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Maravai LifeSciences Appoints R. Andrew Eckert as Chairman of the Board of DirectorsA knock at the door. A police search. A rose gold iPhone. Child pornography allegations. Shocking as the charges were against his son, a Woodstock father says the family ordeal that followed shattered his faith in the justice system. Brian Williams reports. A knock at the Spina household’s front door started the family’s waking nightmare. Andrea Spina answered, then rushed back to her husband, Mario, slowly getting out of bed. Get dressed, she urged him. He heard “heavy boots” and “marching” inside the house, Mario said. He was shocked to discover six police officers equipped with firearms and a search warrant for the suburban home in northeast Woodstock, a city of about 48,000 in southwestern Ontario’s auto belt. “We had no clue why they were here,” Mario said. Mario, Andrea, her mother, the couple’s daughter and their 19-year-old son, Kristian, lived in the bungalow at the time. Kristian was at work that morning, Jan. 19, 2022. “We thought something happened to Kristian,” Andrea said. The family was “sequestered in the living room” as Woodstock police officers searched the house, said Mario. Det. Mike Haegens of Woodstock police explained the investigation involved a Snapchat account with a handle connected to Kristian. Snapchat is an app that allows users to send and receive videos and photos that automatically delete after being viewed for 10 seconds, longer if left unopened. An old email address used by all family members was also connected to the investigation, and both the Snapchat handle and email address were linked to uploading and sharing child pornography, police told them. “We never thought for a million years that there was anything, because that’s not who my son is,” Mario said. Woodstock police seized numerous phones from the Spina residence, including a rose gold iPhone belonging to Kristian that was no longer used. Police showed up at Kristian’s workplace, auto parks maker Vuteq. “The first thought that went through my head was something happened to my family,” Kristian said. Kristian was told his Snapchat account had been flagged for uploaded child pornography. “I was at a loss for words,” he said. “I know what I do on my phone and I know that this isn’t one of them.” Kristian handed over his phone to police, gave the password and said his Snapchat account had been hacked. “That’s why I gave them (the phone), no hesitation,” Kristian said. That day was the beginning of what would become a year-long family struggle to clear Kristian of child pornography charges, a struggle that a digital forensic expert warns can happen to anyone with a phone and social media accounts. The account of what happened to the Spinas is based on interviews with family members, a court ruling, expert reports and a summary by the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency (LECA), an independent civilian oversight agency of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. For the Spinas, there would be financial setbacks, health scares, uncertainty and a draining emotional toll. And now, for Mario, a search for accountability. “Is it negligence or is it ignorance?” he said. “At the end of the day, what the heck is the difference to the accused?” The year before, on July 17, 2021, Kristian received an email from Snapchat to an email address the family had stopped checking. The email from Snapchat advised him his account had been accessed by an unknown device in Hamilton that he didn’t own. On Aug. 5, 2021, Kristian was locked out of the account. “I did what every guy my age would do and just made a new one (account),” Kristian said. About the same time, a potentially illegal video was uploaded to the old account, an investigation later found. Snapchat reports the upload of potentially illegal videos to the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In Kristian’s case, information about the upload was sent to Canada’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre, then the RCMP, then Woodstock police. The responsibility for mining the devices seized fell to Woodstock’s digital examiner, a civilian employee, Special Const. Robert Gower. Gower’s search of the Kristian’s former iPhone, the rose gold one, revealed eight still images, some reproduced multiple times, for a total of about 50 thumbnails, meeting the police definition of child porn. The thumbnails — small images of pictures or videos — found on the phone matched the video connected to Kristian’s account that was first flagged by Snapchat and passed along to Woodstock police. In February 2022, police advised Kristian his phone contained images of child pornography and that charges would be laid. “I don’t have a clue how it happened, what happened, because I’ve never seen any of this stuff,” Kristian said. “That was a bomb,” Mario said. “We thought, there’s an explanation for this.” Before then, the 19-year-old’s only brush with the law had been a speeding ticket. Mario and Andrea drove Kristian to the police station the next morning. At age eight, Kristian was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. He made a full recovery after six months. “When that cancer bomb goes off, everyone comes to help you — they come from everywhere. The doctors, the oncologists, the therapists, the counsellors, your family, your friends, your neighbors. You come home, your snow’s shoveled, your grass is cut — all that stuff,” Mario said. This struggle felt much different. “Imagine him going into this police station with all these police officers looking at him,” Mario said. “The door opened up to go into the belly of the station. It felt like a walk of shame for my son, and he didn’t do this.” His son was booked and held for a bail hearing. “I got back in the car, and I was in shock with tears,” Mario said. “My wife was waiting for me in the car and we were terrified. We didn’t know what to do.” Andrea recalled the heartbreak of dropping her son off at the police station. “It was horrible to leave him behind, and not knowing exactly what he’s going to go through,” she said. Watching his son appear on a courtroom video feed later “was gut-wrenching,” Mario said. Kristian was released later that afternoon. He faced three charges: One each of distributing, possessing and accessing child pornography. “There’s no parenting courses on what to do in case your son’s arrested for something he didn’t do,” Mario said. Before Mario could tell family members of his son’s plight, Woodstock police named Kristian and the charges against him in a news release. Now, Kristian had to deal with a second court: public opinion. “(People assume) when they see this example, the charges and a name associated with it, the police must have quite a lot of evidence here,” Mario said. Only Mario, his mother-in-law and Kristian were home the morning of March 26, 2022, about a month and a half after his arrest. Suddenly, Mario heard his mother-in-law “screaming like that wild scream, something’s really wrong.” Mario had watched his son battle cancer. He’d watched Kristian’s final year of high school stolen by the Covid-19 pandemic. He’d watched him be charged by police. That morning he watched his son dying, Mario said. “I fly out of the kitchen, and my son’s on the bed violently convulsing, foaming at the mouth,” Mario lamented. “He went grey, his lips were blue, he was dying.” Mario called 911 and Kristian was taken to hospital. Kristian had never had a seizure before, Mario said. “I just couldn’t believe where we were going, and why we’re going there, after what happened only weeks prior,” Mario recalled. Kristian was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation — a tangle of blood vessels that can cause bleeding in the brain, stroke or brain damage. Kristian spent a week in the hospital after the seizure. Mario wonders whether the stress his son was under triggered the health scare. Kristian doesn’t believe that was the main trigger for his seizure, but “I think it played a huge part.” He made a full recovery and attended Fanshawe College in the fall of 2022, trying to put the weight of the charges against him to the back of his mind. “When I was in school, I started off well, and then as time went on the stress was just putting weight on my shoulders that I couldn’t do any more,” he said. “I had to drop out.” Mario knew he needed big legal muscle to help his son. “Basically, what you have to have is a war fund,” Mario said. “You can’t just make a race to the bank and you’ll get a loan – you got to have money, liquid money.” The Spinas sold a rental property they owned, which was part of their retirement fund. They hired Michelle Biddulph from the Toronto law firm Greenspan Humphrey Weinstein. Kristian’s defence team enlisted digital forensic examiner Jason Conley, who was working then for Envista Forensics, to examine how it was possible for another person to access Kristian’s Snapchat account, and how the images could wind up on the rose gold iPhone without his knowledge. Conley’s report broke down how that could happen. His probe also uncovered apparent evidence of Kristian’s innocence and raised questions about the police investigation. Highlights of what Conley found: Vulnerability at home Conley found that the Spina household’s Internet Protocol (IP) address for its router, its email address and social media accounts had been compromised and were available to cyber criminals months before Snapchat flagged Kristian’s account for child pornography. The thumbnails The thumbnails created by Snapchat were discovered deep in a restricted area on the iPhone, where only an expert with investigative software would find them. The thumbnails were automatically synched to Kristian’s device from the mystery device responsible for uploading the illegal video to Kristian’s account. Content synchronization Conley tested a hypothesis – that a Snapchat account syncs on all devices where it is located, essentially enabling a hacker to send child pornography from one device with the account to another device with the same account. He set up two identical versions of a Snapchat account on a Samsung Android phone and an iPhone. After logging in to the same Snapchat account on both devices, it became apparent to him that Snapchat automatically synchronized all of his “snaps” (messages) and the media content within them. Because Kristian had not clicked on and seen the video containing child pornography on the rose gold iPhone, the thumbnails created on that phone were not erased, Conley told The Free Press. Any other digital forensic examiner could have replicated the process and made the same conclusion, he said. Without Snapchat confirmation, it’s not 100 per cent possible to know if that’s how the thumbnails ended up on Kristian’s phone, Conley said. Still, there’s an overwhelmingly strong possibility the synchronization led to the images on the rose gold iPhone, he said. Conley also went through Kristian’s search history and concluded there were no searches or content related to child pornography, which are commonly present when someone is deliberately searching for such illicit images or videos. ”(The police) looked at all the devices from the home, including Kristian’s current phone, and found nothing,” Conley said. “That’s a huge red flag.” Conley said he was also concerned by what appeared to be police reluctance to investigate a notification from Snapchat indicating Kristian’s account had been accessed from an IP address in Hamilton in July. At the time, Kristian was in Woodstock, his father said. “Whilst he may have been in physical possession of this device, there is evidence that suggests that Mr. Spina was the victim of credential theft and he was not exclusively in control of his Snapchat account,” Conley wrote. “A second user of this account could easily have sent or received this video without Mr. Spina’s knowledge, and the video could have been synchronized to Mr. Spina’s phone as a result,” he added. The report gave the family some comfort “Here’s a true professional, a true digital forensic examiner who completely showed us that this thing is completely full of holes,” Mario said. But the report seemed to have no impact when provided to the police, Conley said. “My terrible gut feeling in the situation is they just didn’t care, they just ran with it and they just refused to backpedal,” he said. It’s not clear whether the police investigated the findings in Conley’s report. Asked that in an email correspondence with The Free Press, Woodstock police Chief Rod Wilkinson didn’t answer the question. However, in his email exchanges with The Free Press, the chief said the force has the tools and training for such investigations. Two weeks before an October 2022 pre-trial hearing, Conley’s report was submitted to the Crown, Mario said. Conley said he believes the report wasn’t examined seriously by law enforcement or the Crown, and that it should have had a greater bearing on the case. “The worst part was (police) read my report and proceeded anyway,” Conley said. “That was the biggest indicator that something’s very, very, very off.” By Jan. 26, 2023, the first day of the trial, the Crown had dropped the child pornography distribution charge, but Kristian still faced two other child porn charges. At age 20, he was staring at a potential jail sentence, a minimum of six months to one year, and a lifelong sex offender status attached to his name. “Obviously, I was a little nervous my first time going into a courtroom (because) if anything goes bad, then I’m gone, basically,” Kristian said about the first day of the trial. Both Haegens, the lead detective, and Gower, the special constable, testified on the first day. Gower became the subject of a voir dire hearing, held to help a judge determine legal issues such as the admissibility of evidence, or whether witnesses are qualified to give expert testimony. Justice M. Edward Graham presented his voir dire analysis to both the Crown and defence by document. The Free Press obtained a copy of the analysis from Mario, who acquired it from Kristian’s defence lawyer. Although Gower had “extensive expertise in extracting data from devices,” he “does not have sufficient training or expertise to further analyze and interpret that data,” Graham wrote. Gower acknowledged he didn’t have training on Snapchat or other social media applications, Graham wrote. It wasn’t just Gower’s inexperience with Snapchat that was of concern to the judge, but also his lack of expertise with the device on which the thumbnails were found. “He also does not have any formal training on the Apple iOS operating system,” Graham wrote. “In my view he is not qualified to provide opinion evidence even in a general sense of the strengths and weaknesses of that system.” Graham concluded that Gower has a “solid foundation to build upon,” but would need to take more courses in “this rapidly evolving area” to provide expert testimony. The charges were dismissed. “(My parents) never gave up. I never gave up. As a family we pushed together and we succeeded,” Kristian said. “Knowing that he can start his life again, because it had been put on hold for such a long time — it was a huge relief,” Andrea said. Two months after the charges were dismissed, Kristian had successful brain surgery to repair the arteriovenous malformation. With the court case in the past, Kristian has returned to Fanshawe, studying to become an electrician. “I feel like I’m back to my myself,” the now 22-year-old said. His son has been made whole but the system remains broken, Mario said. “I’m not saying the police officer on the street isn’t doing their job,” he said, but “I don’t have faith in (the system).” “My job as a responsible father, as a responsible citizen . . . is to make sure this doesn’t happen to anybody else who is innocent.” Mario hired a private security and investigations firm, Investigative Solutions Network Inc., to examine the Woodstock police investigation of his son. The investigation was conducted by Bill McGarry, the company’s director of cyber operations and a former Toronto police officer with extensive experience in its child exploitation unit. McGarry’s report concluded that Woodstock police appeared to take “a very basic approach to the investigation, accepting all information as valid without conducting an inquiry into the information received.” ⦁ Police should have used a forensic examiner familiar with investigating devices for offences related to child pornography, who would have made various queries such as checking search engine history related to child pornography, his report said. ⦁ The files located on Kristian’s rose gold iPhone were “deep within the Snapchat application database that are inaccessible to the phone user,” McGarry wrote. “The files would only be accessible ‘via expensive software’ used by a person that requires extensive training and experience to use.” ⦁ McGarry called “the reliance of an unqualified digital forensic examiner” with inadequate training “to investigate iOS devices nor social media applications such as Snapchat” one of the “biggest missteps taken” by Woodstock police. ⦁ Police failed to search for a potential alibi, such as the correspondence between Snapchat and Kristian indicating the account had been compromised. “Reasonable and probable grounds” to support a charge of possession would have “evaporated and ceased to exist” had investigators examined further factors such as the Spinas’ compromised IP address. The Free Press asked Wilkinson whether Woodstock police had contacted outside forces, such as the OPP or another source experienced with iOS devices and social media applications, to help investigate. Wilkinson didn’t indicate whether or not that had been done. The chief said his force “continually” develops officers’ skills and qualifications to adapt to “rapidly changing technology involved in such complex investigations.” The Free Press also asked Wilkinson in its email correspondence whether the investigating officers had looked into whether Kristian’s account had been hacked as an explanation for child pornography uploaded to his Snapchat account. He confirmed that was investigated, but did not say whether police had contacted Snapchat. A digital forensic examination had revealed “a device contained materials that met the Criminal Code definition of child pornography” and gave police “reasonable and probable grounds to proceed to lay charges,” the chief wrote in an earlier email. Mario filed an official complaint to LECA, the provincial police oversight agency, in April 2023. Mario’s complaint alleged police conducted a “negligent investigation, which caused the family stress, trauma, and financial loss,” according to the LECA report. The report concluded that a LECA investigator found insufficient evidence to support Mario’s concerns that “discreditable misconduct or neglect of duty” had occurred. Asked through email about Mario’s allegation the investigation against his son was negligent, Haegans replied, “I am unable to comment.” Gower did not respond to a similar email seeking comment about the allegation and declined to answer questions when contacted by phone. Wilkinson responded to that question by noting that LECA, the provincial oversight agency, had found Mario’s complaint “unsubstantiated.” Unsatisfied with the LECA response, Mario said he spoke to Ernie Hardeman, the Woodstock-area MPP, who recommended he go before Woodstock’s police service board that oversees the city police. Mario tried to appear before the board to present information “to prevent this from ever happening to another innocent person in our community.” But he balked at conditions the board wanted to place on his appearance. The board requires someone provide a written statement before appearing, and can’t allow discussions that might involve individual officers to be held in public, Ken Whiteford, chair of the police board, told The Free Press. “It’s in a closed room and nothing can be shared,” Mario said. “That doesn’t leave me a real good, comforting feeling.” Mario filed a complaint about the police board in April 2024 to an oversight office called the Inspectorate of Policing. The inspectorate replied in August it agreed with the police board decisions. Mario said he’s not after an apology from the police, but would like them to publicly note that all charges against Kristian were dismissed, something McGarry’s report noted was the “only way to clear his name.” “They are the ones who printed his name on grains of evidence that they didn’t understand, using a forensics expert who wasn’t qualified, who’d never done that before on a cell phone,” Mario said. “They published my son’s name (in the first place), they could publish my son’s name now saying he has nothing to do with this.” The issue isn’t dead for Mario. “I’m not the kind of guy that just goes away that easy,” he said. “Hopefully, this story is going to have some type of an impact to allow this to be heard . . .”

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Quinton Mincey had 27 points in UMass-Lowell's 96-83 victory over UMass on Saturday. Mincey added six rebounds for the River Hawks (6-4). Martin Somerville scored 22 points and added five assists. Yuri Covington had 19 points and shot 5 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 7 for 8 from the line. Jayden Ndjigue led the way for the Minutemen (3-7) with 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. Jaylen Curry added 17 points and two steals for UMass. Marqui Worthy finished with 15 points. UMass-Lowell took a 17-13 lead in the first half with a 10-0 run. Led by 12 first-half points from Covington, UMass-Lowell carried a 40-38 lead into the break. UMass-Lowell took the lead for what would be the final time on Xzavier Lino's jump shot with 15:41 left in the contest. His team would outscore UMass by 11 points in the final half. UMass-Lowell plays Wednesday against LIU at home, and UMass hosts UMass-Boston on Saturday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

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GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Pjay Smith Jr. scored 23 points as Furman beat Princeton 69-63 on Saturday. Smith also added eight rebounds and four steals for the Paladins (9-1). Garrett Hien scored 10 points while going 5 of 10 and 0 of 4 from the free-throw line and added seven rebounds. Nick Anderson shot 3 for 9 from beyond the arc to finish with nine points. The Tigers (7-4) were led by Xaivian Lee, who posted 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Princeton also got 13 points and four assists from Dalen Davis. Caden Pierce also had 11 points and four steals. NEXT UP Up next for Furman is a Saturday matchup with South Carolina State at home, and Princeton hosts Monmouth on Tuesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Phase 3 Study Results Demonstrated Three Year, Disease-Free Survival of 96% THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. , Dec. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced new data demonstrating that adding BLINCYTO ® (blinatumomab) to chemotherapy significantly improves disease-free survival (DFS) in newly diagnosed pediatric patients with National Cancer Institute (NCI) standard risk (SR) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) of average or higher risk of relapse. The data are from a Phase 3 study (AALL1731) conducted by the Children's Oncology Group. The results were simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine and will be presented during the plenary session on Sunday, Dec. 8 , at 2 p.m. PT at the 66 th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition in San Diego . "Over the last decade, BLINCYTO has reshaped the treatment landscape for B-ALL, offering a critical lifeline for thousands of adult and pediatric patients," said Jay Bradner , M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development and chief scientific officer at Amgen. "These powerful new data leave us little doubt about the profound impact of this medicine for a large number of children affected by this disease. We are grateful to the Children's Oncology Group, along with the patients, families and clinical teams, for their dedication and partnership in advancing this critical study to improve the lives of children with cancer." Based on the results of the first pre-specified interim analysis for efficacy, the study met its primary endpoint of DFS and study randomization was terminated early based on the recommendation from the data and safety monitoring committee due to the benefit observed in the BLINCYTO arm compared to the chemotherapy-only arm. Overall, the 3-year DFS was 96.0% for patients treated with chemotherapy plus BLINCYTO compared to 87.9% for those treated with only chemotherapy. The hazard ratio (HR) was 0.39 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24-0.64], indicating a 61% reduction in the risk of disease relapse, secondary malignant neoplasm or remission death with BLINCYTO. At 3 years, more patients remained alive and cancer free when treated with BLINCYTO plus chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone. "The AALL1731 study results are truly practice-changing, further solidifying blinatumomab's role as the standard of care for a large number of children with B-ALL," said Sumit Gupta , M.D., Ph.D., FRCPC, co-chair of the Children's Oncology Group AALL1731 study and oncologist and clinician investigator, Division of Haematology/Oncology at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Toronto . "These breakthrough data showing a significant improvement in disease-free survival are poised to bring substantial clinical value to children with newly diagnosed B-ALL." The addition of BLINCYTO to chemotherapy in standard risk patients resulted in outcomes similar to those previously achieved in only the most favorable pediatric risk subsets. Among SR-Average patients, 3-year DFS was 97.5% for patients treated with BLINCYTO compared to 90.2% for those treated with only chemotherapy (HR 0.33, CI 0.15-0.69). For SR-High patients, 3-year DFS was 94.1% for those treated with BLINCYTO compared to 84.8% for those treated with only chemotherapy (HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.24-0.85). "Relapsed ALL remains a major cause of pediatric cancer mortality, with nearly half of the relapses occurring in children with standard-risk B-ALL," said Rachel E. Rau , M.D., co-chair of the Children's Oncology Group AALL1731 study, pediatric hematologist-oncologist at Seattle Children's Hospital and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington . "These findings underscore the progress made with blinatumomab in preventing relapse and support its role as a critical addition to current therapeutic strategies." Safety results are consistent with the known safety profile of BLINCYTO. BLINCYTO has demonstrated a positive balance of benefits and risks, with only 0.3% of first courses associated with Grade 3+ cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and 0.7% with seizures. A higher risk of infections was observed in the BLINCYTO arm. These results provide the first evidence supporting BLINCYTO for use in the consolidation phase in newly diagnosed pediatric Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-) B-ALL patients. This groundbreaking first-in-class Bispecific T-cell Engager (BiTE ® ) therapy is now backed by additional evidence reinforcing its role in redefining a standard of care for both adult and pediatric patients, starting from one month old, regardless of measurable residual disease (MRD) status. The findings further establish BLINCYTO as a versatile first-line consolidation therapy across all ages and treatment backbones. The NCI's Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP), which sponsored the study will share data with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of their ongoing communications relating to the trial. About The Children's Oncology Group The Children's Oncology Group (childrensoncologygroup.org), a member of the NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), is the world's largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood and adolescent cancer research. The Children's Oncology Group unites over 10,000 experts in childhood cancer at more than 200 leading children's hospitals, universities and cancer centers across North America , Australia , New Zealand and Saudi Arabia in the fight against childhood cancer. Today, more than 80% of the 15,000 children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States are cared for at Children's Oncology Group member institutions. Research performed by Children's Oncology Group institutions over the past 50 years has transformed childhood cancer from a virtually incurable disease to one with a combined 5-year survival rate of 86%. The Children's Oncology Group's mission is to improve the cure rate and outcomes for all children with cancer. About AALL1731 (NCT03914625) The AALL1731 study was a Phase 3 randomized trial to determine if two non-sequential cycles of BLINCYTO added to chemotherapy improved disease-free survival (DFS) in children with newly diagnosed pediatric National Cancer Institute (NCI) standard risk (SR) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). The study enrolled 4,264 newly diagnosed NCI SR B-ALL patients, of whom 2,334 were risk stratified at the end of induction therapy as either SR-Average or SR-High. At the first planned interim efficacy analysis (data cutoff June 30, 2024 ), 1,440 of the eligible and evaluable patients had been randomized. The AALL1731 study was designed and conducted independently from industry. The Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) of the NCI sponsored the trial and provided funding to the Children's Oncology Group to conduct the study. NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In addition, Amgen provided BLINCYTO and support through an NCI Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. About Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) ALL, also known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, is a fast-growing type of blood cancer that develops in the bone marrow and can sometimes spread to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, spleen and central nervous system. ALL is a rare disease, with an estimated 6,550 new cases, affecting both children and adults, diagnosed in the U.S. in 2024. 1 B-ALL begins in immature cells that would normally develop into B-cell lymphocytes, which are white blood cells that grow in bone marrow. 2,3 B-ALL is the most common type of ALL, constituting approximately 75% of cases in adults and approximately 88% in children, the most common cancer in children. 4,5 About BLINCYTO ® (blinatumomab) BLINCYTO is the first globally approved Bispecific T-cell Engager (BiTE ® ) immuno-oncology therapy that targets CD19 surface antigens on B cells. BiTE ® molecules fight cancer by helping the body's immune system detect and target malignant cells by engaging T cells (a type of white blood cell capable of killing other cells perceived as threats) to cancer cells. By bringing T cells near cancer cells, the T cells can inject toxins and trigger cancer cell death (apoptosis). BiTE ® immuno-oncology therapies are currently being investigated for their potential to treat a wide variety of cancers. BLINCYTO was granted Breakthrough Therapy and Priority Review designations by the U.S. FDA and is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of: In the European Union (EU), BLINCYTO is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of: BLINCYTO ® IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WARNING: CYTOKINE RELEASE SYNDROME and NEUROLOGICAL TOXICITIES including IMMUNE EFFECTOR CELL-ASSOCIATED NEUROTOXICITY SYNDROME Contraindications BLINCYTO ® is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to blinatumomab or to any component of the product formulation. Warnings and Precautions Adverse Reactions Dosage and Administration Guidelines INDICATIONS BLINCYTO ® (blinatumomab) is indicated for the treatment of CD19-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in adult and pediatric patients one month and older with: Please see BLINCYTO ® full Prescribing Information , including BOXED WARNINGS. About Bispecific T-Cell Engager (BiTE ® ) Technology BiTE technology is a targeted immuno-oncology platform that is designed to engage a patient's own T cells to any tumor-specific antigen, activating the cytotoxic potential of T cells to eliminate detectable cancer. The BiTE immuno-oncology platform has the potential to treat different cancer types through tumor-specific antigens. The BiTE platform has a goal of leading to off-the-shelf solutions, which have the potential to make innovative T-cell treatment available to all providers when their patients need it. For more than a decade, Amgen has been advancing this innovative technology, which has demonstrated strong efficacy in hematological malignancies and now a solid tumor with the approval of IMDELLTRA. Amgen remains committed to progressing multiple BiTE molecules across a broad range of hematologic and solid tumor malignancies, paving the way for additional applications in more tumor types. Amgen is further investigating BiTE technology with the goal of enhancing patient experience and therapeutic potential. To learn more about BiTE technology, visit BiTE ® Technology 101 . About Amgen Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative medicines to help millions of patients in their fight against some of the world's toughest diseases. More than 40 years ago, Amgen helped to establish the biotechnology industry and remains on the cutting-edge of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what's known today. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline that builds on its existing portfolio of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases and rare diseases. In 2024, Amgen was named one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" by Fast Company and one of "America's Best Large Employers" by Forbes, among other external recognitions . Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average ® , and it is also part of the Nasdaq-100 Index ® , which includes the largest and most innovative non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. For more information, visit Amgen.com and follow Amgen on X , LinkedIn , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube and Threads . Amgen Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company (including BeiGene, Ltd. or Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.), the performance of Otezla ® (apremilast) (including anticipated Otezla sales growth and the timing of non-GAAP EPS accretion), Amgen's acquisitions of Teneobio, Inc., ChemoCentryx, Inc., or Horizon Therapeutics plc (including the prospective performance and outlook of Horizon's business, performance and opportunities, any potential strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities expected as a result of such acquisition, and any projected impacts from the Horizon acquisition on Amgen's acquisition-related expenses going forward), as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems on Amgen's business, outcomes, progress, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those Amgen projects. 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ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Voting closed Saturday evening in most polling centers throughout Ghana, bringing to an end the presidential and legislative elections poised to be a litmus test for democracy in a region shaken by extremist violence and coups . The capital, Accra, was almost a ghost town for much of the day. Even vibrant Oxford Street, one of the city's commercial hubs, saw little activity on the day that Ghanaians went to the polls to elect a new president and 276 legislators. Some 18.7 million people are registered to vote in the West African country hit by one of the worst economic crises in a generation. However, the two main candidates offer little hope for change for the nation. Early results were expected late on Saturday. The first official results will be released by Tuesday. Ghana used to be a poster child for democracy in the region. At a time when coups threatened democracy in West Africa, Ghana emerged as a beacon of democratic stability with a history of peaceful elections. It had also been an economic powerhouse, priding itself on its development. But in recent years, it has struggled with a profound economic crisis, including surging inflation and a lack of jobs. According to an opinion poll released earlier this year by Afrobarometer, a research group, 82% of Ghanaians feel their country is headed in the wrong direction Although 12 candidates are running for president, Saturday’s election — like others since the return of multiparty politics in 1992 — has emerged as a two-horse race. Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia is the candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party, or NPP, which has struggled to resolve the economic crisis. He faces off against former President John Dramani Mahama, the leader of the main opposition party National Democratic Congress, or NDC. He was voted out in 2016 after failing to deliver on promises for the economy. Opinion polls point to a potential comeback for Mahama. A local research company, Global InfoAnalytics says he is projected to get 52.2% of the vote, followed by Bawumia, with 41.4%. After voting in the town of Bole in northern Ghana, Mahama praised the smooth election process and expressed confidence in his own victory. “In other elections, it had not been clear," he told reporters. “But (during) this election everyone sees where it is heading.” Bawumia, who voted in his Walewale constituency, also in northern Ghana, also said he believed he had won. “By the grace of God, I’m very hopeful of winning this election," he said. “I think that we have done a lot of work. We have put our message to the people; I think the message has been well received.” The NDC prides itself as a social democratic party, while the ruling NPP tags itself as leaning to the right. But in fact, analysts and voters said, the programs of their presidential candidates do not differ in a significant way. Members of parliament will also be elected Saturday. The ruling NPP party and the main opposition NDC each have 137 members in the 275-member legislature, with one independent member who has been voting mostly along with the ruling party. One more constituency will be added in this election, bringing the number of deputies to 276. In their final campaign rallies Thursday, both candidates made a last push to pitch their political parties as the answer to Ghana’s economic woes. Bawumia, 61, an Oxford-educated economist and former deputy governor of the country’s central bank, promised to build on the outgoing administration’s efforts and stabilize the economy. Mahama, 65, on the other hand, restated his promise to “reset” the country on various fronts. “We need to reset our democracy, governance, economy, finances, agriculture, infrastructure, environment, health sector, and all that we hold dear as a people,” the former president said. Across the the capital, Accra, the mood for the election has been upbeat in posters and billboards with bikers displaying stunts, political rallies on the streets, election jingles and songs blasting from public speakers. But the concern for many is also palpable for the key thing at stake: The country’s ailing economy, which has been challenged on various fronts in recent years. The country defaulted on most of its foreign debt last year as it faced a worsening economic crisis that spiked the price of fuel, food and other essential items. The inflation rate had hit 54% by the end of last year and though it’s been coming down since then, not many Ghanaians can still tell the difference when they go to the market. Ebenezer Kotey Dsane, a 69-year-old driver said he voted for Mahama because “he is a good man” who “set up much infrastructure when he was in office.” “The current regime hasn't done much,” he said, pointing to the La General Hospital in Accra, one of the capital's main medical facilities, pulled down in July 2020 by the current government with a pledge to reconstruct it. “Until today, nothing has happened.” Some chose not to vote at all. Ruth Mensah, 42, an unemployed resident of Nima, a working-class suburb in Accra, said she decided not to cast a ballot. “I don’t see how voting will bring about a change to my life,” she said. Patricia Seyram Hagbevor, 20, a first-time voter and student at Accra Technical University said she wished for a change. She didn't disclose whom she voted for, but said she “hoped for a change for the better that will help develop our future.” The chronic challenge of illegal gold mining — known locally as galamsey — has also been a major issue in the campaign and a source of concern for voters, triggering protests and criticism against the outgoing government. Ghana is Africa’s top gold producer and the world’s sixth largest, but the commodity has been increasingly mined illegally as people become more desperate to find jobs in an economy that has been crumbling. The mining has polluted rivers and other parts of the environment despite government actions to clamp down on the practice. Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal.Affirm Holdings president Michalek sells $12.3 million in stock