SINGAPORE – (ACN Newswire) – Singapore Exchange-listed Singapore eDevelopment Limited (Stock Code 40V) (“SeD”) wishes to announce today that its U.S. biomedical subsidiary, Global BioLife Inc. (“Global BioLife”) has a product known as 3F Antimicrobial Fragrance which shows efficacy against tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis is the leading cause of deaths from a single infectious agent, infecting about one quarter of the world’s population. The bacteria that causes the tuberculosis disease is spread through the air by infected tuberculosis patients when they cough, sneeze, or otherwise eject infected fluids into the air. Tuberculosis has caused over 1.6 million deaths and has infected over 10 million people in 2017, placing it in among the top 10 leading causes of deaths worldwide according to the World Health Organisation.
Mr. Daryl Thompson, Global BioLife’s Director of Scientific Initiatives, a biochemist nominated for the Nobel Prize in 2015 and 2016 for his research on pandemic technology, leads the 3F research, including the research and development of the 3F Antimicrobial Fragrance.
“The 3F project was designed to provide a solution for open environment defence strategies to prevent or suppress the transmission of aerosoled viral and bacterial particles that cause the spread of influenza, MRSA and tuberculosis in congested areas. 3F works by taking advantage and exploiting the bacterial or viral sophisticated communication system called quorum sensing. In essence, we can utilise quorum sensing to instruct the bacterial or viral agent to shut down or stop replication. The process has been demonstrated to be very effective.”
The fragrance was shown to inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the causative bacterial agent of tuberculosis. These experiments were performed at ATCC, as a custom service, within its High Containment Laboratory under BioSafety Level 3 conditions. Since 1925, ATCC has been a premier global biological materials and information resource and standards organization. The company has a proven expertise in the safe handling and experimentation on dangerous pathogens such as MTB.
“As a leading developer and supplier of authenticated cells lines and microorganisms, ATCC was honored to provide Global BioLife, Inc., with its custom susceptibility testing services to determine if their product was able to kill MTB,” said Dr. Manzour Hazbon, ATCC Senior Scientist at ATCC. “To find new drugs to kill TB is very difficult and this fragrance proves to be very effective even in low concentrations – this is an excellent tentative candidate to treat tuberculosis, which is particularly important because there are few antibiotics effective in treating antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis cases”, explains Dr. Hazbon.
Mr Chan Heng Fai, Executive Chairman of SeD said, “We are excited about the potential of this breakthrough in 3F Antimicrobial and Global GioLife will step up in its continued efforts to provide cutting edge research into real solutions for global healthcare problems.”
A highly-regarded public health expert and former Senior Assistant Surgeon General of the U.S., Dr. Roscoe M. Moore Jr., serves as Senior Scientific Adviser to Global BioLife.
“I’m excited about 3F’s potential to address a global epidemic by providing safe and versatile protection layers,” says Dr. Roscoe M. Moore Jr.. “Tuberculosis is a global priority and Global BioLife’s solution will help save lives on a global scale.”
Dr. Roscoe M. Moore Jr. served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer with the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention and as the Chief Epidemiologist with the Center for Devices and Radiological Health in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Also advising Global BioLife is Lieutenant Colonel William H. Lyerly Jr., a retired Career Senior Executive / Scientific Professional (ST) from the U.S. Government Civil Service, and also a retired U.S. Army Medical Service Corps Officer. Lieutenant Colonel William H. Lyerly Jr. has an extensive medical background including a significant operational and policy-level experience in disaster relief, development, biodefense, interagency and civilmilitary cooperation and teaching.
“As TB’s person-to-person spread requires only the inhalation of a small number of the MTB bacteria, transmission is most rapid in confined spaces, such as in prisons, nursing homes, chronic care conditions, detoxification centers, refugee camps, hospitals, schools and airplanes. It is for this reason that such an important breakthrough in the 3F Antimicrobial Fragrance’s efficacy against tuberculosis is especially promising. Further, as multidrug-resistant TB continues to be a global public health crisis and health security threat, the prospect for preventing MTB transmission through a cost-effective environmental intervention such as 3F rather than relying on treatment of infected individuals, could represent a very effective and less-costly TB control strategy in hightransmission areas, worldwide.”
During his 43-year career, Lieutenant Colonel William H. Lyerly Jr. served in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as the Tropical and Infectious Diseases Coordinator for Africa, and HIV/AIDS Coordinator for Africa. He also served a year in the Executive Office of the President as the Bio-Countermeasures Lead in the White House’s Office of Homeland Security Transition Planning.
Global Biolife Inc. has partnered with consulting firm, Destum Partners Inc., to evaluate and license both 3F Mosquito and 3F Antimicrobial technology globally to manufacturers and distributers. 3F Mosquito is a revolutionary alternative to traditional mosquito repellents like DEET. 3F Mosquito was developed as an additive to laundry detergents, shampoos, and lotions to provide layered protection against mosquitos. 3F Antimicrobial is designed to be added into sprays, filters and air dispersal systems in airplanes, transit areas, arenas, hospitals, and open areas worldwide to provide multifaceted protection against bacteria and viruses.
Shareholders and potential investors of SeD are advised to exercise caution when dealing or trading in the securities of SeD. In particular, shareholders and potential investors of SeD should note that there is no certainty or assurance that the 3F Mosquito and 3F Antimicrobial technology will be licensed or close to monetisation. Shareholders and potential investors of SeD are advised to read this Media Release and any further announcements made by SeD carefully. Shareholders and potential investors of SeD should consult their stockbrokers, bank managers, solicitors or other professional advisers if they have any doubt about the actions they should take.
About Singapore eDevelopment Limited
Incorporated on 9 September 2009 and listed on the Singapore Exchange in July 2010, Singapore eDevelopment Limited is involved in (i) property development and investments primarily in the United States and Western Australia; (ii) information technology-related businesses; (iii) development, research, testing, manufacturing, licensing and distribution of biomedical products; and (iv) investment activities. For more information, please visit: www.SeD.com.sg or email contact@sed.com.sg.
About Global BioLife Inc.
Global BioLife Inc. (“GBLI”) is a 70%-held direct subsidiary of Global BioMedical Inc., which is a whollyowned direct subsidiary of Singapore BioMedical Pte. Ltd., which in turn is a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of Singapore eDevelopment Limited, a company listed on the Singapore Exchange. The remaining shareholding of Global BioLife Inc. is held by Global Research and Discovery Group Scientific LLC (“GRDGS”) at 20% and Australian Exchange-listed Holista CollTech Limited (“Holista”) at 10%.
With an aging population and a growing focus in healthcare issues, biomedical science has become increasingly vital. GBLI strives to leverage its scientific know-how and intellectual property rights to provide solutions that have been plaguing the biomedical field for decades. By tapping into the scientific expertise of GRDGS and Holista, GBLI pledges to undertake a concerted effort in the R&D, drug discovery and development for the prevention, inhibition and treatment of neurological, oncology and immuno-related diseases. GBLI is also collaborating with its partners to develop second generation mosquito defense technologies, which are DEET alternatives, to protect against mosquito transmitted diseases such as Zika and Dengue. For more information, please visit: http://www.globalbiolife.com.
About GRDG Sciences, LLC.
GRDG Sciences, LLC is an advanced research team formed in Florida by natural products discovery drug research scientist, Daryl Thompson. For more information, please visit: http://www.globalrdg.com.
This Media Release has been prepared by the Company and its contents have been reviewed by the Company’s Sponsor, Hong Leong Finance Limited (the “Sponsor”), for compliance with the relevant rules of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the “SGX-ST”). The Sponsor has not independently verified the contents of this Media Release.
This Media Release has not been examined or approved by SGX-ST. The Sponsor and the SGX-ST assume no responsibility for the contents of this Media Release, including the correctness of any of the statements or opinions made or reports contained in this Media Release.
The contact person for the Sponsor is Mr Tang Yeng Yuen, Vice President, Head of Corporate Finance, Hong Leong Finance Limited, at 16 Raffles Quay, #01-05 Hong Leong Building, Singapore 048581, telephone: +65 6415 9886.