Latest news with #Fast-Track
Scoop
3 days ago
- General
- Scoop
Climate Justice Taranaki Joins Urgent Waitangi Tribunal Hearing On Seabed Mining
The community group Climate Justice Taranaki is joining hapū and iwi from across the motu as an interested party to Waitangi Tribunal urgent hearing regarding the proposed seabed mining of the Taranaki coast by Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) under the Fast-Track legislation. 'TTR does not have a social licence to operate in Taranaki. All of Taranaki is opposed to seabed mining. Every iwi and hapū have resisted it, community groups have taken a stand against this project for years, the South Taranaki District Council and Whanganui District Council have come out against it, and this week, the New Plymouth District Council has confirmed its opposition to seabed mining.' 'While the Fast-Track application is in motion, we are more determined than ever to stop this project from ever going ahead and are calling for large-scale civil action against seabed mining if this ever gets approved.' 'In our letter to the Waitangi Tribunal, we noted that Taranaki is home to important taonga species. The South Taranaki Bight is an important hotspot for marine mammal diversity within Aotearoa, including as a feeding and breeding location. There are a number of nationally vulnerable and nationally threatened and endangered species that reside within the moana, including a local population of Pygmy Blue Whales which are located within the South Taranaki Bight year-round.' 'Surveys by NIWA in South Taranaki Bight also reported new species of bryozoans, sponges, annelids, and algae, as well as new records for many groups for the region. A subsequent 2021 NIWA survey of Pātea Bank reefs, found that a deeper reef held high densities of juvenile blue cod, consistent with it providing important nursery habitat. Several other smaller nursery habitat areas were discovered on the edges of some reefs.' 'Considering the fast-changing ocean conditions, notably extended marine heatwaves and changing ocean chemistry undermining ocean food webs, the plight of Aotearoa's threatened and endangered marine species is dire, even without additional manmade impacts from seabed mining.'
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Berkshire Biomedical Awarded NIH Research Grant to Support Clinical Study Program to Evaluate Patient Retention and Other Benefits of the COPA™ System for Take-Home Methadone Medication Management
Funds from the Two-Phase Fast-Track SBIR Grant, Combined, Would Total Approximately $2.9 Million DALLAS, June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkshire Biomedical Corporation ("Berkshire" or "the Company"), focused on developing its proprietary drug dispensing technology to enhance patient wellness, today announced that it has been awarded the first phase of a two-phase Fast-Track Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant (1 R44DA061908-01A1) from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA). Valued at approximately $2.9 million over 30 months, the two-phase grant will support execution of a clinical study to evaluate patient retention and other benefits of the Company's COPA™ System for Take-Home Methadone Medication Management as part of Medication for Opioid User Disorder (MOUD) treatment. Phase I funds of approximately $326,400 will support the execution of a single-site study. Receipt of the approximate $2.55 million Phase II award will support the execution of an open-label, randomized, parallel multi-site study, which will be contingent on an assessment of the Phase I report, as well as the review and approval of any other documentation necessary for continuation and availability of NIH funds. COPA is a novel, oral liquid dispensing system specifically designed to deliver accurate and precise doses of controlled and non-controlled prescription medications to only an Authenticated Intended User (AIU™), upon confirmation of dual biometric identifications (fingerprint and dentition) prior to each dose, with the goal of enhancing patient wellness and providing remote monitoring. "The Fast-Track SBIR grant process is highly competitive, with only 18% of applicants having been chosen under this program in 2023, alone," stated John Timberlake, Chief Executive Officer of Berkshire. This is Berkshire's second Fast-Track SBIR Grant from NIH. The Company received an initial two-phased award totaling $2.2 million (1R44DA057185) in 2022 which extended through 2024, to complete the development of the COPA system. Berkshire's receipt of this newest award reflects the NIH's continued belief in the strength of the technology behind COPA and its potential to significantly increase access to Opioid Treatment Programs for persons suffering from Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) by dramatically increasing the number of persons being allowed to utilize take home therapy." Mr. Timberlake continued, "The requirement to travel to an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) clinic, daily, has been shown to reduce treatment retention and deter some patients from even starting treatment. A mixed methods study found that take-home dose flexibility among stable patients was associated with receiving more take homes, higher rates of treatment retention, and lower rates of opioid-positive drug tests. Higher retention rates in opioid use disorder medication among patients with OUD were, therefore, associated with better outcomes. There have been a considerable number of retrospective studies evaluating opioid use disorder treatment retention; however, there are very few prospective comparison studies." About the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)NIDA is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy, improve practice, and advance addiction science. For more information about NIDA and its programs, visit About the National Institutes of Health (NIH)NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit About Berkshire Biomedical Corporation Berkshire Biomedical Corporation is a privately held medical device company. Berkshire is pioneering the use of biometric technologies, combined with encrypted HIPAA compliant cloud-based and healthcare provider-enabled remote management systems, to provide precise and accurate personalized medication delivery to only the Authenticated Intended User (AIU). The Company's lead product under development, the Computerized Oral Prescription Administration System (COPA), is a hand-held, automated, personalized oral liquid dispensing system designed and intended to deliver controlled and non-controlled liquid oral medications to only the AIU upon confirmation of dual biometric identification (fingerprint and dentition). Upon receiving regulatory authorization, the Company intends to initially seek opportunities to leverage COPA in the delivery and remote management of oral liquid medication methadone, for Medication Use for Opioid Use Disorder treatment and subsequently for the delivery of controlled medications for the treatment of pain, as those patients have the greatest need for the benefits of COPA's features. In addition, the Company will look to expand COPA use in broader drug therapeutic categories, clinical applications, and businesses that manage the commercialization and data analytics provided by electronic devices to improve outcomes and reduce risk. Additional information about Berkshire Biomedical and the COPA System can be found at The COPA™ System is currently under development, has NOT been reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is not available for commercial sale. Disclaimer: Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers R44DA057185 and R44DA061908-01A1. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. CONTACT: Berkshire Biomedical Corporationinfo@ Melody CareyFounder, President, and CEORx Communications Group, LLCmcarey@ View original content: SOURCE Berkshire Biomedical Corporation Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Scoop
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Greenpeace Slams Acceptance Of Seabed Miner's Application
Wannabe seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources' Fast-Track application has now been accepted for the next stage by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), a process Greenpeace slams for being anti-democratic and completely ignoring the overwhelming opposition of the local community. Greenpeace seabed mining campaigner Juressa Lee says, "For nearly a decade, Trans-Tasman Resources has failed to get its seabed mining project approved. It's been rejected at multiple levels of legal and environmental review, but today the Luxon Government has rubber-stamped it because it might make a little bit of money for their mates. "Investors in TTR's project are trying to pull the wool over the public's eyes, telling us to 'trust the science'. But TTR has never been able to alleviate the courts' concerns for harmful impacts on wildlife and the environment, nor shown any interest in filling the gaps in information and reliable modelling. "Taranaki communities - including iwi, the fishing industry, recreational fishers, surfers and swimmers - have fought against TTR for more than a decade. But the Luxon government is ignoring their wishes and imposing an unpopular project which will devastate the South Taranaki Bight." Lee adds: "The opposition to seabed mining is strong and unwavering, and Greenpeace will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the growing resistance and make sure these wannabe miners never get a chance." Trans-Tasman Resources is planning to extract 50 million tonnes of iron sand from the South Taranaki Bight every year for 35 years in an eleven-metre deep open-cast mine on the seabed, and then dump 45 million tonnes a year back into the ocean. Experts say that seabed mining in the South Taranaki Bight would damage rich ecosystems and threaten precious marine life such as the pygmy blue whale, Māui and Hector's dolphins and kororā.
