affirmed our strategy to reach underserved and rural communities by partnering with community leaders, elected officials, faith-based leaders, nonprofits and community organizations. It illustrated our positive impact in communities that would typically see more vaccine reluctance. By NCRI sharing this report, organizations can collectively address public health challenges in ways that meet people where they are; engage in more productive dialogue; contribute to the development of new capabilities; and inspire other organizations to share blind data for the broader good and affect important change.”

Adam Sohn, CEO of the NCRI added that “the NCRI hopes this research will inspire other organizations, especially vaccine distributors, to offer their data to help fortify these new forecasting capabilities. We invite those organizations to reach out to us directly to begin integrating anonymized data into a forecasting framework to better model public health challenges.”

About NCRI: The Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) identifies and forecasts the threat and spread of misinformation and disinformation across social media platforms and the real world. Committed to quickly identifying these emerging threats, NCRI forecasts potential risks to empower partners to become proactive in protecting themselves against false narratives that create rifts of distrust that impact institutions, capital markets, public health and safety.

Contacts

Alex Goldenberg, Lead Intelligence Analyst

Network Contagion Research Institute

alex@ncri.io

PRINCETON, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: EPRT; the “Company”) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.26 per share of common stock for the fourth quarter of 2021. On an annualized basis, this dividend of $1.04 per share of common stock represents an increase of $0.04 per share over the previous annualized dividend. The dividend is payable on January 13, 2022 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 31, 2021.

About Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc.

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. is an internally managed REIT that acquires, owns and manages primarily single-tenant properties that are net leased on a long-term basis to companies operating service-oriented or experience-based businesses. As of September 30, 2021, the Company’s portfolio consisted of 1,397 freestanding net lease properties with a weighted average lease term of 13.9 years and a weighted average rent coverage ratio of 3.5x. As of the same date, the Company’s portfolio was 99.9% leased to 297 tenants operating 423 different concepts in 17 industries across 45 states.

Contacts

Investor/Media:

Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc.

Daniel Donlan

Senior Vice President, Capital Markets

609-436-0619

info@essentialproperties.com

• Project supported by New Jersey Union coalition including Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, Operating Engineers Locals 825 and 25 and Iron Workers Local 399
• Project expected to provide over 1,000 jobs and $1.3 billion to the New Jersey economy
• Project designed to strengthen New Jersey’s clean energy targets and to minimize impact to local communities and environment
• Project backed by Blackstone, a proven long-term investor and operator in infrastructure, transmission and renewable energy

PRINCETON, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Atlantic Power Transmission LLC (“APT”), a Blackstone (NYSE: BX) portfolio company, announced its bid to develop a clean power transmission solution in response to the 2021 New Jersey Offshore Wind SAA Transmission Solicitation initiated by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, in collaboration with PJM Interconnection. APT’s project offers a total offshore wind transmission solution of up to 3,600 MW and is expected to provide over $1.3 billion in economic value to the New Jersey economy. The project is expected to deliver clean offshore wind power to over 1.5 million New Jersey families, enabled by an underground clean energy corridor connecting to an existing substation in Central New Jersey.

APT has prioritized union labor and has partnered with the New Jersey union coalition, including Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, International Union of Operating Engineers Locals 825 and 25 and Iron Workers Local 399, which will bring the region’s best-skilled and trained tradespersons to this state-of-the-art project and ensure that trades unions are a bedrock of New Jersey’s clean energy program.

Commenting on the announcement, Global Head of Infrastructure at Blackstone, Sean Klimczak said, “We are excited to support New Jersey’s offshore wind efforts and are proud to partner with the New Jersey union coalition. Blackstone Infrastructure has a proven track record and commitment to long-term partnerships, and we look forward to continuing with this transformative and innovative clean energy development project.”

William C. Sproule, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters said, “New Jersey is uniquely positioned as a hub for offshore wind, and we are pleased that our skilled tradespersons are at the forefront of this exciting movement to bring greater energy sustainability to our State.”

“We applaud Atlantic Power Transmission’s commitment to the Operating Engineers as they embark on the monumental task of bringing homegrown renewable energy to our electrical grid,” commented Greg Lalevee, Business Manager of IUOE 825. “Our union is proud to be part of building a clean energy future in the state of New Jersey.”

Richard Sweeney, President and Business Manager of the Iron Workers Local 399, also stated, “We are proud to partner with Blackstone Infrastructure and Atlantic Power Transmission on ensuring good paying union jobs for years to come in this important and growing sector of our economy.”

The entire route of the project will utilize underground electric transmission lines to minimize its social and environmental impacts. The project enters onshore at an existing industrial site and aims to avoid disrupting New Jersey’s beachfront communities.

Andy Geissbuehler, APT’s CEO, stated, “We highly value our union partnership and our collaboration with the communities along the clean energy corridor. We are committed and able to manage the risks to safely and reliably construct and operate a compelling transmission solution to support New Jersey’s clean energy leadership.”

Blackstone is committed to supporting renewable energy and working closely with its union partners. Since 2019, Blackstone has committed nearly $10 billion in investments that it believes are consistent with the broader energy transition.

In September 2021, Blackstone announced that the Champlain Hudson Power Express (“CHPE”), an underground electric transmission line spanning 339 miles between Canada and New York City, was selected by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority as part of an extensive RFP process to deliver 1,250 MW of clean, renewable power to New York City. CHPE is expected to create 1,400 jobs, with a commitment to use union labor, and includes a $40 million new Green Economy Fund that will provide job training for clean energy jobs.

In November 2021, Blackstone portfolio companies, Altus Power, a leading clean electrification company, and Link Logistics, operator of the largest portfolio of strategic last mile locations in the US, were awarded approximately 35 MW of community solar projects in New Jersey. Together, Altus and Link will build and operate a portfolio of rooftop community solar projects to serve approximately 10,000 residential customers throughout New Jersey with renewable energy.

About Blackstone

Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $731 billion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.

Blackstone Infrastructure Partners

Blackstone Infrastructure Partners is an active investor across energy, transportation, digital infrastructure and water and waste infrastructure sectors. We seek to apply a long-term buy-and-hold strategy to large-scale infrastructure assets with a focus on delivering stable, long-term capital appreciation together with a predictable annual cash flow yield. Our approach to infrastructure investing is one that focuses on responsible stewardship and stakeholder engagement to create value for our investors and the communities we serve.

Atlantic Power Transmission LLC (“APT”)

APT is a Blackstone Infrastructure Partners Portfolio Company, headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey and is dedicated to developing, constructing and operating planned transmission systems along the US East Coast to enable efficient interconnection of commercial scale offshore wind facilities.

Contacts

Paula Chirhart

Paula.Chirhart@Blackstone.com
347-463-5453

Applications supported by positive results from the pivotal Phase 3 POETYK-PSO clinical trial program demonstrating superior efficacy of deucravacitinib over Otezla^® (apremilast) and placebo in treating adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis

U.S. Food and Drug Administration assigned a target action date of September 10, 2022; European Medicines Agency validation confirms the submission is complete and begins the centralized review process

Deucravacitinib, an oral, selective tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, would be the first TYK2 inhibitor approved for the treatment of any disease

PRINCETON, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — $BMY #BMS—Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the New Drug Application (NDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has validated the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for deucravacitinib for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. The FDA has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date of September 10, 2022. These latest regulatory milestones are in addition to the NDA acceptance by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for deucravacitinib for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, pustular psoriasis and erythrodermic psoriasis.

“There is a strong need for more effective and well-tolerated oral therapies for people living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, as many remain undertreated or even untreated,” said Jonathan Sadeh, M.D., MSc., senior vice president of Immunology and Fibrosis Development, Bristol Myers Squibb. “Findings from the pivotal POETYK-PSO trials demonstrate the potential of deucravacitinib to elevate the oral standard of care for individuals who are candidates for systemic therapy. We look forward to continuing to work with the FDA and EMA with the goal of bringing deucravacitinib to patients and physicians as quickly as possible.”

The regulatory applications are based on positive results from the pivotal POETYK PSO-1 and POETYK PSO-2 trials, which evaluated once daily deucravacitinib in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis versus placebo and Otezla^® (apremilast). Deucravacitinib demonstrated significant and clinically meaningful improvements in skin clearance, symptom burden and quality of life measures compared to placebo and Otezla. Deucravacitinib was well-tolerated with a low rate of discontinuation due to adverse events, with no clinically meaningful lab abnormalities. Primary results were presented at the American Academy of Dermatology Virtual Meeting Experience in April 2021, and additional analyses were presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 30^th Anniversary Congress in September 2021.

Bristol Myers Squibb thanks the patients and investigators involved in the POETYK-PSO clinical trial program.

About Deucravacitinib

Deucravacitinib (pronounced doo-krav-a-sih-ti-nib) is a first-in-class, oral, selective tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor with a unique mechanism of action and is the first and only selective TYK2 inhibitor in clinical studies across multiple immune-mediated diseases. Bristol Myers Squibb scientists designed deucravacitinib to selectively target TYK2, thereby inhibiting signaling of interleukin (IL)-23, IL-12 and Type 1 interferon (IFN), key cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of multiple immune-mediated diseases. Deucravacitinib achieves a high degree of selectivity by binding to the regulatory domain of TYK2, resulting in allosteric inhibition of TYK2 and its downstream functions. Deucravacitinib selectively inhibits TYK2 at physiologically relevant concentrations. At therapeutic doses, deucravacitinib does not inhibit JAK1, JAK2 or JAK3.

Deucravacitinib is being studied in multiple immune-mediated diseases, including psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition to POETYK PSO-1 and POETYK PSO-2, Bristol Myers Squibb is evaluating deucravacitinib in three other Phase 3 studies in psoriasis: POETYK PSO-3 (NCT04167462); POETYK PSO-4 (NCT03924427); POETYK PSO-LTE (NCT04036435). Deucravacitinib is not approved for use in any country.

About the Phase 3 POETYK PSO-1 and POETYK PSO-2 Studies

PrOgram to Evaluate the efficacy and safety of deucravacitinib, a selective TYK2 inhibitor (POETYK) PSO-1 (NCT03624127) and POETYK PSO-2 (NCT03611751) are global Phase 3 studies designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of deucravacitinib compared to placebo and Otezla^® (apremilast) in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Both POETYK PSO-1, which enrolled 666 patients, and POETYK PSO-2, which enrolled 1,020 patients, were multi-center, randomized, double-blind trials that evaluated deucravacitinib (6 mg once daily) compared with placebo and Otezla (30 mg twice daily). POETYK PSO-2 included a randomized withdrawal and retreatment period after Week 24.

The co-primary endpoints of both POETYK PSO-1 and POETYK PSO-2 were the percentage of patients who achieved Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 75 response and those who achieved static Physician’s Global Assessment (sPGA) score of 0 or 1 at Week 16 versus placebo. Key secondary endpoints of the trials included the percentage of patients who achieved PASI 75 and sPGA 0/1 compared to Otezla at Week 16 and other measures evaluating deucravacitinib versus placebo and Otezla.

About Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a widely prevalent, chronic, systemic immune-mediated disease that substantially impairs patients’ physical health, quality of life and work productivity. Psoriasis is a serious global problem, with at least 100 million people worldwide impacted by some form of the disease, including around 14 million people in Europe and approximately 7.5 million people in the United States. Nearly one-quarter of people with psoriasis have cases that are considered moderate to severe. Up to 90 percent of patients with psoriasis have psoriasis vulgaris, or plaque psoriasis, which is characterized by distinct round or oval plaques typically covered by silvery-white scales. Despite the availability of effective systemic therapy, many patients with moderate to severe psoriasis remain undertreated or even untreated and are dissatisfied with current treatments. People with psoriasis report an impact on their emotional well-being, straining both personal and professional relationships and causing a reduced quality of life. Psoriasis is associated with multiple comorbidities that may impact patients’ well-being, including psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and depression.

Bristol Myers Squibb: Pioneering Paths Forward in Immunology to Transform Patients’ Lives

Bristol Myers Squibb is inspired by a single vision – transforming patients’ lives through science. For people living with immune-mediated diseases, the debilitating reality of enduring chronic symptoms and disease progression can take a toll on their physical, emotional and social well-being, making simple tasks and daily life a challenge. Driven by our deep understanding of the immune system that spans over 20 years of experience, and our passion to help patients, the company continues to pursue pathbreaking science with the goal of delivering meaningful solutions that address unmet needs in rheumatology, gastroenterology, dermatology and multiple sclerosis. We follow the science, aiming to tailor therapies to individual needs, improve outcomes and expand treatment options by working to identify mechanisms with the potential to achieve long-term remission – and perhaps even cures – in the future. By building partnerships with researchers, patients and caregivers to deliver innovative treatments, Bristol Myers Squibb strives to elevate patient care to new standards and deliver what matters most – the promise of living a better life.

About Bristol Myers Squibb

Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

Celgene and Juno Therapeutics are wholly owned subsidiaries of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. In certain countries outside the U.S., due to local laws, Celgene and Juno Therapeutics are referred to as, Celgene, a Bristol Myers Squibb company and Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol Myers Squibb company.

Otezla^® (apremilast) is a registered trademark of Amgen Inc.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. All statements that are not statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on historical performance and current expectations and projections about our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them in the next several years, that are difficult to predict, may be beyond our control and could cause our future financial results, goals, plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. These risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, the possibility that the NDA may not be accepted for filing by the FDA without the provision of further information or responses to additional requests, that deucravacitinib (BMS-986165) may not receive regulatory approval for the indication described in this release in the currently anticipated timeline or at all, any marketing approvals, if granted, may have significant limitations on their use, and, if approved, whether such product candidate for such indication described in this release will be commercially successful. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many risks and uncertainties that affect Bristol Myers Squibb’s business and market, particularly those identified in the cautionary statement and risk factors discussion in Bristol Myers Squibb’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, as updated by our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document and except as otherwise required by applicable law, Bristol Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

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Contacts

Bristol Myers Squibb

Media Inquiries:
media@bms.com

Investors:
Tim Power

609-252-7509

Timothy.Power@bms.com

Nina Goworek

908-673-9711

Nina.Goworek@bms.com