Nexelis acquires the GSK vaccines clinical bioanalytical laboratory located in Marburg – Germany and enters into a 5-year strategic agreement with GSK
LAVAL, QC and MARBURG, Germany, Jan. 20, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Nexelis, a portfolio company of Ampersand Capital Partners, and a leading provider of advanced assay development and laboratory testing services in the infectious, oncologic, and metabolic diseases fields, has signed an asset purchase agreement with GSK to acquire its GCLP-certified clinical bioanalytical laboratory located in Marburg, Germany.
The Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) team in Marburg, consisting of approximately 80 scientists and analysts, will be transferred to Nexelis. The CLS team in Marburg will continue to keep a strong relationship with GSK and support the development of future GSK vaccine candidates through a 5-year strategic collaborative agreement.
This is the fifth acquisition by Nexelis in the last three years after Pacific Biomarkers, Seattle, WA; PAIRimmune, Laval, QC; ImmunXperts, Gosselies, BE; and AIT Bioscience, Indianapolis, IN. The transaction with GSK enables Nexelis to expand its global footprint as well as its immunology-centric assay development and high-throughput clinical testing capacities.
Benoit Bouche, Nexelis CEO commented "We are thrilled to welcome on board new colleagues with a legacy of over 20 years under Novartis and GSK leadership in clinical laboratory activities supporting the development of vaccines against viral and bacterial diseases. We believe that this transaction is a determining step in the establishment of Nexelis as an unrivaled global vaccine player."
Emmanuel Hanon, Head of GSK Vaccines R&D added "Strategic outsourcing will optimize GSK's footprint and increase our agility so that we can continue to accelerate the development of the candidate vaccines in our pipeline. Based on the previous successful transfer of other laboratory activities to Nexelis, we are confident that this will be a great fit due to the quality and agility of the Nexelis organization."
The transaction with GSK will be effective at the end of January 2021. Nexelis intends to quickly expand the Marburg site, initiating collaborations with other vaccine development companies as well as with the company's other North American and European sites.
Nexelis expects to add new clinical testing platforms in Marburg that will be fully bridged with Laval platforms, develop synergies with its early development stage ImmunXperts branch in Belgium and leverage existing talents in fields such as biostatistics to form a broad-based, end-to-end service offering in bacteriology, virology, and oncology.
About Nexelis
With an unrivaled expertise in immunology, 5 operating sites in North America and Europe, and a translational offer of services covering the needs of the pharmaceutical industry from the lead selection stage to late clinical stage, Nexelis is a leading provider of assay development and advanced laboratory testing services in the infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, and oncology fields. Our versatile team of scientists, working with our state of the art technology platforms, were instrumental in the development, qualification, validation, and large-scale sample testing of assays that supported the FDA filing of almost 100 new molecular entities, including blockbuster vaccines and biologics, anti-viral drugs, immunotherapy, gene and cell therapy products. Additional information about Nexelis is available at www.nexelis.com.
About Ampersand Capital Partners
Founded in 1988, Ampersand is a middle market private equity firm with more than $2 billion of assets under management dedicated to growth-oriented investments in the healthcare sector. With offices in Boston, MA and Amsterdam, Netherlands, Ampersand leverages a unique blend of private equity and operating experience to build value and drive superior long-term performance alongside its portfolio company management teams. Ampersand has helped build numerous market-leading companies across each of the firm's core healthcare sectors. Additional information about Ampersand is available at www.ampersandcapital.com.
SOURCE Nexelis
Ontario's doctors provide facts, promote confidence in COVID vaccine to counter misinformation on social media
TORONTO, Jan. 20, 2021 /CNW/ - Ontario's doctors voiced concern today about the urgent need to combat misinformation spreading on social media that may discourage people from getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Doubts and misinformation about how thoroughly the vaccines were tested or the extent of side effects are being shared widely on social media, especially among people under 25 and those between 25 and 34, according to new data released by the OMA.
The OMA plans a media briefing at 12:30 today to counter those myths and fears and turn vaccine hesitancy into vaccine confidence.
"We, as doctors, want to do everything we can to address every patient's concerns," said OMA President Dr. Samantha Hill, speaking on behalf of the province's 43,000 physicians, including those working on the front lines of the pandemic.
"If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, or any other health issue, ask trusted sources such as doctors who have the facts to turn vaccine hesitancy into vaccine confidence. This report helps us better understand where some of the fear and hesitancy is coming from so we are better able to respond."
According to data collected by Advanced Symbolic Inc., misinformation about the COVID vaccine is spreading among all age groups in Ontario on social media. ASI uses artificial intelligence methodology to build a representative sample of Ontarians from publicly available social media information and obtain insights into public discussions about vaccine hesitancy.
Vaccine misinformation by age groups:
Under 25: Misinformation within this group includes strong doubts about the vaccine on social media, emphasizing they believe it is dangerous, "untested" and "largely experimental." They speak, almost aggressively, about "it's not your business whether I get the vaccine." Those in this age group who are more open and accepting of the vaccine still have negative views about following government measures and advice aimed at curbing the pandemic, saying if the do so, they will be considered low risk and have to wait longer to get a vaccine than people at high risk.
Ages 25-34: More conspiracy theories are seen in this age group, in particular the belief that COVID is a genetically engineered virus so no vaccine can be trusted. This group is outspoken about refusing to have any "mandatory health tag" to prove they have been vaccinated. They want to make sure human rights are supported during the pandemic and question employers' abilities to force employees to get the vaccine.
Ages 35-44: This group is more supportive of a vaccine and is circulating less misinformation. But they are unhappy with the way the government rolled out the vaccines, especially the shutdown over the holidays and want the government to speed things up. This age group is talking a lot about vaccine safety and the need for public health campaigns that address vaccine hesitancy. Specifically, they are seeking more information about the effect of the vaccine during pregnancy.
Ages 45-65: This age group is using social media to voice their opinions about government actions. Many are frustrated at the slow roll out of the vaccine and want clarification about where the vaccines have gone and more transparency about the next steps.
"Ontario's doctors are committed to helping everyone make an informed decision by providing accurate, evidence-based facts," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "The facts will help us all make the right decision for ourselves, our families and our communities."
The OMA has been active in combatting misinformation online about topics such as vaccination since 2019. For more factual answers to COVID vaccine questions, click here.
About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000-plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.
SOURCE Ontario Medical Association
Merck Canada and MaRS Team Up to Launch Lung Cancer Innovation Challenge
Challenge aimed at improving patient outcomes by identifying solutions to reduce time between diagnosis and treatment for lung cancer patients
KIRKLAND, QC, Jan. 20, 2021 /CNW/ - Merck Canada and MaRS Discovery District (MaRS) are proud to launch the Lung Cancer Innovation Challenge. The competition challenges Ontario-based innovators to identify, implement and scale solutions that can enhance an Ontario lung cancer patient's journey by seeking to reduce the length of time between diagnosis and treatment for lung cancer patients, and enable improved treatment outcomes, especially for priority patient groups such as rural and lower socioeconomic populations in Ontario. Financial prizes will be awarded to the winners of the challenge. In addition, the winners may have the opportunity to collaborate on future projects with Merck Canada. Of the four most common cancers, lung cancer, has the lowest survival rate, regardless of stage at diagnosis.1 It is estimated that 29,800 new lung cancer cases would be diagnosed in 2020 across Canada, with almost 40 per cent of those cases residing in Ontario alone.2,3 The ability for lung cancer patients to receive initial access to primary care and the proper treatment at the right time is dependent upon a number of different factors that touch on the patient, their circle of care, and the broader health system.
"We play an important role within Canada's healthcare environment, and we are very committed to helping solve key issues which patients are facing today. Our Life Sciences sector is one of the most innovative sectors imaginable and is key to tackling some of society's biggest health challenges. Innovative partnerships and joint initiatives, like this one with MaRS, are allowing us to collaborate and to tap into some of Ontario's brightest minds in order to bring new, invaluable solutions to people facing cancer," says AnnA Van Acker, President and Managing Director of Merck Canada. "The majority of lung cancer cases are diagnosed at Stage 4 and the disease often rapidly progresses to a point where appropriate treatment is no longer an option. The Lung Cancer Innovation Challenge provides an exciting opportunity to go above and beyond and to find much needed ways to help shorten the time gap between diagnosis and treatment, thereby potentially improving patient outcomes, individually and collectively."
The challenge kicks off today, January 20, with a virtual launch event at 11 a.m. EST featuring a panel discussion on the barriers and opportunities associated with the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Panelists representing a diverse range of perspectives across the healthcare system — including patients, healthcare providers and other innovators — will share their experiences and speak to the additional challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Fighting lung cancer during a pandemic means reduced access to primary care, diagnosis and screening. It's also a very lonely process with tightened restrictions on visitor policies," says Alex Ryan, SVP, Partner Solutions at MaRS. "By partnering with Merck Canada, we will help foster innovative solutions that diffuse some of the COVID-19 complexities lung cancer patients encounter while strengthening and building long-term resiliency in Ontario's health care system."
"I'd like to congratulate Merck Canada and MaRS on the launch of this joint initiative," said Nina Tangri, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade. "Now more than ever, we need innovation and new ideas to better our healthcare system. I look forward to seeing the novel and life-changing solutions that Ontario's innovators submit to the challenge to help patients and families."
The challenge will run until March 25, 2021, and the grand-prize winner will receive a $100,000 prize with $50,000 going to the runner-up prize winner. Winners will be announced by April 28, 2021. Please go here for more information or to register for the launch event.
About Merck For more than 125 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world.
About MaRS MaRS is North America's largest urban innovation hub. A registered non-profit, MaRS supports high-growth startups and scale-ups tackling key issues in health, cleantech, fintech and other sectors. In addition, MaRS convenes all members of the tech ecosystem to drive breakthrough discoveries, grow the economy and make an impact by solving real problems for real people — in Canada and around the world.
References
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1 Ontario Cancer Statistics 2018 — Cancer Care Ontario
2 Ontario Cancer Statistics 2018 — Cancer Care Ontario
3 Target Wait Times for Cancer Surgery in Ontario, 2016 — Cancer Care Ontario
SOURCE Merck
Accomplished Musicians Honor Family’s Legacy with Three Tributes
Austin, TX, January 20, 2021 — For brothers Robert and James Freeman, who are both accomplished musicians, music and family mean everything. To honor their family’s musical legacy, which spans three generations, the brothers commissioned three breathtaking, original scores included on Three Tributes, a music CD (with an accompanying booklet), which would make a welcome addition to anyone’s collection of beautiful new music.
Three Tributes features award-winning composers Kevin Puts, Andrea Clearfield and Gunther Schuller, along with a host of world-class performers. The CD will immerse listeners in the magnificent sounds of an emotional violin solo, stunningly prestissimostrings, and the layered splendor of four hands on two pianos.
For Robert and James, a music CD seemed an appropriate way to honor their family’s multigenerational love and appreciation of music. Their parents, Henry and Florence Knope Freeman, were both children of musicians and graduated from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester in 1930.
Both Robert and James studied piano and theory at Cambridge’s Longy School while graduating from Milton Academy, and studied performance during the summers at Tanglewood, Blue Hill and Marlboro. They went on to Harvard, where each graduated with honors, followed by travelling fellowships for study in Europe.
Robert took his Ph.D. in music history at Princeton and taught there for five years before moving to MIT, where he made tenure just before moving for 24 years to the directorship of the Eastman School — his parents’ alma mater — followed by two years as president of the New England Conservatory and six as dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Austin.
James went straight from Harvard to Swarthmore College, where he taught and conducted for 37 years, served as departmental chair for 16 years and as Daniel Underhill Professor of Music. In 1988 he founded Philadelphia’s new music group Orchestra 2001, directing it until 2015 when he resigned to take on a new ensemble, Chamber Orchestra FIRST EDITIONS. In 1991 he was a Fulbright lecturer and conductor at the Moscow Conservatory, and has returned to Moscow many times since then to give concerts of new American music.
Both brothers have made lots of recordings, and have published their share of well-reviewed books and articles. When the idea arose to commission some original scores to honor their family legacy, Robert and James sought out music’s finest to bring their vision for Three Tributes to fruition.
Two of the composers featured on the CD have won the Pulitzer Prize. Kevin Puts is currently at work on an opera for the Metropolitan Opera. Andrea Clearfield, who took her DMA at Temple, is the founder of the Philadelphia Salon Concert Series, featuring contemporary, classical, jazz, world and electronic music, together with multimedia and spoken word arts. The late Gunther Schuller was one of the 20th Century’s music stars as composer, conductor, author and administrator. He was a great admirer of their father’s bass playing, and a good friend.
Robert and James hope that Three Tributes will inspire others to undertake similar projects. Neither of them is aware of any similar event in the history of music where two brothers from a family of professional musicians — spanning at least two generations before them — have commissioned significant works as a tribute to their parents and for future generations to enjoy.
So-Called Normal Shares Gripping True Story of Suicide Attempt Survival and Resilience
New York NY, January 20, 2021 — By age 15, depression and anxiety had taken their toll on Mark Henick. Clinging to an outside girder on an overpass, a deeply troubled Henick made the only decision he thought he could. And he let go.
Henick’s newly released book, So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience, aims to break the relentless stigma of mental illness through his candid, intensely personal account of his youth, the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge, and the experiences and transformation that followed. Henick takes readers inside the mind of a boy who had to deal with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, an abusive stepfather, bullying and trauma — all while trying to navigate his progressively worsening mental health. In the backdrop is a community that didn’t talk about mental illness, one where silence and maintaining the comforts of “normal” was paramount.
So-Called Normal is a vital, triumphant story of perseverance and recovery that has already touched the hearts of many, including television personality Rosie O’Donnell.
“Mark Henick is a powerful storyteller. His vivid account of his early years as a depressed, suicidal teenager is a page-turner. So-Called Normal is beautifully written, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. Necessary reading for anyone who wants a peek inside the mind of someone who journeyed through mental illness and found hope on the other side,” O’Donnell said.
Author Mark Henick’s TEDx talk, Why We Choose Suicide, is one of the most watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!). Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell. Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and was the president of a provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association — the youngest person in either role. He has worked as a frontline clinician, a program manager and the national director of strategic initiatives for CMHA. Currently the CEO and principal strategist for Strategic Mental Health Consulting, Mark Henick is in high demand as an international keynote speaker on mental health recovery.
So-Called Normal Shares Gripping True Story of Suicide Attempt Survival and Resilience
New York NY, January 20, 2021 — By age 15, depression and anxiety had taken their toll on Mark Henick. Clinging to an outside girder on an overpass, a deeply troubled Henick made the only decision he thought he could. And he let go.
Henick’s newly released book, So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience, aims to break the relentless stigma of mental illness through his candid, intensely personal account of his youth, the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge, and the experiences and transformation that followed. Henick takes readers inside the mind of a boy who had to deal with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, an abusive stepfather, bullying and trauma — all while trying to navigate his progressively worsening mental health. In the backdrop is a community that didn’t talk about mental illness, one where silence and maintaining the comforts of “normal” was paramount.
So-Called Normal is a vital, triumphant story of perseverance and recovery that has already touched the hearts of many, including television personality Rosie O’Donnell.
“Mark Henick is a powerful storyteller. His vivid account of his early years as a depressed, suicidal teenager is a page-turner. So-Called Normal is beautifully written, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. Necessary reading for anyone who wants a peek inside the mind of someone who journeyed through mental illness and found hope on the other side,” O’Donnell said.
Author Mark Henick’s TEDx talk, Why We Choose Suicide, is one of the most watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!). Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell. Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and was the president of a provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association — the youngest person in either role. He has worked as a frontline clinician, a program manager and the national director of strategic initiatives for CMHA. Currently the CEO and principal strategist for Strategic Mental Health Consulting, Mark Henick is in high demand as an international keynote speaker on mental health recovery.
Resilience: A Workbook Outlines 7 Key Traits of Resilient People
Grand Rapids, MI, January 20, 2021 — Some individuals seem positively unsinkable, no matter how tumultuous the circumstances, while others have difficulty weathering any storm at all. What is it that makes some people bounce back more readily in the face of life’s challenges?
Psychologist Kathryn Den Houter addresses this question and offers valuable, actionable tools in her illuminating book, Resilience: A Workbook: Powering Through Adversity to Find Happiness.
“We have a culture that demands adaptability, personal insights, and a willingness to change,” Dr. Den Houter writes. “Resilience is essential for optimum survival.”
After 25 years in private practice, Dr. Den Houter identified seven qualities of resilience that her successful clients had in common. In Part One of Resilience: A Workbook, shedevotes a chapter to each of thesetraits, using client case studies to illustrate the ways in which these traits impact lives. She also draws comparisons to famous personalities who share these same resilient qualities. Each chapter concludes with study questions ideal for both personal introspection as well as group settings.
Part Two converts the awareness and understanding of these resilient qualities into action, with valuable tools to help readers harness the healing power of relaxation, cognitive behavioral therapy, positive visualization, improved self-esteem and more.
Resilience: A Workbook is intended for individuals as well as group leaders, teachers, psychologists, pastors and social workers. Special consideration is given to the role of faith in the lives of resilient individuals.
Not only did Dr. Den Houter use her expertise as a therapist to inform her message, but she also drew upon her rich background as an educator for two decades and as a mother of four. The result is a practical, easy to understand guide that puts the power of resilience in the palm of your hand.
Author Kathryn Den Houter has been writing novels actively since her retirement in 2013, but before that, she wrote an untold number of novels in her head. Her last novel, Abigail’s Exchange, was a winner in the Eric Hoffer writer’s contest and a semi-finalist in the Royal Palm Literary Award. She has often said and steadfastly holds to the maxim that “good stories heal.”
Before her writing career, she had two careers that spanned 45 years. She taught in preschool, elementary school, middle school and high school before completing a doctorate in psychology, after which she developed a private practice in Grand Rapids. Her most beloved career was raising four children with her late husband, Len.
She and her husband of 10 years, Jim, live near Grand Rapids and enjoy spending winter months in Florida.
Resilience: A Workbook: Powering Through Adversity to Find Happiness
Publisher: Jambo Press
ISBN-10: 154037257X
ISBN-13: 978-1540372574
Available from Amazon.com and wherever books are sold
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Make ‘Go on a Diet’ Resolutions Obsolete with the Whole Person Integrative Eating Program
San Francisco, CA, January 20, 2021 — What if you never again need to make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or “go on a diet” because your most-of-the-time way of eating empowers you to eat and weigh less? Original, pioneering research by holistic nutrition researcher Deborah Kesten, M.P.H., and behavioral scientist Larry Scherwitz, Ph.D.—authors of the award-winning Whole Person Integrative Eating: A Breakthrough Dietary Lifestyle to Treat the Root Causes of Overeating, Overweight, and Obesity—reveals that replacing the complex reasons you overeat— called“overeating styles”—with the scientifically sound Whole Person Integrative Eating (WPIE) dietary lifestyle (meaning, WPIE is a way of life; it’s not a traditional diet) may make weight-loss resolutions obsolete.
“Now is the time to ‘reset’ and rethink what and how we eat; to replace traditional dieting with a scientifically sound way of eating that lessens overeating and that leads naturally to weight loss, health and healing,” says Kesten.
Kesten and Scherwitz share a simple yet powerful premise: Identify the reasons you overeat (your overeating styles) and gain weight—with the illuminating self-assessment quiz—then overcome overeating and lose weight by replacing your overeating styles with the antidotes: the elements of the Whole Person Integrative Eating program.
By shedding light on the root causes of overeating, Kesten and Scherwitz present a program that empowers readers with a personalized plan, and in turn new hope and new choices to help them reduce overeating, lose weight and keep it off.
WPIE is not a diet that a person goes on … then off. It is a scientifically sound, dietary lifestyle designed to be practiced for a lifetime.
"If people follow the revolutionary program outlined in this game-changing, insightful book, it may be the most helpful step they can take toward losing weight and keeping it off," says bestselling author Kenneth Pelletier, M.D., Ph.D., clinical professor of medicine at University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco.
The authors’ paradigm-shifting message is that food influences not only the physical dimensions of health, but also our emotional, spiritual and social well-being. Their dietary lifestyle can build bridges between the millions who struggle with overeating and weight issues and the medical community. And it can inspire us all to re-envision our relationships with food, eating and weight, so that each time we eat, we are nourished … for life.
Deborah Kesten, M.P.H.,is an international nutrition researcher, award-winning author and health journalist, with a specialty in preventing and reversing obesity and heart disease. She is also an experienced, expert speaker and presenter—from TV and podcast interviews to large conferences and small-group workshops.
Kesten served as Nutritionist on Dean Ornish, M.D.’s first clinical trial for reversing heart disease through lifestyle changes, the results of which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. She was Director of Nutrition at cardiovascular clinics in Europe and on the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association, San Francisco.
Kesten has published more than 400 nutrition and health articles. Her first book, Feeding the Body, Nourishing the Soul, received the first-place gold award in the Spirituality category from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Whole Person Integrative Eating has been honored with the No.1 gold, best-book award in the Health category by Book Excellence Awards and is a No. 1 Amazon best seller. Kesten is a VIP Contributor at Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global, and is married to behavioral scientist and co-author of Whole Person Integrative Eating, Larry Scherwitz, Ph.D.
“Legal analysis can be hard to follow for the average person,” said founder Russell Alexander. “By looking at these individual cases, we help make it clear what the stakes are, and what can happen when you make certain decisions during a divorce.”
As part of its online Divorce Information Centre, the Lindsay-based firm has added a new section soley dedicated to post-separation issues drawn from real-world cases and Ontario judicial decisions. Recent articles include looking at what happens when spouses snoop on each other’s email and social media accounts, post-separation debt and breaking verbal promises on financial issues.
In another recent case, a husband who took furniture, appliances, mementos and legal documents while his wife was out of town was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution, return the items and forfeit any other requests for property.
“Emotions run high during a divorce, but acting on them can end up backfiring,” added Alexander. “We stress a collaborative approach to family law because it can reduce those tensions and allow both sides to get what they really want.”
Launched in early 2020, the Divorce Information Centre has turned into the most popular section of the Russell Alexander law firm’s website.
Home Fitness Franchise Send Me A Trainer Expands Internationally to the UK after Rapid Growth in the US in 2020
Send Me A Trainer Awards Master Franchise in the UK and Exploring New International Markets
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Send Me A Trainer announces today that it has awarded its first Franchise in the United Kingdom. Send Me A Trainer is the first in-home and live online personal training on-demand franchise that is redefining the fitness franchising industry.
Fitness Market Segmentation analysis indicating the $10 Billion boom in the home fitness industry due to COVID-19. Consumers are also increasingly looking for more accountability and customized fitness programs which is the largest growth segment.Send Me A Trainer Founders Bary El-Yacoubi and Muhssin El-Yacoubi Awarding First International Franchise in the United Kingdom Over Video Conference.
During 2020, in its first year of franchising and during COVID-19, Send Me A Trainer quickly expanded and witnessed a huge increase in demand for its franchise model. In total, 10 territories were awarded across the United States with dozens of applications still under review. It also awarded its first franchise in the United Kingdom and has received multiple requests for Master Franchise opportunities in other countries. Send Me A Trainer was also featured on the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine, listed in the top 100 Fitness Franchises by Franchise Connect Magazine, and featured in Authority Magazine as disruptors in the fitness industry.
"The data around the huge boom in home fitness is staggering," says Muhssin El-Yacoubi, Co-Founder of Send Me A Trainer. "Industry experts indicate that the Total Addressable Market of the home fitness industry has increased by $10 Billion annually due to COVID-19 driving consumers away from fitness clubs. Also, monthly Google search volume for "at home fitness" is up over 3x compared to pre pandemic levels. This is causing a huge demand increase for Send Me A Trainer and home fitness solutions that offer the convenience of working out from home."
"Home fitness was already popular in recent years and COVID-19 has only accelerated this trend and it is here to stay," says Bary El-Yacoubi, Co-Founder of Send Me A Trainer. "Our clients have the option to train one-on-one in-person, or live online face-to-face from the convenience and safety of their homes. In-home personal training is available in markets where we have a franchise partner and live online personal training is available nationwide in the US and will be available in the UK soon. Demand for live online one-on-one personal training has skyrocketed and this has allowed us to scale up faster and serve clients nationwide."
"Consumers are also increasingly looking for more accountability and customization in their workouts and the market is rapidly shifting in this direction," says Bary El-Yacoubi, Co-Founder of Send Me A Trainer. "Send Me A Trainer provides its clients with a high level of customized programs and accountability beyond what is possible by connected exercise equipment and video streaming services. Think about all those people that used to hire a personal trainer at the gym that are looking for customized programs and the personal accountability of a trainer. Where are they going? That's where we fit in."
Now those looking to take part in the booming home fitness industry can do so by opening a Send Me A Trainer franchise, a leading brand that has over a decade of experience in the in-home personal training industry with proprietary technology.
"Our franchises are attracted to our technology driven, home based business model with low overhead and no physical location required," says Muhssin El-Yacoubi, Co-Founder of Send Me A Trainer. "The modern business owner can now own a technology enabled on-demand business as a franchise. Our technology automates operations of the business, so franchise owners don't get caught up in tedious things like payroll. It's changing the entire concept of business ownership in the franchise world."
We are thrilled to be expanding Send Me A Trainer into the United Kingdom with our Master Franchise Partners and making this convenient and timely service available in the UK. Our first franchise is in Glasgow and is expected to launch in a few months.
Send Me A Trainer is also currently expanding internationally through Master Franchise partnerships. Master Franchisees award and oversee Send Me A Trainer franchises in their country. In the current environment with high unemployment, many people look to franchising to start their own business as an attractive career move. The same trend occurred after the financial crisis in 2008 where the industry witnessed a spike in new franchises opening. Given the sensitivity today around brick-and-mortar business, those looking to start a franchise now are primarily interested in home-based businesses with lean overhead models. This means that about 75% of all franchise concepts (that are brick-and-mortar), are essentially not relevant and all the attention is on the remaining 25%, which Send Me A Trainer is part of. Becoming a Send Me A Trainer Master Franchise partner offers an opportunity to participate in the boom in home fitness at scale.
