Day: June 22, 2021

DEI data will be available for all investors free of charge through eVestment platform

ATLANTA, June 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — eVestment, a Nasdaq company and a global leader in institutional investment data and analytics, will make its asset manager diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) data available for investors free of charge in an effort to improve transparency and standardization across the industry. The initiative is intended to provide an efficient and streamlined process for diversity disclosure. While the reporting is entirely voluntary, over 20% of the asset management firms on eVestment, representing 6,182 strategies, have responded to the DEI data collection program since January 2021.

Access to consistent, reliable and accurate data is critical to advance transparency in DEI. eVestment is committed to working with asset managers and asset owners to improve the data collection and discovery framework, and empower investors with DEI statistics on both firm and strategy levels.

“The investment community is on a journey in creating a more inclusive environment and ensuring that asset managers hired by pensions, foundations, family offices and endowments better reflect the diversity of asset owners and the end beneficiaries,” said Lauren Dillard, Executive Vice President and Head of Investment Intelligence, Nasdaq. “Institutional investors representing trillions of dollars in assets already leverage eVestment for data and analytics. Our mission is to build on that community to further the industry progress in diversity and inclusion.”

In January, eVestment launched the updated DEI questionnaire as part of a new industry-wide DEI data collection initiative, now dubbed the Institutional Investing Diversity Cooperative. The questionnaire offers asset managers options to highlight both qualitative and quantitative aspects of their DEI efforts.

Additionally, recognizing that asset owners seek to understand the state of diversity and inclusion across the entirety of their portfolios – both public and private markets strategies – Nasdaq is collaborating with the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) and FCLTGlobal to extend the effort to a standardized approach for making data from private fund managers available to Limited Partners, reflecting diversity of leadership and decision making at both the fund manager and the portfolio company level. As with the IIDC collaboration, this effort encompasses both the quantitative and qualitative, contextual data that illustrates how managers are advancing DEI in their own organizations.

Asset owners are demanding data beyond headline ownership stats, and the new questionnaire gives managers the ability to highlight information like hiring practices and mentor programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion in their organizations.

Key findings from current data collection initiative include:

• 55.3% of key professionals at the firms reporting DEI data are white males. The second largest group is Asian males, at 12.15% followed by white women at 9.43%. Black males only made up 1.86% of the key professionals at firms reporting data and black females made up only .59% of key professionals at reporting firms.
• 322 strategies across 48 firms report that some percentage of the decisions makers on their teams are military veterans.
• 288 firms indicate they have mentorship programs available for women and minorities and 244 firms indicate they have a pay-parity policy in place.

In developing the questionnaire, eVestment recognized that under laws in various U.S. and international jurisdictions providing diversity statistics might not be allowed. For instance, 87 firms reporting to eVestment report they cannot supply DEI data due to firm policy and 74 firms report they can’t provide data due to privacy regulations and laws in their area that impact all or some of the team. Similarly, for very small teams, providing diversity statistics could highlight personally identifying information that firms or members of firm teams might prefer to keep private. In these instances, the commentary sections become even more important.

Existing eVestment clients can access this information at no additional cost. Investors that are not eVestment clients can contact solutions@eVestment.com or visit www.evestment.com/diversity to learn how they can access it free.

Dillard will be participating on a panel discussion the topic of diversity in the investment business at the virtual 2021 CalPERS and CalSTRS Diversity Forum on June 22. For more information or to register for the free conference, please click here.

To view the entire eVestment DEI questionnaire, please click here.

About eVestment

eVestment, a Nasdaq company, provides institutional investment data, analytics and market intelligence covering public and private markets. Asset managers and general partners reach the institutional marketplace through our platform, while institutional investors and consultants rely on eVestment for manager due diligence, selection and monitoring. eVestment brings transparency and efficiency to the global institutional market, equipping managers, investors and consultants to make data-driven decisions, deploy their resources more productively and ultimately realize better outcomes.

Press Contact
Mark Scott
mscott@evestment.com
678 238 0761

June 22, 2021

• First patient enrolled in global randomized controlled trial with up to 3,200 participants at 100 sites comparing patient outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures guided by iFR data co-registered on the angiogram (interventional X-ray image) versus the current standard of care, an angiogram alone
• One of the largest-ever studies sponsored by Philips highlights company’s commitment to providing a strong evidence base for its innovations in the pursuit of better patient outcomes, enhanced patient and staff experiences, and lower cost of care

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the official start of the DEFINE GPS study, with the first patient being enrolled by the study’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Allen Jeremias, at St. Francis Hospital, New York (U.S.). The global, multi-center, prospective, randomized controlled DEFINE GPS study will investigate if guidance by instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) measurements co-registered on the angiogram demonstrates superior outcomes and improves the cost-effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures to open blocked coronary arteries. DEFINE GPS employs an adaptive study design, estimated to include up to 3,200 participants across 100 sites worldwide and will be one of the largest studies ever sponsored by Philips.

European and U.S. clinical guidelines already endorse the use of physiological measurement of coronary function in PCI procedures, with iFR and fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements being used to diagnose the significance of a narrowed coronary artery and determine patient selection for treatment. While iFR uses the same pressure guide wires and equipment as FFR, it avoids the use of hyperemic agents (vasodilators) such as adenosine that can adversely affect some patients.

The DEFINE GPS (Distal Evaluation of Functional performance with Intravascular sensors to assess the Narrowing Effect: Guided Physiologic Stenting) study will evaluate the use of iFR measurements in combination with Philips Image Guided Co-Registration System – SyncVision –  to enhance PCI guidance and provide superior treatment outcomes. DEFINE GPS is a follow-up to the DEFINE PCI study [1] – a one-year trial sponsored by Philips that evaluated the potential of treating residual ischemia in order to improve clinical outcomes for coronary stent patients.

“The DEFINE GPS trial, designed to explore the promising hypotheses that emerged from DEFINE PCI, is a landmark trial that heralds the promise of post-PCI physiologic assessment,” said Dr. Gregg W. Stone, Chairman of the DEFINE GPS trial and the Director of Academic Affairs for the Mount Sinai Heart Health System, New York. “While the benefits of physiology prior to PCI are unquestioned, this large-scale trial will definitively demonstrate whether after an angiographically successful PCI procedure the identification and treatment of unsuspected residual ischemia by routine iFR assessment can further improve patient event-free survival.”

“Conducting rigorous clinical science is how we advance patient care, and, like the seminal FAME study that was carried out over 10 years ago, I believe DEFINE GPS has the potential to change the current standard of care in PCI,” said Principal Investigator, Dr. Allen Jeremias, at St Francis Hospital in Roslyn, New York State. “PCI has made a major positive impact on many coronary artery disease patients’ lives, but when we look back at all the major, high-quality stent trials over the past 20 years we see that around 20-30% of patients continue to have recurring chest pain at one year after receiving treatment. With DEFINE GPS we will be able to definitively determine if a physiology-based PCI approach results in superior patient outcomes compared to standard angioplasty.”

PCI is an image-guided, minimally-invasive treatment to open a coronary artery blockage (stenosis) that is causing a reduced blood flow (ischemia) to heart tissue. Under the current standard of care, clinicians navigate a balloon catheter and coronary stent to the treatment area using interventional X-ray guidance (a coronary angiogram). In the DEFINE GPS study, an iFR pullback measurement, which uses pressure wires to map the physiological profile of disease distribution along the length of the affected vessel, will be overlaid on the angiogram to provide more precise information on where to treat within the vessel. The study will also use iFR to measure if the treatment succeeds in restoring sufficient blood flow to prevent ischemia or if further treatment is warranted.

“iFR continues to be adopted in clinical practice, with mounting evidence that this innovative technology contributes to improved outcomes, reduced costs [2, 3, 4] and enhanced patient experiences,” said Chris Landon, Senior Vice President and General Manager Image Guided Therapy Devices at Philips. “This major study will provide a definitive answer to the question of whether a functional guidance strategy throughout the procedure demonstrates superior outcomes and reduces costs. The study has the potential to drive a significant improvement in clinical practice, and it’s a prime example of Philips’ commitment to providing a strong evidence base for the benefits of its healthcare innovations.”

Philips Image Guided Co-Registration System – SyncVision – is part of the company’s unique portfolio of systems, smart devices, software and services available on its Image Guided Therapy System – Azurion. In addition to advanced imaging systems, the portfolio includes coronary imaging catheters, coronary atherectomy and coronary crossing devices, specialty balloons, flow wires, and pressure wires such as Philips’ new OmniWire – a unique solid-core pressure wire that enhances the ability to maneuver the wire in the patient’s circulatory system.

The DEFINE GPS study is sponsored by Philips, with the Cardiovascular Research Foundation overseeing core lab and clinical event committee activities.

[1] Jeremias A et al. The DEFINE PCI Trial: Blinded Physiological Assessment of Residual Ischemia after Successful Angiographic Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, presented at ACC 2019.
[2] Davies JE, et al. Use of the Instantaneous Wave-free Ratio or Fractional Flow Reserve in PCI. N Engl J Med. 2017 May 11;376(19):1824-1834.
[3] Gotberg M, et al. iFR Swedeheart Investigators. Instantaneous Wave-free Ratio versus Fractional Flow Reserve to Guide PCI. N Engl J Med. 2017 May 11;376(19):1813-1823.
[4] Tonino, et al. Fractional Flow Reserve Versus Angiography for Guiding Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(3):213-224.

For further information, please contact:

Mark Groves
Philips Global Press Office
Tel: +31 631 639 916
Email: mark.groves@philips.com

Fabienne van der Feer
Philips Image Guided Therapy
Tel: +31 622 698 001
Email: fabienne.van.der.feer@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2020 sales of EUR 17.3 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Attachments

• iFR co-registration with Philips SyncVision
• iFR data co-registered on the angiogram
• Dr. Allen Jeremias and the team at St. Francis Hospital

BOSTON, June 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide announced that it has updated its Terrorism Model for the United States to more comprehensively model the extent of damage from conventional bomb blast attacks. Starting with the size and location of the bomb, the model propagates the appropriate blast intensity within a built environment from the exterior to the interior of buildings to yield damage and loss estimates, including property damage and workers’ compensation, and personal injury. AIR Worldwide is a Verisk (Nasdaq:VRSK) business.

“When terrorists use conventional weapons—the effects of which tend to be highly localized—they are likely to be targeting specific buildings or facilities,” said Tao Lai, vice president, research, AIR Worldwide. “The amount of damage that occurs at or near the site of an attack depends on a wide variety of factors. In addition to the type of weapon used, the surrounding buildings, building dimensions and blast intensity propagation can have a profound effect on the damage from an attack.”

Using the AIR Model for Terrorism, (re)insurers can estimate the potential property, business interruption, workers’ compensation, and personal injury losses that can arise from acts of terrorism in the U.S. The deterministic event modeling capabilities in Touchstone^® allow clients to select a blast size and location to analyze the impact it will have on their specific book of business.

A distinctive feature of the AIR U.S. Terrorism Model’s blast intensity and damage calculation methodology is the explicit consideration of blast intensity propagation in different built environments within a building. As part of the new model, AIR used 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations to ensure more accurate blast intensity propagation reflecting the configuration and proximity of buildings in a variety of urban environments. Vulnerability accounts for both overpressure and pressure impulse outside and inside a building, which inform the estimation of building damage, contents damage and personal injury. Because damage is calculated through the aggregation of cells and blast intensity is modified both as it enters the structure and as it travels through the interior, model users can obtain detailed loss results for a specific floor of interest.

“The threat of terrorism continues to rise and managing risk from terrorism has become an essential part of business,” continued Lai. “Updates to the AIR Terrorism Model for the United States include enhancements to the modeling of conventional bomb blast attacks. In particular, the updated model can produce a more realistic damage extent for various forms of blast attacks, including the Oklahoma City bombing which was estimated to have had the energy of approximately 4,000 lbs. of TNT and damaged 324 structures within a five-block radius.”

The updated model also reflects learnings from the detonation of a recreational vehicle bomb in downtown Nashville, TN on December 25, 2020, a reminder that this form of blast attack remains a very real threat.

About AIR Worldwide
AIR Worldwide (AIR) provides risk modeling solutions that make individuals, businesses, and society more resilient to extreme events. In 1987, AIR Worldwide founded the catastrophe modeling industry and today models the risk from natural catastrophes, terrorism, pandemics, casualty catastrophes, and cyber incidents. Insurance, reinsurance, financial, corporate, and government clients rely on AIR’s advanced science, software, and consulting services for catastrophe risk management, insurance-linked securities, longevity modeling, site-specific engineering analyses, and agricultural risk management. AIR Worldwide, a Verisk (Nasdaq:VRSK) business, is headquartered in Boston, with additional offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit www.air-worldwide.com.

About Verisk
Verisk (Nasdaq:VRSK) provides predictive analytics and decision-support solutions to customers in the insurance, energy and specialized markets, and financial services industries. More than 70 percent of the FORTUNE 100 relies on the company’s advanced technologies to manage risks, make better decisions and improve operating efficiency. The company’s analytic solutions address insurance underwriting and claims, fraud, regulatory compliance, natural resources, catastrophes, economic forecasting, geopolitical risks, as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. Celebrating its 50^th anniversary, the company continues to make the world better, safer and stronger, and fosters an inclusive and diverse culture where all team members feel they belong. With more than 100 offices in nearly 35 countries, Verisk consistently earns certification by Great Place to Work. For more: Verisk.com, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Kevin Long
AIR Worldwide
+1-617-267-6645
klong@air-worldwide.com