DURHAM, N.C. and BEIJING, May 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brii Biosciences Limited ("Brii Bio" or the "Company," stock code: 2137.HK), a multi-national company developing innovative therapies for diseases with significant unmet medical needs and large public health burdens, today announced that it has published its first progress report on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments as part of the Company's 2021 Annual Report.
Available on the Company's website, the progress report details Brii Bio's strategic ESG initiatives to develop a long-term, sustainable and environmentally friendly business, reviews achievements made during the 2021 fiscal year.
"As a multi-national biotechnology company, Brii Bio is driven by a patient-first and society need philosophy, dedicated to finding solutions for the world's largest public health challenges," said Zhi Hong, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Brii Bio. "I am so proud of our employees, investors and partners who live through our mission during the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19 knowing that we can't do it alone but we must play our part to lead by example. Brii Bio is committed to promoting public-private partnership, sustaining corporate growth and social responsibility as the company continues to grow."
Key highlights from the 2021 ESG report include:
- Public Health Contributions: In the true spirit of its mission to tackle the biggest public health challenges, and in response to COVID-19, Brii Bio has allocated significant resources to help address the ongoing global pandemic. Throughout 2021, the Company continued to fund and progress the development of its COVID-19 neutralizing antibody therapy, the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination, including advancing global regulatory filings and commercial readiness, ensuring that upon potential approvals, the Company would be prepared to quickly meet the demand of patients in need. In addition, Brii Bio worked closely with government agencies and hospitals to donate nearly 3,000 doses of its amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination for the emergency treatment of COVID-19 and played an important role in the rapid control of the Delta virus outbreaks throughout cities and provinces in China.
The amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination is the first and only therapy discovered in China that was approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China based on the best-in-class clinical outcomes demonstrated in a global Phase 3 study conducted by the world's most experienced investigators.
- Commitment to Open Collaboration with Key Public Institutions:
- Best-in-Class Public/Private Partnerships: Given the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brii Bio has worked closely with key public and private institutions to ensure the development of the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination is on target to meet the emerging needs of the global community. The Company developed highly successful partnerships with top scientists and clinical investigators in China and the United States, including the 3rd People's Hospital of Shenzhen and Tsinghua University, which discovered these neutralizing antibody leads, and the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) which sponsored and led the ACTIV-2 trial in which the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination was evaluated. These strategic partnerships were critical for the China NMPA approval of the combination therapy.
- Regulatory Acceleration, Discretion and Government Funding: No single company can take on a public health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic alone. Working closely with regulatory bodies around the world is essential. Brii Bio was able to progress the amubarvimab/romlusevimab combination from discovery to completion of Phase 3 development leading to approval by the China NMPA in less than 20 months. Brii Bio continues to rely on government authorities to make the antibody combination therapy available to patients and communities in need.
- Scaling Production via Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO): As an emerging biotech company, Brii Bio has invested at risk to expedite timeline for its production plans. The Company relies on its CDMO to deliver timely supply of these antibodies in high quantity and quality.
- Patient Advocacy Initiatives: In 2021, Brii Bio hired Coy Stout to serve as Senior Vice President and Head of U.S. Market Access and Patient Advocacy and lead its strategic patient advocacy program. Mr. Stout has more than 25 years of experience in social work, public health and the biopharmaceutical industry, establishing strategic commercial planning and infrastructure to help advance U.S. patient access to important medications across a variety of disease areas, especially infectious diseases. 2021 laid a strong foundation to engage and foster key advocacy relationships with patients, their caregivers and disease-specific non-profit groups that support them. The Company's advocacy initiative also intends to ensure that patient voices are heard and understood by R&D through commercialization and access to care.
- Diversity & Inclusion: Brii Bio has worked hard to establish a diverse Board that brings various sets of strategic expertise to the company to ensure it is building an innovative and enduring business and therapeutics portfolio that will meet the needs of patients around the world for years to come as it continues its work to tackle the biggest public health challenges of our time. 50% of Brii Bio's board is made up of independent non-executive directors, ensuring a diverse set of opinions and feedback are built into the Company's governance.
- Employee Engagement and Care: Brii Bio recently hired Karen Neuendorff as its Chief People Officer as part of its commitment to fostering employee satisfaction and ensuring each individual feels supported and valued. The Company is committed to providing an open, safe and healthy workplace with highly competitive compensation and benefits in recognition, engagement and the overall well-being of its employees. Brii Bio regularly seeks employee feedback, conducting town hall meetings, Brii Talks and "Ask the CEO" sessions to engage employees and hear their voices. This helps reinforce Brii Bio's core company values and provides platforms for both leadership and employees to better understand key issues.
- Open and Green Workplace: Brii Bio has created an inspiring workplace that is open, ergonomic and green. Every employee has the same access to our shared office space and equitable health benefits. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company provided flexible working schedule and supported remote working for all employees who faced significant challenges at home or work. Brii Bio has also developed "Office Rules" to promote environmentally conscious behaviors amongst its employees and implemented energy-saving measures to enhance energy efficiency and minimize its environmental impact. In 2022, the Company aims to further reduce its carbon emissions, waste, energy and water consumption.
About Brii Bio
Brii Biosciences Limited ("Brii Bio," stock code: 2137.HK) is a biotechnology company based in China and the United States committed to advancing therapies for significant infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B, COVID-19, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, multi-drug resistant (MDR) or extensive drug resistant (XDR) gram-negative infections, and other illnesses, such as the central nervous system (CNS) diseases, which have significant public health burdens in China and worldwide. For more information, visit www.briibio.com.
