Media OutReach
Agilis Robotics completes world’s first robot-assisted bladder tumour resection in clinical trial
The groundbreaking achievement represents a significant milestone in the application of robotic technology for minimally invasive treatment of bladder cancer, offering a promising new surgical option for patients worldwide. Robot-assisted ERBT can enable surgeons to remove bladder tumours in a single piece with greater precision, improving cancer staging accuracy and lowering recurrence rates compared to traditional techniques.
Transforming Bladder Cancer Treatment with Robotic Innovation
The gold standard for early-stage bladder cancer treatment is transurethral resection of bladder tumours (TURBT), which involves removing tumours in a piece-by-piece fashion. However, this traditional piecemeal approach can result in floating tumour cells and incomplete tumour resection, leading to higher recurrence rates and poor cancer staging.
Agilis Robotics’ endoscopic surgical robotic system addresses these challenges with a pair of fully flexible robotic arms that allow surgeons to precisely resect tumours in one piece (i.e. en-bloc). This approach reduces the risk of tumour cell reimplantation, improves specimen integrity for pathological analysis, and significantly decreases the likelihood of cancer recurrence.
Precision, Usability, and Accessibility Redefined
Bladder tumour resections are often complicated by the location of tumours, such as the bladder dome and anterior wall, which are highly challenging to resect completely. The robotic system developed by Agilis Robotics can provide urologists with dexterous and delicate control over the tumour resection process, enabling safer and more precise tumour resection, even in challenging cases.
Designed with intuitive controls and advanced robotic capabilities, the system can be adopted easily by both experienced surgeons and trainees. By reducing the learning curve for performing ERBT, it has the potential to make this advanced technique more widely available, improving outcomes for patients around the world.
Pioneering Natural Orifice Surgical Robotics
Founded in 2021, the Hong Kong-based Agilis Robotics specializes in developing innovative surgical robots designed to operate through natural orifices such as the urethra, mouth, or anus, eliminating the need for external incisions to treat early-stage tumours.
The company’s robotic system has reached the critical stages of regulatory applications to the FDA and NMPA. If approved, it is poised to become the first commercially available robotic system for transurethral bladder tumour resection.
With its unique technological advantages and significant market potential, the company has secured more than US$17 million in funding, positioning itself as a leader in natural orifice surgical robotics.
Expanding the Boundaries of Minimally Invasive Surgery
The successful demonstration of robot-assisted ERBT not only provides a breakthrough treatment option for bladder cancer but also opens the door to broader applications of minimally invasive robotic surgery through natural orifices, including procedures for the colon and upper gastrointestinal tract.
Agilis Robotics is committed to advancing medical technology, driving innovation, and delivering impactful solutions that benefit patients worldwide.
Hashtag: #agilisrobotics
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GoTyme Bank becomes the first digital bank in the Philippines to enable Apple Pay, expanding secure and seamless digital payments for 10 million customers
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 August 2026 – Paymentology, the leading global issuer processor, today announced the successful launch of Apple Pay for GoTyme Bank in the Philippines. Through this launch, GoTyme becomes one of the first issuers in the Philippine market to enable Apple Pay, giving 10 million customers an easy, secure and private way to pay using their Apple devices.
As one of the country’s fastest-growing digital banks, GoTyme continues to accelerate its digital payments strategy by expanding secure, seamless and convenient payment experiences for Filipino consumers. Customers can now securely add their GoTyme debit card to Apple Wallet and make contactless payments in stores, within apps and online wherever Apple Pay is accepted.
Apple Pay uses industry-leading tokenisation technology, meaning card numbers are never stored on devices or shared with merchants. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, with every transaction authenticated through Face ID, Touch ID or a device passcode, providing an additional layer of security while delivering a fast, frictionless checkout experience.
Nate Clark, President and CEO at GoTyme Bank commented: “At GoTyme Bank, we’re constantly looking for ways to make banking simpler, safer and more rewarding for our customers. Bringing Apple Pay to GoTyme Bank customers in the Philippines gives them an easy and secure way to pay wherever they shop while continuing to earn rewards points on all their transactions. This is another step in our commitment to making everyday banking more beautiful and convenient for our customers.
The launch comes as digital payments continue to reshape the Philippine economy. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), digital payments now account for more than half of all retail payment transactions, as consumers increasingly embrace mobile-first banking and contactless payments. Meanwhile, smartphone penetration continues to rise, supporting growing demand for digital wallets and tokenised payment experiences. As digital commerce accelerates, enabling secure mobile payments through services such as Apple Pay is becoming an increasingly important differentiator for financial institutions.
Minh-Ha Truong, Head of Growth, APAC at Paymentology, added: “As a long-standing partner to GoTyme, we’re proud to support another significant milestone in its growth journey. Bringing Apple Pay to market demonstrates how modern, cloud-native issuer processing enables digital banks to rapidly deliver innovative payment experiences while maintaining the highest standards of security, scalability and performance. Together, we’re helping shape the future of digital payments in the Philippines.”
The launch further strengthens GoTyme’s position as one of Southeast Asia’s leading digital banks and highlights the value of Paymentology’s cloud-native issuer processing platform in helping banks and fintechs rapidly introduce innovative payment capabilities that meet evolving customer expectations.
Hashtag: #Paymentology
https://www.paymentology.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/paymentology/
https://x.com/Paymentology
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Media OutReach
New Documentary Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun From Discovery to Debut on August 20 in Southeast Asia
Set against the sun-drenched landscapes of southern Taiwan, Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun highlights how the people of Liugdui have thrived alongside the land for over 300 years. Following local scholars, farmers, and artisans, the documentary explores how this community adapts its deep-rooted traditions—from water stewardship to food heritage—in response to environmental and economic change, offering vital modern insights on sustainability, rural revitalization, and cultural continuity.
Across three episodes—Water, agriculture, and food—the documentary explores how the people of Liugdui blend tradition with modern innovation. Viewers meet groundwater experts, farmers pioneering sustainable crops, and artisans repurposing local materials like betel nut, alongside culinary practitioners who preserve Hakka identity through ancestral rituals, communal feasts, and family traditions that unite generations.
Audiences will discover a community that views tradition not as something fixed in the past, but as a living legacy that continues to evolve. From innovative groundwater management and botanical dyeing to ritual feasts and modern interpretations of Hakka cuisine – the documentary celebrates the creativity, resilience, and values that have sustained Liugdui for centuries.
Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun premieres in Southeast Asia on Discovery Channel, Thursday, August 20 at 7:10pm; TLC Channel, Monday, August 24 at 7:10pm; and Discovery Asia, Tuesday, August 25 at 9:25pm.
Hashtag: #Discovery
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About Discovery Channel
The launch press conference broke away from tradition with a vibrant runway show featuring celebrity “Hot Spring Travel Navigators,” including acclaimed chef Edward Lee from Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, visual identity creative director Yen Po-Chun, TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE Taiwan Chairman Kazuma Otsuka, and actor-host Andrew Chau. Together with local businesses, they showcased regional agriculture, specialties, and lifestyle products.
The official launch celebration kicks off on September 4 at Guguan Park in Taichung, featuring a themed parade with over 500 participants and the lighting ceremony for the Lishan–Guguan Light Art Festival, which stars a massive eight-meter “OhBear” light installation. The festivities continue on September 5 with a guided tribal trekking tour in Guguan, offering participants an exclusive NT$500 accommodation discount.
To promote four-season wellness tourism globally, the campaign partners with the East Asia Hot Spring Association for an international symposium on September 4. Key promotions also include complimentary LINE POINTS for new followers, curated packages starting at NT$299, and a flash sale of 800 limited NT$1 Hot Spring Vouchers for the Double 11 Shopping Festival. Furthermore, cross-sector collaborations offer half-price entry to national forest areas, limited-edition Taiwan Railway bento boxes, and Guanziling mud spring skincare products to enrich the travel experience.Hashtag: #TaiwanFourSeasonSprings
https://www.trimt-nsa.gov.tw/zh-tw/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
