Stockwinners Market Radar for July 09, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:11 EDT Pharvaris presents clinical data on Oral PHA121 at EEACI Annual Congress - Pharvaris announced the presentation of clinical data supporting the multiple-dose safety and pharmacokinetic profile of PHA121 for the treatment of hereditary angioedema at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Annual Congress 2021, being held virtually from July 10-16, 2021. The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multiple ascending dose study included 38 male and female healthy volunteers. PHA121 was orally administered after standardized meals twice daily for 10 days in four sequential dosing cohorts, ranging from 12 to 50 mg, with safety and PK assessments during treatment and follow-up for 72 hours after the last dose. PHA121 was well-tolerated up to the highest dose of 50 mg BID. All reported treatment-emergent adverse events were mild in intensity and resolved completely. The total incidence and type of AEs was comparable between active and placebo groups. The data also show that PHA121 was well absorbed with median times to reach peak plasma levels within 1.00 to 1.75 hours after dosing with standard meals. On both Day 1 and Day 10, plasma exposure of PHA121 increased approximately dose-proportionally over the dose range from 12 to 50 mg with a mean half-life ranging from 4.8 to 7.3 hours after Day 10. At steady state, which was generally reached within three days of treatment, plasma levels of PHA121 remained consistently above the therapeutic threshold EC85 for all doses.

17:17 EDT FREYR Battery, Alussa Energy Acquisition complete business combination - FREYR (FREYR) and Alussa Energy Acquisition (ALUS) announced the completion of their previously announced business combination. The business combination, which is now effective, was approved at the special meeting of shareholders of Alussa Energy on June 30. The combined company now operates as FREYR Battery with its common stock and warrants trading on the NYSE. Alussa Energy's public units separated into their component securities upon consummation of the business combination and, as a result, no longer trade as a separate security and are being delisted by the NYSE. After redemptions and prior to payment of transaction expenses, FREYR is expected to receive approximately $704M in gross proceeds from the business combination. This includes $600M in gross proceeds from the issuance of a fully committed Private Investment in Public Equity, or PIPE, transaction.

16:43 EDT Crestwood Equity, Consolidated Edison close Stagecoach subsidiaries divestiture - Crestwood Equity (CEQP) and Consolidated Edison (ED) announced the successful divestiture of the subsidiaries of Stagecoach Gas Services, with the exception of Twin Tier Pipeline, to a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan (KMI) for $1.2B. The cash proceeds from the divestiture were shared between Crestwood and Con Edison in line with each member's 50% ownership interest in the joint venture. The closing of the remainder of the transaction, which consists of the Twin Tier Pipeline, for an additional $30M, is subject to New York state regulatory approval and is expected to close during Q1 of 2022. Located in New York and Pennsylvania, Stagecoach consists of four natural gas storage facilities with a combined storage capacity of approximately 41 Bcf and three natural gas pipelines with a combined delivery capacity of approximately 3 Bcf per day.

16:16 EDT L Brands board approves separation of Victoria's Secret - L Brands announced that its Board of Directors has approved the previously announced separation of the Victoria's Secret business into an independent, publicly traded company. The new company, named Victoria's Secret & Co., will include Victoria's Secret Lingerie, PINK and Victoria's Secret Beauty. In addition, the Board approved a name change from L Brands, Inc. to Bath & Body Works, Inc. L Brands' stock symbol will also change from "LB" to "BBWI." The Name Change is expected to become effective on August 2, 2021, in connection with the separation. L Brands' common stock is expected to start trading under the new stock symbol on August 3, 2021. The separation will be achieved through the distribution of 100 percent of the shares of Victoria's Secret to holders of L Brands common stock. L Brands stockholders entitled to receive the distribution will receive a book-entry account statement or a credit to their brokerage account reflecting their ownership of Victoria's Secret common stock. No action is required by L Brands stockholders to receive Victoria's Secret shares in the distribution.

15:20 EDT Ortho Clinical Diagnostics announces FDA EUA for COVID-19 IgG antibody test - Ortho Clinical Diagnostics announced its VITROS Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Quantitative Test as "the first quantitative COVID-19 IgG antibody test" to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization. "The development of the VITROS Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Quantitative Test shows Ortho's leadership in response to the need for standardization of SARS-CoV-2 serological methods currently used. Ortho's quantitative COVID-19 IgG antibody test, which targets the spike protein, is an important tool to help health care and policy teams to understand long-term antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2," said Ivan Salgo, MD, head of medical, clinical, and scientific affairs at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics.

14:51 EDT CD Projekt says 'Witcher 3' next-generation update coming this year - CD Projekt (OTGLY) said that the next-generation update to its 2015 game "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" is coming this year to PlayStation 5 (SONY), Xbox Series X/S (MSFT), and PC. The company added that it is preparing some free downloadable content inspired by the Netflix (NFLX) show based on "The Witcher." Reference Link

14:22 EDT Pitney Bowes gains after Stamps.com agrees to takeover with big premium - Shares of Pitney Bowes (PBI), which provides domestic parcel services and offers mail sortation services, and provides physical and digital mailing and shipping technology solutions, are up $1.47, or 18%, to $9.68 in afternoon trading after it was announced this morning that Stamps.com (STMP) has agreed to be acquired by Thoma Bravo in an all-cash transaction that values Stamps.com at approximately $6.6B, or $330.00 per share, a premium of 67% over the company's closing share price on July 8.

14:12 EDT Seagen, Astellas say FDA grants regular approval for PADCEV in U.S. - Seagen (SGEN) and Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted PADCEV regular approval in the U.S., in addition to approving a new indication for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who are ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy and have previously received one or more prior lines of therapy. Cisplatin-ineligible patients typically have limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. In 2019, the FDA granted accelerated approval for PADCEV for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who have previously received a PD-1/L1 inhibitor and a platinum-containing chemotherapy before or after surgery, or in a locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer setting. The conversion from accelerated approval to regular approval and the label expansion were based on two supplemental Biologics License Applications reviewed under the Real-Time Oncology Review pilot program.

13:39 EDT Lucira Health trading resumes

13:34 EDT Lucira Health trading halted, volatility trading pause

13:16 EDT DraftKings, MLB expand relationship to include live game streaming and betting - Major League Baseball and DraftKings announced a strategic sportsbook expansion and an extension of its existing Daily Fantasy Sports and sports betting relationship which will include expanded promotional rights and content inclusive of the sports betting category. "Among the key components of the expanded relationship are rights to an innovative 'Bet & Watch' streaming integration where fans with open and active MLB.com and DraftKings accounts will be able to watch a free, live MLB game within the DraftKings app. In addition, DraftKings and MLB plan to collaborate on future sports betting-themed game broadcast experiences that will live within the MLB.TV product. DraftKings is now a co-exclusive Official Sports Betting Partner of MLB, joining BetMGM. As part of the expanded relationship, DraftKings remains the exclusive Official Daily Fantasy Sports partner of Major League Baseball," the league and company stated.

13:03 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 4 to 479 rigs - Baker Hughes reports that the U.S. rig count is up 4 from last week to 479 with oil rigs up 2 to 378, gas rigs up 2 to 101, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 0. The U.S. Rig Count is up 221 rigs from last year's count of 258, with oil rigs up 197 gas rigs up 26 and miscellaneous rigs down 2. The U.S. Offshore Rig Count is up 3 to 17, up 5 year-over-year. The Canada Rig Count is up 1 from last week to 137, with oil rigs up 1 to 88, gas rigs up 1 to 48 and miscellanous rigs down 1 to 1. The Canada Rig Count is up 111 rigs from last year's count of 26, with oil rigs up 82, gas rigs up 28 and miscellanous rig up 1.

13:02 EDT Disney says 'Black Widow' earned $13.2M in Thursday night preview - Disney announced that Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" set a Thursday night preview record for the year and for any film since the start of the pandemic with $13.2M in sales. It opens in over 4,100 theaters across the U.S. and Canada today. Black Widow began its international rollout on Wednesday in nearly a dozen material markets including the U.K., France, and Italy, expanding to 30 more yesterday and earning $22.4M in its first two days of release, Disney added.

12:55 EDT Biogen drops 3% after STAT says FDA head asked for approval probe

12:10 EDT Ranger Energy Services Inc (Class A Stock) trading resumes

12:00 EDT Atento falls -6.6% - Atento is down -6.6%, or -$1.83 to $26.07.

12:00 EDT Ranger Energy rises 11.4% - Ranger Energy is up 11.4%, or 99c to $9.71.

12:00 EDT Zhangmen Education rises 11.7% - Zhangmen Education is up 11.7%, or $1.19 to $11.35.

11:26 EDT Ranger Energy Services Inc (Class A Stock) trading halted, news pending

11:08 EDT News Corp shuts down Knewz aggregator after 18 months - News Corp has shut down its aggregation site Knewz after just 18 months. According to the Knewz site, "Knewz is no more." It added: "We started Knewz as an experiment in news aggregation because we wanted to gather a diverse range of quality journalism, to highlight of all sides of every story and to protect and project provenance. We certainly had provenance, but not profits, and so we bid Knewz farewell. Thank you to the millions of Knewz users who saw the value of the service and supported our mission." Reference Link

11:02 EDT Alliant Energy begins construction on solar projects in Wisconsin - With approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on its first filing for 675 megawatts of solar, Alliant Energy begins construction on solar projects in Richland, Wood and Rock counties. The projects are included in the company's Clean Energy Blueprint, a plan for cost-effectively accelerating its transition to renewable energy while reducing carbon emissions. Alliant Energy is contracting with Burns & McDonnell to construct the Bear Creek, North Rock and Wood County projects, which will be built using union craft labor. Ranger Power will build out the Onion River and Crawfish River projects, beginning this fall. The Grant County project will be constructed by NextEra Energy Resources, beginning in spring 2022. All six projects were announced by Alliant Energy in May 2020.

10:50 EDT Ortho Clinical Covid test granted Emergency Use Authorization by FDA - The FDA, in a letter dated today, granted Ortho Clinical Diagnostics an an Emergency Use Authorization for its Vitros Immunodiagnostic Products Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Quantitative Reagent Pack used in combination with the VITROS Immunodiagnostic Products Anti- SARS-CoV-2 IgG Quantitative Calibrator. The devise is used as an aid in identifying individuals with an adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2, indicating recent or prior infection. Reference Link

10:22 EDT China regulator requests removal of 25 apps, including 'Didi Enterprise Edition' - A translation of a notice posted by the Cyberspace Administration of China states: "According to the report, after testing and verification, 25 apps such as 'Didi Enterprise Edition' have serious violations of laws and regulations in collecting and using personal information. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Cybersecurity Law of the People's Republic of China, the State Internet Information Office notified the app store to remove the above 25 apps, and required relevant operators to strictly follow the legal requirements and refer to the relevant national standards to seriously correct the existing problems and effectively protect the majority of users. Personal information security. No website or platform shall provide access and download services for the above 25 apps that have been removed from the app store, such as 'Didi Travel' and 'Didi Enterprise Edition'." Reference Link

10:00 EDT Direxion Financial Bear 3x falls -5.4% - Direxion Financial Bear 3x is down -5.4%, or -$1.56 to $27.58.

10:00 EDT Pitney Bowes rises 10.4% - Pitney Bowes is up 10.4%, or 85c to $9.06.

10:00 EDT Zhangmen Education rises 13.8% - Zhangmen Education is up 13.8%, or $1.40 to $11.56.

09:47 EDT AMTD International falls -3.3% - AMTD International is down -3.3%, or -21c to $6.13.

09:47 EDT Direxion Financial Bear 3x falls -4.1% - Direxion Financial Bear 3x is down -4.1%, or -$1.19 to $27.95.

09:47 EDT Tuya rises 8.1% - Tuya is up 8.1%, or $1.51 to $20.16.

09:38 EDT Ensysce Biosciences Inc trading resumes

09:27 EDT MDC Partners, Stagwell reach agreement on amended transaction for combination - MDC Partners announced that the Special Committee of MDC's Board of Directors has completed its evaluation of the revised offer from Stagwell Media and reached an agreement on amended terms for the business combination of the Company and certain operating businesses of Stagwell. The Amendment, which took into account input and feedback from MDC shareholders and reflects extensive negotiations between the MDC Special Committee and Stagwell, provides for a decrease in the share consideration that Stagwell will receive in the Transaction to equity interests equivalent to 180M common shares, a reduction of approximately 36M common shares from the 216.25M common shares agreed to in the transaction agreement entered into on December 21, 2020. Based on this change in share consideration, on a pro forma basis, the existing MDC common shareholders would own approximately 31% of the common equity of the combined company immediately following the closing of the Transaction. MDC and Stagwell have also agreed to additional governance enhancements, including to provide that seven of the nine members of the Board of Directors of the Combined Company will be independent directors and two out of three of the members of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee will be continuing independent directors of the Company.

09:10 EDT Jupiter Wellness enters license agreement for Photocil with Applied Biology - Jupiter Wellness announced it has entered into an exclusive agreement to license Photocil, a novel patented topical cream that provides clinically-proven relief for Psoriasis, Vitiligo and Atopic Dermatitis. The agreement signed with the Applied Biology whereby Jupiter Wellness is the exclusive licensee for Photocil in the United States. Under the terms of the agreement, Jupiter Wellness has use of the copyrights, patents, technology, know-how, trademarks and trade-secrets of AB related to the use of Photocil. Jupiter Wellness has the exclusive right to use the IP solely in connection with the manufacture, marketing, advertising, promotion and distribution of Photocil for the treatment of skin conditions including Psoriasis and Vitiligo.

09:05 EDT Galaxy Gaming installs Perfect Pairs in Aspers casino in the UK - Galaxy Gaming announced that they have installed the first Perfect Pairs live gaming dual progressive jackpots across 11 tables with Aspers Westfield, Stratford. Galaxy Gaming delivered this new progressive as part of their partnership agreement with John Wicks, creator of Perfect Pairs, to exclusively provide a Perfect Pairs live gaming progressive jackpot on land-based table games in the United Kingdom.

09:03 EDT CMC Materials says initial ruling finds Dupont infringes on CMC's patent rights - CMC Materials (CCMP) announced a ruling in litigation related to the company's intellectual property. The litigation against DuPont de Nemours (DD) and several DuPont subsidiaries involves DuPont's importation, sale, and marketing in the United States of certain chemical mechanical planarization slurries and components thereof, including acidic slurries for polishing dielectrics, which have now been found to infringe a patent owned by CMC that is fundamental to advanced dielectric CMP slurries. More specifically, an Administrative Law Judge at the United States International Trade Commission has issued an initial determination and found that DuPont infringes CMC's patent rights and has violated United States trade laws in importing infringing slurry products and components into the United States. The findings of the Administrative Law Judge will now be reviewed by the International Trade Commission. If the findings are confirmed, United States Customs and Border Protection will prohibit from importation into the United States DuPont's infringing slurry products and components thereof.

08:59 EDT UK CMA may investigate Motorola Solutions' Airwave network - Yesterday, the UK Competition and Markets Authority announced a consultation on whether to launch a market investigation into the mobile radio network for the police and emergency services, or Motorola's Airwave network. The CMA stated in part: "Motorola Solutions, Inc. won one of the key contracts for the delivery of ESN in 2015 and purchased Airwave Solutions Limited, the owner and operator of the Airwave network, in 2016. In the last 2 years, there have been increasing concerns about the delays to the roll-out of ESN and costs to the British taxpayer of the continuing operation of the Airwave network. It is now expected that the Airwave network will continue until the end of 2026... This has resulted in significant detriment for customers, as evidenced by the persistently high and increasing returns achieved by Motorola in the 4-5 years to 2019. The harm in this market and the burden of any excess profits made by Motorola ultimately falls to the British taxpayer. This customer detriment will also continue for as long as the Airwave network remains in place; end of 2026 is the latest expected shut down date and our calculations suggest that a further GBP 1.2B in excess profits may be expected to be extracted by Motorola from 2020 to 2026. For the reasons above, we are now proposing to launch a market investigation reference relating to the Airwave network and are consulting accordingly." Reference Link

08:43 EDT Pfizer, BioNTech seek third shot authorization after 'encouraging' data - Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) last night provided an update on their booster strategy. They said in part, "Pfizer and BioNTech have seen encouraging data in the ongoing booster trial of a third dose of the current BNT162b2 vaccine. Initial data from the study demonstrate that a booster dose given 6 months after the second dose has a consistent tolerability profile while eliciting high neutralization titers against the wild type and the Beta variant, which are 5 to 10 times higher than after two primary doses. The companies expect to publish more definitive data soon as well as in a peer-reviewed journal and plan to submit the data to the FDA, EMA and other regulatory authorities in the coming weeks...The companies anticipate that a third dose will boost those antibody titers even higher, similar to how the third dose performs for the Beta variant (B.1.351). Pfizer and BioNTech are conducting preclinical and clinical tests to confirm this hypothesis. While Pfizer and BioNTech believe a third dose of BNT162b2 has the potential to preserve the highest levels of protective efficacy against all currently known variants including Delta, the companies are remaining vigilant and are developing an updated version of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that targets the full spike protein of the Delta variant. The first batch of the mRNA for the trial has already been manufactured. The Companies anticipate the clinical studies to begin in August, subject to regulatory approvals...Based on the totality of the data they have to date, Pfizer and BioNTech believe that a third dose may be beneficial to maintain the highest levels of protection."

08:40 EDT CDC, FDA say fully vaccinated Americans don't need booster shot 'at this time' - The CDC and FDA on July 8 issued the following joint statement on vaccine boosters: "The United States is fortunate to have highly effective vaccines that are widely available for those aged 12 and up. People who are fully vaccinated are protected from severe disease and death, including from the variants currently circulating in the country such as Delta. People who are not vaccinated remain at risk. Virtually all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are among those who are unvaccinated. We encourage Americans who have not yet been vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their community. Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time. FDA, CDC, and NIH are engaged in a science-based, rigorous process to consider whether or when a booster might be necessary. This process takes into account laboratory data, clinical trial data, and cohort data - which can include data from specific pharmaceutical companies, but does not rely on those data exclusively. We continue to review any new data as it becomes available and will keep the public informed. We are prepared for booster doses if and when the science demonstrates that they are needed." The FDA has authorized COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer (PFE)/BioNTech (BNTX), Moderna (MRNA) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) for use. Reference Link

08:34 EDT Brooge Energy signs agreement with oil trader to produce low sulphur fuel oil - Brooge Energy announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Brooge Petroleum and Gas Investment Company FZE, has signed a Refinery Agreement with an oil trading company for a 25,000 barrel per day modular refinery. BPGIC will sublease land to the oil trading company, which will be responsible for constructing the refinery including bearing the full cost of construction. When construction is complete, BPGIC will be responsible for operating the refinery, earning revenue from tolling fees on a take-or-pay basis. The agreement between BPGIC and the oil trading company includes a tolling contract for a tenure of 20 years, consisting of a five-year contract to commence upon completion of the construction of the refinery, and three renewal periods of five years each.

08:32 EDT HC2 Holdings to change name to INNOVATE Corp. - HC2 Holdings announced that it will change its name to INNOVATE Corp. The name change is expected to become effective by the end of the third quarter of 2021. INNOVATE Corp. comprises three distinct business segments each positioned to capitalize on changing industry dynamics and deliver meaningful value for all stakeholders. DBM Global, INNOVATE's infrastructure segment, is one of the leading steel fabrication and erection companies in the United States. DBM Global is a highly efficient and collaborative portfolio of companies providing better designs, efficient construction and superior asset management solutions. In May 2021, DBM Global acquired Banker Steel, expanding DBM's footprint nationwide and further strengthening its position as a preeminent infrastructure company. Pansend Life Sciences is invested in R2 Technologies, which recently launched its first product using its revolutionary CryoAesthetic skin lightening and brightening technology in the $22 billion aesthetic dermatology market. Pansend is also invested in MediBeacon, which is developing the first real-time monitoring solution for kidney function. MediBeacon's proprietary technology has received breakthrough device designation from the Food and Drug Administration. HC2 Broadcasting Holdings, Inc., INNOVATE's spectrum segment, is the largest over-the-air distribution platform in the U.S. operating approximately 230 broadcast stations in over 90 U.S. TV markets and Puerto Rico, including 34 of the top 35 markets. With a focus on delivering a highly flexible and scalable platform to high-quality content providers, HC2 Broadcasting is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the growing base of OTA households in the U.S. as the cable cord-cutting trend continues and home entertainment evolves. As part of the name change, the Company will roll out a new corporate brand identity and website in the third quarter of 2021, at which point the Company's shares will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under a new trading symbol. The effective date for the name and trading symbol change will be announced at a later date. Until that time, the Company will continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under its present symbol, HCHC.

08:31 EDT United Airlines adds 150 flights to warm-weather cities this winter - United Airlines is expecting the resurgence to continue for winter holiday travel and is planning ahead by increasing service to cities in the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. The airline will add nearly 150 flights to warm-weather destinations across the U.S and is increasing service to Latin beach and leisure markets by 30% compared to 2019. The airline will fly 137 more flights than it did in 2019 to places like Florida, California, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada starting this November through next March. "Celebrating the holidays with family and loved ones in 2020 was a challenge, and we know our customers are already eager to plan winter vacations and gatherings in person this year to make up for time that they lost," said Ankit Gupta, vice president of network planning at United. "As pandemic restrictions ease, people are becoming more confident in planning travel further in advance, so we want to make sure to offer our customers as much choice as possible."

08:19 EDT CannMart signs master distribution agreement with Rapid Dose Therapeutics - Namaste Technologies announced that its subsidiary, CannMart Inc. has signed a Master Distribution Agreement with Rapid Dose Therapeutics. As part of this agreement and subject to certain criteria, CannMart will be the exclusive distributor of their innovative RDT branded products across Canada including: QuickStrip, a 10 mg THC sublingual oral dissolving strip, infused with cannabis that is delivered quickly into the bloodstream bypassing first-pass metabolism resulting in rapid onset of the active ingredient and; QuickSips, a 10 mg THC lined drinking straw that is 100% biodegradable made from sugarcane fibres which is easily used in hot or cold beverages lined with a precise dose that dissolves quickly and is taken up with your beverage in a few sips. CannMart is pleased to announce that it has received its first purchase orders from the provinces of Manitoba, and Saskatechewan for its 2.0 consumer-focused, recreational house brand "Roilty" Concentrates.

08:17 EDT Sigilon Therapeutics falls over 20% after FDA hold on SIG-001 phase 1/2 study - Shares of Sigilon Therapeutics are down 24.2% at $7.00 per share in pre-market trading following resumption of trade and after the FDA placed a clinical hold on the company's SIG-001 phase 1/2 study.

08:16 EDT MediWound announces publication on EscharEx Phase 2 trial - MediWound announced that a peer-reviewed publication, detailing the results of a phase 2 randomized control trial of its wound debriding product candidate EscharEx, has been published in the Wound Repair and Regeneration Journal. An interim assessment of EscharEx's U.S. phase 2 adaptive design study for the treatment of venous leg ulcers is expected by end of July 2021. The paper, entitled Bromelain-based enzymatic debridement of chronic wounds: Results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial, summarizes the results of a phase 2 assessor blinded study of EscharEx for the debridement of chronic and hard-to-heal wounds. The study, conducted at 15 clinical sites in Israel and Europe, evaluated the safety and efficacy of EscharEx compared with a hydrogel vehicle in a variety of chronic and hard-to-heal wounds. Seventy-three patients suffering from lower extremity ulcers, such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous legs ulcers, and post-surgical or traumatic hard-to-heal wounds, were enrolled in this trial. Patients were randomized to topical treatment by either EscharEx or its gel vehicle for up to 10 daily 4-hour applications, and then continued follow-up for up to 6 months. The EscharEx arm achieved a significantly higher incidence of complete debridement compared to the gel vehicle arm, thus meeting the primary endpoint of this study. The EscharEx and gel vehicle arms achieved similar reductions in wound area, non-viable tissue area, and wound healing scores during the debridement period. There were no significant differences between the arms in the incidence of complete wound closure and in the mean time to complete wound closure, and no significant safety issues were observed.

08:14 EDT Qilian International enters investment agreement with CJT - Qilian International Holding Group announced that the Company, through its PRC subsidiary Chengdu Qilianshan Biotechnology Co., Ltd., has entered into an investment agreement with Chongqing Jin Tong Industrial Construction Investment on July 5, 2021, for the construction of a pig by-product processing facility in Chongqing. The Project is designed to cover an area of about 50 mu, with a total investment of RMB540 million and is expected to reach a target annual production capacity of 10 tons of heparin sodium preparations within three years, the value of which being more than RMB500 million. The Project is expected to receive preferential policies from the government at the national, municipal and local levels.

08:10 EDT Siyata Mobile announces revocation of cease trade order - Siyata Mobile announces that the cease trade order instituted by the British Columbia Securities Commission on April 8, 2021, has been revoked as of Thursday, July 8, 2021. The cease trade order was instituted as a result of the Company failing to file certain financial and annual documents required under Canadian securities laws by the applicable deadline. All such filings have since been made, and as a result the cease trade order is no longer in effect.

08:08 EDT Galectin Therapeutics announces results from Phase 1b trial extension - Galectin Therapeuticsand the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, a division of the Providence Cancer Institute, announced top-line clinical data from the extension cohort of an investigator-initiated Phase 1b clinical trial of Belapectin, a galectin-3 inhibitor, in combination with KEYTRUDA in patients with metastatic melanoma and head and neck cancer. The study is conducted under the direction of Dr. Brendan D. Curti, M.D., a renowned cancer and melanoma expert. The extension study enrolled nine melanoma patients and five head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cancer patients. Compared to the initial phase 1b patients, reported earlier, the cohort in this extension study was heavily pretreated with systemic therapy, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors and cytokines, melanoma mutation-directed therapies, as well as surgery and radiation therapies. Patients also had a high burden of metastasis, with the lungs, soft tissues, and the liver being the most frequently involved organs. Four of the nine melanoma patients had a choroidal tumor as a primary site of their cancer and had also developed liver metastasis. The treatment consisted of Belapectin 4 mg/Kg of lean body mass administered every three weeks by infusion, after the infusion of pembrolizumab. Pembrolizumab was administered according to its label. Patients' response was evaluated at day 85, according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors criteria. The median number of treatment cycles was four for melanoma patients and five for head and neck cancer patients. Melanoma patient results included one partial response, four stable disease, and four progressive disease, providing a disease control rate of 56%. Head and neck cancer patients observed included two stable disease and three progressive disease, providing a disease control rate of 40%. The combination of Belapectin and pembrolizumab was well tolerated and appeared safe. The most frequent adverse event related to pembrolizumab, in six patients, was grade 1 pruritus, a known and labeled side-effect of pembrolizumab. The second most frequent adverse event related to pembrolizumab was grade 2 fatigue in three patients. All other adverse events were mild. There were no grade 3 or above adverse events. Similar to the initial phase 1 study results, the frequency and severity of toxicities related to pembrolizumab, notably immune-mediated adverse events, was less than anticipated. No adverse event was deemed related to belapectin.

08:06 EDT Global Blood Therapeutics announces employment inducement grants - Global Blood Therapeutics announced that on July 1, 2021, the compensation committee of GBT's board of directors granted 23 new employees options to purchase an aggregate of 9,600 shares of the company's common stock with a per share exercise price of $37.34 and restricted stock units for an aggregate of 94,320 shares of the company's common stock. These awards were made under GBT's Amended and Restated 2017 Inducement Equity Plan. The above-described awards were each granted as an inducement material to the employees entering into employment with the company in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), and were granted pursuant to the terms of the Plan. The Plan was adopted by GBT's board of directors in January 2017 and has been amended and restated from time to time.

08:04 EDT Clear Secure, State of Hawaii partner to expand safe travels program - CLEAR and the State of Hawaii have partnered to expand the use of CLEAR's Health Pass technology for COVID-19 test screening and vaccine verification of all Hawaii-bound travelers through the Hawaii Safe Travels program. Starting on July 9th, passengers over the age of 18 from every U.S. mainland airport and on any airline may utilize CLEAR's Health Pass as part of the Hawaii Safe Travels testing and vaccine requirements for arrival in all airports in Hawaii. Using the free CLEAR mobile app and Health Pass feature, travelers can add their negative COVID-19 test result or vaccine verification to their Health Pass. "We are excited to expand our partnership with Hawaii and its Safe Travels program," said CLEAR CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker. " CLEAR's mission is to provide people with safe and frictionless experiences, and with this new expansion, showing proof of vaccination and enjoying the Aloha state just got much easier."

08:03 EDT Genetic Technologies announces updates on Predictive Panel Risk Test - Genetic Technologies announced updates on the development of its Predictive Panel Risk Test designed to cover six different cancers including breast and colorectal cancer, prostate and ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and melanoma.Key Highlights: Predictive Panel Risk Test to cover six common cancers which account for ~70% of annual morbidities. Leverages foundational IP - Methods for Genetic Analysis. New advances in Prostate Cancer and Melanoma tests may enhance predictive capabilities. Integrates cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and germline testing in future iterations of the test. The new device that will accompany this test has been designed and approved by the TGA, FDA and Europe for use in multiple jurisdictions. In discussion with Global distribution partners. The Predictive Risk Test combines clinical patient information with genetic information to maximize test accuracy, leveraging the Company's foundational IP to enable the best health risk assessment test available. Recent advances in our prostate cancer and melanoma tests have identified informative polygenic risk scores that could enhance predictability with the Company intending to release the results by the end of the calendar year. The polygenic risk components of the breast cancer and colorectal cancer GeneType tests have also been improved via updated genetic risk factors. Genetic Technologies plans to incorporate new clinical risk models into the polygenic tests which are currently under development and undergoing validation in large-scale cohort studies. Polygenic risk scores for ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer are in late stage development with product launch scheduled for this current calendar year. The overall strategy for the Company's Predictive Risk Test is focused on precise risk assessments for the most common preventable diseases. Future iterations of the test will include cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes along with the Company's germline hereditary cancer testing products which are currently under development. The addition of the germline hereditary testing panel will be incorporated into the GeneType Predictive Risk Test this year. When test development is completed, in addition to polygenic and clinical risk, physicians and patients will have their complete risk available for the leading cancer, cardiovascular and diabetes outcomes. Program rollout is focused on major cancers which are reimbursable for germline testing, both in Australia and the US. With the addition of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes, the test will cover up to 70% of chronic disease morbidity, with the potential to have a significant impact on patients and physicians through targeted screening and disease prevention to allow for behavior modification and early prophylactic interventions. As a group, the diseases covered by the Predictive Risk Test account for approximately 30% of annual mortality.

08:00 EDT Sigilon Therapeutics Inc trading resumes

07:59 EDT Dirtt Environmental appoints Todd Lillibridge as board chair - DIRTT Environmental Solutions announced that the Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Todd Lillibridge as Chair of the Board of DIRTT, succeeding Steven Parry who plans to retire from the Board next May in connection with the Company's 2022 annual meeting of shareholders. Following the 2022 annual meeting, the DIRTT Board is anticipated to be comprised of seven directors, including the Board Chair. As part of these changes, director Diana Rhoten has succeeded Todd Lillibridge as Chair of the Company's Compensation Committee.

07:40 EDT Sigilon Therapeutics to resume trading at 08:00EST

07:36 EDT AST SpaceMobile opens UK headquarters - AST SpaceMobile announced the opening of its UK headquarters.

07:35 EDT Verrica Pharmaceuticals appoints Terry Kohler as CFO - Verrica Pharmaceuticals (VRCA) announced the appointment of Terry Kohler as CFO. Kohler is replacing Brian Davis, who is leaving Verrica to pursue other opportunities. Prior to joining Verrica, Mr. Kohler served as Vice President, Corporate Development and Treasurer and Vice President, U.S. Branded and Specialty Pharmaceuticals at Endo International (ENDP), a publicly traded global specialty pharmaceutical company focused on branded, sterile and generic pharmaceuticals.

07:33 EDT Stamps.com to be acquired by Thoma Bravo for $330.00 per share in cash - Stamps.com announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Thoma Bravo in an all-cash transaction that values Stamps.com at approximately $6.6B. Under the terms of the agreement, Stamps.com stockholders will receive $330.00 per share in cash representing a premium of 67% over the company's closing share price on July 8, the last full trading day prior to the transaction announcement. Upon completion of the transaction, Stamps.com will become a private company with the flexibility and resources to continue to provide e-commerce technology solutions. Stamps.com's board has unanimously approved the agreement with Thoma Bravo and recommends that Stamps.com stockholders vote in favor of the transaction at the special meeting of stockholders to be called in connection with the transaction. The agreement includes a 40-day "go-shop" period expiring August 18, which allows the board and its advisors to actively initiate, solicit and consider alternative acquisition proposals from third parties. The board will have the right to terminate the merger agreement to enter into a superior proposal subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement. There can be no assurance that this "go-shop" will result in a superior proposal, and Stamps.com does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the solicitation process unless and until it determines such disclosure is appropriate or otherwise required. The transaction is expected to close in Q3, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Stamps.com stockholders and receipt of regulatory approvals. Upon closing of the transaction, the company's common stock will no longer be listed on any public market. The company will continue to be headquartered in El Segundo, California.

07:32 EDT PLBY Group, SuperRare collaborate for NFT art collection - Playboy announced its first curation collaboration with SuperRare, the Miami Beach Art Collection. The collection will go live today, July 9th. An expanded version of a digital exhibit previewed to thousands of Crypto enthusiasts at BTC 2021 Miami, the collection features original animated works by Ayla El-Moussa, REK0DE, Jon Noorlander and MBSJQ, and an original heritage photograph unearthed from the Playboy Archives, featuring a Playboy Bunny pictured water-skiing outside of the Miami Playboy Club in 1970. As an added bonus, the first collector of the heritage NFT will receive a framed limited-edition print, courtesy of the Playboy Archives. Playboy is now whitelisted on SuperRare's platform with the ability to curate and release ongoing collections.

07:31 EDT Stamps.com to be acquired by Thoma Bravo for $6.6B

07:27 EDT AIM ImmunoTech announces Phase 2a Human Challegene Trial of Ampligen - AIM ImmunoTech announced that it has signed a contract to sponsor a Phase 2a Human Challenge Trial to test the company's drug Ampligen as a potential intranasal antiviral therapy using a human Rhinovirus hRV and Influenza. This antiviral study will be conducted by hVIVO, a subsidiary of Open Orphan plc, a rapidly growing specialist pharmaceutical services clinical research organization and world leader in vaccine and antiviral testing using human challenge clinical trials. The trial is expected to commence in Q4 2021. A Phase 2a study could also establish Ampligen as a potential prophylaxis against future viral variants and future novel respiratory viruses for which there are no current therapies, as well as known viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. In an HCT, subjects are intentionally exposed to particular diseases to test how the diseases will respond to potential therapeutics. An HCT will allow AIM to expedite the development process for Ampligen by ensuring high infection rates for subjects who receive the drug, therefore also ensuring large data sets with potentially statistically significant results. This Phase 2a study will come in the wake of AIM's recent announcement that all subjects have completed treatment in the company's Phase 1 clinical study to assess the safety, tolerability and biological activity of Ampligen as a potential intranasal therapy. A total of 40 healthy subjects received either Ampligen or a placebo in the trial, with Ampligen given at four escalating dosages across four cohorts, to a maximum level of 1,250 micrograms. The study reported no Severe Adverse Events at any dosage level. A final study report is expect in the third quarter of 2021.

07:24 EDT Ford reports China Q2 sales down 3.6% year-over-year to 152,900 units - Ford Motor Company reported that it sold more than 306,700 vehicles in Greater China in the first half of 2021, up 24% year-over-year, despite "the challenge of the global semiconductor shortage, which impacted Ford sales in Greater China in the second quarter, with sales of approximately 152,900 units representing a decline of 3.6% year-over-year." Anning Chen, president and CEO, Ford China, said: "Ford is focused on offering the right mix of world-class vehicles and services to our customers in China and on continuing the momentum and growth of our business. In the second quarter, we revealed six new vehicles and outlined a strong and innovative electrification strategy. These actions - combined with our commitment to deliver always-on customer experiences - position us for success in the competitive Chinese auto market." Reference Link

07:08 EDT JinkoSolar announces cooperation agreement with Maersk Shipping - JinkoSolar Holding announced that its principal operating subsidiary Jinko Solar has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Maersk Shipping. The two companies will jointly conduct multi-dimensional cooperation based on existing end-to-end transportation agreements, and in-depth cooperation in digitalized logistics services. Kangping Chen, CEO of JinkoSolar, commented, "As an international container shipping company with integrated logistics capabilities, Maersk has been an important strategic partner for JinkoSolar since 2017. We are very pleased to expand our strategic cooperation with Maersk, and deepen our resources to jointly develop flexible and convenient solutions to manage the current shortage of containers due to the pandemic and improve transport efficiency. As the world's leading integrated module manufacturer, we remain optimistic about the growth in demand for solar energy and expect increasing shipment capacity will provide strong support for our global shipment growth over the next few years. By leveraging our mature global customer marketing system, together with Maersk's extensive network of end-to-end integrated transportation and logistics expertise, we believe that we will be able to share more timely information and provide long-term premium logistics solutions to our global customers."

07:04 EDT Verano Holdings closes acquisition of Mad River Remedies - Verano Holdings announced it has closed its acquisition of Mad River Remedies, LLC, a highly productive dispensary in Dayton, Ohio. With the closing of this transaction the Company now operates five dispensaries across Ohio, the maximum permitted in the state, with existing retail storefronts in Bowling Green, Canton, Cincinnati, and Newark.

07:02 EDT Cenovus Energy joins RF XL pilot project at Marwayne - Acceleware announced that Cenovus Energy has joined the commercial-scale RF XL pilot project at Marwayne as a consortium member. Cenovus will provide funding of up to $2M and technical expertise in support of the Pilot under the terms of an agreement with Acceleware. In exchange for the funding, Cenovus will be able to provide input into Pilot designs and test specifications prior to completion, and will receive, along with the other Pilot participants, exclusive access to the full set of detailed technical data and test results for one year following completion of the Pilot. Acceleware has granted Cenovus prioritized rights to host a subsequent test of Acceleware's RF XL technology, preferred pricing on pre-commercial products, and preferred access to RF XL products over operators who do not participate in the Pilot.

06:41 EDT Morphic reports data from Phase 1 study of MORF-057 - Morphic Therapeutic announced positive results from its full phase 1 clinical trial for MORF-057, an oral small molecule inhibitor of the alpha4beta7 integrin in development for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The data were shared in an ePoster presentation at the Congress of European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation 2021 Virtual Congress. The additional data shared today include detail regarding the safety, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic performance of MORF-057 in healthy subjects. ECCO ePoster #306, titled MORF-057, an oral selective alpha4beta7 integrin inhibitor for inflammatory bowel disease, leads to specific target engagement in a single and multiple ascending dose study in healthy subjects, was presented today by Adrian S. Ray, Ph.D., head of biology and translation at Morphic, is viewable on Morphic Therapeutic's website here. The MORF-057 phase 1 study included single ascending dose, multiple ascending dose, and food effect cohorts evaluating MORF-057 safety, PK, and PD. Healthy subjects were randomized 3:1 to receive a single dose of MORF-057 at 25, 50, 100, 150 and 400 mg or matching placebo in the SAD cohorts; or twice daily (BID) doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg MORF-057 or matching placebo for a total of 14 days in the MAD cohorts. A total of 67 eligible healthy subjects were enrolled into the studies, with 36 in the SAD, nine in the FE and 22 in the MAD cohorts. 66 subjects completed study treatment and one from the 50 mg BID MAD cohort withdrew consent for personal reasons. MORF-057 was well tolerated in all cohorts and no safety signals were identified. MORF-057 demonstrated a favorable PK profile, where target engagement was confirmed, and a clear PK and PD relationship was established. MORF-057 was rapidly absorbed and systemic exposure was confirmed to increase approximately dose proportionally. A slight reduction in exposure without effect on trough concentrations was observed upon administration with a high fat meal in the food effect study. The results suggest food intake has no impact on trough MORF-057 levels and that MORF-057 can be administered without regard to food in planned studies in patients. alpha4beta7 receptor occupancy increased with dose and study day, achieving saturation in individual patients from all cohorts above 25 mg by day 14. In the 100 mg BID cohort, MORF-057 saturated the alpha4beta7 receptor. Dose-and time-dependent changes in biomarkers including specific alpha4beta7 high expressing immune cell populations were observed, adding to evidence of proof of biology for MORF-057. These changes were consistent with those reported with other integrin inhibitors including the antibody drug vedolizumab which is approved for the treatment of IBD. In addition to the phase 1 presentation, John P. Jones, Ph.D., director of clinical pharmacology at Morphic, presented MORF-057 non-clinical pharmacokinetic and metabolism data in poster P037: Nonclinical pharmacokinetics and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion properties of MORF-057 support its clinical development as an oral selective alpha4beta7 integrin inhibitor that is available here. These data provided the basis for phase 1 dose selection. The human PK from the phase 1 trial reported today (P306) surpassed the predictions from animal models reported in poster P037.

06:40 EDT Eli Lilly reports mirikizumab data showing maintained gene expression changes - Eli Lilly announced new Phase 2 data showing that gene expression changes induced by mirikizumab in patients with ulcerative colitis, or UC, over a 12-week induction treatment were maintained for up to one year. These gene transcript changes, which were unique among those who responded to mirikizumab compared to placebo, were associated with mucosal healing, indicating that mirikizumab affects a distinct molecular healing pathway, compared to the spontaneous healing that occurred among those who responded to placebo. Mirikizumab is being studied in Phase 3 trials for UC and Crohn's disease, or CD, two forms of inflammatory bowel disease that can cause serious and debilitating symptoms, and disruptions in daily life. In a previously-published Phase 2 study evaluating patients with UC, mirikizumab down-regulated several gene transcripts associated with inflamed mucosa and up-regulated gene transcripts correlated with healthy mucosa and markers of functional healing after 12 weeks, as defined by clinical disease indices of endoscopy and histology. In this analysis, a set of differentially-expressed gene transcripts were identified in patients who responded to mirikizumab that were not found in those who responded to placebo at 12 weeks. Of the modulated genes, 71% were present only in patients who responded to mirikizumab, 5.6% were present only in those who responded to placebo, and 23.6% were present in both groups. Effect size estimates were also examined to account for differences in sample size and associated power between treatment groups. The set of gene transcripts regulated by mirikizumab correlated with UC disease activity indices, demonstrating consistency of these molecular changes across symptomatic, clinical, endoscopic and histologic indices of UC disease activity. The results observed at 12 weeks were maintained for up to one year in patients receiving mirikizumab. For methodology, see the "About the Studies" section below. In this qualitative study of patients with moderate to severe UC, patients defined both bowel urgency severity and what would be a meaningful improvement in bowel urgency based on an 11-point numeric rating scale, or NRS. In this study, half of patients with UC reported that a one-point change on the urgency NRS would be a meaningful change, indicating improved emotional well-being and greater confidence to leave the home or do their work. A quarter of respondents indicated that a two-point improvement in the urgency NRS was required to be considered meaningful, and another 25% of respondents noted that a three-point change or more was needed to achieve improvements in quality of life. Importantly, among the 75% of patients who endorsed a one to two-point change in urgency NRS, initial scores on the urgency NRS ranged from two to nine, indicating that this amount of change was meaningful regardless of the severity of an individual's bowel urgency.

06:38 EDT Teleflex announces real-word claim data of UroLift System - Teleflex announced that the largest U.S. healthcare claims and utilization analysis for benign prostatic hyperplasia surgical and minimally invasive procedures reveals that overall complication rates are lowest after treatment with the UroLift System. The research study titled "Analysis of Real-World Healthcare Data of Outcomes of Interventional Procedures in BPH", which was sponsored by Teleflex, was presented by Dr. Steven Kaplan of Mount Sinai today at the 36th Annual European Association of Urology Congress. Dr. Daniel Rukstalis+ of Prisma USC Division of Urology was a co-author of the study. A retrospective observational analysis was performed on a representative sample of U.S. Medicare and commercial medical claims obtained from IBM Watson. The analysis included 18,794 transurethral resection of the prostate patients, 9,894 GreenLight patients, 4,639 UroLift System patients and 780 Rezm patients in the database. Key findings of the study include: At 300 days post-treatment, the UroLift System demonstrated the lowest incidence of overall complications: 16.3% for the UroLift System; 19.7% for TURP; 21.6% for GreenLight; and 23.0% for Rezm. Among the most commonly reported complications were those associated with catheterization, stone removal, and cystoscopy. At 1,500 days post-treatment, the UroLift System demonstrated consistent durability, with a low surgical retreatment rate for return of symptoms of 6.8%, which was comparable to the more invasive surgical procedures TURP and GreenLight. Rezm patients had the highest rate of surgical retreatment at 9.5%. Taken together, this large-scale analysis of U.S. real-world claims data reveals that overall rates of complications are lowest after treatment with the UroLift System and that surgical retreatment rates are similar among the UroLift System, TURP and GreenLight procedures. The surgical retreatment rate is highest for Rezm.

06:35 EDT Air Lease reports no aircraft sales during Q2 - Air Lease Corporation announced an update on aircraft investments, sales, new significant financing, and recent ratings updates occurring in the second quarter of 2021. As of June 30, 2021, ALC's fleet was comprised of 354 owned aircraft and 89 managed aircraft, with 339 new aircraft on order from Boeing and Airbus set to deliver through 2027. Aircraft Investments: Delivered twelve new aircraft from ALC's order book including two Airbus A320neos, three Airbus A321neos, one Airbus A330-900neo, one Airbus A350-900, two Boeing 737-8s, one Boeing 737-9, and two Boeing 787-9s; Aircraft investments in the quarter totaled approximately $1 billion, with the majority occurring in the second half of the quarter. Sales: No aircraft sales occurred during the quarter. Financing: Issued $1.2 billion of 1.875% senior unsecured medium-term notes due 2026; Issued $600 million of floating rate senior unsecured medium-term notes at LIBOR + 0.35% due 2022; Upsized senior unsecured revolving credit facility to $6.4 billion from $6.2 billion. Ratingss: On July 1, 2021, ALC's long-term rating from Fitch was affirmed at BBB with outlook revised to Stable from Negative.

06:32 EDT Humanigen: MHRA accepts marketing authorization submission for lenzilumab - Humanigen announced its submission for Marketing Authorization for lenzilumab in COVID-19, begun in June 2021, has been accepted by the United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for expedited COVID-related rolling review, with assessment expected to occur more rapidly than a standard rolling review. Leading up to initiating its submission for Marketing Authorization last month, Humanigen held meetings with various authorities in the UK, including a Rapid C-19 multiagency meeting with representatives from the MHRA, the Therapeutics TaskForce, the Department of Health and Social Care, National Health Service England and the National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence.

06:11 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 68.2K shares of Kratos Defense on Thursday

06:09 EDT Four Seasons Education receives noncompliance notification from NYSE - Four Seasons Education announced that it has received a letter from the New York Stock Exchange dated June 22, notifying Four Seasons Education that it is below compliance standards due to the trading price of Four Seasons Education's American depositary shares.

05:19 EDT iQIYI launches Watch Party feature on streaming platform - iQIYI recently launched the "Watch Party" feature on its streaming platform. By synchronizing video playback among groups, Watch Party allows iQIYI users to have the experience of watching movies, dramas, variety shows and anime with friends without having to be with them in the same room. To experience the viewing experience that Watch Party provides, users open iQIYI's app and select "Watch with Friends" to get an invitation link, which can be shared with other users. The Watch Party mode allows up to ten users to be in a joined session and stream the same content at a time, where they could also send each other voice messages in the chatroom to share their reactions and thoughts in real-time. While the host controls the video playback, each user has control over the volume of their own voice and that of the content.

05:16 EDT BeiGene receives approval for Kyprolis, dexamethasone combination from NMPA - BeiGene (BGNE) announced that the China National Medical Products Administration, or NMPA, has conditionally approved Kyprolis for injection in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory, or R/R, multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior therapies, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory agent. Kyprolis is licensed to BeiGene in China under a strategic collaboration with Amgen (AMGN). This is the first approval for Kyprolis in China.

05:11 EDT Philip Morris offers to acquire Vectura Group for $1.2B - Philip Morris announced it has agreed with the board of Vectura Group on the terms of an all-cash, recommended offer to acquire Vectura for an enterprise value of GBP 852M, or approximately $1.2B. Under the terms of the acquisition, Vectura shareholders would be entitled to receive 150 pence per share, a 46% premium to the ex-dividend closing price per Vectura share of 103 pence on May 25. Vectura is a provider of inhaled drug delivery solutions that enable partners to bring their medicines to patients. The company has thirteen inhaled and eleven non inhaled products marketed by global pharmaceutical partners, as well as a portfolio of partnerships for drugs in clinical development. In 2020, Vectura generated net revenues of GBP 191M, or approximately $245M. The transaction value represents a multiple of around 14 times Vectura's 2020 EBITDA. PMI believes that, together, the companies can create a fully-owned pipeline of products across a broad range of sectors in the prescription drug and over-the-counter categories that will complement Vectura's CDMO business and service to its existing client base. PMI further believes that its "Beyond Nicotine" aerosolization technologies and development pipeline will provide additional predictability, stability, and security for Vectura's future. PMI will fund the transaction with existing cash and expects it to close in the second half of 2021, subject to a shareholder vote and approval by the appropriate regulatory authorities. PMI expects the impact of the acquisition on its full-year 2021 adjusted diluted EPS to be immaterial.