Stockwinners Market Radar for June 04, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:59 EDT GAP Airports reports preliminary May traffic up 11.7% - GAP Airports announced preliminary terminal passenger traffic figures for the month of May 2019, compared to traffic figures for May 2018. During May 2019, total terminal passengers increased by 11.7% at the company's 13 airports, compared to the same period of the previous year. Domestic passenger traffic increased by 12.3%, while international passenger traffic increased by 10.6%.

18:47 EDT Emergent BioSolutions CEO: We are focused on making Narcan affordable - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Emergent BioSolutions CEO Bob Kramer said: We have a Smallpox vaccine and we expect to contract with the U.S. government shortly... We are focused on making Narcan affordable and accessible to opioid addicts... Our flu product is therapeutic in nature... We do a lot of work in the areas of Anthrax and Smallpox... We like to contract with customers over long durations... Our approach to pricing is different than most pharmaceutical companies.

18:13 EDT Salesforce CEO says no other software company growing as quickly as we are - Says: Customer 360 is driving opportunities and will continue to be a major growth engine going forward... We are well positioned to double our revenue over next four years... Never positioned better than we are right now... Continue to deepen relationship with U.S. government... Seeing strong momentum beyond U.S... Will no longer break out Mulesoft revenue... Mulesoft contributed $170M in Q1... Sees Salesforce.org purchase adding $150M-$200M in FY20... Economy still very strong... Customer software renewals are very strong. Comments from company's Q1 earnings conference call.

17:37 EDT Silgan Holdings to close metal container facilities in Mt. Vernon Missouri - Silgan Holdings announced that it is closing its metal container manufacturing facilities in Mt. Vernon, Missouri and Waupun, Wisconsin. The company anticipates closing both of these facilities during the fourth quarter of 2019. These plant closings, in conjunction with the ratification last month of a new labor agreement at the company's Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin metal container manufacturing facility that provides for the company's withdrawal from the Central States Pension Fund for that facility, will result in the company's complete withdrawal from the Central States Pension Fund. Volumes from the closed facilities will be absorbed in existing facilities and in a new plant to be leased in the Midwest of the United States. "Decisions regarding footprint optimization plans are always difficult, and we want to thank our dedicated employees at both facilities for their long service and their anticipated efforts during this transition. At Silgan, these decisions are driven by a relentless pursuit to lower our overall cost structure, improve operating efficiencies and enhance our leading competitive position in our metal container business," said Adam Greenlee, President of Silgan. "Separately, we believe that withdrawing from the Central States Pension Fund and providing our Menomonee Falls employees with a company sponsored benefit plan is a better long-term solution," concluded Mr. Greenlee. The company expects to recognize estimated pre-tax rationalization charges related to the plant closings, excluding charges related to the withdrawal from the Central States Pension Fund, of approximately $5.2M in 2019, approximately $2.1M of which is expected to be realized in the second quarter of 2019 and approximately $2.2M of which will be non-cash. These rationalization charges include the write-down in carrying value of assets, employee severance costs and plant exit costs related to the plant closings. The company's earnings guidance for adjusted net income per diluted share for the full year 2019 and second quarter of 2019 are not impacted by the rationalization charges to be incurred in connection with the plant closings and the withdrawal from the Central States Pension Fund, as these charges are treated as adjustments for purposes of adjusted net income per diluted share. These charges will also not have an impact on the company's estimate of free cash flow for 2019.

17:31 EDT Bio-Techne to acquire B-MoGen Biotechnologies, terms not stated - Bio-Techne announced that it has reached agreement to acquire all of the stock of B-MoGen Biotechnologies Inc. The transaction has been completed and is being financed through available cash on hand. B-MoGen Biotechnologies of Minneapolis was founded in 2015 as a startup out of the University of Minnesota and has approximately 20 employees.

17:25 EDT Medtronic awarded $150M Defense Logistics Agency contract - Medtronic has been awarded a maximum $150M firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for radiology and imaging systems, subsystems and components along with maintenance services, training and incidental services related to the purchase of equipment. This is a five-year base contract with one five-year option period. This was a competitive acquisition with 51 responses received. Location of performance is Minnesota, with a June 3, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is FY19 through FY24 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency.

17:20 EDT L3 Technologies awarded $499.59M Air Force contract for 176 C-130H upgrade - L-3 has been awarded a $499.59M fixed-price-incentive-firm contract for the major avionics upgrade for 176 C-130H aircraft operated by the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command. This contract provides for engineering and manufacturing development through production and includes training and logistics requirements. Work will be performed predominantly in Waco, Texas and is expected to be complete by September 30, 2029. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and six offers were received. FY19 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $37.39M are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity.

17:16 EDT Chemours names Mark Newman COO, Sameer Ralhan CFO - The Chemours Company announced the promotion of Mark Newman to the newly created role of COO. Newman previously served as the company's CFO. As the company's first COO, he will have responsibility for all three global businesses: Titanium Technologies, Fluoroproducts, and Chemical Solutions. Additionally, VP of Business Finance and treasurer Sameer Ralhan has been promoted to the position of senior VP, CFO and treasurer.

17:11 EDT Western Alliance authorizes initiation of 25c regular quarterly dividend - Western Alliance Bancorporation announced its board authorized the initiation of regular quarterly dividends, beginning in the third quarter of 2019. At the board meeting associated with the company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders, the Board approved a 25c per share quarterly dividend to be initially declared at its next meeting on July 30 with the record and payment dates expected to occur in August. "I am pleased to announce the Board's decision to authorize a quarterly dividend for our shareholders," commented Robert Sarver, Executive Chairman. "The dividend demonstrates our continued confidence in the Company's performance outlook, including loan and deposit growth, interest margin, asset quality, operating efficiency and earnings per share. Western Alliance will continue to focus on generating quality loan and deposit growth, reinvesting earnings in our Company to support our sustained development, and pursuing opportunistic mergers and acquisitions."

17:05 EDT Pivotal Software down 30% to $12.99 after lowering FY20 revenue outlook

17:00 EDT Medical collections firm used by LabCorp has exposed some patient information - In response to questions it has received, LabCorp announced that it has been notified by American Medical Collection Agency ,AMCA, about unauthorized activity on AMCA's web payment page. According to AMCA, this activity occurred between August 1, 2018, and March 30, 2019. AMCA is an external collection agency used by LabCorp and other healthcare companies. LabCorp has referred approximately 7.7M consumers to AMCA whose data was stored in the affected AMCA system. AMCA's affected system included information provided by LabCorp. That information could include first and last name, date of birth, address, phone, date of service, provider, and balance information. AMCA's affected system also included credit card or bank account information that was provided by the consumer to AMCA . LabCorp provided no ordered test, laboratory results, or diagnostic information to AMCA. AMCA has advised LabCorp that Social Security Numbers and insurance identification information are not stored or maintained for LabCorp consumers. AMCA has informed LabCorp that it is in the process of sending notices to approximately 200,000 LabCorp consumers whose credit card or bank account information may have been accessed. AMCA has not yet provided LabCorp a list of the affected LabCorp consumers or more specific

16:36 EDT Integrated Core Strategies reports 5.9% passive stake in Radius Health - In a regulatory filing, Integrated Core Strategies disclosed a 5.9% stake in Radius Health, which represents about 2.73M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:32 EDT Gartner director Karen Dykstra sold over $272K in company shares - Gartner director Karen Dykstra disclosed in a filing that she had sold 1,812 shares of company stock at an average price of $150.22 per share on June 3, The total transaction value of the sale was $272,199.

16:21 EDT NV5 Global acquires Page One Consultants, sees accretion - NV5 Global announced that it has acquired Page One Consultants, a Program Management and Construction Quality Assurance firm based in Orlando, Florida. The addition of Page One strategically complements NV5's strong infrastructure, geotechnical design and environmental capabilities in Central Florida, one of the nation's fastest growing markets in construction and infrastructure. The acquisition was completed with a combination of cash and stock and will be immediately accretive to NV5's earnings. "Florida has been a rapid growth market for NV5, where we have completed six acquisitions and experienced solid organic growth," said Dickerson Wright, PE, Chairman and CEO of NV5. "The acquisition of Page One continues to strengthen our capabilities and expand our client base in the aggressive Orlando construction market and also enhances our value proposition for adjacent Central Florida markets, such as Tampa and St. Petersburg."

16:21 EDT Newell Brands to sell USPC to Cartamundi Group, terms not disclosed - Newell Brands announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell The United States Playing Card Company to Cartamundi Group, a manufacturer and distributor of playing cards and board games. USPC, based in Erlanger, KY is the leader in the production and distribution of premier brands of playing cards, including BICYCLE, BEE, AVIATOR, HOYLE, and FOURNIER. In 2018 net sales for USPC were approximately $112M. Citi acted as financial advisor to Newell Brands on the USPC transaction. It is expected to close in the second half of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

16:17 EDT Ambarella announces new $50M repurchase program - During the second fiscal quarter, Ambarella's Board of Directors authorized a new $50M repurchase program through June 30, 2020. The repurchase program does not obligate the company to acquire any particular amount of ordinary shares, and it may be suspended at any time at the company's discretion.

16:15 EDT Salesforce reports remaining performance obligation ended Q1 at $24.9B - Remaining performance obligation ended the first quarter at approximately $24.9B, an increase of 22% year-over-year. This includes approximately $500M related to the remaining performance obligation from MuleSoft. Current remaining performance obligation ended the first quarter at approximately $11.8B, an increase of 23% year-over-year, 24% in constant currency.

16:13 EDT Emergent BioSolutions announces FDA approval for Cholera vaccine changes - Emergent BioSolutions announced approval by the FDA of the prior approval supplement, or PAS, submitted by the company for its oral cholera vaccine, Vaxchora. The PAS supports the change in storage conditions of the vaccine from frozen to refrigerated at 2-8 degrees celsius and the transfer of bulk drug substance manufacturing from Emergent's product development facility in San Diego to its manufacturing facility in Bern, Switzerland. The PAS also covers changes in labeling regarding these developments. The company's oral cholera vaccine is the only FDA-licensed vaccine for the prevention of cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, a potentially serious intestinal disease.

16:10 EDT Amyris promotes Kathleen Valiasek to Chief Business Officer - Amyris announced the appointment of Kathleen Valiasek, formerly CFO, to Chief Business Officer effective immediately. Valiasek will assume a dedicated role of furthering the company's strategy of collaborating with large, well-funded partners to grow the company's business. Simultaneously, she will continue to oversee the company's financing and investor relations activities. The company also announced that it has appointed Jonathan Wolter as Interim CFO. In this capacity, Wolter will focus primarily upon and assist with completing the Company's audit procedures and process of finalizing and filing its 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for Q1 to bring Amyris into compliance with SEC regulations and Nasdaq listing requirements as quickly as possible. Wolter has extensive experience and expertise in financial management, operations, audit, controls, SEC reporting and compliance. Since 2004 he has served as a partner with FLG Partners where he has been retained as CFO by the boards of multiple public and private companies.

16:10 EDT Intersect ENT published results provide clinical evidence supporting Sinuva use - Intersect ENT announced publication of a pooled analysis of the RESOLVE and RESOLVE II randomized controlled trials in the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy. The results provide level 1a clinical evidence supporting the use of the SINUVA Sinus Implant for management of patients with recurrent nasal polyps in adult patients who have had previous ethmoid sinus surgery. The analysis included 375 patients with chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps who were candidates for revision endoscopic sinus surgery because of persisting symptoms of nasal obstruction/congestion and recurrent bilateral nasal polyps despite ongoing topical steroid therapy and a recent course of systemic steroids. The pooled analysis met all four efficacy endpoints, demonstrating a decrease in nasal obstruction/congestion score, bilateral polyp grade and ethmoid sinus obstruction at 90 days in SINUVA patients compared to the control group on MFNS alone. Additionally, results revealed a 59% reduction in the proportion of SINUVA patients who were still indicated for RESS at day 90 compared to a 31% reduction among patients in the control group. Only one patient experienced an implant-related serious adverse event.

16:08 EDT One Liberty Properties acquires two industrial properties - One Liberty Properties announced that it acquired two industrial properties for an aggregate purchase price of $11.8M. On May 30, One Liberty acquired a 100,000 square foot industrial facility on 4.6 acres located three miles east of downtown Nashville, Tennessee, for $8M. The property is leased to two tenants with leases expiring in 2023 and 2024. The current aggregate annual base rent under the leases is $519,000, with annual increases ranging from 3.0% to 3.5%. On May 30, One Liberty acquired a 57,000 square foot industrial property on 3.1 acres located in Wauconda, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, for $3.8M. The 32-foot clear, Class A building is net leased to Echo, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of outdoor power and professional landscape equipment, and is used primarily for warehouse and distribution purposes. The lease provides for an annual base rent of $278,000, with 3% annual increases through lease expiration in early 2024.

16:03 EDT Palatin granted orphan status for chronic anterior uveitis treatment - The FDA granted Palatin Technologies orphan status for its treatment of non-infectious intermediate, posterior, pan, and chronic anterior uveitis. Reference Link

13:42 EDT Google to announce more details on game streaming service Stadia before E3 - Stadia said in a tweet: "Some news can't wait for #E3. Tune into the first ever #StadiaConnect this Thursday 6/6 at 9AM PT for exciting announcements, games, and more link: http://g.co/stadiaconnect) g.co/stadiaconnect" Reference Link

13:03 EDT Reata Pharmaceuticals' bardoxolone methyl granted FDA orphan designation - Reata Pharmaceuticals' bardoxolone methyl was granted FDA orphan designation as a treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

12:42 EDT Newtek Business Services raises 2019 annual dividend forecast to $1.90 per share - Newtek Business Services announced that it has increased its 2019 annual cash dividend forecast to $1.901 per share from a range of $1.85 per share to $1.86 per share, which would represent a 5.6% increase over the company's 2018 annual dividend payment of $1.80 per share. Barry Sloane, Chairman, President and CEO commented, "We are extremely pleased to increase our 2019 dividend forecast, our second increase this year, and maintain our goal of distributing approximately 90-100% of our taxable income for the year. Our performance continues to underscore our distinct business model, and we are proud of the continued growth in loan volume and referrals we are experiencing in the second quarter thus far, and continue to be comfortable with the creditworthiness of our loan portfolio. We are maintaining our full year 2019 SBA 7 loan fundings forecast of between $580M and $620M, which would represent a 27.9% increase, at the midpoint of the range, over SBA loan fundings for the year ended December 31, 2018."

12:02 EDT PCM to sell Microsoft cloud and licensing solutions to U.S. federal government - PCM, Inc (PCMI) announced that through its wholly-owned subsidiary PCMG, Inc. it has been authorized as a Microsoft (MSFT) Licensing Solution Provider, LSP, and Cloud Solution Provider, CSP,for the United States Federal Government. These credentials provide rights to sell Microsoft technology to the over $100B Federal IT market. "This authorization underscores our commitment to provide world-class technology, solutions and services to our Federal Government customer," said Frank Khulusi, Chairman and CEO of PCM. "Indeed, working with Microsoft, PCM-G continues its mission to assist today's defense and civilian agencies as they embrace transformational solutions such as data analytics, security and artificial intelligence." "Microsoft is pleased to partner with PCM in the Federal space. They have established market momentum within our CSP commercial platform and we look forward to their leadership as they deliver cloud software and services to this important segment," said David Smith, Vice President, US One Commercial Partner.

12:02 EDT Visa says will announce 'huge' Western Union collaboration tomorrow - In comments at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Technology Conference, Visa's (V) Global Head of Push Payments Bill Sheley said that the company will announce a "huge" collaboration with Western Union (WU) tomorrow, noting that Western Union is looking at ways to reinvent their offering while Visa is looking to expand its reach. He said that Western Union will be a "fantastic" partner for Visa and that they have a great digital and mobile network. Sheley added that the card company has collaborated with Paytm in India over a service that allows you to pay your credit card out of your wallet. He also noted that all banks in Singapore have enabled users to push their credit card to pay their bills.

12:00 EDT Luxfer falls -8.7% - Luxfer is down -8.7%, or -$2.12 to $22.18.

12:00 EDT Build-A-Bear rises 12.9% - Build-A-Bear is up 12.9%, or 67c to $5.88.

12:00 EDT ION Geophysical rises 18.1% - ION Geophysical is up 18.1%, or $1.32 to $8.63.

11:27 EDT Teladoc says 'ahead of plan,' selling season going 'really well' - Teladoc at the Jefferies 2019 Healthcare Conference said the selling season is going "really well." The company said, "We're ahead of plan and where we were last year." New and existing client bookings are also ahead of last year, Teladoc added. The stock is up 2.5% to $55.37 following this morning's presentation.

11:14 EDT Teladoc rallies $1.33 to $55.31 after comments at Jefferies conference

11:03 EDT Celgene announces data from ongoing studies of liso-cel - Celgene Corporation announced that data from the TRANSCEND CLL 004 and TRANSCEND NHL 001 trials studying the investigational anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy lisocabtagene maraleucel in patients with B-cell blood cancers were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. The data included safety and efficacy findings from 23 patients who received liso-cel infusion at one of two dose levels: 50 106 or 100 106 total CAR-positive T cells following lymphodepleting chemotherapy. All patients had been previously treated with ibrutinib, and more than half had received prior venetoclax. The median number of lines of prior therapy was five and 83% of patients had high-risk cytogenetic features. In the study, 22 of 23 patients were evaluable for response. The best overall response rate was 82%, with 46% of patients achieving complete remission with or without complete blood count recovery. Of 20 patients evaluable for minimal residual disease, 75% achieved undetectable MRD by blood measures and 65% achieved uMRD by bone marrow measures. Responses have been durable, with 83% of patients who were in CR/CRi at six months post liso-cel infusion showing ongoing response.

10:39 EDT DHX Media up 21% after receiving unsolicted merger proposal

09:50 EDT Acorn International falls -9.7% - Acorn International is down -9.7%, or -$2.63 to $24.37.

09:50 EDT Netshoes falls -16.6% - Netshoes is down -16.6%, or -61c to $3.07.

09:50 EDT Continental Resources rises 7.1% - Continental Resources is up 7.1%, or $2.47 to $37.48.

09:26 EDT Bombardier, Hitachi Rail to supply 14 Frecciarossa 1000 trains to Trenitalia - Hitachi Rail and Bombardier, in a partnership expected to involve company participation of 60% and 40% respectively, will supply 14 Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed trains to Trenitalia, as well as a ten years maintenance service agreement for the new trains. The contract overall value is around $643M with the Bombardier share valued at $261M and the Hitachi share valued at 342 million euros ($382 million US). As with the current Frecciarossa 1000 fleet, all 14 of the new very high-speed trains will be built in Italy. Each train has a total length of around 200 meters, capacity for around 460 passengers and is capable of commercial speeds of up to 360 km/h.

09:17 EDT Barnes & Noble Education, Jones & Bartlett Learning announce access agreement - Barnes & Noble Education announced a new agreement with Jones & Bartlett Learning. Through this agreement, eBooks from Jones & Bartlett Learning will be made available through inclusive access models offered on campuses served by BNED nationwide through its Barnes & Noble College and MBS subsidiaries.

09:14 EDT Precipio enters exclusive subcontracting manufacturing agreement with Novamed - Precipio announced that it has entered into an exclusive subcontracting manufacturing agreement with diagnostics manufacturing company Novamed for the production of Precipio's proprietary IV-Cell media for an initial term of 3 years. The agreement will provide Precipio with large-scale production volume of the media, enabling Precipio to provide cytogenetics laboratories in the U.S. and worldwide with IV-Cell media to meet their demand.

09:13 EDT NASCAR selects AWS as preferred cloud computing provider - Amazon Web Services, an Amazon.com, announced that National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, or NASCAR, has chosen AWS as its standard for cloud-based machine learning and artificial intelligence workloads. NASCAR will use the breadth and depth of AWS technologies to build cloud-based services and automate processes, including a new video series on NASCAR.com called This Moment in NASCAR History powered by AWS. "The video series will debut heading into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, sharing the greatest historical moments in NASCAR racing with viewers. NASCAR is migrating its 18-petabyte video archive to AWS, and will leverage Amazon Rekognition-an AWS service that adds intelligent image and video analysis to applications-to automatically tag specific video frames with metadata, such as driver, car, race, lap, time, and sponsors so they can easily search those tags to surface the most iconic moments from past races. By using AWS's services, NASCAR expects to save thousands of hours of manual search time each year, and will be able to easily surface flashbacks like Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s 1987 "Pass in the Grass" or Denny Hamlin's 2016 Daytona 500 photo finish, and quickly deliver these to fans via video clips on NASCAR.com and social media channels."

09:08 EDT Synopsys announces collaboration with Global Foundries to develop DesignWare IP - Synopsys announced its collaboration with Global Foundries to develop a broad portfolio of DesignWare IP, including Multi-Protocol 25G, USB 3.0 and 2.0, PCI Express 2.0, DDR4, LPDDR4/4X, MIPI D-PHY, SD-eMMC, and Data Converters, for GF's 12-nanometer Leading-Performance FinFET process technology. Synopsys' DesignWare IP on the GF 12LP process enables designers to implement the latest interface and analog IP solutions in their artificial intelligence, or AI, cloud computing, mobile, and consumer system-on-chip, or SoCs, on GF's 12LP technology, which delivers a 10% improvement in logic density and more than a 15 percent improvement in performance compared to previous FinFET generations. This collaboration is another extension to the long-standing relationship between the two companies, which has delivered DesignWare IP for GF's processes from 180-nm to 12-nm.

09:05 EDT Equifax appoints Amanda Rosseter as Chief Communications Officer - Equifax (EFX) has named Amanda Rosseter to its new Chief Communications Officer position, where she will lead corporate, executive and transformation communications, and will serve on the CEO's extended senior leadership team. Rosseter is a communications leader with more than 25 years in external communications and global media engagement. Most recently, she led global external communications and media for The Coca-Cola Company (KO), where she served in a number of roles, including Global Group Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs. Her accomplishments include leading the communications launch of a new business strategy to 17 business units across 200+ countries and territories as well as to media, external stakeholders and analysts.

09:02 EDT Tiffany says expects to 'make up ground' after 'tough' 1H

09:01 EDT Eyenovia enrolls first patient in Phase 3 CHAPERONE study - Eyenovia announced that it has initiated its MicroPine Phase 3 program with the first patient enrolled in its CHAPERONE study. The CHAPERONE study is a U.S.-based, multi-center, randomized, double-masked trial that will enroll more than 400 children between 3-12 years of age. The study will investigate the safety and efficacy of MicroPine for the reduction of progressive myopia using Eyenovia's proprietary atropine topical micro-formulation delivered by the Optejet dispenser. Subjects will be randomized to receive treatment with either of two MicroPine concentrations or a placebo. The primary endpoint of the study is the change in refractive error from baseline through 36 months.

08:58 EDT Obalon Therapeutics announces issuance of patent for Obalon Navigation System - Obalon Therapeutics announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 10,264,995. The Obalon Navigation System provides the treating physician with the ability to place the Obalon Balloon without having to incur the costs of utilizing x-ray imaging. The newly issued patent covers multiple aspects of the Obalon Navigation System, including dynamic tracking using internal and external sensors with an external electromagnetic field.

08:47 EDT MaxLinear backs Q2 GAAP gross margin guidance of 53%-54% - Backs Q2 GAAP operating expenses of $49M-$49.5M. Backs Q2 non-GAAP gross margin guidance of 63.5%-64.5%. Backs Q2 non-GAAP operating expenses of $33M-$33.5M.

08:44 EDT Attis Industries ethanol plant expected to generate over $150M in revenue - Attis Industries (ATIS) announced that its recently acquired corn ethanol plant in Fulton, NY is expected to generate over $150M in revenue under its current operating conditions. This corn ethanol plant is just the base platform for the company's strategic plan to develop a green tech campus in Fulton, NY. Attis announced it had finalized the $20M purchase of Sunoco (SUN) nameplate 100M gallon per year corn ethanol plant and grain malting operation in Fulton, NY. The acquisition provides the company with an operational asset that produces revenue immediately and will be the centerpiece of its proposed green tech campus. In addition to the ethanol produced, the Fulton facility is producing or capturing about the following on an annual basis: 360M pounds of CO2 for sale into food, beverage or industrial applications, 455M pounds of DDGS for use in animal feed, 18M pounds of distillers corn oil for use as a feedstock in biodiesel and animal feed and 4M pounds of malted grain. Beyond these operational capabilities, Attis has identified several projects at the site that will enhance the profitability and overall production capacity of the site and create roughly 100 jobs. Tapping into its portfolio of proprietary biobased process technologies, Attis will focus on byproduct optimization of the corn ethanol plant and the new production of advanced biofuels and biobased products such as bioplastics and carbon fiber. Attis will also look to generate "green" power, thus reducing the overall carbon footprint of the Fulton campus and taking advantage of valuable carbon credits to increase the site's profitability.

08:40 EDT Cemtrex announces final court approval of settlements in lawsuits - Cemtrex announced that the court has approved the previously announced settlements in the alleged securities class action lawsuit and related shareholder derivative litigations, filed in the Eastern District of New York and New York state court. Under the class action settlement, the company specifically denies any liability or that it has engaged in any wrongdoing. On behalf of the defendants, the company's insurer will pay $625,000 to the class of plaintiffs to resolve all claims asserted or could have been asserted in the litigation. Under the derivative litigation settlement, the company and the directors and officers of the company named as defendants also deny any liability or wrongdoing in connection with the allegations contained in the lawsuit. The terms of the settlement require the company to implement certain corporate governance changes and modify certain governance practices, and the company's insurer will pay $100,000 to the plaintiffs' counsel. Like the class action settlement, the derivative litigation settlement resolves all claims that were or could have been asserted in the litigations.

08:37 EDT Hertz announces vehicle-subscription service - Hertz announced a vehicle-subscription service that will give customers even more flexibility and freedom with their transportation needs. Hertz My Car, which is available in Atlanta, Georgia and Austin, Texas, will give customers access to Hertz's best fleet ever, including a diverse range of sedans, crossovers, SUVs and trucks through a convenient, all-inclusive monthly subscription. Hertz will offer two tiers of the program to best suit customers' preferences.

08:37 EDT LGL Group pursuing development of A&D industry operating, advisory platforms - The LGL Group announced that management and its board are pursuing the development of aerospace and defense industry operating and advisory investment platforms in an effort to enhance shareholder value. "The LGL Group expects to build several A&D verticals through the introduction of industry focused partnerships and special purpose vehicles formed to make targeted acquisitions. This effort will seek to leverage the core competencies of the company's management and board of directors. The company would act as the financial and management sponsor, raise capital from external nonaffiliated investors, and would receive management fees and success-based incentives in accordance with market practice. The company cautions shareholders and others that there can be no assurance that the foregoing business platform will be executed, or that any transaction will be approved by the board, consummated, or if consummated, as to the timing thereof." The company's board may also decide to pursue other strategic alternatives with its balance sheet, which may take the form of potential business acquisitions or combination opportunities. The company is unable to project in any manner the course of action to be pursued in such circumstances and whether such opportunities will be available, and if available and successfully pursued, the company thereafter will be subject to future risks and uncertainties associated with such opportunities which are unknown at this time.

08:36 EDT Velan Capital urges Progenics' stockholders to vote Green proxy card - Velan Capital, one of the largest stockholders of Progenics Pharmaceuticals, issued the following statement responding to certain misleading claims made by Progenics in its recent letter to stockholders. Letter began "On June 3 the Progenics Board of Directors delivered a letter to "fellow shareholder[s]" touting a commitment "to enhancing the value of [their] investment" yet the non-executive directors collectively own only ~0.06% of Progenics common stock with Peter Crowley and Michael Kishbauch owning ZERO shares of Progenics common stock. It seems apparent to us that with so little 'skin in the game' and not enough confidence in the Company to engage in meaningful stock purchases, the Board does not have the same commitment to stockholder value as we do. Rather, the Board and the Compensation Committee of the Board, of which Messrs. Crowley and Kishbauch are the sole members, seem committed to awarding poor performance with hefty paydays." Letter ended: "The Board has failed patients and stockholders for too long - change must occur to see better results. The Company's slogan is "Find, Fight, and Follow" - we urge stockholders to "Find" the status quo unacceptable, "Fight" years of value destruction and squandered opportunities, and "Follow" our call to action by voting AGAINST the re-election of Messrs. Crowley and Kishbauch on the GREEN proxy card. It is time for accountability at Progenics - Velan urges all stockholders to vote for change on the GREEN proxy card!"

08:34 EDT AIT Therapeutics announces $8M PIPE financing - AIT Therapeutics announced that it has successfully executed funding agreements to raise $8M through a private investment in public equity, or PIPE, financing. AIT will issue 1.6 million unregistered shares of common stock to investors at a purchase price of $5.00 per share. Proceeds from the raise will be used to continue development of the company's three indications: Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn, Bronchiolitis, and Nontuberculous mycobacteria, as well as for general corporate purposes. Steve Lisi, Chairman and CEO of AIT, said: "This transaction will provide the funds needed to achieve our goals over the next 12 to 15 months of a PMA submission/FDA approval decision for PPHN, completion of our bronchiolitis trial this winter and the commencement of our at-home study in patients suffering from NTM lung infection."

08:32 EDT Theravance Biopharma appoints Andrew Hindman as CFO - Theravance Biopharma announced the appointment of Andrew Hindman as Senior Vice President and CFO. Hindman brings nearly 25 years of life science industry experience spanning a broad range of functional areas including corporate strategy, finance, business development, operations, public policy and marketing. Importantly, he possesses broad therapeutic expertise and has established a strong track record of long-term value creation at several high-profile life science companies including Gilead Sciences, Acorda Therapeutics and Onyx Pharmaceuticals. Hindman has held several senior executive level positions in the biopharmaceutical industry, most recently as Chief Business Officer of Acorda Therapeutics. In this role, he led Acorda's acquisitions of Civitas Therapeutics and Biotie Therapies, helping transform the business from a single product business to a specialty neurology biotechnology company.

08:23 EDT Global Cord Blood receives acquisition proposal from Cordlife - Global Cord Blood announced that its board of directors has received a non-binding proposal letter from Cordlife Group, pursuant to which Cordlife proposes to combine the businesses of Cordlife and the Company, by way of a statutory merger. Cordlife will issue its ordinary shares at an issue price of SGD0.5 per ordinary share in exchange for all of the outstanding ordinary shares of the company at $7.50 per ordinary share. According to the proposal letter, which is dated June 4, Cordlife would issue approximately 2,497.9 million ordinary shares in exchange for all of the outstanding shares of the Company. Upon completion of the proposed transaction, the Company's ordinary shares will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange and the Cordlife ordinary shares will continue to trade on SGX. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to various conditions, including but not limited to, satisfactory completion of due diligence, approval by the board of directors and shareholders of Cordlife and the Company, applicable regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. The company expects that its board of directors will form a special committee of independent directors to consider the proposed transaction. The company also expects that the Special Committee will retain advisors, including an independent financial advisor and legal counsel, to assist it in its work. The company cautions its shareholders and others considering trading its ordinary shares that no decisions have been made with respect to the company's response to the proposed transaction. The proposed transaction is still subject to various conditions, including but not limited to, completion of due diligence, parties entering into definitive agreement, and/or each of Cordlife and the company obtaining its relevant regulatory and shareholders approval. There can be no assurance that any definitive offer will be made, that any agreement will be executed or that this or any other transaction will be approved or consummated.

08:20 EDT China Cord Blood receives acquisition proposal from Cordlife Group - Global Cord Blood announced that its board of directors has received a non-binding proposal letter from Cordlife Group, pursuant to which Cordlife proposes to combine the businesses of Cordlife and the Company, by way of a statutory merger. Cordlife will issue its ordinary shares at an issue price of SGD0.5 per ordinary share in exchange for all of the outstanding ordinary shares of the company at $7.50 per ordinary share. According to the proposal letter, which is dated June 4,, Cordlife would issue approximately 2,497.9 million ordinary shares in exchange for all of the outstanding shares of the Company. Upon completion of the proposed transaction, the Company's ordinary shares will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange and the Cordlife ordinary shares will continue to trade on SGX. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to various conditions, including but not limited to, satisfactory completion of due diligence, approval by the board of directors and shareholders of Cordlife and the Company, applicable regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. The company expects that its board of directors will form a special committee of independent directors to consider the proposed transaction. The company also expects that the Special Committee will retain advisors, including an independent financial advisor and legal counsel, to assist it in its work. The company cautions its shareholders and others considering trading its ordinary shares that no decisions have been made with respect to the company's response to the proposed transaction. The proposed transaction is still subject to various conditions, including but not limited to, completion of due diligence, parties entering into definitive agreement, and/or each of Cordlife and the company obtaining its relevant regulatory and shareholders approval. There can be no assurance that any definitive offer will be made, that any agreement will be executed or that this or any other transaction will be approved or consummated.

08:19 EDT Foamix announces publication of Phase 3 FX2017-22 study - Foamix announced the peer review publication of the Phase 3 study FX2017-22 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, or JAAD. Study 22 was conducted by Foamix to support the new drug application, or NDA, submission of FMX101, which is currently under review by the FDA for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate-to-severe acne vulgaris in patients nine years of age and older. The study showed statistically significant superiority of FMX101 compared with vehicle in both primary endpoints of absolute inflammatory lesion reduction and IGA treatment success at week 12. FMX101 also met all secondary endpoints, showing statistically significant improvement in absolute reductions in both inflammatory lesions and non-inflammatory lesions. There was a statistically significant reduction in inflammatory lesions versus vehicle as early as week 3 of treatment, and all subsequently assessed timepoints throughout the entire treatment course of the study. Statistically, participants were no more likely to experience treatment-emergent adverse events, or TEAEs, from FMX101 than from vehicle treatment. The majority of TEAEs were mild to moderate. More than 95% of participants using FMX101 had no or mild skin tolerability scores at the treatment application site at week 12.

08:13 EDT Veru adds VERU-100 to prostate cancer drug development pipeline - Veru announced that it has added to its prostate cancer drug development pipeline, a proprietary biologic drug candidate, VERU-100, for the treatment of hormone sensitive advanced prostate cancer. VERU-100 was internally developed in collaboration with Drug Delivery Experts. The company recently met with the FDA and received agreement that VERU-100 qualifies for an expedited regulatory pathway. Based on FDA input, the company plans to commence a single open label, multicenter dose-finding Phase 2 clinical trial in approximately 50 men, followed by a single open label, multicenter Phase 3 clinical trial in approximately 100 men. Veru is in the process of scaling up GMP manufacturing of drug product to prepare for the clinical trials of VERU-100. The company plans to submit an investigational new drug application by no later than calendar Q1 2020. Based on current cash on hand and expected cash from current sales forecasts, along with existing sources of capital, the company does not anticipate the need for a new equity financing until at least FY21, even with additional costs related to the VERU-100 clinical development.

08:11 EDT Norbord says OSB mill in High Level, Alberta resumes production - Norbord reported that its OSB mill in High Level, Alberta resumed production earlier this week after the evacuation order for the town of High Level was lifted. On May 21st, Norbord reported that its OSB mill in High Level had temporarily suspended production in order to comply with evacuation orders due to wildfires burning in the region. All non-essential mill employees were safely evacuated at the time and the mill did not incur any damage. The curtailment is not expected to materially impact Norbord's second quarter results. The High Level, Alberta mill has a stated annual production capacity of 860M square feet and has been ramping up toward full production since resuming operations in late 2013. High Level is located approximately 720 kilometres northwest of Edmonton and 400 kilometres west of Fort McMurray.

08:10 EDT Ooma surpasses 1M core subscribers - Ooma announced users of the company's core subscription services now total more than 1M. Additionally, Ooma customers have saved more than $2B since the company began offering cloud-based communications service in 2007, based on estimated cost reductions when customers switch away from traditional landline providers. With more than 1M core users and almost one million users of the mobile-only Talkatone app, Ooma now serves nearly 2M users in total.

08:09 EDT VBI Vaccines says VBI-1901 'well tolerated' at all doses in Phase 1/2a study - VBI Vaccines presented a poster on Sunday, June 2, 2019, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting that exhibited expanded clinical data from Part A of the Phase 1/2a study of VBI-1901 in recurrent Glioblastoma patients. The poster presented data on a total of 18 patients enrolled in Part A of the study, which was a multi-center, open-label, dose-escalation study across three dose cohorts of VBI's vaccine immunotherapeutic, VBI-1901 - 0.4 microg, 2.0 microg, and 10.0 microg. Part A was designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of VBI-1901, and to define the optimal immunogenic dose level to test in the Part B extension phase of the study, which is expected to initiate enrollment mid-year 2019. Part B of the trial will further assess immunologic responses and potential correlations with tumor and clinical responses. Highlights from Poster Presentation: The vaccine immunotherapeutic was well-tolerated at all doses, with no safety signals observed Grade 2, 3, or 4 adverse events occurred in 66%, 22%, and 11% of participants, respectively - none were related to the vaccine immunotherapeutic. Six patients immunologically responded to VBI-1901, with evidence of robust boosting of cytomegalovirus-specific immune responses against both glycoprotein B and pp65 antigens. Median progression-free survival was longer among responders vs. non-responders. Three out of six patients in the high-dose, 10 microg, cohort had evidence of stable disease by magnetic resonance imaging, compared to one out of six in the low-dose cohort and zero out of six in the intermediate-dose cohort. The company said the 10 microg dose selected for Part B of the study, which is expected to initiate enrollment mid-year 2019.

08:08 EDT Philips announces 10-year strategic partnership with UVM Health Network - Philips and the University of Vermont, or UVM, Health Network announced a long-term, strategic partnership of 10 years. The partnership, which extends an existing relationship between the two organizations, will help support staff in providing care and advance efforts to improve the health of the population in Vermont and northern New York. Connecting the UVM Health Network with Philips imaging systems, ultrasound, patient monitoring and clinical informatics, the partnership will offer a range of clinical and business solutions and consulting services. These technologies and services will help the UVM Health Network better integrate workflows for a more seamless patient experience.

08:06 EDT Allena says 'substantial' treatment effect observed in reloxaliase study - Allena Pharmaceuticals announced interim data from Study 206, its Phase 2 basket clinical trial of reloxaliase, an orally-administered, recombinant oxalate-degrading enzyme. Study 206 includes adult and pediatric patients suffering from the progression of primary hyperoxaluria or enteric hyperoxaluria with advanced chronic kidney disease, both of which can lead to systemic oxalosis, a potentially life-threating condition. Consistent with Allena's prior clinical experience, EH patients treated with reloxaliase in Study 206 demonstrated a substantial treatment effect. This includes EH patients with advanced CKD, a patient population not previously treated with reloxaliase, who showed reductions in urine oxalate and plasma oxalate. Allena plans to present detailed results at the OHF International Hyperoxaluria Workshop, June 21-22, 2019 in Boston, MA. The first seven patients have completed treatment, including one EH patient with advanced CKD, one EH patient with a functioning kidney transplant and two patients with EH who are on dialysis. Three patients had PH and preserved renal function. All four patients with EH experienced a reduction in POx, with an average reduction of 40% compared to baseline. The two patients not on dialysis also experienced reductions in UOx of 29% and 42%, respectively. The treatment effect observed in these EH patients supports a continued focus on treating EH patients with CKD, kidney transplantation or dialysis dependence in an effort to reduce further oxalate damage. Three patients with PH type 2 or PH type 3 with preserved renal function were treated. These are the first patients with any form of PH treated with reloxaliase. One patient had a greater than20% mean reduction in UOx excretion, while the other two patients did not show a response to reloxaliase. Allena intends to narrow its further evaluation of reloxaliase in PH to patients with compromised renal function where the GI mechanism of action may play a more important role. This trial encompasses the longest reloxaliase treatment duration thus far. All patient populations are being treated for three months with more frequent dosing of reloxaliase than the company's prior Phase 2 studies. Average patient dosing compliance was greater than 90%. Treatment with reloxaliase was well-tolerated in all patient populations, with no reported treatment-related serious adverse events.

08:03 EDT Cracker Barrel announces $50M share repurchase program - The share repurchase authorization is effective immediately and replaces the prior authorization.

08:03 EDT Cracker Barrel declares special dividend of $3.00 per share - The Board of Directors declared a special dividend of $3.00 per share on the company's common stock. This is the company's fifth special dividend declaration. The special dividend will be payable on August 2 to shareholders of record on July 19.

08:01 EDT NantKwest partner presents updated nanatinostat data at ASCO - NantKwest announced that its strategic partner Viracta Therapeutics presented updated clinical data on its HDAC inhibitor, nanatinostat at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, IL, from May 31-June 4. In April 2017, NantKwest announced that it was the lead investor in Viracta's Series B financing round. Concurrent with the financing, NantKwest secured an exclusive license with commercialization rights to nanatinostat for use in combination with natural killer, or NK, cell therapies, including NantKwest's NK cell platforms. Nanatinostat is a Class 1 histone deacetylase, or HDAC, inhibitor currently in phase Ib/II clinical trials. In preclinical studies, nanatinostat has been shown to reactivate silenced transgenes in tumor cells thereby turning them into preferential targets for NK cell killing, while also serving to broadly stimulate a patient's immune system, offering the potential for improved clinical responses in cancer patients. The activity of HDAC inhibitors are believed to be based on the upregulation of natural killer group 2D ligand expression on cancer cells, which serve as "eat-me" signals for NK cells and can drive NK proliferation, activation and cancer cell killing. NantKwest is preparing to initiate clinical trials that include nanatinostat in combination with its haNK and t-haNK cell therapy platforms, which we believe will work synergistically to enhance the efficacy of the company's NK cell therapies and further distinguish us in the market. Interim results presented at the 2019 annual ASCO meeting from the phase Ib portion of the ongoing phase Ib/II clinical trial of nanatinostat was in combination with the antiviral valganciclovir for the treatment of relapsed/refractory Epstein Barr Virus, or EBV,-associated lymphomas. Three doses of the combination were evaluated with responses seen at all dose levels. Both drugs are taken orally and can be administered in an out-patient setting. EBV-associated cancers are known to be an extremely difficult cancer to treat. Early clinical data with the combination of nanatinostat and anti-viral therapy in EBV-associated lymphoma from the phase Ib/II study has provided encouraging efficacy signals. Currently, there are no approved treatments for EBV-associated lymphomas that specifically target the virus. The combination therapy produced an objective response rate of 58%, a complete response rate of 33% and a disease stabilization rate of 75%. Based on these encouraging results, Viracta anticipates advancement of the clinical trial to the phase II stage that will evaluate intermittent dosing of nanatinostat in combination with daily valganciclovir.

07:48 EDT Allogene Therapeutics announces FDA clearance of ALLO-715 IND - Allogene Therapeutics announced that the FDA has cleared Allogene's investigational new drug, or IND, application for ALLO-715 in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. The Phase 1 portion of the UNIVERSAL study, which will include ALLO-647 as part of the lymphodepletion regimen, is expected to be initiated in the second half of 2019.

07:43 EDT CVS Health sees 2021 adjusted EPS growth in mid single digits - Sees 2022+ adjusted EPS growth in low double digits. Sees operating income of ~$850M in 2022, ~$2.5B long-term. Says on track to deliver savings of ~$900M in 2021 and beyond from integration synergies. Targeting savings of $1.5B-$2B in 2022 and beyond from enterprise modernization. Sees 2020 revenue up low single digits, with tax rate of ~28.5%. Expects to pay down ~$7.5B of debt from close of Aetna transaction to the end of 2019. Says focused on debt reduction in the near-term. Expects $10B-$12B cash available annually for enhancing shareholder value in the long term. Comments taken from Investor Day presentation slides.

07:42 EDT Dicerna appoints Rob Ciappenelli Chief Commercial Officer - Dicerna Pharmaceuticals (DRNA) announced the appointment of Rob Ciappenelli as Chief Commercial Officer of Dicerna and member of the company's executive leadership team, effective immediately. Ciappenelli joins Dicerna from Momenta Pharmaceuticals (MNTA), where he was global head of commercial.

07:41 EDT Par Technology subsidiary awarded $15.9M subcontract award - PAR Technology (AR) announced that BAE Systems (BAESY), has awarded PAR subsidiary, Rome Research Corporation, or RRC, a subcontract for the Operation and Maintenance of Multiple Communications Facilities Operating Under Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific Program. The contract calls for RRC to provide critical Command, Control, Telecommunications, Computers, and Intelligence, or C4I, and Strategic Communications throughout the Pacific theater and Indian Ocean for the Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency, Homeland Security and allies throughout the Pacific theater and Indian Ocean. The total value of the subcontract is $15.9M, with a performance period of up to 60 months.

07:34 EDT Strongbridge Biopharma names Scott Wilhoit as chief commercial officer - Strongbridge Biopharma announced the promotion of Scott Wilhoit to chief commercial officer. Scott previously served as senior vice president of global market access, patient services and advocacy. The company also announced the appointment of Marcy Nanus to vice president of corporate affairs, effective June 3. In this newly created role, Marcy will lead the company's investor and media relations, as well as corporate, product and internal communications.

07:33 EDT Incyte treats first patient in FIGHT-302 Phase 3 study of pemigatinib - Incyte announced that the first patient has been treated in FIGHT-302, an open-label Phase 3 study evaluating pemigatinib, its selective fibroblast growth factor receptor, or FGFR, inhibitor, compared to gemcitabine with cisplatin chemotherapy, the current standard of care, as a first-line therapy for patients with metastatic or surgically unresectable cholangiocarcinoma and activating FGFR2 rearrangements.

07:31 EDT Eli Lilly: FDA accepts NDA for triple combination tablet for type 2 diabetes - The U.S. FDA has accepted the New Drug Application for the investigational fixed-dose combination tablet of empagliflozin, linagliptin and metformin extended release for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company announced.

07:18 EDT Avadel Pharmaceuticals to present new data on sodium oxybate at sleep conference - Avadel Pharmaceuticals announced it will present two posters at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. The posters highlight pharmacokinetic, or PK, data for its investigational, once-nightly controlled-release sodium oxybate, or FT218, including a head-to-head PK comparison to twice-nightly sodium oxybate and dose proportionality across three doses. The pharmacokinetics and formulation selection pilot study was designed as a four-way crossover study in 16 healthy volunteers, evaluating three proprietary once-nightly formulations of Micropump controlled-release, or CR, sodium oxybate versus twice-nightly immediate-release, or IR, sodium oxybate at a nightly dose of 4.5g. Each subject consumed a standard meal two hours prior to dosing. Subjects receiving the twice-nightly IR sodium oxybate, were administered the second dose 4 hours after the first dose. Two subjects dropped out of the study prior to the completion. FT218 exhibited rapid initial absorption comparable to twice-nightly IR sodium oxybate. FT218 demonstrated a lower overall Cmax than twice-nightly IR sodium oxybate. FT218 mean blood concentrations at 8 hours were similar to that of twice-nightly IR sodium oxybate. Safety and tolerability were similar across administrations The dose proportionality study was an open-label, single-dose, three-sequential-period study in 20 healthy volunteers. Subjects received three separate single-dose administrations of FT218 at bedtime, two hours post-evening meal, in a sequential order of 4.5g, 7.5g and 9g with a minimum 7-day washout between doses. PK profiles were assessed for dose proportionality across the three doses. FT218, at each dose, exhibited PK profiles consistent with those desired for once-nightly dosing. Dose proportionality was maintained for Cmax across the dosage range. Safety profile was consistent with what is known for sodium oxybate The safety and efficacy of FT218 for the once-nightly treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy is currently being evaluated in the Phase 3, multi-centered, double-blind, placebo-controlled REST-ON trial, which is expected to complete enrollment in 2020.

07:14 EDT Sorrento Therapeutics announce CBD JVs, commercial strategic partnerships - Sorrento Therapeutics announces that it has formed a Chinese joint venture, Shenzhen Yunma Biotechnology, with LifeTech Scientific to commercialize Sorrento's proprietary water soluble cannabidiol, or CBD, formulation technologies for consumer and pharmaceutical applications in Asia, excluding Japan. In addition, Shenzhen Yunma's subsidiary, Yunnan Masheng Health Science, has obtained a Yunnan industrial hemp plantation permit, as well as governmental pre-approval to establish an industrialized processing, CBD extraction and isolation operation in Kunming. Sorrento holds 40% of the equity in the Shenzhen Yunma joint venture and LifeTech holds the remaining 60% of the equity. Sorrento has contributed the exclusive license to Sorrento's water-soluble CBD technology for the Asian territory to Shenzhen Yunma. With the hemp and CBD supplies from Yunnan Masheng secured, Shenzhen Yunma will build manufacturing capacity to potentially deliver hundreds of metric tons of CBD annually to the global markets.Sorrento has also formed a new business unit, Scintilla Health, with LifeTech Scientific International Investment Limited, as a 20% minority holder, to explore commercial opportunities of Sorrento's water-soluble CBD for both consumer and pharmaceutical applications in North America, Europe and other parts of the world. As previously announced Sorrento's CBD formulation concentration could range anywhere from 5% to 10% (50 - 100 mg/ml). This concentration range is believed to be among the highest in the industry, and potentially the highest concentration achieved for a water-soluble formulation.

07:06 EDT SPX FLOW appoints Peter Ryan as Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel - SPX FLOW announced that Stephen A. Tsoris, Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, has decided to retire. Peter J. Ryan will succeed Tsoris as the Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, effective immediately, and will serve as a corporate officer reporting directly to Marc Michael, President and CEO. Peter and Steve will be working together through the month of July to ensure a smooth transition. Peter J. Ryan began his legal career with Kirkland & Ellis, LLP in Chicago before joining SPX Corporation in 2006. He has served in a variety of corporate and business roles at the Company, with responsibility for claims, compliance, mergers and acquisitions, securities, employment and commercial matters.

07:04 EDT Titan Pharmaceuticals executes services agreement with Southside Specialty - Titan Pharmaceuticals announced that it has executed a pharmacy services agreement with Southside Specialty Pharmacy, further expanding access to treatment with Probuphine, or buprenorphine, implant, Titan's novel maintenance treatment for Opioid Use Disorder, or OUD, in eligible patients. Titan expects the majority of Probuphine sales in the U.S. to be through the specialty pharmacy distribution model, where a specialty pharmacy carries inventory, directly handles the subsequent patients' insurance billing and payment processes, and ships to the healthcare provider as prescribed.

07:03 EDT Aimmune provides new data from Phase 3 PALISADE follow-on study of AR101 - Aimmune Therapeutics announced results from ARC004, an open-label, rollover study of the landmark Phase 3 PALISADE trial, which showed that extending daily therapy with AR101 by an additional 28 weeks led to improved tolerability with lower numbers of adverse events compared to the PALISADE therapeutic dosing period, an increase in the amount of peanut that could be safely ingested, and continued immunomodulation to peanut protein in most patients. AR101 is an investigational biologic drug for use in oral immunotherapy as a treatment to reduce the frequency and severity of allergic reactions following exposure to peanuts. These data were presented here today in an oral session at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Congress 2019 in Lisbon. After continuing daily doses of AR101 for an additional 28 weeks, the majority of patients enrolled in the follow-on study could tolerate doses of at least 1,000 mg of peanut protein, and nearly half of all AR101-treated patients tolerated the highest 2,000 mg dose during the exit food challenge. Furthermore, patients enrolled in the study continued to see meaningful immunological changes, reinforcing the potential benefits of continued daily AR101 dosing after one year.

07:02 EDT Proteostasis receives orphan drug designation for PTI-428 in Europe - Proteostasis Therapeutics announced that the European Commission has granted orphan drug designation, or ODD, to PTI-428 for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. PTI-428 is the Company's proprietary cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, or CFTR, amplifier that is currently in clinical development. In addition to ODD from the EC, PTI-428 has ODD, Breakthrough Therapy Designation and Fast Track Designation from the FDA. ODD in the European Union is based upon a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products and provides regulatory and financial incentives for companies to develop and market therapies to treat serious disorders affecting no more than five in 10,000 persons in the EU.

07:01 EDT RA Pharmaceuticals announces FDA clearance of zilucoplan IND application - Ra Pharmaceuticals announced the FDA clearance of the company's Investigational New Drug, or IND, application for zilucoplan for the treatment of immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM). The company is on track to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial in the second half of 2019.

06:55 EDT Arvinas Inc trading halted, news pending

06:47 EDT IGT to provide PlayRGS solution, Play Casino content to Veikkaus Oy in Finland - International Game Technology announced that its subsidiary IGT Global Services has signed an agreement with Finnish lottery operator Veikkaus Oy to deliver IGT PlayDigital's PlayRGS solution and PlayCasino content. The agreement, which is for an initial term of four years with a provision for possible one-year renewal periods after the initial period, includes PlayRGS installation, maintenance, monitoring, support, as well as access to the complete library of IGT PlayCasino content and marketing support.

06:45 EDT Tiffany CEO says Q1 results 'reflect significant foreign exchange headwinds' - Alessandro Bogliolo, CEO, said, "Our first quarter results reflect significant foreign exchange headwinds and dramatically lower worldwide spending attributed to foreign tourists. That said, we were pleased that, at the core of our business, global sales attributed to local customers, led by sales in China, grew over last year's very strong sales results. We believe this growth in sales to local customers reflects progress in executing our strategic priorities, including innovations across products, communications and the customer experience, and that Tiffany is positioned for improving trends in the second half of 2019."

06:40 EDT Tiffany reports Q1 SSS ex-FX down 2%

06:33 EDT Novan: First patient enrolled in SB206 Phase 3 molluscum program - Novan announced that the first patient has been dosed in the company's "B-SIMPLE" Phase 3 program. The study is designed to evaluate topical nitric oxide product candidate SB206 for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum. The B-SIMPLE Phase 3 program consists of two multi-center, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled studies, B-SIMPLE1 and B-SIMPLE2. Each study will enroll approximately 340 patients. The program will evaluate the efficacy and safety of SB206 12% QD (once daily) compared to vehicle (placebo) for the treatment of molluscum. Novan is targeting top line efficacy and safety results no later than early in the first quarter of 2020.

06:32 EDT Magellan Health division launches medical pharmacy solution - Magellan Rx Management, the pharmacy benefit management division of Magellan Health, announced the launch of a medical pharmacy solution targeting oncology therapeutic biosimilars. In preparation for the expected 2019 market entry of oncology biosimilars, the solution aims to educate customers, members and providers through the implementation of individualized strategies that consider clinical, financial and regulatory factors. This will ultimately result in maintaining or expanding member access to clinically-effective treatments, while having the added benefit of delivering significant drug spend savings for participating customers.

06:32 EDT Armour Residential raises share repurchase program to 9M shares - Armour Residential announced that its board of directors has authorized an increase to its existing stock repurchase program of up to an aggregate of 9M shares of the company's outstanding common stock, par value $0.001 per share. The company's previous 9M repurchase authorization was established in July 2015. Under that authorization, the company has repurchased approximately 7,376,000 shares of common stock, including open market purchases of 250,000 shares since May 30.

06:10 EDT Walmart expands education program for workers - Walmart said in a statement that it is is committed to winning the future of retail and knows investing in its people is essential to serving customers today and in the future. To help prepare its workforce for tomorrow, the retailer is expanding its Live Better U education benefit to include new technology degrees and certificates for $1 a day and offering high school students a bridge into the workforce, including access to all its learning programs. These enhancements come a year after Walmart announced the education benefit, which is designed to help remove barriers - like cost, time and earning a relevant degree "Walmart values learning in all forms, and we are committed to creating a workforce of lifelong learners and instilling in them excitement for retail and a passion for serving customers. Access to higher education is one way to grow your career. So, in addition to providing people with an entry to the workforce and access to our on-the-job training I'm proud Walmart also offers our associates programs like Live Better U to help them achieve their educational goals," said Greg Foran, president and CEO of Walmart U.S. Reference Link

06:02 EDT National Health Investors enters into joint venture with affiliates of Discovery - National Health Investors announced that it has entered into a property-company joint venture with affiliates of its current tenant, Discovery Senior Living. Six properties, located in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Indiana, will be purchased by the joint venture for $128.35M, including up to $1.5M in estimated closing costs and expenses. The properties consist of 145 independent units, 356 assisted living units and 95 memory care units and will be leased to affiliates of Discovery in a 10-year lease with a 6.5% initial annual cash yield with a CPI-based escalator with a 2% floor and 3% cap beginning in year two. There are two five-year extension options. NHI, the managing member, will own 97.5% of the joint venture equity and Discovery will own 2.5%. NHI has committed to a senior mortgage loan of $6M at 7% annual interest extended to affiliates of Discovery for an additional property in Indiana for which the joint venture will have the option to purchase at stabilization. The facility consists of 52 assisted living units and 22 memory care units. The loan is scheduled to be closed by June 30.

05:14 EDT Kosmos announces an oil discovery at Gladden Deep - Kosmos Energy announced an oil discovery at Gladden Deep, which Kosmos has a 20% working interest. "Gladden Deep is a sub-sea tie back which is expected to be brought online through the existing Gladden pipeline to the Medusa spar in the fourth quarter of 2019." Based on preliminary analysis of drilling and wireline logging results the recoverable resource is expected to be in line with the pre drill estimate of 7 mmboe gross.

05:09 EDT Genentech says Phase III BLOCKSTONE study met primary endpoint - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced that the Phase III BLOCKSTONE study, conducted by Shionogi, met its primary endpoint showing that people exposed to a household member with influenza and treated preventatively with XOFLUZA were significantly less likely to develop the disease compared to those treated with placebo. Furthermore, XOFLUZA was well tolerated with no safety signals identified. Full results from the BLOCKSTONE study will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting. XOFLUZA is currently approved in Japan for the treatment of influenza types A and B in children, adolescents and adults, and in the U.S. for the treatment of acute, uncomplicated influenza in people 12 years of age and older. In addition, the FDA recently accepted a supplemental New Drug Application for XOFLUZA as a one-dose oral treatment for people at high risk of complications from the flu, which includes adults 65 years of age or older, or those who have conditions such as asthma, chronic lung disease, morbid obesity or heart disease - for these people the flu can be particularly serious or deadly. The FDA is expected to decide on whether to approve this additional indication by November 4.