IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 20, 2026--
Immunis, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing off-the-shelf multi-active biologics for muscle health and healthy aging, today announced that its Chairman, Dr. Hans Keirstead, has been nominated as a panelist at SXSW 2027 in a conversation titled "Can We Get Better at Aging?: Hope, Hype, and Hard Science."
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As medicine shifts from managing the effects of aging to designing therapeutics that help the body restore function, demand is growing for therapies that preserve muscle and metabolic health with age.
Chairman of Immunis, Dr. Keirstead, has been nominated to discuss the growing demand for multi-functional “cell-free, cell therapies” such as IMM01-STEM, with evidence supporting that it delivers the therapeutic benefits of stem cell-derived factors without the risk of administering live stem cells. Earlier this year, Immunis announced the most advanced clinical data on the class, showing improved muscle function and gait speed, a key vital indicator of health.
"The conversation around longevity has never been more important—or more crowded," says Dr. Keirstead. "For the first time, advances in AI, regenerative biology, and computational science are allowing us to ask questions that were unimaginable only a decade ago. People are inundated with promises about reversing aging, yet very few approaches are supported by rigorous clinical evidence. The future of healthy aging should be built on science that is measurable, reproducible, and focused on restoring quality of life, and responsible innovation that improves trust in the next generation of longevity medicine must be a priority."
SXSW, widely considered one of the largest and most influential convergence festivals of ideas, technology, culture and health, will take place in Austin, Texas from March 15-20, 2027. The nominated panel will explore topics in longevity medicine including rebuilding muscle as we age, promoting quality weight loss, and boosting metabolic function. Alongside Dr. Keirstead will be esteemed panelists Dr. Amelia Anderson, co-founder of Cyclarity who will discuss restoration in heart health, and Dr. Nathan Brady, co-founder of Fareon who specializes in restoration in brain health. To advance the conversation to the SXSW stage in March 2027, votes are being accepted until August 23 on SXSW.com by searching for the session or here by clicking the heart-shaped “vote” icon.
About Immunis
Immunis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class multi-active biologics designed to restore function lost through aging and disease. Leveraging the body's innate repair biology, Immunis' proprietary secretome platform targets multiple pathways simultaneously to improve muscle health, metabolic function, and overall healthspan. The company's lead investigational therapy, IMM01-STEM, is being evaluated as a potential treatment for sarcopenia and other age-related conditions, with the vision of helping people live healthier, stronger, and more independent lives for longer.
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Dr. Hans Keirstead, Chairman of Immunis, is honored by the nomination to be a panelist for SXSW's discussion on "Restorative Approaches to Longevity Medicine."
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Authorities in Vietnam have charged a man with rape after an American student said she was assaulted while in her bed during a group holiday.
Nguyen Thi Quynh Tam, 24, said she was raped on July 5 and pressured by the man’s family to accept money and not go to police. She said the police also initially urged her to settle the matter privately.
The AP does not usually identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, except if they come forward publicly about the abuse. Tam's candor is unusual for Vietnam, where sexual violence is rarely discussed publicly, but she said she wanted to speak out to help protect other women.
“I’m doing this not just for me. But for everybody else that has been harmed,” said Tam.
Tam’s account was documented in interviews, her police complaint and communications with U.S. and Vietnamese officials. After she sought help from U.S. officials and a U.S. lawmaker, officials confirmed Thursday that they had charged the 23-year-old man.
Vietnam’s foreign ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang said authorities had initiated legal proceedings “in accordance with Vietnamese law.” She did not respond to questions about alleged police pressure to settle the case.
The man charged in the case did not respond to AP queries sent via social media.
Tam, whose family moved to the United States when she was 5 years old, returned to Vietnam in May for a banking internship, hoping to reconnect with her family’s homeland. She joined a group of acquaintances on a July 4 trip to a resort in Phu Tho, near Hanoi.
The group stayed up late and when she went to bed, Tam found herself locked out of the room where she expected to sleep. She found another bedroom and fell asleep with the door unlocked, then awoke to the 23-year-old man kissing her neck.
Her complaint says Tam told him not to touch her, but he persisted and climbed on top of her. She pushed and punched him and shouted, “No!” But he pinned both her arms above her head and raped her.
Later that night, she messaged her boyfriend in the U.S. that she had been raped. The AP has seen the messages.
Afterward, she said she blamed herself and struggled mentally. Others in the group they traveled with told her the man was from a wealthy, politically-connected family and she was unsure what to do.
Tam said the man apologized twice on July 9, in a note and during a phone call. The AP has heard a recording of the call and seen the note.
On July 11, Tam and friends of her family met with the man's father in an encounter suggested by members of the group she traveled with. She said he asked how much money she wanted for not involving the police. He called five days later, again offering compensation, she said.
In an email to the The Associated Press, the father said the two had been “intimate,” but he declined to comment further. He said his family had “no intention” of pressuring Tam to drop the case.
Tam said that after she reported the incident to police on July 21, they took her back to the room where she said she was raped and asked her to reenact the assault, leaving her distraught.
“A part of me is gone. And it’s in that room,” she said.
The next day, she said, police urged her to meet with the 23-year-old and to sign a statement saying she had refused a rape kit and a lawyer. She refused. The police again asked her to settle while she was getting mental health care at a Hanoi hospital, she said.
Tam, who is from Houston, Texas, said she got little help at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, where she was told she could report the matter to Vietnamese police, or return home. She said she was discouraged when they cited a previous sexual assault case that dragged on for over a year before being dropped.
After Tam's father contacted their senator, Ted Cruz, the embassy called her to apologize. It told Cruz’s office it had supported Tam and helped her contact authorities. Her father called that “inaccurate,” according to a July 29 email exchange.
The State Department said it was aware of her case, but couldn't comment further because of legal and privacy reasons. It said American “safety and security” was its top priority.
Nguyen Thi Quynh Tam speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo)
Nguyen Thi Quynh Tam speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo)
Nguyen Thi Quynh Tam looks at her father after an interview with The Associated Press in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo)
Nguyen Thi Quynh Tam wipes tears during an interview with The Associated Press in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo)
Nguyen Thi Quynh Tam wipes her tears during an interview with The Associated Press in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo)
