HONG KONG, May 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vinexposium is giving its 2026 Hong Kong event a whole new dimension. Vinexpo Asia is growing, restructuring and evolving to align with new consumption trends. Three spaces – Vinexpo Asia, Be Spirits and Be No – will be hosted under the same roof to embrace the ever-expanding range of alcoholic and no-alcohol drinks.

In this volume, you will find all the essential information about this edition:

• Key figures and event highlights.
• Major 2026 trends shaping the W&S industry in Asia.
• Markets overview.
• Practical information to attend and cover the show.

ACCESS THE PRESS KIT HERE

For more information, visit the Vinexpo Asia, Be Spirits and Be No websites
View photos from the previous edition in Hong Kong here 

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• Surpasses 1 billion streams on Spotify, marking a rare milestone for a character-driven global hit
• Averages around 400,000 daily Spotify streams worldwide, or nearly five plays every second

Download images here

SEOUL, South Korea, May 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Pinkfong Company, the global entertainment company behind Baby Shark, today announced that “Baby Shark” has surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify, joining the platform’s Billions Club and marking a major streaming milestone for the globally beloved song.

Spotify’s Billions Club recognizes songs that have surpassed 1 billion streams on the platform, a milestone reached by tracks from some of the world’s biggest recording artists. For “Baby Shark,” the achievement stands out as a rare milestone for a character-driven global hit, underscoring the strength of Baby Shark as a global content franchise with lasting cultural relevance across markets, platforms and generations.

Over the past 12 months, “Baby Shark” generated 137 million streams, reached 23 million listeners and was added to playlists more than 1 million times on Spotify. On average, the song is streamed around 400,000 times per day worldwide, or nearly five times every second. The track’s latest listening data also reflects its broad global appeal, with top markets spanning North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Oceania, led by the U.S., the U.K., Australia and Canada.

“Baby Shark has grown from a viral sensation into a global cultural touchpoint, connecting with audiences across languages, markets and generations,” said Minseok Kim, CEO of The Pinkfong Company. “Reaching 1 billion streams on Spotify is a meaningful milestone that reflects the song’s lasting appeal and continued global listenership. We look forward to expanding Baby Shark through music, stories and experiences that bring joy to fans around the world.”

“Baby Shark hitting 1 billion streams on Spotify is another landmark milestone for this magical song,” said Shabs Jobanputra, Founder of Relentless Records. “We are very proud to be in partnership with Pinkfong and celebrate this moment.”

First released in 2015, “Baby Shark” became a global phenomenon with its catchy melody, playful choreography and universal family appeal. The song has since built a record-breaking legacy across platforms, becoming the most-viewed video in YouTube history with more than 16 billion views, charting for 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, and earning RIAA Diamond certification (11x Platinum) and BRIT Certified 5x Platinum. Baby Shark has also expanded into a global franchise spanning animated series, films, consumer products, live shows, and digital experiences.

About The Pinkfong Company

The Pinkfong Company is a global entertainment company that delivers content and entertaining experiences around the world. Driven by award-winning brands and IPs, the company has created and distributed a range of content across genres and formats including original animated series, world live tours, interactive games, and more. Believing in the power of entertaining and engaging content, The Pinkfong Company is committed to connecting people around the world and bringing joy and inspiration to worldwide audiences of all ages. For more information, please visit the website or follow the company on LinkedIn.

*Sony Music Entertainment UK’s Relentless Records are Pinkfong’s global music partner, alongside The Orchard who distribute the catalogue worldwide.

About Relentless Records

Relentless Records is one of the frontline labels at Sony Music Entertainment UK. Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a current roster that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalogue that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

About The Orchard:

The Orchard is a full-service music distribution company operating in more than 50 cities worldwide. The Orchard’s comprehensive artist & label services offering harnesses innovative technology, transparent data analysis, and expertise to reach fans and grow audiences. Offerings include digital and physical sales and marketing, advertising, brand partnerships, rights management, video monetization, collaborator splits and royalty accounting, publishing administration, neighboring rights, and more. Championed by an exceptional community of music lovers and experts, The Orchard empowers creators and entrepreneurs to grow and adapt in the dynamic, global industry. For further information, visit www.theorchard.com.

Media Contact

Hailey Kim

Communications Manager

The Pinkfong Company

hailey@pinkfong.com

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Following heavy debate at the Los Angeles Vertical Drama Market, the AI-native pioneer scales its $2M incubator to empower creators producing social thrillers, sports dramas, and fantasy adventures at 3% of legacy production costs

LOS ANGELES, May 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Returning from the frontline of the Los Angeles Vertical Drama Market (LAVDM), Anamana, the world’s first integrated creator ecosystem for AI-native micro-serials, today issued an industry-wide challenge to the ROI-driven incumbents dominating the $5 billion global short-drama market outside of China. 

While Chinese-led market titans like DramaBox used the four-day event to double down on highly profitable, formulaic “romantasy” tropes , Anamana is scaling its Anamana 100 Creator Incubator to prove that vertical, 9:16 mobile storytelling can successfully hold expansive narratives that captivate broader, diversified audiences. Backed by its proprietary agentic AI production platform, Anamana Studio, the company enables independent creators to bypass traditional cost bottlenecks — reducing production barriers by 97% and providing the economic freedom to take narrative risks.

According to Kai Pan, the Anamana executive who represented the company at LAVDM, the prevailing wisdom at the industry event was that micro-dramas are forever bound to pulp-romance playbooks. Anamana publicly rejects this limitation, pointing to a creative ceiling hit by traditional content factories that rely heavily on translating or “reskinning” identical scripts.

This commitment to creative diversification is reflected across Anamana’s global cohort, where creators are actively pushing past conventional genre boundaries: 

In Tokyo, Japan, director Masashi Kawamata is developing I am AI, a social media thriller tracking an influencer whose identity is weaponized against her via deepfake technology. 

“Micro-dramas today are built around very specific emotional transactions that have become commodified and safe,” said Masashi Kawamata. “The industry relies on billionaire CEOs and revenge marriages because they are emotionally efficient. The ceiling for this medium is much higher than what most platforms are willing to test, and Anamana understands that recognition and honesty create viewer loyalty in a way that cheap wish-fulfillment cannot.” 

In Bristol, UK, screenwriter Aishwarya Shah is producing Thin Ice, a high-stakes sports drama within a story about corruption, property redevelopment and family pressure.

“I think a lot of platforms would’ve wanted my concept flattened into a much safer, more straightforward romance very quickly,” added Aishwarya Shah. “But Anamana is committed to treating their audiences as intelligent and recognizes the hunger for stronger stories in more compelling worlds, while maintaining the pace and drama of the format.” 

In Berlin, Germany, filmmakers Markus and Tanja Laukkanen are directing Epic Quest Saga, a whimsical fantasy adventure inspired by Nordic mythology and folklore.

“Instead of making the story safer or smaller, Anamana pushed us to make it stranger, faster-paced, funnier, and more entertaining,” shared the Laukkanens. “That creative freedom is rare, especially in a market that can become overly focused on repeating existing formulas, and has been incredibly refreshing for us as filmmakers!”

On a smartphone, an audience is always a single “muscle twitch” away from abandoning content for a push notification or a social feed. While incumbents fight this distraction with endless melodramatic tropes , Anamana’s platform relies on high-resonance, diverse storytelling to drive audience retention. 

Anamana is currently deploying its initial $2 million Anamana 100 Creator Incubator fund to greenlight non-traditional genre projects from creators across five continents. Commercial availability of the Anamana Studio production platform for non-incubated creators is expected in 2026 Q3.

About Anamana

Founded in 2025, Anamana is an integrated AI-native micro-serial platform, production platform, and global creator ecosystem incubator. Human storytellers use the agentic AI Anamana Studio production platform to produce high-fidelity serialized video content with up to 97% lower capital, time, and manpower costs, lowering barriers to creation and increasing accessibility to individual creators. Micro-serials produced are then distributed to the market on Anamana’s own standalone app or third-party video services including YouTube or TikTok.  

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• Sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT)(佳泰莱^®) plus pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab as first-line treatment for PD-L1 positive advanced NSCLC: Results from the randomized, controlled, registrational Phase III OptiTROP-Lung05 study (Abstract #8506)
• Efficacy and safety of lunbotinib fumarate (A400/EP0031,宁泰莱^®[1]), a next-generation selective RET inhibitor (SRI), from a pivotal registrational Phase Ⅱ study in patients with advanced RET-fusion positive NSCLC (Abstract #8505)

CHENGDU, China, May 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting will be held in Chicago from May 29 to June 2, local time. Two registrational studies of the trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (TROP2)-directed antibody drug conjugate (ADC) sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT)(佳泰莱^®) and the next‑generation selective rearranged during transfection (RET) inhibitor lunbotinib fumarate (A400/EP0031,宁泰莱^®) from Sichuan Kelun-Biotech Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Kelun-Biotech” or the “Company”, 6990.HK) have been selected for oral presentation session on Lung Cancer – Non-Small Cell Metastatic. The full text of the related abstracts were published on the ASCO official website^[2] on May 21, 2026, local time. Key highlights are summarized as follows:

Study 1

Sacituzumab tirumotecan (sac-TMT) plus pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab as first-line treatment for PD-L1 positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Results from the randomized, controlled Phase III OptiTROP-Lung05 study, to be presented as an oral presentation scheduled on May 29, 2026, 3:12 PM-3:24 PM CDT (Abstract #8506: Lung Cancer – Non-Small Cell Metastatic)

A total of 413 patients with previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC without epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) alterations and with programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) positive (defined as tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥1%), covering both squamous and non‑squamous histologies, were enrolled and randomized (1:1) to receive sac-TMT (4mg/kg Q2W) plus pembrolizumab (400mg Q6W) or pembrolizumab monotherapy (400mg Q6W). The primary endpoint was progression‑free survival (PFS) assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR), and the key secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS). As of September 29, 2025, the median follow-up was 10.5 months.

The results demonstrated that：

• Significant PFS improvement: PFS assessed by BICR was significantly improved in the sac-TMT plus pembrolizumab group compared with the pembrolizumab group, with a median PFS of not reached (NR) versus 5.7 months (hazard ratio (HR)=0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26–0.47; p<0.0001).
• Substantially higher response rate: The objective response rate (ORR) assessed by BICR was 70.2% in the sac-TMT plus pembrolizumab group versus 42.0% in the pembrolizumab group.
• Positive OS trend though immature (HR=0.55; 95% CI: 0.36–0.85).
• Consistent benefit across prespecified subgroups: the HR for PFS in patients with PD-L1 TPS 1-49% and TPS ≥ 50% were 0.28 (95% CI, 0.19-0.41) and 0.47 (95% CI, 0.29-0.77), respectively; the HR for PFS in patients with non-squamous and squamous NSCLC were 0.28 (95% CI, 0.18-0.43) and 0.44 (95% CI, 0.29-0.66).

In terms of safety, grade≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurred in 55.3% of patients in the sac-TMT plus pembrolizumab group versus 31.4% in the pembrolizumab group. TEAEs leading to permanent discontinuation of sac-TMT and pembrolizumab occurred in 3.8% and 5.3% of patients, respectively, while TEAEs leading to permanent discontinuation occurred in 4.9% of patients in the pembrolizumab group.

OptiTROP-Lung05 is the first Phase III clinical study demonstrating a significant improvement in PFS and a positive trend in OS with an ADC combined with pembrolizumab compared to pembrolizumab in first-line treatment for PD-L1 positive advanced NSCLC. Based on these results, a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for this combination regimen has been accepted for review and included in the priority review and approval process by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China.

Study 2

Efficacy and safety of lunbotinib (A400/EP0031), a next-generation selective RET inhibitor (SRI), from a pivotal phase Ⅱ study in patients with advanced RET-fusion positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), to be presented as an oral presentation scheduled on May 29, 2026, 2:36 PM-2:48 PM CDT (Abstract #8505: Lung Cancer – Non-Small Cell Metastatic)

As of October 29, 2025, 71 patients with prior platinum-based chemotherapy and immunotherapy (pre-treated patients) and 92 patients who had not received prior systemic therapy (treatment-naïve patients) were enrolled, with median follow-up of 22.6 and 20.7 months.

The study demonstrated that：

• Independent Review Committee (IRC)-assessed confirmed ORR was 87.1% (95% CI: 77.0-93.9) in pre-treated patients and 81.3% (95% CI: 71.8-88.7) in treatment-naïve patients;
• Median PFS was 27.5 months in pre-treated patients (immature) and NR in treatment-naïve patients, with 24-month PFS rates of 52.1% and 59.9%, respectively;
• Median OS was not reached in either group, with 24-month OS rates of 65.7% in pre-treated patients and 74.1% in treatment-naïve patients.
• Among patients with baseline brain metastases (23 pre-treated, 16 treatment-naïve), ORR was 82.6% and 75.0%, respectively, and 6 patients in each cohort had complete intracranial response.

The safety profile was manageable, with no new signals identified. Grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 40.5% of patients. Only two patients (1.2%) permanently discontinued treatment due to TRAEs. No fatal TRAEs occurred.

Based on the results of this study, the new drug application (NDA) for lunbotinib fumarate for the treatment of adult patients with RET fusion-positive locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC has been accepted for review by the NMPA.

About sac-TMT(佳泰莱^®)

Sac-TMT, a core product of the Company, is a novel human TROP2 ADC in which the Company has proprietary intellectual property rights, targeting advanced solid tumors such as NSCLC, breast cancer (BC), gastric cancer (GC), gynecological tumors and genitourinary tumors, among others. Sac-TMT is developed with a unique, bifunctional linker that maximizes payload delivery to tumor cells both through its irreversible connection with the anti-TROP2 monoclonal antibody sacituzumab and its pH-sensitive cleavage from a belotecan-derivative topoisomerase I inhibitor payload in the lysosome, with a drug-to-antibody-ratio (DAR) of 7.4. Sac-TMT specifically recognizes TROP2 on the surface of tumor cells by recombinant anti-TROP2 humanized monoclonal antibodies, which is then endocytosed by tumor cells and releases the payload KL610023 intracellularly. KL610023, as a topoisomerase I inhibitor, induces DNA damage to tumor cells, which in turn leads to cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. In addition, it also releases KL610023 in the tumor microenvironment. Given that KL610023 is membrane permeable, it can enable a bystander effect, or in other words kill adjacent tumor cells.

In May 2022, the Company licensed the exclusive rights to MSD (the tradename of Merck & Co., Inc, Rahway, NJ, USA) to develop, use, manufacture and commercialize sac-TMT in all territories outside of Greater China (which includes Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan).

To date, four indications for sac-TMT have been approved and marketed in China for: 1) unresectable locally advanced or metastatic triple‑negative breast cancer (TNBC) who have received at least two prior systemic therapies (at least one of them for advanced or metastatic setting); 2) EGFR mutant-positive locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC following progression on EGFR–tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy and platinum-based chemotherapy; 3) EGFR mutant-positive locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who progressed after treatment with EGFR-TKI therapy; 4) unresectable or metastatic hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) (Immunohistochemistry (IHC) 0, IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/In Situ Hybridization (ISH)-) BC who have received prior endocrine therapy and at least one line of chemotherapy in advanced setting. The first two indications above have been included in China’s National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). This inclusion is expected to bring clinically meaningful benefits to a greater number of patients with BC and NSCLC. Additionally, sac-TMT has been granted six Breakthrough Therapy Designations (BTDs) by the NMPA.

Sac-TMT is the world’s first TROP2 ADC drug approved for marketing in lung cancer.  A new indication application for sac-TMT in combination with pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA^®[3]) as first‑line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC who have PD-L1 TPS≥1% and are EGFR-negative and ALK-negative has been accepted for review by the NMPA, and has entered the priority review and approval process. As of today, Kelun-Biotech has initiated 9 registrational clinical studies in China. MSD is evaluating 17 ongoing global Phase III clinical studies of sac-TMT as a monotherapy or in combination with pembrolizumab or other anti-cancer agents for several types of cancer. These studies are sponsored and led by MSD.

About Lunbotinib Fumarate (A400/EP0031,宁泰莱^®)

Lunbotinib fumarate is a novel, next-generation selective RET inhibitor for NSCLC, medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and other solid tumors with a high prevalence of RET alterations. The NDA of lunbotinib fumarate has been accepted for review by the NMPA of China for the treatment of adult patients with RET-fusion positive locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC. The Company is also conducting a Phase Ib/II clinical study in China for the treatment of RET-positive solid tumors.

In March 2021, the Company granted Ellipses Pharma Limited, a U.K.-based international oncology drug development company, an exclusive license to develop, manufacture and commercialize this agent outside Greater China and certain Asian countries. In April 2024, lunbotinib fumarate was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to progress into a Phase II clinical trial (NCT05443126) which is currently recruiting in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe and United Arab Emirates, where it is being evaluated as a monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy in RET fusion positive advanced NSCLC.

About Kelun-Biotech

Kelun-Biotech (6990.HK) is a holding subsidiary of Kelun Pharmaceutical, which focuses on the R&D, manufacturing, commercialization and global collaboration of innovative biological drugs and small molecule drugs. Kelun-Biotech focuses on major disease areas such as solid tumors, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases, and in establishing a globalized drug development and industrialization platform to address the unmet medical needs in China and the rest of world. Kelun-Biotech is committed to becoming a leading global enterprise in the field of innovative drugs. At present, Kelun-Biotech has more than 30 ongoing key innovative drug projects, of which 4 projects have been approved for marketing, 1 project is in the NDA stage and more than 10 projects are in the clinical stage. Kelun-Biotech has established one of the world’s leading proprietary ADC and novel DC platforms, OptiDC™, and has 2 ADC projects approved for marketing, and multiple ADC and novel DC assets in clinical or preclinical research stage. For more information, please visit https://en.kelun-biotech.com/.

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79th Festival de Cannes • Spotlight on Chinese Cinema • China Pavilion

CANNES, France, May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On May 14 (local time), the Chinese film My World Without Me, directed by Tian Hairong, was screened at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. Selected for the International Promotional Screening Unit of the 79th Festival de Cannes, the film garnered warm applause and high praise from audiences around the world, as well as invaluable feedback and insights.

Following the screening, the film’s creative team joined a themed panel at the China Pavilion titled “The Power of Images and Care for the Soul,” engaging in a heartfelt dialogue with filmmakers and audiences from across the globe on the themes of life and adversity — resonating deeply with the tender hearts of people from all cultural backgrounds. The panel was hosted by China Film Foundation & China Film Association and organized by China Film Foundation • Wutianming Film Fund.

About the Film and Its Creative Team

My World Without Me is directed and headlined by Tian Hairong, with Zhang Hanyu serving as executive producer for the first time. The film was crafted over nearly seven years with exceptional care and dedication. It focuses on the contemporary community of people with hidden depression, conveying love and hope through the quiet spaces of daily life and the gentle light found in ordinary moments. Confronting suffering head-on, the film exemplifies the restrained aesthetics and humanistic warmth characteristic of Chinese realist cinema, offering an Eastern perspective on mental health narratives.

Tian Hairong is a graduate of the Performance Department of the Shanghai Theatre Academy and a renowned actress and producer in mainland China. She received the Golden Deer Award for Best Actress at the Changchun International Film Festival for Romantic Girl, the Best Actress award at the Nordic International Film Festival for The Spirit of a Generation: Tang Qunying, and the Best Supporting Actress award at the 12th Macao International Film Festival. Tian expressed her hope that through international platforms such as Cannes, the world will come to feel the warmth and depth of Chinese cinema.

International Recognition

French director Frédéric Oberlin praised the film for using a uniquely Eastern mastery of emotion to deliver silent feelings directly to the heart. Sinologist Luisa Prudentino noted after viewing the film that its sincere emotional core transcends cultural barriers, protecting the dignity of life and becoming a warm thread of empathy connecting different civilizations.

The film is set to continue participating in further international film festivals, using the power of cinema to build bridges of cultural communication and to help Chinese stories reach the world in a manner rich with humanistic care.

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