Stockwinners Market Radar for June 17, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:48 EDT Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - HIGHER: MoneyGram (MGI) up 164% after disclosing $30M investment by Ripple... PhaseBio (PHAS) up 14.3% after Phase 2a clinical trial data of PB2452 for the Reversal of the Antiplatelet Activity of Ticagrelor... SunPower (SPWR) up 3.9% after Goldman Sachs upgrade to Buy... Sunrun (RUN) up 2.4% after Goldman Sachs upgrade to Buy. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Steel Dynamics (STLD) down 0.9% after guiding Q2 EPS below consensus. ALSO LOWER: Biohaven Pharma (BHVN) down 25.1% after equity offering... Rockwell Medical (RMTI) down 23.6% after equity offering... Caliothera (CALA) down 9.5% after equity offering. Movers as of 18:30ET.

18:24 EDT International Flavors CEO: We have planned for Brexit and China is benign for us - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, International Flavors CEO Andreas Fibig said: We do 20% of our sales with adjacent businesses... We feel very strongly about the value of the Frutarom acquisition and the opportunities... We work closely with customers to raise prices and look to re-engineer products... We are one of the worlds largest natural extractors... There is more awareness now that plant-based protein is a healthy choice... Organic and natural is a trend that is here to stay.

18:04 EDT Dish launches OnTech Smart Services - Dish announced the launch of a new direct-to-consumer brand, OnTech Smart Services, providing consumers with professional installation, set-up and education for the latest smart home devices and entertainment systems. OnTech provides customers an unrivalled in-home experience with a full suite of convenient, start-to-finish solutions including professional installation of products from Google Nest, Ring, Linksys, Wemo, Roku, Yale, Polk Audio and Klipsch Audio among others. OnTech launches today in 11 major markets.

18:01 EDT Versum Materials shareholders approve merger with Merck KGaA - Versum Materials (VSM) announced the stockholders of Versum have approved the merger with Merck KGaA (MKGAY), Darmstadt, Germany at a special meeting held earlier at the Versum headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, USA. Versum continues to expect the transaction, which is subject to regulatory clearances and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, to close in the second half of 2019.

17:25 EDT Rockwell Medical down 21% to $3.48 after announcing offering of common stock

17:14 EDT Melrose Bancorp trading halted, news pending

17:07 EDT EVO Payments, TouchBistro to partner on payment solutions for Mexico restaurants - EVO Payments announced a partnership with TouchBistro, an iPad point-of-sale provider, to offer a fully integrated POS and payments solution for EVO's restaurant merchants in Mexico. The new integrated solution provided by EVO and TouchBistro will be available for all of EVO's restaurant customers in Mexico, including SMEs and large national and multinational companies. The new integrated solution will be available by the end of 2019.

17:02 EDT Steel Dynamics down 2.8% at $25.50 after guiding below-consensus Q2 EPS

16:49 EDT Clearway Energy announces equity commitment in repowering partnership - Clearway Energy announced that, through an indirect subsidiary of the company, it has entered into binding equity commitment agreements in the previously announced partnership with Clearway Group to enable the repowering of two of its existing wind assets, Wildorado and Elbow Creek. These agreements commit the company to invest an estimated $111M in net corporate capital, subject to closing adjustments. The transaction is expected to contribute incremental asset CAFD on an average annual basis of approximately $12M beginning in 20202, which reflects the improved operational profile of the projects and the impact from the new non-recourse capital structure employed at the partnership. "Our commitment to invest in the repowering of these two important wind assets highlights a new area of organic growth for the company," said Christopher Sotos, Clearway Energy, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are pleased to achieve this important milestone in collaboration with our partner Clearway Group and look forward to working together in the future to prudently and accretively repower other projects in the company's portfolio." "Repowering our wind energy assets will extend the life of these projects with modern technology that is more efficient and cost-effective than ever," said Craig Cornelius, Chief Executive Officer at Clearway Group, "We're proud to collaborate on this important investment and continue to play a leading role in our nation's growing clean energy economy

16:35 EDT Celyad presents clinical update for CYAD-01 trials - Celyad announced that updated clinical data for the CYAD-01 program in r/r AML and MDS was presented in a poster presentation session on Saturday, June 15 at the 24th Congress of the European Hematology Association in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In the THINK Phase 1 trial in hematological malignancies, as of May 23, 2019, preliminary anti-leukemic activity has been observed in six out of thirteen patients evaluable per protocol in the THINK Phase 1 trial with four out of thirteen patients exhibiting objective responses, including one out of the four patients experiencing a duration of response of over 90 days. Overall, multiple infusions of CYAD-01 without any prior preconditioning chemotherapy continues to show an encouraging tolerability profile with eight patients from over twenty treated experiencing grade 3/4 treatment-related adverse events. No neurotoxicity AEs have been observed in any patient receiving CYAD-01. The denser schedule of infusions in the absence of any bridging or preconditioning chemotherapy without preconditioning chemotherapy evaluated in Cohort 10 showed that of three r/r AML or MDS patients evaluable, one patient experienced disease stabilization and two patients had disease progression following treatment with up to six doses of 1 billion cells of CYAD-01. The denser dosing schedule was generally reported to be well-tolerated. Three patients of four patients evaluable for safety in Cohort 10 experienced grade 1/2 cytokine release syndrome, which showed rapid resolution following the appropriate treatment, including tocilizumab. One patient experienced a grade 4 infusion reaction, which was not considered to be a dose-limiting toxicity of the therapy. Overall, better time-averaged engraftment was observed with a reduced interval dosing as compared to the equivalent dose of the THINK trial evaluating a cycle of three injections of CYAD-01 administered every two weeks. Recruitment in Cohort 11 of the THINK trial evaluating the denser schedule of up to six infusions of three billion cells of CYAD-01 without preconditioning chemotherapy is ongoing and results are expected by the end of 2019. In the DEPLETHINK Phase 1 trial, the initial cohorts of the DEPLETHINK trial enrolled six r/r AML or MDS patients who received a single administration of a safety-precaution low-dose CYAD-01 following preconditioning chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide and fludarabine, or CyFlu, at two different time-intervals between the preconditioning regimen and administration of CYAD-01. As of May 23, 2019, three patients experienced grade 1/2 CRS, which showed rapid resolution following the appropriate treatment, including tocilizumab. One patient experienced a grade 4 infusion reaction, which was not considered to be a dose-limiting toxicity of the therapy, during the consolidation cycle without preconditioning. Of the five patients evaluable per protocol, two patients experienced disease stabilization following treatment with CYAD-01. Better time-averaged engraftment was observed after a single infusion of low-dose CYAD-01 with prior preconditioning compared to the dose-escalation segment of the THINK trial evaluating a cycle of three injections of CYAD-01. Evaluation of higher dose-levels comparable to the Phase 1 THINK trial, including 300 million and 1 billion cells, are ongoing in the dose-escalation trial and preliminary results from these cohorts are expected by year-end 2019.

16:34 EDT Hudson's Bay CFO to take medical leave of absence - HBC announced that its CFO Ed Record will be taking a medical leave of absence, effective today. In his absence, the company has appointed Becky Roof as Interim CFO.

16:32 EDT MoneyGram enters strategic partnership with Ripple - MoneyGram announced that it has entered into a strategic agreement with Ripple that will enable MoneyGram to utilize Ripple's xRapid product, leveraging XRP in foreign exchange settlement as part of MoneyGram's cross-border payment process. Through this partnership, which will have an initial term of two years, Ripple will become MoneyGram's partner for cross-border settlement using digital assets. As part of this partnership, Ripple has made an initial investment of $30M in MoneyGram equity, made up of common stock and a warrant to purchase common stock. In addition, at MoneyGram's election, Ripple may fund additional purchases of common stock or warrants up to $20M at a minimum price of $4.10 per share.

16:32 EDT Synovus increases share repurchase authorization to $725M - Synovus announced that the company's board has increased its prior $400M share repurchase authorization to $725M for 2019. The company has previously repurchased approximately $325M of its common stock under the share repurchase program, leaving approximately $400M of additional availability during 2019. The company expects to fund the share repurchase through a combination of cash on hand, future cash flow from operations, borrowings and financings. Under the share repurchase program, the company may, from time to time and on or before the program's expiration date, repurchase shares of its outstanding common stock in the open market, in privately-negotiated transactions, or otherwise, subject to applicable laws and regulations.

16:25 EDT Square dismisses KPMG as auditor, engages Ernst & Young - Square disclosed in a regulatory filing that it dismissed KPMG as the company's independent registered public accounting firm effective as of June 13. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, and the subsequent interim period from January 1, 2019 through June 13, 2019, there were no disagreements with KMPG, Square said. Further, on June 13, the Audit and Risk Committee of the company's board, effective immediately, approved the engagement of Ernst & Young as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for the company's fiscal years ending December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020.

16:22 EDT Ciner Resources CEO Kirk Milling to resign - Ciner Resources announced that Kirk H. Milling, the company's president & CEO, has provided his notice of resignation to be effective June 17, 2019. Mr. Ouz Erkan, current Director of International Operations & Coordination for Ciner Enterprises, will succeed Mr. Milling as chairman, president & CEO.

16:21 EDT Square dismisses KPMG as auditor, engages Ernst & Young

16:18 EDT Eiger BioPharmaceuticals: Breakthrough Therapy Designation granted for avexitide - Eiger BioPharmaceuticals announced that the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for avexitide for the treatment of post-bariatric hypoglycemia.

16:08 EDT Aecom enters deal with Toshiba on Japan nuclear decommissioning services - AECOM (ACM) and Toshiba (TOSBF) have signed an Alliance Agreement to work together on decommissioning nuclear reactors in Japan. The alliance will offer comprehensive services to Japanese government organizations and commercial power utilities that plan to decommission their reactors and nuclear facilities. "We are excited to partner with Toshiba and further expand our expertise in the nuclear D&D market," said John Vollmer, AECOM's president of its Management Services group. "In addition to our ongoing work at key U.S. Department of Energy sites and our recent selection for the $400 million Dounreay decommissioning framework, our teams have demonstrated a high level of success as we continue to expand our share within this high-growth market."

16:05 EDT Illumina wins infringement suit against Ariosa Diagnostics - Illumina announced that the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, Patents Court in the United Kingdom issued a judgment in its favor in the patent infringement suit filed against Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc. The Court found that Ariosa's Harmony non-invasive prenatal test infringed EP 1 524 321 and that the patent claims were valid. The patent is directed to the size selection of extracellular DNA in maternal plasma samples. Size selection boosts the fetal fraction, leading to fewer test samples being rejected for low fetal fraction. "We are pleased that the UK Court has again ruled in our favor, continuing to affirm the value of our NIPT portfolio and the significant contributions of the inventors in this field," said Charles Dadswell, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Illumina. Illumina intends to seek all available remedies for the infringement, including damages, injunctive relief, and attorney fees.

15:51 EDT Sherwin-Williams director Susan Kropf sells over $478K shares of - Sherwin-Williams director Susan Kropf disclosed in a filing that she had sold 1,000 shares of company stock at an average price of $478.11 on June 1. The total transaction value of the sale was $478,110.

15:22 EDT FDA approves Novo Nordisk's Victoza for pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has approved Victoza injection for treatment of pediatric patients 10 years or older with type 2 diabetes. "Victoza is the first non-insulin drug approved to treat type 2 diabetes in pediatric patients since metformin was approved for pediatric use in 2000," the FDA said. Victoza has been approved to treat adult patients with type 2 diabetes since 2010. The FDA granted this application Priority Review. The approval of Victoza was granted to Novo Nordisk.

14:06 EDT Citi reports May credit loss rate 2.74% vs. 3.15% last month - Reports May 30-plus day delinquencies 1.57% vs. 1.61% last month.

13:05 EDT Rayonier Advanced Materials appoints Marcus Moeltner as CFO - Rayonier Advanced Materials announced that it is repositioning key members of its senior management team to drive the company's Go-to-Market strategy and accelerate new product commercialization. Frank Ruperto will assume the role of SVP, High Purity and High Yield Cellulose Business; Erin Byers will assume the new role of SVP, Research and Development; and Marcus Moeltner will be promoted to CFO and VP, Finance. Ruperto has been RYAM's CFO since November 28, 2014. Byers led the company's High Purity and High Yield Cellulose Business. As SVP, Research and Development, Byers will leverage his knowledge to accelerate Rayonier Advanced Materials' new product development and commercialization process. Moeltner joined Rayonier Advanced Materials in November of 2017 as VP, Corporate Development and Planning.

12:43 EDT ASGN segment awarded $276M DHS contract - ECS, a segment of ASGN, announced that the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, in partnership with the General Services Administration, or GSA, has selected the company to design and deploy the next-generation Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation, or CDM, Dashboard Ecosystem. The CDM Dashboard Ecosystem delivers cyber situational awareness data to the federal civilian agencies and summarizes risk exposure across the government at the federal level for DHS. The six-year task order was awarded under GSA's Alliant 2 Governmentwide Acquisition Contract vehicle and has a total value of $276M.

12:25 EDT Ebix not aware of events that would negatively impact operations - Ebix announced that it is "not aware of any news, events or tariffs that would negatively impact its financial and insurance exchanges and global operations. Nor its aware of any news or events that would justify the abnormal trading activity of its common stock today." The company added, "Ebix remains confident in its growth outlook for 2018 and its ability to achieve its goal of reaching greater than $800 million in annualized quarterly revenues by the fourth quarter of 2019. Ebix's full year 2018 revenue rose 37% to $497.8 million, compared to $364.0 million in 2017. Operating income rose 35% to $153.0 million in 2018, compared to $113.2 million in 2017. Reflecting the impact of a one-time tax $24.5 million charge related to the implementation of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act transition tax, Ebix's GAAP diluted earnings per share were $2.95 in 2018." The stock in midday trading is down 11%, or $5.61, to $47.74.

12:21 EDT Ebix says not aware of any news, events regarding today's selloff

12:19 EDT American Express reports May net write-off rate 2.5% vs. 2.4% last month - Reports 30 days past due loans 1.4% vs. 1.4% last month.

12:15 EDT Raytheon wins four-year $234M U.S. Navy contract for JPALS - Raytheon announced that it has won a four-year $234M initial low-rate production contract from the U.S. Navy to outfit all of its nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships with 23 Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems. JPALS is a GPS-based precision landing system that guides aircraft to precision landings in all weather and surface conditions. "The U.S. Navy understands how JPALS contributes to their mission success and safety of its people," said Matt Gilligan, vice president of Raytheon's Intelligence, Information and Services business. "Other military services could also benefit from the system's ability to safely land both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft in almost any low-visibility environment."

12:00 EDT Party City falls -8.0% - Party City is down -8.0%, or -61c to $6.97.

12:00 EDT Horizon Global rises 11.6% - Horizon Global is up 11.6%, or 41c to $3.94.

12:00 EDT Sotheby's rises 58.0% - Sotheby's is up 58.0%, or $20.51 to $55.90.

11:28 EDT Camber Capital reports 5.7% passive stake in Cyclerion Therapeutics - In a regulatory filing, Camber Capital disclosed a 5.7% stake in Cyclerion Therapeutics, which represents about 1.56M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

11:01 EDT Accenture acquires IoT security company Deja vu Security, terms not disclosed - Accenture announced the acquisition of Deja vu Security, a privately held company that specializes in security design and testing of enterprise software platforms and internet of things technologies. The Seattle-area company has become part of Accenture Security's Cyber Defense offerings. Kelly Bissell, senior managing director of Accenture Security, said, "Deja vu Security's team of innovative specialists brings considerable technical cybersecurity skills, making them a strong strategic fit, and will help our clients reduce the risk of their connected solutions. We are very excited to welcome the Deja vu Security team to Accenture." Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

10:47 EDT Precipio CEO says 'no plans to execute an equity raise' - Precipio issued a letter to its shareholders, which read in part, "We are all aware of the recent pricing pressure on Precipio's stock. To this end, we would like to provide an update of both our business activities and to reiterate investor communication practices. First, we would like to address the business activities surrounding our new products, IV-Cell and HemeScreen. Both products address critical, costly and lengthy diagnostic pathology challenges for cancer testing on a world-wide basis. Simply put, these products solve major clinical, operational, and cost issues that have existed for decades. Both IV-Cell and HemeScreen are proprietary to Precipio and have patents pending. As the products we make are critical to diagnosing cancer, incorporating them into a manufacturing process or into the customer's laboratory work flow is a careful and precise process that requires in depth testing and validation, in order to ensure that accurate results are reached - as it should be. Introducing these products by large companies we are working with, always takes longer than we hope for; often times smaller companies like us use our own rapid process as a proxy, and subsequently we underestimated the length of time to complete formal independent third-party validation studies and customer in-house reviews. With regard to the IV-Cell progress - as recently announced, we've identified the manufacturer for IV-Cell. As some of you correctly pointed out, "Why would we need such a manufacturer if we didn't anticipate large contracts?" This is a correct assumption and we are working with several customers both domestically and internationally to trial, validate and bring on board the media. As mentioned above, this is not a simple process, but once concluded we will be sure to inform the market. These validation studies are projected to be complete by late Q3, and, be converted into orders and subsequent revenues. While the delay is extremely disappointing, we can report that all outside testing results received so far have successfully replicated our internal data. As we progress and continue to achieve material milestones, we will issue additional investor communications...Second, we would like to reiterate our prior announcements, that there are no plans to execute an equity raise. The company's cash reserves, combined with the September 2018 equity line are projected to provide sufficient operating runway to grow our pathology business, complete external product validation studies and successfully market IV-Cell and HemeScreen to our targeted customers. Our goal is to continue to make strides towards cash flow positive there the company no longer needs to rely on outside capital sources to fund its operations. We believe that with our new suite of products such as IV-Cell and HemeScreen, generating good revenue and gross margin, this is achievable and within sight."

10:30 EDT Ebix falls 15%, or $7.99, to $45.36 in morning trading

10:04 EDT BAE Systems to supply vehicle management control system for Boeing MQ-25 - BAE Systems (BAESy) has been awarded contracts by The Boeing Company (BA) to supply the Vehicle Management Control System and Identification Friend or Foe System for the MQ-25. The Vehicle Management Control System will control all flight surfaces and perform overall vehicle management duties for the MQ-25 unmanned aerial vehicle. The IFF product ensures operation in contested environments by reliably identifying both coalition and enemy vehicles. The MQ-25 is the U.S. Navy's first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is designed to provide a much-needed refueling capability. The contract supports Boeing's engineering and manufacturing development program to provide four MQ-25 aircraft to the U.S. Navy for Initial Operational Capability by 2024.

10:00 EDT Blue Apron rises 10.9% - Blue Apron is up 10.9%, or 90c to $9.15.

09:50 EDT MTIG says members committed to 'safe and effective' microbiota-based products - The Microbiome Therapeutics Innovation Group, or MTIG, a coalition of companies leading the research and development of FDA-approved microbiome therapeutics and microbiome-based products that includes Rebiotix, Seres Therapeutics and Vedanta Biosciences, issued the following statement on the FDA safety alert regarding the use of fecal microbiota for transplantation, or FMT: "Our MTIG members are committed to the development of therapeutic microbiota-based products that are safe and effective. All of our member companies are developing investigational products in compliance with the FDA guidelines for Investigational New Drugs, including donor testing and/or quality control requirements. We are working actively with the FDA to develop guidelines for the application of pharmaceutical development criteria related to microbiota-based therapeutics and for the evaluation of safety parameters related to microbiota-based therapeutic products. MTIG fully supports the continued vigilance of the FDA in regulating this field to better assure that patients have access to safe and effective treatments."

09:47 EDT NL Industries falls -3.5% - NL Industries is down -3.5%, or -12c to $3.30.

09:47 EDT Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares falls -6.4% - Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares is down -6.4%, or -$1.49 to $21.79.

09:47 EDT C&J Energy Services rises 6.8% - C&J Energy Services is up 6.8%, or 73c to $11.45.

09:46 EDT Boeing forecasts $8.7T aerospace and defense market through 2028 - A strong commercial aviation industry, stable defense spending and the need to service all platforms throughout their lifecycle are driving a growing aerospace and defense market, according to the Boeing Market Outlook. Released at the Paris Air Show, the outlook values the aerospace and defense market at $8.7T over the next decade, up from $8.1T a year ago. The Boeing Market Outlook includes a $3.1T projected demand for commercial airplanes through 2028 as operators replace older jets with more capable and fuel-efficient models, and expand their fleets to accommodate the steady rise in air travel across emerging and established markets. The BMO also projects $2.5T of defense and space opportunities during the next decade as governments modernize military platforms and systems, pursue new technologies and capabilities and accelerate exploration from sea to space. The projected spending - spanning military aircraft, autonomous systems, satellites, spacecraft and other products - continues to be global in nature with 40 percent of expenditures expected to originate outside of the United States. Supporting the defense, space and commercial platforms with lifecycle solutions will fuel a services market valued at $3.1T through 2028.

09:31 EDT Rite Aid announces partnership with Adobe to drive digital transformation - Rite Aid Corporation (RAD) has entered into a strategic partnership with Adobe (ADBE) to deliver personalized and connected health and wellness experiences for Rite Aid customers via Adobe Experience Cloud, the industry's end-to-end solution for experience creation, marketing, advertising, analytics and commerce, the companies said in a statement. Rite Aid says, "Adobe Experience Cloud will enhance Rite Aid's ability to offer more consistent, compelling and continuous customer experiences across all customer touchpoints by connecting Rite Aid's pharmacy, retail stores and online customer journey."

09:28 EDT Merit Medical acquires Brightwater Medical with $35M upfront payment - Merit Medical Systems announced that it has acquired Brightwater Medical. The transaction consists of a $35M upfront payment and potential earn-out payments of up to $15M based on receipt of CE mark approval and achievement of future sales targets. Brightwater Medical was founded by Dr. Robert Smouse, Professor of Radiology and Surgery, University of Illinois College of Medicine. Its primary product, the ConvertX, is a single device used to replace a series of devices and procedures used to treat severe obstructions of the ureter. The system is designed to be implanted once and converted from a nephroureteral catheter to a nephroureteral stent without requiring sedation or local anesthesia. Brightwater Medical recently received FDA clearance for the ConvertX biliary stent system. Over the next several months, Merit Medical intends to maintain Brightwater Medical's production capabilities in Temecula while duplicating those capabilities in its catheter facility in Pearland, Texas, prior to transferring the ConvertX manufacturing operations to its Pearland facility. Merit Medical's management estimates that the transaction will be approximately 5c decretive to earnings per share for the year ending December 31, 2019 on a GAAP basis and approximately 3c decretive to earnings per share for the year ending December 31, 2019 on a non-GAAP basis due to deal-related expenses, severance, transfer and integration costs, and international regulatory expenses. Management's current revenue expectations for the ConvertX product for calendar year 2019 are approximately $1M with expectations of growth to approximately $25M in the fifth full year of sales. Upon transfer of the ConvertX manufacturing operations to Merit's Pearland facility, management believes non-GAAP gross margins in the 70-75% range are attainable.

09:20 EDT Wildflower Brands receives purchase order from Dillard's - Wildflower Brands announced that it has received and fulfilled an opening purchase order from Dillard's department stores that will place Wildflower wellness products in Dillard's stores across the US. Wildflower's premium hemp CBD infused products can now be seen throughout 292 Dillard's locations across the U.S. and the company's retail presence throughout the country continues to expand. Wildflower has received subsequent purchase orders from Dillard's and is fulfilling orders as they are received.

09:17 EDT IVERIC bio, Catalent announce agreement for production of AAV vector - IVERIC bio (ISEE) and Catalent (CTLT) announced that they have entered into an agreement for production and manufacturing of GMP-grade adeno-associated virus, or AAV, vector for IVERIC bio's gene therapy product candidates, IC-100 for the treatment of rhodopsin-mediated autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa and IC-200 for the treatment of BEST1 related retinal diseases. IVERIC bio expects to initiate Phase 1/2 clinical trials for IC-100 in 2020 and IC-200 in the first half of 2021. IVERIC bio has engaged Paragon Gene Therapy, part of Catalent Biologics, to provide materials for preclinical activities and its planned Phase 1/2 clinical trials for both product candidates.

09:16 EDT Nemaura expects to fund European commercialization efforts through credit line - The company said, "While the Company ended the year with $3m in cash, positive working capital and no long-term debt, it intends to move quickly to fund its European commercialization efforts through a non-dilutive $8M debt-based credit line, which is expected to be funded from some of its existing major shareholders."

09:15 EDT Dunkin' announces partnership with GrubHub - Dunkin' (DNKN) announced that it is partnering with Grubhub (GRUB) to begin the rollout of its new Dunkin' Delivers service. As the first step in this launch, today more than 400 Dunkin' restaurants throughout New York City's five boroughs will now offer delivery through Seamless, Grubhub's New York brand. Following the initial launch, Dunkin' and Grubhub will look to expand the Dunkin' Delivers service to restaurants throughout other markets in the coming months, including in Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.

09:14 EDT Nemaura Medical prepares to launch SugarBEAT in UK in Q3 - Dr. Fred Schaebsdau, who was formerly Country General Manager for Dexcom in Germany, and who is leading the strategy for the European Launch of SugarBEAT, stated: "I joined Nemaura Medical because of their innovative and groundbreaking technology, their commitment to excellence, and their focused and disciplined approach to product development and commercialization. We are well positioned to move aggressively into the commercial phase of our strategy in Europe as we prepare to launch SugarBEAT in the UK in Q3 of 2019, followed by Germany and other markets. Specifically, we are establishing strategic partnerships in Europe to commence sales and distribution".

09:13 EDT Nemaura Medical CEO says FY19 'was a transformative year' - Dr. Faz Chowdhury, CEO of Nemaura, said, "Fiscal 2019 was a transformative year as we received CE Mark approval and laid the foundation for the commercial launch of SugarBEAT in Europe and several other key territories around the world where CE approval can be used as the basis of product registration. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 60 million people with diabetes in Europe, and the prevalence of diabetes is increasing among all ages in the European Region. We have developed a highly differentiated device with distinct advantages over traditional CGMs. As the world's first non-invasive, needle-free, continuous CGM, the fact that our device sits on the skin, is completely painless, versatile in terms of wear time, and will be the lowest priced CGM in the market, provides us major competitive advantages as we begin commercialization of SugarBEAT in Europe. It is also important to note that unlike other devices on the market, our device targets both the diabetic and pre-diabetic markets, which means we have a much larger target audience and market opportunity than our competition, who mostly focus on Type I / insulin users who constitute a small minority of all diabetics. We are also uniquely positioned to target the Type II diabetes market, which represents 95% of all diabetics who have traditionally relied on periodic A1c readings to manage glucose levels. CGM transforms glucose control by widening the focus from the limited 'gold standard' A1c metric to a much more meaningful 'time in range' metric-enabling users to modify lifestyle choices on a real time basis to increase the amount of time per day glucose is kept within the normal range. Diabetes can be placed into remission if glucose levels are persistently kept in normal range throughout the day."

09:13 EDT Newmont Mining ramps up operations at Penasquito mine in Mexico - Newmont Mining is safely ramping up operations at the Penasquito mine in Mexico following the lifting of an illegal blockade and the establishment of a dialogue process sponsored by the national government. Concentrate shipments from the mine, as well as the delivery of supplies to the site, have resumed and workers are going through orientation sessions to ensure production begins in a safe and orderly manner. During the temporary suspension of operations, which began on April 29, the mine used the downtime to bring forward maintenance on a variety of systems and equipment. Newmont Goldcorp is committed to dialogue with the trucking company and the San Juan de Cedros community to achieve a fair and enduring resolution to contract and water availability issues. The Penasquito mine produced 272,000 ounces of gold in 2018 and directly employs more than 6,000 people while supporting another 20,000 indirect jobs in the region. Penasquito has enhanced water availability to neighboring communities through a number of projects including water treatment plants, new wells, pipelines and water trucks.

09:11 EDT ArQule announces preliminary results from miransertib study at conference - ArQule announced preliminary results from the company's phase 1/2 study of its pan-AKT inhibitor, miransertib, in patients with PIK3CA-related Overgrowth Spectrum, or PROS, and Proteus syndrome, or PS, in an oral presentation at the European Society of Human Genetics Conference. The reported interim data are from the phase 1/2 study, an international, multi-center, open-label 2-part study evaluating miransertib in patients with PS and PROS. The first part of the study is evaluating the safety, tolerability, PK profile and preliminary evidence of clinical activity of miransertib at different dose levels. MOSAIC, the registrational part of the study, is expected to begin patient enrollment in Q3. Recommended initial dose for the registrational study was defined as 15mg/m2 QD with subsequent maximum dose increase to 25mg/m2. A manageable safety profile was observed in patients as young as two years old, with mostly Grade 1 or 2 adverse events. Improvement in disease related symptoms and performance status as measured by Karnofsky/Lansky scale was reported in the majority of patients. The majority of patients demonstrated improvement or no disease progression extending beyond 1 year on treatment

09:10 EDT PPL Corp. names Vincent Sorgi as COO - PPL Corporation announced the promotion of Vincent Sorgi to President and COO. Sorgi is a 25-year veteran of the utility industry who has served as PPL's CFO since June 2014. He will report to William Spence, who will continue to serve as PPL Chairman and CEO, posts Spence has held since 2012 in addition to serving as PPL's President since 2011.

09:09 EDT Spartan Motors names Todd Heavin as COO - Spartan Motors announced the appointment of Todd Heavin to the role of COO. Heavin most recently led the Casting Division for American Axle & Manufacturing.

09:08 EDT China Ceramics CEO Jiadong Huang resigns, Meishuang Huang to succeed - China Ceramics announced that effective as of June 17, Jiadong Huang, founder, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of China Ceramics Co., resigned as the Board's Chairman and as the company's CEO. His resignation was for personal reasons and was not for any disagreements with the company or the Board. Huang will continue to be engaged with the company as Special Advisor. Also effective as of June 17, the Board appointed Meishuang Huang, the company's Assistant to the CEO, as the company's successor Chair and CEO; Huang is Huang's daughter. Meishuang Huang has been employed at the company's Treasury Department from August 2008 to August 2013. From September 2013 to present, she has been employed as the CEO's Assistant.

09:07 EDT Philips SmartSleep Deep Sleep Headband selected for TRISH-funded research - Royal Philips announced the company's SmartSleep Deep Sleep Headband will be used in research funded by the Translational Research Institute for Space Health, a virtual institute empowered by the NASA Human Research Program, for two unprecedented studies evaluating the relationship between sleep and cognitive performance for behavioral health. The two-year initiative will use the Deep Sleep Headband to determine if sleep can be improved during deep space exploration by utilizing a variety of auditory stimulation protocols, thereby maximizing cognitive function.

09:05 EDT HSBC Bank to open 50 branches, hire over 300 employees - HSBC Bank, part of HSBC Group, announced that it has opened a new branch office in Cupertino, California. The bank plans to add significantly to its national retail branch network by opening up to 50 branches in new and existing markets and hiring more than 300 employees, giving more customers access to its retail and business banking services while offering jobs to local residents. HSBC is optimizing its existing network to right-size and grow its business as well as expand its footprint into new and existing markets that provide opportunities to grow its customer base, particularly in the ex-pat communities in America's most global metropolitan markets.

09:03 EDT Nokia selected by Cleco to modernize microwave communications network - Nokia has been selected by Cleco to modernize its microwave communications network to support approximately 290,000 customers Cleco serves through its retail business and those it supplies wholesale power to in Louisiana and Mississippi. The new network is based on Nokia's microwave packet radio technology and its new Microwave Packet Transceiver Plus, designed to deliver the reliability and performance needed to support Cleco's expanding capacity needs, while providing the scalability and flexibility to enable it to introduce new services in the future. Nokia was selected to provide the backhaul of Cleco's digital mobile radio system that is critical to the safety of its customers and more than 1,300 employees. By moving to an all packet-based architecture, Cleco is also able to increase its operational efficiency.

09:02 EDT Sotheby's to be acquired in cash transaction valued at $3.7B - Sotheby's announced that it has signed a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by BidFair USA, an entity wholly owned by media and telecom entrepreneur as well as art collector, Patrick Drahi. Under the terms of the agreement, which was approved by Sotheby's Board of Directors, shareholders, including employee shareholders, will receive $57.00 in cash per share of Sotheby's common stock in a transaction with an enterprise value of $3.7B. The offer price represents a premium of 61% to Sotheby's closing price on June 14, 2019, and a 56.3% premium to the company's 30 trading-day volume weighted average share price. The transaction would result in Sotheby's returning to private ownership after 31 years as a public company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Tad Smith, Sotheby's CEO, said, "Patrick Drahi is one of the most well-regarded entrepreneurs in the world, and on behalf of everyone at Sotheby's, I want to welcome him to the family. Known for his commitment to innovation and ingenuity, Patrick founded and leads some of the most successful telecommunications, media and digital companies in the world. He has a long-term view and shares our brand vision for great client service and employing innovation to enhance the value of the company for clients and employees. This acquisition will provide Sotheby's with the opportunity to accelerate the successful program of growth initiatives of the past several years in a more flexible private environment. It positions us very well for our future and I strongly believe that the company will be in excellent hands for decades to come with Patrick as our owner." The closing of the deal is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory clearance and shareholder approvals, but is not subject to the availability of financing. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019 following shareholder approval. LionTree Advisors is serving as financial advisor to Sotheby's in connection with the transaction, and Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is serving as the company's legal counsel. BNP Paribas and Morgan Stanley are acting as financial advisors to BidFair, BNP Paribas acted as sole financing provider, and Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP and Ropes & Gray International LLP are serving as its legal advisors.

08:56 EDT CV Sciences presents research on efficacy of PlusCBD Oil - CV Sciences announced that a controlled clinical study has demonstrated its product can improve sleep, help reduce appetite, and enhance quality of life in humans. Using a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind design, 65 overweight but otherwise healthy men and women ingested either one PlusCBD Oil Gold Formula softgel or a placebo containing olive oil every day for six weeks. Subjects followed their normal diet and a routine of low intensity physical activity. After six weeks of supplementation, the study found PlusCBD Oil supplementation can improve self-reported measures of sleep, quality of life and reduce appetite, while demonstrating no adverse effects on standard biomarkers of safety. The study was conducted by The Center for Applied Health Sciences.

08:52 EDT Digital Ally files supplemental briefing with court for litigation with Axon - Digital Ally (DGLY) announces that it filed a supplemental briefing with the United States District Court for the District of Kansas on Friday. The requested briefing updates the Court on Digital's recent settlement agreement with WatchGuard as well as the supplemental expert report prepared by its damages expert, showing how the WatchGuard agreement supports Digital's damages request against Axon (AAXN). The requested briefing additionally explains that the supplemental expert report and the WatchGuard settlement are new evidence that support denying Axon's pending motions challenging Digital's damages theories. These theories calculate damages of more than $68M in for certain Axon revenues realized between February 2, 2016 and August 17, 2018. Because these revenues continue to accrue, the Company will update its damages request before it is presented to a jury. The Company further asks the Court to treble damages based on allegations that Axon has willfully infringed, which permits the Court to triple the Company's final updated damages figure. A ruling on these motions is expected at some point in the future in advance of trial.

08:49 EDT Ziopharm appoints Heidi Hagen to board of directors - Ziopharm Oncology announced Heidi Hagen has been appointed to the Company's Board of Directors effective immediately. Hagen is co-Founder and CSO of Vineti, a cloud-based software platform company that addresses challenges in data management from order through cell collection, manufacturing, and delivery of personalized treatments such as cell and gene therapies and cancer vaccines.

08:45 EDT Spero to present data for all pipeline programs at ASM Microbe Conference - Spero Therapeutics announced that it will present four oral presentations and eighteen poster presentations across all of Spero's pipeline programs at the American Society of Microbiology Microbe 2019 Conference. Data to be presented at ASM Microbe 2019 for SPR994, Spero's oral carbapenem product candidate, will include data on its in vitro activity against clinical isolates from complicated urinary tract infections, the first indication that Spero is pursuing for its lead asset and the indication in which SPR994 is being studied in an ongoing pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial. Presentations will also include pharmacokinetic, safety and tolerability data from the completed Phase 1 single ascending dose and multiple ascending dose clinical trial of SPR994 that provided support for the dose selection for the Phase 3 clinical trial. Data to be presented on SPR720, Spero's novel oral candidate being developed for the treatment of non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections, will highlight its potent in vitro activity against various species of non-tuberculosis mycobacterium, and in vivo in combination regimens against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Presentations will also include data from a GLP 28-day toxicology study of SPR720 in non-human primates. Data to be presented on SPR206, Spero's IV-administered clinical candidate from its Potentiator Platform for MDR Gram-negative infections in the hospital setting, will characterize the profiling and optimization that led to the discovery of SPR206, mechanism of action and in vitro and in vivo data that highlight its differentiation from first generation polymyxins.

08:42 EDT Yield10 files U.S. patent application on production of PHA-based biomaterials - Yield10 Bioscience announced that the Company has filed a U.S. Patent application for new technology enabling low-cost production of PHA-based biomaterials in Camelina sativa, an oilseed crop. PHA-based biomaterials are of significant interest for their use in water treatment to remove nitrogen and phosphates, and as a biodegradable replacement for petroleum plastics in a range of applications. The new Yield10 patent application describes a discovery around maintaining the viability and vigor of Camelina seed containing high levels of PHA biopolymer. This is an important step toward realizing a cost-effective, seed-based production platform for the simplest member of the PHA family, PHB, using Camelina. With this new patent-pending technology, Yield10 plans to develop and commercialize products for water treatment applications using the Camelina PHB platform. Yield10 is also seeking partners interested in developing commercial opportunities for crop PHA biomaterials in plastics replacements markets, where Yield10 would expect to serve as a technology provider.

08:40 EDT Hemispherx CEO says company has 'steady, consistent' progress in immuno-oncology - Hemispherx Biopharma issued its quarterly update on the progress of its ongoing clinical trials evaluating Ampligen's ability to reprogram tumor microenvironments and increase the effectiveness of existing cancer immunotherapies, such as checkpoint blockade therapies. This second update follows the company's first quarterly Ampligen update on March 13. The company has five ongoing immuno-oncology clinical trials, four planned clinical trials and an active Early Access Program. The most recent addition to the ongoing group is a clinical study in the treatment of prostate cancer, where FDA authorization has been received. "Thus far, we have had steady and consistent clinical progress in immuno-oncology. I believe this is critical to creating long-term stockholder value, as success in any one of our trials has the potential to be a strong driver of the market," said Hemispherx CEO Thomas Equels. "Especially significant are the larger clinical trials, such as our Phase 2 recurrent ovarian cancer trial. I believe that third parties' fronting of trial costs shows that it's not just Hemispherx that believes in Ampligen, but that major cancer research centers, public grantors and private grantors also see the potential of Ampligen as a combination therapy." Experiments from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center have demonstrated in animal and human tumor explant studies that Ampligen, a TLR3 restricted and targeted immune modulator, can facilitate the transformation of "cold" solid tumor microenvironments into "hot" tumor microenvironments, making them potentially responsive to checkpoint inhibitors.

08:37 EDT Taoping, JD.com partner for JD 6.18 Shopping Festival - Taoping (TAOP) announced that it provides JD.com (JD) with access to Taoping Network, an IoT network of over 100,000 smart display screens nation-wide, for JD.com to distribute advertisements and place promotional activities for its 6.18 Shopping Festival, JD's mid-year consumer event on June 18, 2019. As it celebrates its 16th anniversary, JD's 6.18 Shopping Festival has now evolved to be a mid-year "Black Friday"-like event in China. As a media partner of this massive sales event, Taoping utilizes its nation-wide smart-screen presence in high-traffic areas to distribute advertisements and activities to targeted consumers of JD.com. At the same time, the advertisements and activities are also placed in the Taoping Go e-Store the Company provides for JD.com for consumer interactions and transactions.

08:36 EDT Veracyte announces Afirma GSC, XA technology information published - Veracyte announced that a review article in Cancer Cytopathology, a journal of the American Cancer Society, details how new RNA whole-transcriptome sequencing-based genomic testing is helping physicians overcome a range of challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer. The article describes how the technology behind Veracyte's Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier, or GSC, and Xpression Atlas, or XA, is helping to reduce unnecessary surgeries in thyroid cancer diagnosis, and also inform surgery and treatment decision-making using the same minimally invasive patient sample. The article is highlighted on the cover of the June print issue. The article describes the development of and evidence behind the Afirma GSC and XA. Both tests leverage RNA whole-transcriptome sequencing technology to measure gene expression in potentially cancerous thyroid nodules. The authors note that RNA transcriptome technology may provide advantages over DNA-based genomic findings because it reflects a nodule's current genomic activity, as compared to DNA-based approaches, which may show inactive gene mutations. Two targeted therapies are now approved by the FDA for treating thyroid cancer patients. Additionally, multiple other recent clinical trials have investigated therapies with specific targets that are relevant for thyroid cancer. These include two compounds targeting RET alterations, which were the subject of new data presentations at the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO. The Afirma XA identifies these gene alterations, which can help physicians determine which patients could benefit from these cutting-edge new treatments.

08:34 EDT Ultragenyx names Erik Harris CCO - Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical announced it has promoted Erik Harris to EVP and chief commercial officer, effective June 11, 2019. He will continue to report to Vlad Hogenhuis, COO, and will now serve on the Executive Leadership Team. Harris joined Ultragenyx in 2017 as SVP, Head of North American Commercial Operations. In his new role, Harris will be responsible for all commercial operations in North America, Europe, and Latin America.

08:32 EDT Geron reports two imetelstat data presentations at EHA Congress - Geron Corporation announced that an oral and a poster presentation of clinical data and analyses related to imetelstat, the company's telomerase inhibitor, were made at the 24th Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association. Title: Treatment with Imetelstat Provides Durable Transfusion Independence in Heavily Transfused Non-del Lower Risk MDS Relapsed/Refractory to Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents: This oral presentation described updated efficacy and safety data as of April 2019 from 38 imetelstat-treated patients in the Phase 2 portion of the IMerge clinical trial with a median follow-up of 15.7 months. All 38 patients represent a target patient population of transfusion dependent, non-del lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes patients who are relapsed or refractory to ESAs and naive to hypomethylating agent and lenalidomide treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint is the rate of red blood cell transfusion independence lasting at least eight weeks, or 8-week RBC-TI rate, which is defined as the proportion of patients achieving RBC-TI during any consecutive eight weeks since entry into the trial. Key secondary endpoints include the rate of RBC-TI lasting at least 24 weeks, or 24-week RBC-TI rate, and the rate of hematologic improvement-erythroid, defined as a reduction of at least four units of RBC transfusions over eight weeks compared with the prior RBC transfusion burden or a rise in hemoglobin of at least 1.5 g/dL above pretreatment level for at least eight weeks. Efficacy Summary: 42% of patients achieved greater than or equal to8-week RBC-TI; 29% of patients achieved greater than or equal to24-week RBC-TI; Median duration of TI was 85.9 weeks; 68% of patients achieved HI-E, or improvement in red blood cell count, as measured by either transfusion reduction or a rise in hemoglobin: All 26 patients had a reduction of at least four RBC units over eight weeks compared with prior transfusion burden, 12 of 26 patients had a hemoglobin increase of at least 1.5 g/dL lasting at least eight weeks; Mean relative reduction in transfusion burden from baseline was 68%. Additional data were presented showing that transfusion independence was observed across different clinical subgroups, as well as in patients with intermediate or poor cytogenetic risk. Safety Summary:No new safety signals were identified. Reversible cytopenias were the most frequent adverse events. Abstract Title: Favorable Overall Survival of Imetelstat-Treated Relapsed/Refractory Myelofibrosis Patients Compared with Closely Matched Real World Data: This poster presentation provided a new analysis of overall survival in relapsed/refractory MF patients treated with imetelstat 9.4 mg/kg in the IMbark Phase 2 clinical trial, compared to OS calculated from real world data collected at the Moffitt Cancer Center for patients who had discontinued treatment from ruxolitinib, a JAK inhibitor, and who were subsequently treated with best available therapy. To make a comparison between the IMbark data and RWD, a cohort from the real-world dataset was identified that closely matched the IMbark patients, using guidelines for inclusion and exclusion criteria as defined in the IMbark clinical protocol, such as platelet count and spleen size. To mimic the effect of randomization and improve comparability between the IMerge and RWD populations, two different propensity score approaches were used to balance these two populations with respect to baseline covariates and prognostic factors that could have impacted OS outcomes. The calculations from both propensity score approaches resulted in a median OS of 30.7 months for the imetelstat-treated patients from IMbark, which is more than double the median OS of 12.0 months using RWD for patients treated with BAT. The analysis also indicated a 65-67% lower risk of death for the imetelstat-treated patients vs. BAT-treated patients. A sensitivity analysis assessing the impact on OS of subsequent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation showed no substantial differences in median OS calculated for either the imetelstat-treated or BAT-treated patients. The poster presentation concluded that although there are limitations of such comparative analyses between RWD and clinical trial data, favorable OS of imetelstat treatment in this very poor-prognosis patient population warrants further evaluation.

08:26 EDT Sproutly announces first commercial sale of cannabis flower in Canada - Sproutly Canada announces its first commercial sale of cannabis flower in Canada. Sproutly's cannabis flower is produced at the Company's wholly owned subsidiary Toronto Herbal Remedies "THR". Sproutly's THR facility utilizes state-of-the-art production and climate-control technology and methods designed to produce 'top-shelf' premium cannabis flower. THR is now at full production and harvesting weekly. Following the receipt of its sales license from Health Canada, Sproutly plans to sell THR's premium cannabis flower under the CALIBER brand.

08:20 EDT Epigenomics reports new clinical data on Epi proColon blood test - Epigenomics reported new study results suggesting that Epi proColon(R) a colorectal cancer screening test approved for patients who are unwilling or unable to be screened by recommended methods may also be an important complement to colonoscopy for CRC screening in patients with LS, a hereditary disease associated with a 10-80% increase in the risk of developing CRC. The study results appear in the current issue of BMJ Open Gastroenterology. The study was conducted as a retrospective analysis of preserved tissue and frozen plasma samples from patients with a confirmed diagnosis of LS who underwent either surgical resection for a diagnosis of CRC or removal of a polyp during colonoscopy between March 2006 and February 2019. Study objectives included a comparison of SEPTIN9 gene methylation status between patients with LS and patients with non-hereditary forms of CRC and exploratory analyses of the sensitivity and specificity of Epi proColon in LS patients. Key findings from the study include: In tissue samples from LS patients, differential SEPTIN9 methylation was found in 97.3% of primary CRC and 90.0% of advanced adenomas, demonstrating that LS-related neoplasia frequently produce the SEPTIN9 biomarker. Of 20 plasma samples collected between 138 and 1 days prior to surgical resection of a primary CRC tumor, all had valid tests and 14 were SEPTIN9 positive, for a sensitivity of 70.0%. Of 18 plasma samples collected within one year prior to a colonoscopy-based diagnosis of CRC, 17 had valid tests, and three of the 17 were SEPTIN9 positive. These three were among five patients with a colonoscopy-based stage I-III CRC diagnosis, for a sensitivity to detect CRC approximately two months prior to diagnosis of 60%. Of 13 plasma samples collected after surgical resection of a primary CRC tumor, all had valid tests and 12 were SEPTIN9 positive, for a sensitivity to detect metastatic CRC of 92.3%. Of 34 plasma samples from a cancer-free control group, 31 had valid tests and all were SEPTIN9 negative, for a specificity of 100%. The study authors conclude that Epi proColon may have similar diagnostic performance characteristics in LS patients as in the average-risk population and suggest that a larger, prospective study to confirm these preliminary findings is warranted.

08:14 EDT Carpenter Technology, Israel Aerospace Industries announce collaboration - Carpenter Technology Corporation and Israel Aerospace Industries announced their collaboration to produce additively manufactured components for a serial production commercial aircraft. This collaboration will result in IAI's first metallic additively-produced parts, which are expected to provide significant manufacturing benefits and lay the groundwork for future design improvements and enhancements. IAI is working closely with Israel's Civil Aviation Authority for approval of the parts, which when accomplished will represent the first time this technology has been approved for commercial use in Israel. Carpenter Technology, through its Carpenter Additive business unit, is producing the parts and providing supporting information to assist with their approval.

08:13 EDT ContraVir Pharmaceuticals announces results from human liver experiments - ContraVir Pharmaceuticals announced findings from its first study with human precision cut liver slice cultures. Liver disease was simulated in this unique experimental model by application of the potent, profibrotic molecules, TGFbeta and PDGF. Co-administration of ContraVir's clinical phase drug candidate, CRV431, was found to be 100% effective at preventing fibrosis induction beyond baseline levels. CRV431 at clinically relevant concentrations also partially or completely blocked several genetic and protein biomarkers of inflammationand fibrosis. In this experiment, CRV431 was more effective at preventing fibrosis than elafibranor, a dual PPAR alpha/delta agonist, and obeticholic acid, an FXR agonist, both Phase 3 NASH drug candidates which were tested simultaneously with CRV431. Elafibranor was 62% effective and OCA was 9% effective at preventing fibrosis, which was measured by Picrosirius Red staining. The beneficial effects of CRV431 on biomarkers of inflammation and fibrosis were similar to those of elafibranor and greater than those of OCA. CRV431 exerted its therapeutic activities at lower concentrations than the other two late-stage drugs, suggesting that CRV431 is a highly potent pharmaceutical agent. At the same time, CRV431 did not demonstrate any negative effects on liver biomarkers, further supporting the safety profile of CRV431. The study was conducted by FibroFind, a spin-out contract research company from the Fibrosis Research Group at Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne UK, that spent two years optimizing this experimental model, called precision cut liver slices. ContraVir is developing CRV431 for NASH, fibrosis and other liver diseases such as viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. A Phase 1, single ascending dose study previously showed CRV431 to be safe and well tolerated in humans. Currently, CRV431 is being administered in a 28-day multiple ascending dose study.

08:10 EDT Xunlei establishes joint laboratory with HKUST for blockchain technology - Xunlei Limited announced that the Company and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have established HKUST-Xunlei Joint Laboratory on Blockchain Technology. The Joint Lab aims to develop cutting-edge and influential blockchain technologies that are applicable to various industries and establish a high-performance blockchain ecosystem in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. By leveraging HKUST's research capabilities and Xunlei's industry experience, a series of blockchain technology initiatives and development will be carried out under the Joint Lab. Key research topics include consensus algorithm, cryptography and data protection. With Xunlei's infrastructure support of ThunderChain and Thunder Chain File System, HKUST's researchers and Xunlei's technology experts will work together on a joint research project to improve existing consensus algorithm and explore new models, enabling individual users to share idle computing resources with small-sized hardware while establishing an overall blockchain system with higher security level so as to achieve sharing economy of computing network.

08:09 EDT Abbott launches rapid point-of-care HbA1c test - Abbott announced that its Afinion HbA1c Dx assay is now available for use on the Afinion 2 Analyzer, as well as the Afinion AS100 Analyzer. The Afinion HbA1c Dx assay is the first and only rapid point-of-care test cleared by the U.S. FDA to aid healthcare professionals in the diagnosis of diabetes and the assessment of patients' risk of developing the condition.

08:08 EDT Molecular Templates announces FDA acceptance of IND for TAK-169 - Molecular Templates (MTEM) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the Investigational New Drug application for TAK-169, an ETB targeting CD38. MTEM and partner Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TAK) are co-developing TAK-169 and plan to conduct an open label Phase I dose escalation and expansion study in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients

08:06 EDT Dare Bioscience announces 'positive' results in thermography feasibility study - Dare Bioscience announced findings from an investigational study designed to evaluate the feasibility of using thermography technology to assess the pharmacodynamics of Sildenafil Cream, 3.6% in normal healthy women. Sildenafil is the active ingredient in a tablet for oral administration marketed under the brand name Viagra(R), which is indicated for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men. Dare Bioscience, in collaboration with Strategic Science & Technologies, is developing Sildenafil Cream as a potential treatment for female sexual arousal disorder, a condition analogous to ED in men. Sildenafil Cream is a topically administered formulation of sildenafil designed to increase local blood flow and provide a potential improvement in genital arousal response and overall sexual experience for women. This is similar to the way ED medications work in men by directing blood to the genitals when taken before sexual activity. There are no FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of FSAD. If the clinical development program is successful, Sildenafil Cream has the potential to be the first FDA-approved FSAD treatment option. During the thermography study, genital temperature, a surrogate for genital blood flow, was captured and recorded utilizing an infrared camera capable of detecting heat patterns from blood flow in body tissues. The study, which was designed to evaluate up to 10 subjects, achieved the study objectives based on a planned interim analysis of the first 6 completed subjects, and thus additional subjects will not be enrolled. The assessments consisted of the screening visit, the double-blind dosing of placebo or active Sildenafil Cream and a safety follow-up. The thermography study is part of a comprehensive clinical development and regulatory plan for Sildenafil Cream that Dare Bioscience intends to implement in collaboration with SST. The development plan includes an ongoing non-interventional study intended to support the validity of FSAD-specific patient reported outcome measures to be utilized to assess efficacy of Sildenafil Cream in Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical studies, as well as an at-home dosing study anticipated to commence before the end of 2019, which together constitute the Sildenafil Cream Phase 2b program.

08:04 EDT Xinyuan Real Estate names Yu 'Brian' Chen as CFO - Xinyuan Real Estate announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Yu "Brian" Chen as the company's new CFO, effective immediately. The company's interim CFO, Xuefeng Li, will continue in his role as general manager of the financial management department of the company. Chen joined Xinyuan in February as an Assistant President and the General Manager of the company's Capital Markets department. Before joining Xinyuan, Chen held senior management positions in various publicly listed companies including Pacific Securities, RioCan REIT, Husky Injection Molding Systems, MDS, and ZTE.

08:03 EDT Middleby acquires Ss Brewtech - Middleby announced the acquisition of Ss Brewtech. Founded in 2013, the company has $20M in annual revenues. Ss Brewtech was the first to introduce professional-grade brewing equipment for the small scale craft brewing industry. Based in Santa Ana, California, the company will operate as an autonomous business unit within Middleby.

08:02 EDT Navistar to invest $125M in Alabama - Navistar has decided to make capital investments of approximately $125M in new and expanded manufacturing facilities in the state of Alabama, the company announced. The investment will bring 145 additional jobs to the company's Huntsville facility. The company, which already manufactures International brand diesel engines at its plant in Huntsville, Ala., plans to make the new investments over the next three years. Its intent is to produce next-generation big-bore powertrains developed with its global alliance partner TRATON.

07:46 EDT TG Therapeutics presents preclinical data for TG-1801 at EHA Congress - TG Therapeutics announced the presentation of preclinical data for TG-1801, the company's anti-CD47/CD19 bispecific antibody, highlighting the synergistic effect of TG-1801 in combination with ublituximab, the Company's anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody and umbralisib, the Company's PI3K-delta inhibitor. These data were presented over the weekend at the 24th European Hematology Association annual congress. Highlights from this poster presentation include: Title: The novel bispecific CD47-CD19 antibody TG-1801 potentiates the activity of ublituximab-umbralisib drug combination in preclinical models of B-NHL. TG-1801 is a first-in-class anti-CD47-CD19 bispecific antibody that selectively targets CD47 on CD19+ B-cells, sparing red blood cells and platelets, and blocking the CD47-SIRPalpha macrophage checkpoint on mature B cells. Ublituximab exerts stronger ADCP and ADCC activity in B-NHL cells when compared to rituximab, and TG-1801 increased the ADCC and ADCP activities initiated by both ublituximab and the U2 combination. The triple combination of TG-1801 + U2 was found to regulate genes related to cell architecture. TG-1801 triggers synergistic tumor growth inhibition and results in prolonged remission when added to U2 in an in vivo Raji lymphoma model, which appears to be mediated by increased infiltration of immune effector cells.

07:43 EDT Discover Bank ends fees on deposit products - Discover announced the elimination of deposit account fees, promising to help customers keep more of what they earn and save. Customers with a checking, savings, money market or CD account from Discover Bank now can rest easy knowing their money will stay where they put it without fees for an occasional oversight or pressing need. In addition to offering deposit accounts with no fees for monthly maintenance, checkbook orders or replacement debit cards, going forward, Discover is eliminating fees for insufficient funds, excessive withdrawals, falling below minimum balances and stop-payment requests. Discover banking customers also have access to 60,000 fee-free ATMs across the country.

07:41 EDT Voyager Therapeutics restructures gene therapy relationship with Sanofi Genzyme - Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR) announced a restructuring of its gene therapy relationship with Sanofi Genzyme (SNY). Under the terms of the agreement, Voyager gains worldwide rights to the VY-HTT01 Huntington's disease program and ex-U.S. rights to the VY-FXN01 Friedreich's ataxia program. The ex-U.S. rights to VY-FXN01 are, in turn, transferred from Voyager to Neurocrine Biosciences under the terms of the collaboration agreement between Voyager and Neurocrine Biosciences announced in January 2019. Additionally, Sanofi Genzyme obtains exclusive option rights to select novel AAV capsids owned or controlled by Voyager for exclusive use for up to two non-central nervous system indications. In consideration of the rights returned, Voyager has agreed to make a $10M upfront payment to Sanofi Genzyme. This upfront payment is partially offset by a $5M payment from Neurocrine Biosciences to Voyager to facilitate the transfer of the ex-U.S. rights to VY-FXN01 from Voyager to Neurocrine Biosciences. An additional $10M milestone payment is due to Sanofi Genzyme from Voyager upon filing of an investigational new drug application for VY-HTT01 or, if applicable, certain backup compounds for the treatment of Huntington's disease. Preclinical studies are underway with VY-HTT01 which, if successful, are expected to support a potential filing of an IND application in late 2019. In connection with the restructuring of the gene therapy relationship with Sanofi Genzyme, and to focus its resources on the now wholly owned Huntington's disease program and additional new discovery efforts, Voyager intends to seek a partner to advance its preclinical program for SOD1 ALS. Given this portfolio decision, Voyager no longer expects to file an IND application for VY-SOD102 in 2019.

07:35 EDT Youngevity's Khrysos enters five year supply contract with Magu Maiden Farms - Khrysos Industries, a wholly owned subsidiary of Youngevity International, announced that it has entered into a five year supply contract with Magu Maiden Farms to provide extraction services and end-to-end processing to produce isolate, water soluble isolate, distillate, and water-soluble distillate hemp derived products. Extraction and post processing fulfillment and revenues are anticipated to begin in the fourth quarter with revenues forecasted at $60M through 2024 based on current market conditions and assuming, among other things, the ability to secure buyers for the produced product and the supplier's ability to supply the biomass for extraction and processing.

07:32 EDT Invitae to acquire Singular Bio for approximately $55M - Invitae announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Singular Bio, a privately held company developing single molecule detection technology that enables lower costs and expanded use of high-quality, cell-free, nucleic acid analysis, initially for application in non-invasive prenatal screening. Under the definitive agreement, Invitae will acquire Singular Bio for approximately $55M, subject to certain adjustments, mostly in stock with the balance in cash. Such amount takes into account Singular Bio's estimated cash balance of approximately $5M at closing. Invitae will also be granting stock awards for up to $90M to employees of Singular Bio who will continue post-acquisition with Invitae. Such awards will vest based in part on their continued service and the achievement of certain milestones. The acquisition is expected to close in the coming weeks, subject to customary closing conditions. Invitae expects that the transaction will be cash neutral at close and has already factored in the additional operating expense of this acquisition in prior statements about expected 2019 cash burn.

07:27 EDT WPP to phase out single-use plastics - WPP announced a series of initiatives to tackle pollution from single-use plastics. The company will phase out single-use plastics in its premises by the end of the year. It will no longer buy or provide single-use plastics such as bottles, straws, cutlery and cups in any of its 3,000-plus agency offices and campuses worldwide. And it will make it easier for people to recycle their own plastic materials at work. WPP has signed the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, led jointly by UN Environment and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, thereby endorsing the vision of a circular economy for plastic in which it is designed never to become waste or pollution. The company has also committed to work with partners and clients to: inspire consumers to think differently about plastic packaging and change their behaviour; create more sustainable approaches to product and packaging design and develop new systems for delivering and recycling products.

07:24 EDT Pluristem presents its first proprietary serum-free cell therapy product - Pluristem Therapeutics announced the company has developed a serum-free formulation to support the manufacturing of cell therapy products. This serum-free media formulation was developed using Pluristem's deep understanding in cell therapy industrial scale production standards, and the quality methods designed to support implementation in Phase III development and marketing. Achieving this technological challenge enables Pluristem large-scale consistent production with operational independency from third-party suppliers for standard serum. PLX-R18 is the first product that Pluristem intends to manufacture using the serum-free media. The company said, "Products manufactured using Pluristem's serum-free media demonstrated comparable potency, quality and cellular composition compared to production that relies on serum-containing media. Pluristem's serum free media formulation supports cell therapy production in both standard two-dimensional cell culture and the proprietary three-dimensional bioreactor-based cell culture platform that is unique to Pluristem. In addition, unlike standard cell culture media, which often contain undefined blood derived materials, Pluristem believes that its serum-free media formulation will result in a reduced risk of contaminates."

07:22 EDT Verastem presents Copiktra clinical data at EHA - Verastem announced that two posters highlighting clinical data for Copiktra in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, or CLL/SLL, were presented at the European Hematology Association, or EHA. One poster describes results from a post-hoc analysis evaluating the effect of Copiktra on lymphocytosis in patients with relapsed or refractory CLL/SLL from the Phase 3 DUO study, including patients with high-risk factors. The other poster describes dose modification data from patients with relapsed or refractory CLL/SLL in the DUO study. In this study, researchers aimed to characterize the clinical profile and kinetics associated with duvelisib-related lymphocytosis. Lymphocytosis is an increase in the number of lymphocytes in the blood and is a recognized biological marker of treatment with B-cell receptor pathway inhibitors. Similar to ibrutinib and idelalisib, duvelisib treatment induces lymphocytosis in patients with CLL. This post hoc analysis defined response in patients with relapsed or refractory CLL/SLL, including high-risk subgroups, which were characterized by unmutated IGHV, 17p deletion/TP53 mutation, 11q deletion and bulky disease. Of 158 patients treated with duvelisib, 78% experienced lymphocytosis. Median time to onset of lymphocytosis was one week across all patients, including patients in the high-risk subgroups. Median time to resolution of lymphocytosis was 14 weeks, with a 50% reduction from baseline at 21 weeks. Similar results were observed regardless of high-risk status. Rapid shrinkage of lymph nodes was noted, with 86% of patients achieving lymph node response. Among patients who achieved a response with duvelisib at first or second assessment, 78% and 86%, respectively, experienced lymphocytosis; median time to resolution of lymphocytosis in these patients was 12 and 18 weeks, respectively. Prolonged lymphocytosis occurred in 12 patients. The overall response rate in patients with prolonged lymphocytosis was 83%. Of note, the median PFS was similar among patients with and without prolonged lymphocytosis; 22.1 months, compared to 24 months, respectively. Overall, there were low rates of tumor lysis syndrome. These results showed that duvelisib monotherapy induced rapid and transient lymphocytosis temporally associated with a reduction in lymphadenopathy in patients with relapsed or refractory CLL/SLL. The randomized, multicenter, open-label, Phase 3 DUO study, compared Copiktra versus ofatumumab in 319 adult patients with CLL or SLL after at least one prior therapy. The study randomized patients with a 1:1 ratio to receive either Copiktra 25mg twice daily until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity, or ofatumumab, an approved standard of care treatment for use in CLL/SLL, for seven cycles. This analysis examined dose modification patterns and their impact on response to Copiktra. Dose interruptions or dose reductions to 15mg, 10mg or 5mg twice daily were permitted per study protocol to manage treatment-emergent adverse events, or TEAEs. Responses were assessed per an Independent Review Committee. Among the 158 Copiktra-treated patients in the DUO study, the median duration of exposure was 11.6 months, versus 5.3 months for patients treated with ofatumumab. The most common cause of dose interruption was diarrhea, followed by neutropenia and pneumonia or colitis. Among responders, median time to first response on Copiktra was 1.9 months and the estimated median duration of response was 11.1 months. Median time to first dose interruption was 3.9 months and median duration of dose interruption was 15 days. Response to Copiktra was improved or maintained in most patients evaluated for response who had at least one dose interruption for greater than one week or greater than two weeks followed by at least 3 weeks on Copiktra. In a landmark analysis, median PFS was similar in patients with dose interruptions and those without dose interruptions for greater than one week or greater than two weeks within the first 3 months. The median time to dose reduction after a complete response or partial response was 5.6 months and median duration was 3.4 months. Median time to onset across adverse events of special interest, or AESIs, after starting Copiktra ranged from 2.2 to 4.3 months. Median time to resolution was within 4 weeks across AESIs. Proportions of patients experiencing AESIs were stable or decreased over time after 3-6 months and seldom led to discontinuation of Copiktra. These findings support the thesis that dose interruptions or dose reductions may be useful in managing TEAEs with Copiktra and that dose interruptions of greater than one to two weeks or more did not appear to significantly impact response to Copiktra or PFS.

07:18 EDT Broadwind Energy announces $29M of new tower orders - Broadwind Energy announced $29M of new tower orders from multiple customers for production scheduled in 4Q19 through 2020. CEO Stephanie Kushner stated, "We are excited to announce new tower orders and the expansion of our tower customer base. We have made meaningful progress on our diversification strategy, recording $32M of diverse orders in 2019 against our $60M full year target. The US wind turbine market continues to strengthen, we are in active discussions to fill remaining open 2019 capacity and are encouraged by 2020 demand discussions with our customers."

07:14 EDT Array BioPharma up 59% to $47.02 after agreeing to be acquired by Pfizer

07:13 EDT Protalix completes enrollment in Phase III Bright clinical trial of PRX-102 - Protalix BioTherapeutics announced the completion of enrollment in the phase III BRIGHT clinical trial of pegunigalsidase alfa, or PRX-102, for the treatment of Fabry disease, via intravenous infusions of 2 mg/kg administered every 4 weeks. PRX-102 is the company's plant cell-expressed recombinant, PEGylated, cross-linked alpha-galactosidase-A drug candidate. The BRIGHT study is a 12 month, open-label switchover study to assess the safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of pegunigalsidase alfa 2 mg/kg administered every 4 weeks in up to 30 Fabry patients previously treated with an enzyme replacement therapy: Fabrazyme or Replagal. To determine eligibility for participation in the study, candidates were screened to identify and select Fabry patients with stable kidney disease. Patients that matched the criteria were enrolled in the study and switched from their current treatment of intravenous infusions every 2 weeks to 2 mg/kg of PRX-102 every 4 weeks for 12 months. Patients participating in the study are being evaluated to, among other disease parameters, determine if their kidney disease has not further deteriorated while being treated with the four-week dosing regimen as measured by eGFR and Lyso Gb3, as well as other parameters. In addition, participating patients are being evaluated to assess the safety and tolerability of PRX-102. To date, substantially all patients that were enrolled in the BRIGHT study remain on the 4-week dosing regimen, and all of the patients that completed the study opted, with the advice of the treating physician, to continue treatment under the 4-week dosing regimen in a long-term extension study.

07:09 EDT Cellular Biomedicine: First patient dosed in Phase 1 trial of anti-CD20 CAR-T - Cellular Biomedicine announced that it has initiated its Phase I Clinical Trial of anti-CD20 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell targeting anti-CD19 treated, relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and small B-cell lymphoma patients in China, and dosed the first CD19 CAR-T relapsed DLBCL patient.

07:07 EDT BeiGene, Celgene to terminate global collaboration for tislelizumab - BeiGene (BGNE) announced that it has entered into a mutual agreement with Celgene Corporation (CELG) to terminate the parties' global collaboration for tislelizumab, BeiGene's investigational anti-PD-1 antibody, in advance of the pending acquisition of Celgene by Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY). In connection with the termination, Celgene has agreed to pay $150M to BeiGene. Tislelizumab has been dosed in over 2,950 patients globally. With two new drug applications under review in China, BeiGene expects tislelizumab to receive its first regulatory approval later this year. In July 2017, BeiGene and Celgene announced a global strategic collaboration in which Celgene obtained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize tislelizumab in solid tumor cancers in the United States, Europe, Japan and the rest of world outside of Asia. BeiGene retained rights in hematology indications globally and in solid tumor cancers in Asia. In connection with that agreement, BeiGene also acquired Celgene's commercial operations in China and an exclusive license to Celgene's cancer commercial portfolio in China. BeiGene's commercial license from Celgene is not affected by the termination of the tislelizumab agreement. In the almost two years since the transaction, BeiGene has grown its commercial organization in China to more than 600 people.

07:06 EDT Monotype Imaging CFO Anthony Callini to step down - Monotype Imaging announced that Anthony Callini will step down effective July 1, as executive VP and CFO to serve as CFO at a private company. Christopher Brooks, Monotype's senior VP, finance will assume the role of CFO on an interim basis until a permanent successor is named. Monotype will initiate a search to identify a permanent CFO.

07:04 EDT Stifel Financial to acquire capital markets business of GMP Capital - Stifel Financial announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the capital markets business of GMP Capital, an independent investment banking franchise based in Canada, in an all cash transaction. Founded in 1995, GMP's capital markets business offers corporate clients and institutional investors a broad range of investment banking services, including equity capital raising, mergers & acquisitions expertise, institutional sales and trading and research services through offices in Canada and the United Kingdom. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Stifel will acquire the bulk of GMP's capital markets business, excluding the U.S. cannabis and certain clearing businesses, for cash consideration to be determined at closing, calculated as the tangible common equity of the business, plus a premium of $33.8M, subject to adjustment. As of April 30, 2019, the purchase price would have been approximately $52M. Effective at the closing of the transaction, Harris Fricker, CEO of GMP, and other key personnel at GMP have agreed to join Stifel. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approval and approval of GMP's shareholders. The Board of GMP has unanimously approved the transaction and GMP's largest shareholder, Richardson Financial Group Limited, and members of the GMP Board of Directors, have entered into voting agreements in support of the transaction.

07:01 EDT Pfizer to acquire Array BioPharma for $48.00 per share - Pfizer (PFE) and Array BioPharma (ARRY) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Pfizer will acquire Array. Pfizer has agreed to acquire Array for $48.00 per share in cash, for a total enterprise value of approximately $11.4B. The boards of both companies have approved the merger. Upon the close of the transaction, Array's employees will join Pfizer and continue to be located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Morrisville, North Carolina, as well as Boulder, Colorado, which becomes part of Pfizer's oncology research & development network in addition to La Jolla, California and Pearl River, New York. Pfizer expects to finance the majority of the transaction with debt and the balance with existing cash. The transaction is expected to be dilutive to Pfizer's adjusted diluted EPS by 4c-5c in 2019, 4c-5c in 2020, neutral in 2020 and accretive beginning in 2022, with additional accretion and growth anticipated thereafter. Pfizer will provide any appropriate updates to its current 2019 guidance in conjunction with its Q3 earnings release. Under the terms of the merger agreement, a subsidiary of Pfizer will commence a cash tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of Array common stock for $48.00 per share in cash for a total enterprise value of approximately $11.4B. The closing of the tender offer is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of Array common stock. The merger agreement contemplates that Pfizer will acquire any shares of Array that are not tendered into the offer through a second-step merger, which will be completed promptly following the closing of the tender offer. Pfizer expects to complete the acquisition in the second half of 2019.

06:56 EDT Aecom announces intent to spin off government services business - AECOM announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously approved a plan to pursue a spin-off of the company's Management Services segment into a leading, standalone government services company. The transaction is currently expected to be completed in the second half of fiscal 2020.

06:52 EDT BankUnited names Michael Alford as general counsel - BankUnited announced the hiring of Michael Alford as general counsel. With more than three decades of experience, Alford will be responsible for overseeing the company's legal and compliance functions.

06:50 EDT Quarterhill CFO Shaun McEwan to depart - Quarterhill and its board announced that Shaun McEwan, CFO, will transition out of the company in the coming months to spend time with his family in advance of pursuing new career opportunities early next year. As a result, the board has engaged an executive search firm and commenced a process to recruit a new CFO. McEwan has agreed to stay in his current role with Quarterhill to the end of the calendar year to enable sufficient time for a suitable candidate to be found and to support an orderly transition.

06:49 EDT Crane commences tender offer to acquire CIRCOR for $45 per share in cash - Crane Co. (CR) commenced a cash tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of CIRCOR International (CIR) for $45 per share, a 47% premium over the undisturbed market close on May 20, prior to Crane making its proposal to acquire CIRCOR public. The offer represents 31% and 51% premiums over the three- and six-month undisturbed volume weighted average share prices, respectively. This reflects an enterprise value of approximately $1.7B at a multiple of approximately 13.5x the last 12-month adjusted EBITDA. The offer and withdrawal rights are scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on July 16, 2019, unless the offer is extended. The offer is not conditioned on financing. Wells Fargo Bank, National Association has provided Crane Co. with a commitment for the funding required to consummate the tender offer. Max Mitchell, Crane Co. President and CEO said, "We are commencing this cash tender offer to provide CIRCOR shareholders a mechanism to show their support for our offer by tendering their shares. We call on CIRCOR shareholders to act now on this opportunity and we call on the CIRCOR Board to honor its fiduciary responsibilities and allow the shareholders it represents to receive the highly attractive premium we are offering. Our June 4 letter to the CIRCOR Board again seeking engagement on our proposal while indicating a willingness to understand any justifications for adjusting our proposal has gone unanswered. Continuing a pattern of disregard for its shareholders, CIRCOR's only response was to issue a vague public statement that it would provide an update 'soon' on its financial outlook and supposed business transformation. We note again that, to date, the company has not provided any substantive response to our proposal or rationale for how it can generate value in any reasonable period of time that is comparable to our all-cash offer today...This cash tender offer provides CIRCOR shareholders the opportunity to send a clear message to the CIRCOR Board. CIRCOR shareholders have endured five years of underperformance and a series of value-destroying capital allocation decisions by current management. Shareholders should demand that the CIRCOR Board give proper consideration to Crane's all-cash proposal which is at a substantial premium."

06:48 EDT Pfizer to acquire Array BioPharma for $48.00 per share in cash, or $11.4B - Pfizer (PFE) and Array BioPharma (ARRY) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Pfizer will acquire Array, a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of targeted small molecule medicines to treat cancer and other diseases of high unmet need. Pfizer has agreed to acquire Array for $48 per share in cash, for a total enterprise value of approximately $11.4B. The Boards of Directors of both companies have approved the merger. Upon the close of the transaction, Array's employees will join Pfizer and continue to be located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Morrisville, North Carolina, as well as Boulder, Colorado, which becomes part of Pfizer's Oncology Research & Development network in addition to La Jolla, California and Pearl River, New York. Pfizer expects to finance the majority of the transaction with debt and the balance with existing cash. The transaction is expected to be dilutive to Pfizer's Adjusted Diluted EPS by 4c-5c in 2019, 4c-5c in 2020, neutral in 2021, and accretive beginning in 2022, with additional accretion and growth anticipated thereafter. Pfizer will provide any appropriate updates to its current 2019 guidance in conjunction with its third quarter 2019 earnings release. Under the terms of the merger agreement, a subsidiary of Pfizer will commence a cash tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of Array common stock for $48 per share in cash for a total enterprise value of approximately $11.4B. The closing of the tender offer is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of Array common stock. The merger agreement contemplates that Pfizer will acquire any shares of Array that are not tendered into the offer through a second-step merger, which will be completed promptly following the closing of the tender offer. Pfizer expects to complete the acquisition in the second half of 2019.

06:45 EDT Pfizer to acquire Array BioPharma for $48.00 per share in cash, or $11.4B

06:38 EDT LegacyTexas Financial to merge with Prosperity Bancshares, valued at $2.1B - Prosperity Bancshares (PB) and LegacyTexas Financial (LTXB) jointly announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which LegacyTexas will merge with Prosperity. LegacyTexas Bank operates 42 locations in 19 North Texas cities in and around the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As of March 31, LegacyTexas, on a consolidated basis, reported total assets of $9.3B, total gross loans of $8.1B and total deposits of $7.1B. Under the terms of the merger agreement, stockholders of LegacyTexas will receive 0.5280 shares of Prosperity common stock and $6.28 cash for each LegacyTexas share, subject to certain conditions. Based on Prosperity's closing price of $67.24 on June 14, the total consideration was valued at approximately $2.1B, or approximately $41.78 per share. Kevin Hanigan, LegacyTexas president and CEO, will join the Prosperity team as the president and COO of Prosperity and president of Prosperity Bank; and Mays Davenport, LegacyTexas executive VP and CFO, will be named executive VP and director of corporate strategy of Prosperity and Prosperity Bank. Scott Almy, Tom Swiley, Chuck Eikenberg and Aaron Shelby will hold senior management positions at Prosperity Bank. In addition, upon completion of the merger, Kevin Hanigan, Bruce Hunt, and George Fisk, directors of LegacyTexas, will join the board of Prosperity and Mays Davenport will join the board of Prosperity Bank. The merger has been unanimously approved by the board of Prosperity and unanimously approved by the independent directors of LegacyTexas and is expected to close during Q4, although delays could occur. The transaction is subject to certain conditions, including the approval by LegacyTexas stockholders and Prosperity shareholders and customary regulatory approvals.

06:35 EDT Air Lease announces lease placement of new Boeing 787-9 with LOT Polish Airlines - Air Lease (AL) announced a long-term lease agreement for one new Boeing (BA) 787-9 aircraft with LOT Polish Airlines. This 787-9 is scheduled to deliver to the airline in Spring 2020 from ALC's order book with Boeing.

06:31 EDT Ares Management to sell NVA to JAB investors, terms not disclosed - Ares Management and JAB Investors announced that a fund managed by the Private Equity Group of Ares and its minority partner, OMERS Private Equity, have signed a definitive agreement to sell National Veterinary Associates, one of the largest veterinary and pet care services organizations in the world, to JAB Investors. NVA's senior management team, including CEO Greg Hartmann, will maintain a significant minority ownership and will continue to lead the business with their deep and personal commitment to the profession. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

06:22 EDT Stratasys expands partnership with Boom Supersonic - Stratasys announced it is deepening its partnership with Boom Supersonic - the Colorado-based company building history's fastest supersonic airliner. In signing a seven-year agreement extension, the companies are further accelerating adoption of additive manufacturing for 3D-printed flight hardware.

06:18 EDT The9 signs share purchase agreement with Comtec - The9 Limited announced that The9 and its wholly-owned subsidiary have signed a share purchase agreement with Comtec Windpark Renewable (Holdings) Co Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Comtec Solar Systems Group Limited. Pursuant to the share purchase agreement, The9 will issue 3,444,882 Class A ordinary shares to purchase 9.9% of equity in Zhejiang Kexin Power System Design and Research Company, a lithium battery management system and power storage system supplier. The9 believes that this investment will further enhance its ability to develop new energy and Internet electric vehicle ecosystem. As one of our independent directors, Chau Kwok Keung, is an executive director, the CFO and the company secretary of Comtec Group, this transaction between Comtec and the company constitutes a related party transaction and has been independently reviewed and recommended by the company's audit committee and approved by the board of directors.

06:15 EDT Eldorado Resorts confirms sale of three properties for $385M in cash - Eldorado Resorts (ERI) announced that it entered into definitive agreements to sell Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort in New Cumberland, WV; Isle Casino Cape Girardeau in Cape Girardeau, MO; and Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville in Caruthersville, MO, for aggregate consideration of $385M in cash. Pursuant to the terms of the agreements, Century Casinos (CNTY) will acquire the operating assets of the three properties for approximately $107M, subject to a customary working capital adjustment, and VICI Properties (VICI) will acquire the land and real estate assets of the three properties for approximately $278M. The transactions are subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions and are expected to close in early 2020.

06:13 EDT VBI Vaccines: Phase 3 study of Sci-B-Vac met both of its co-primary endpoints - VBI Vaccines announced positive top-line results from the randomized, double-blind, pivotal Phase 3 study, PROTECT, designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 10 microg dose of Sci-B-Vac, the company's trivalent hepatitis B vaccine, compared with a 20 microg dose of the comparator vaccine, Engerix-B. The study, which enrolled a total of 1,607 adults, of which approximately 80% were age greater than or equal to 45 years, met both of its co-primary endpoints.

06:08 EDT Calithera Biosciences reports 'positive' results from Phase 2 ENTRATA study - Calithera Biosciences announced positive results from its randomized placebo-controlled Phase 2 ENTRATA study of telaglenastat in combination with everolimus in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. The combination doubled the median progression-free survival in heavily pre-treated patients with advanced RCC and had a well-tolerated safety profile. Telaglenastat is the first glutaminase inhibitor to demonstrate clinical activity for the treatment of cancer. "The achievement of positive topline results in our first randomized trial is a significant milestone for Calithera because it provides clinical proof of concept for telaglenastat," said Susan Molineaux, PhD, president and CEO of Calithera. "This study demonstrates a clinically meaningful improvement in progression free survival in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma who have been treated with many prior lines of therapy, including immunotherapy and multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We look forward to the outcome of the ongoing CANTATA trial of telaglenastat in combination with cabozantinib for patients with advanced clear cell RCC."

06:05 EDT Continental Materials acquires InOvate Dryer Products, terms not disclosed - Continental Materials announces the acquisition of InOvate Dryer Products, based in Jupiter, Florida. InOvate is a leading manufacturer of premium, metal, dryer venting accessories used in residential home construction.

06:03 EDT VICI Properties, Century Casinos to acquire properties from Eldorado Resorts - VICI Properties (VICI) announced it has, together with Century Casinos (CNTY, entered into definitive agreements to acquire Isle Casino Cape Girardeau in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville in Caruthersville, Missouri, and Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort in New Cumberland, West Virginia, from Eldorado Resorts (ERI) for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $385M in cash. Pursuant to the agreements, VICI Properties will acquire the land and real estate assets of the properties for approximately $278M, and Century will acquire the operating assets of the properties for approximately $107M. Simultaneous with the closing of this transaction, the company will enter into a triple-net master lease agreement with Century related to the assets. The master lease will have an initial total annual rent of $25M, for an implied capitalization rate of 9.0%, and an initial term of 15 years, with four 5-year tenant renewal options. The rent coverage ratio in the first year after closing is expected to be approximately 2.1x and the tenants' obligations under the master lease will be guaranteed by Century. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and is expected to close in early 2020. The acquisition is expected to be accretive immediately upon closing and the company intends to fund the acquisition on a leverage neutral basis through a combination of cash on hand and long-term debt financing.