Stockwinners Market Radar for October 11, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:48 EDT Plug Power CEO: Working with GM in materials handling sector - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Andy Marsh said climate issues will be a high priority in Washington. He expects favorable provisions for the company in the "Build Back Better" bill. Marsh said Plug Power (PLUG) will be revealing a van in collaboration with Renault (RNLSY) soon. "There is a lot going on with Amazon (AMZN)," he noted.

17:54 EDT Amazon to leave remote work policy decisions up to individual teams - Amazon CEO Andy Jassy sent a memo to the company's employees said that, in terms of the company's approach to remote work, it will leave such decisions up to individual teams. Amazon had previously said employees should come into the office at a baseline of three days a week. "This decision will be made team by team at the Director level," Jassy said of the new remote work approach. "We expect that there will be teams that continue working mostly remotely, others that will work some combination of remotely and in the office, and still others that will decide customers are best served having the team work mostly in the office. We're intentionally not prescribing how many days or which days-this is for Directors to determine with their senior leaders and teams. The decisions should be guided by what will be most effective for our customers; and not surprisingly, we will all continue to be evaluated by how we deliver for customers, regardless of where the work is performed." Reference Link

17:21 EDT Facebook cryptocurrency engineers join venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz - Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz's Anthony Albanese, announced earlier in a blog post that two Facebook cryptocurrency engineers, Nassim Eddequiouaq and Riyaz Faizullabhoy, have joined the venture capital firms crypto team. "Nassim and Riyaz are phenomenal engineering and security leaders with a proven track record in blockchain and infrastructure, and are passionate about working to advance the entire crypto ecosystem. They've worked together for years across multiple companies to build world-class security systems in complex regulatory environments, and as part of our operating team, will closely consult with the projects in a16z Crypto's portfolio to apply rigorous security measures and technical guidance. Before joining a16z Crypto, Nassim and Riyaz co-created the crypto custody infrastructure for the Novi (fka Calibra) wallet at Facebook. Together, they served as engineering and technical leads for many aspects of the project to enable its vision of safely and securely bringing crypto to billions of new users," said Albanese, in part. Reference Link

16:43 EDT Clinical data confirms Veracyte's Envisia increases IPF diagnosis accuracy - Veracyte "announced new data demonstrating that the Envisia Genomic Classifier positively impacts clinical decision-making in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF, by increasing diagnostic accuracy, physician confidence in diagnosis, and patient referral to appropriate therapy. The data, from a prospective, randomized decision-impact survey involving more than 100 pulmonologists, will be shared October 18 in an oral presentation at the American College of Chest Physicians Annual Meeting 2021. Veracyte estimates that each year in the United States and Europe approximately 200,000 patients have unclear results following evaluation for suspected interstitial lung diseases, including IPF, which is among the most common, deadly and difficult to diagnose of these lung-scarring diseases. The Envisia Genomic Classifier is a highly accurate, clinically validated molecular test that detects a genomic pattern of usual interstitial pneumonia, a critical factor that can help physicians differentiate IPF from other ILDs."

16:31 EDT Geron reports publication of IMbark Phase 2 data in Annals of Hematology - Geron Corporation announced the publication in the Annals of Hematology of a paper entitled "Favorable Overall Survival with Imetelstat in Relapsed/Refractory Myelofibrosis Patients Compared with Real World Data," which details statistical analyses comparing data from the company's IMbark Phase 2 clinical trial to closely matched Real World Data. "Across the multiple analyses presented in the publication, the median overall survival for imetelstat-treated patients in our IMbark Phase 2 clinical trial was consistently more than double than the median overall survival for patients treated with best available therapy (BAT) from RWD. For the imetelstat-treated patients, the median overall survival (OS) was approximately 30 months in comparison to approximately 12 months for BAT-treated patients from RWD," said Aleksandra Rizo, M.D., Ph.D., Geron's Chief Medical Officer. "We are pleased with the publication of this important work as these analyses provide us further confidence in the use of OS as the primary endpoint for our ongoing confirmatory IMpactMF Phase 3 trial." The paper describes several statistical adjustment methods and multiple sensitivity analyses to improve comparability of the data set from the company's IMbark Phase 2 trial and RWD to mimic the effect of a randomized trial. The authors note consistency in the hazard ratios and statistical significance observed across the multiple analyses, which suggests a survival benefit associated with imetelstat treatment of MF patients after ruxolitinib failure. While acknowledging the limitations of RWD analyses, the authors conclude that the results of these analyses warrant further prospective evaluation of imetelstat in a Phase 3 setting with OS as a primary endpoint.

16:30 EDT Orion Group announces departure of CFO Robert Tabb - Orion Group Holdings announced Robert Tabb will step down as executive VP and CFO effective October 29 to pursue a new opportunity with a private company that is not a competitor. Upon his departure, his duties will be performed by the senior management team in concert with finance department leadership while the company conducts a formal CFO search process.

16:23 EDT Artisan Partners reports AUM as of September 30 $173.6B - Artisan Partners Asset Management reported that its assets under management or AUM, as of September 30 totaled $173.6B. Artisan Funds and Artisan Global Funds accounted for $85.4B of total firm AUM, while separate accounts and other AUM1 accounted for $88.2B.

16:17 EDT Innovative Solutions taking orders for ThrustSense Autothrottle system - Innovative Solutions & Support announces "it is taking orders for the ThrustSense Autothrottle system with LifeGuard Protection for King Airs with immediate deliveries and CJ series aircraft outfitted with Pro Line 21, Pro Line Fusion, and Garmin avionics for delivery in early 2022."

16:16 EDT Invesco reports preliminary AUM $1.53T as of September 30 - Invesco reported preliminary month-end assets under management of $1.53T, a decrease of 2.2% versus previous month-end. Total net inflows were $4.2B. Money market net inflows were $1.0B.

16:13 EDT SeaSpine announces commercial launch of NorthStar OCT - SeaSpine announced the full commercial launch of its NorthStar OCT Posterior Cervical Fixation System. The launch of NorthStar OCT represents the company's first full commercial introduction of a new posterior cervical system since 2007 and provides a product offering to address a market segment that SeaSpine estimates to exceed $250M in the United States.

16:07 EDT FDA grants Quanterix breakthrough device designation for pTau-181 Assay in AD - Quanterix "announced that its Simoa phospho-Tau 181 blood test has been granted Breakthrough Device designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an aid in diagnostic evaluation of Alzheimer's Disease, or AD. The FDA's Breakthrough Device designation is granted to products that have the potential to offer more effective diagnosis of life-threatening diseases with an unmet medical need. The program is designed to enable accelerated development, assessment and review processes, with the intention to provide patients with more timely access to breakthrough technologies or devices. The Simoa pTau-181 test is a semiquantitative immunoassay intended for the measurement of pTau-181 concentration in human serum and plasma using the Quanterix HD-X immunoassay system. Proposed indications under the Breakthrough Device designation include use of the test results in adult patients, aged 50 years and over, presenting with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for AD and other causes of cognitive decline as an aid in diagnostic evaluation for AD. The test is not intended as a stand-alone diagnostic assay and test results will be interpreted in conjunction with other diagnostic tools to establish a final clinical diagnosis. Breakthrough Device designation does not guarantee that the FDA review and approval process will be shortened or that an application will be approved."

16:01 EDT Exscientia says EXALT-1 trial data published in Cancer Discovery - Exscientia, the Medical University of Vienna and the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, announced publication in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association of Cancer Research, of final results from the EXALT-1 trial. The study, titled "Functional Precision Medicine Provides Clinical Benefit in Advanced Aggressive Haematological Cancers and Identifies Exceptional Responders," illustrates the potential real-world impact of using Exscientia's AI-supported precision medicine platform to propose which therapy would be most effective for late-stage haematological cancer patients based on testing drug responses ex vivo in their own tissue samples. Interim data from the study was previously published in The Lancet Haematology. "Precision medicine is the right drug, for the right patient, at the right time. By enabling the robust and accurate assessment of drug effect on viable patient samples at single-cell resolution, we have created a technology that can provide hemato oncologists prediction of a patient's response prior to deciding on a course of therapy," said Gregory Vladimer, Ph.D., VP of translational research at Exscientia and co-inventor of the platform technology. "While the use of genetics in precision cancer medicine can determine if a target is present, functionally characterizing available drug options on patient cells within a short time window provides evidence for cancer cell sensitivity."

14:59 EDT Facebook removed 759 Facebook accounts in September over CIB - Facebook said that it removed a total of 759 Facebook accounts, 286 Instagram accounts, 130 Pages, and 84 Group in September over coordinated inauthentic behavior, or CIB, on the company's platforms. In addition, the company removed 116 Pages, 666 Facebook accounts, 69 Groups and 92 Instagram accounts in Sudan that targeted domestic audiences in that country. "We found this activity as part of our internal investigation into suspected coordinated inauthentic behavior in the region and linked it to the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group operated by the Sudanese Government," Facebook said. The company also removed 93 Facebook accounts, 14 Pages, 15 Groups and 194 Instagram accounts in Iran that targeted primarily domestic audiences in that country, particularly in the Lorestan province. "We found this activity as part of our internal investigation into suspected coordinated inauthentic behavior in the region and linked it to individuals associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," Facebook added. Reference Link

14:02 EDT Sonoco-Alcore to increase paperboard prices in the EMEA region - Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l. announced that due to the continued escalation in the cost of European energy it will raise prices by EUR 100/tonne on all recycled paperboard grades sold in the company's EMEA regions and which will be effective for all shipments made on or after October 18. "Over the last few weeks we have continued to see extraordinary increases in the cost of energy across Europe. Without doubt, the current situation is wholly unprecedented and is once again forcing us to take regrettable, but unavoidable actions, to offset this inflation. We will continue to monitor the situation on a month-by-month basis and will review in line with future energy price movements." said Phil Woolley, Division Vice President - Paper Europe. Sonoco Alcore S.a.r.l. is wholly owned by Sonoco.

13:43 EDT Healthcare Trust: 'We are opened minded and committed' to delivering returns

13:31 EDT Acadia Healthcare appoints David Keys as CDO - Acadia Healthcare Company announced that David Keys, CFA, has been named Chief Development Officer. Keys will focus on mergers & acquisitions, de novo development and expansion opportunities. Prior to joining Acadia, he covered behavioral health and several physician practice management sectors as a managing director for Truist Securities, Inc., which he joined following the merger of SunTrust and BB&T.

12:54 EDT Humanigen: Model shows lenzilumab treatment may result in economic benefits - Humanigen announced that a manuscript describing its budget impact model for the treatment of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is available on medRxiv. These results highlight the value of selecting the right treatment for the right hospitalized patients during this time of unprecedented pressure on health systems, Humanigen said in a statement. It added that "The cost to care for a COVID-19 patient in the ICU can significantly exceed $100,000 and average costs for patients on invasive mechanical ventilation in ICU amount to $78,245 per patient. Lenzilumab is an investigational product and is not currently authorized or approved in any country."

12:10 EDT Biogen, Teva reach settlement agreement related to Vumerity patents - Plaintiffs Biogen (BIIB) and Alkermes (ALKS) have reached a settlement agreement with defendant Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) and filed with the District Court for the District of Delaware to have all claims asserted in plaintiffs' complaint and all counterclaims asserted in Teva's answer and counterclaims dismissed, according to a filing with the court dated October 8. Biogen and Alkermes had filed an action for patent infringement arising out of the submission by defendant Teva of an Abbreviated New Drug Application, or "ANDA," No. 214206, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking approval to manufacture and sell a generic version of Vumerity delayed-release capsules for oral use, 231 mg, prior to the expiration of U.S. Patent Nos. 8,669,281, 9,090,558 and 10,080,733. Teva notified the plaintiffs that it had submitted this ANDA by a letter dated February 2, 2021 and Teva's ANDA product will be marketed as a competing product to Vumerity, a product developed by the plaintiffs for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, or MS, the court documents note.

12:00 EDT Hyliion Holdings falls -9.3% - Hyliion Holdings is down -9.3%, or -73c to $7.09.

12:00 EDT Dutch Bros rises 15.4% - Dutch Bros is up 15.4%, or $6.58 to $49.23.

12:00 EDT Gaotu Techedu rises 17.9% - Gaotu Techedu is up 17.9%, or 60c to $3.96.

11:03 EDT First Bancorp receives regulatory approval for Select Bancorp acquisition - First Bancorp (FBNC) reports that it has received all required regulatory approvals to acquire Select Bancorp, Inc. (SLCT), the parent company of Select Bank & Trust Company. Shareholders for each company have previously approved the transaction and the merger of Select into First Bancorp is expected to be completed following the close of business Friday, October 15, 2021. Select Bank branches are expected to open as branches of First Bank, doing business as Select Bank, on Monday, October 18, 2021. Following the merger, Select Bank customers should continue to conduct their business with their current Select Bank branches until customer accounts are converted to First Bank's data systems, which is expected to occur in March 2022. Following the completion of the merger, shareholders of Select who own their shares of common stock in book entry form or hold their shares with brokers will have their shares automatically converted to shares of First Bancorp, with no action required, at the rate of 0.408 shares of First Bancorp common stock for each share of Select common stock. Shareholders who hold stock certificates of Select will be mailed instructions for converting their shares of Select to First Bancorp stock.

10:52 EDT Google's Fitbit announces launch of 'StrongWill' with Will Smith - The Fitbit Team at Google announced in a blog post: "Will Smith recently joined the Fitbit family and made his public commitment to improve every aspect of his health and wellness. The rapper and actor is creating and curating a Fitbit Premium-exclusive collection of whole-health guidance. Six sweat-inducing, endorphin-boosting workouts and mindfulness sessions in the Will Smith: StrongWill curriculum are now available. From room-shaking workouts to smooth stress-relief techniques, Premium members can now virtually work with Will and his trainers to get their minds and bodies strong." Reference Link

10:31 EDT Nymox says completion tasks for Fexapotide filing 'have advanced' - Nymox Pharmaceutical Corporation reported a one-month update to shareholders as a follow-up to the September communication. The company said, "The Company reinforces that its completion tasks for the important Fexapotide filing have advanced as anticipated and that substantial progress has ensued." Company CEO Paul Averback stated, "We are happy to follow-up today and tell our shareholders that the main delayed vendor documentation that was incomplete has been accomplished. We are now certain to have our full documentation for those materials completed. There remain some standard quality control steps that are typically involved. Our next follow-up is expected to provide a more exact forward date for filing as soon as it is in our hands very soon in this quarter. We emphasize again that it is fully in the best interests of our shareholders that management concerns itself with required quality regulations and stays focused on doing things properly, regardless of the recent very minor adjustments to the timeline, which are beyond our control."

10:04 EDT Vizio discloses resignation of Chief Technology Officer - In a regulatory filing after Friday's close, Vizio disclosed that on October 4, Bill Baxter informed the company of his intention to resign from his position as Chief Technology Officer after a transition period, during which he will continue performing his duties and assist Vizio in a search for a successor. "The effective date of Mr. Baxter's resignation has not yet been determined, and no changes to Mr. Baxter's compensation will be made in connection with his transition and resignation," the filing stated. In Monday morning trading, Vizio shares are fractionally lower.

10:01 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher acquires River Valley Capital Insurance, terms not disclosed - Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced the acquisition of Dubuque, Iowa-based River Valley Capital Insurance. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2007, RVCI is a retail property/casualty brokerage that specializes in providing insurance coverage for the trucking industry, with a focus on long-haul trucking firms in the Midwest region. The team will remain in their current location under the direction of Ryan Isaacs, head of Gallagher's Midwest region retail property/casualty brokerage operations.

10:00 EDT PagSeguro Digital falls -8.7% - PagSeguro Digital is down -8.7%, or -$3.19 to $33.38.

10:00 EDT Blue Apron rises 8.8% - Blue Apron is up 8.8%, or 60c to $7.44.

10:00 EDT SilverBow Resources rises 11.1% - SilverBow Resources is up 11.1%, or $3.27 to $32.74.

09:47 EDT PG&E falls -5.8% - PG&E is down -5.8%, or -62c to $10.09.

09:47 EDT Daqo New Energy rises 6.4% - Daqo New Energy is up 6.4%, or $3.60 to $59.60.

09:47 EDT Peabody Energy rises 7.4% - Peabody Energy is up 7.4%, or $1.18 to $17.23.

09:44 EDT Elliott urges Healthcare Trust to conduct strategic review in letter - Elliott Investment Management said it sent a letter and an accompanying presentation to the Healthcare Trust of America board urging the company to conduct a strategic review. "In the letter, Elliott highlighted HTA's long-term underperformance and an untenable status quo, as the Company's cost of capital makes it uncompetitive. Elliott also commissioned a third-party survey that shows that shareholders support its thesis that HTA should explore a sale at a premium valuation rather than pursue a stand-alone growth path," the activist said in a press release. Elliott stated it was confident that "highly credible buyers will present compelling offers to acquire the Company at a substantial premium to the current trading price and prices observed prior to the recent resignation of HTA's CEO and Chairman, Scott Peters." Elliott added that since news of its involvement was first made public, it has received numerous private inbounds from other top shareholders voicing their support for a strategic review.

09:24 EDT KKR announces structural, governance changes - Concurrent with the elevation of Messrs. Bae and Nuttall, KKR is announcing a series of transformative structural and governance changes. First, in a transaction expected to be completed in 2022, KKR will combine with KKR Holdings L.P., which is an entity through which certain current and former employees hold interests in KKR. In this transaction, which is subject to the receipt of requisite regulatory approvals, unitholders of KKR Holdings L.P. will receive one share of KKR common stock for each unit they hold in KKR Holdings L.P. as well as their pro rata share of an additional 8.5M shares of KKR common stock. In addition, KKR will eliminate its Series II preferred stock and terminate its tax receivable agreement with respect to units of KKR Holdings L.P. that are not previously exchanged. Second, on December 31, 2026, subject to exceptions that would accelerate this date, KKR will eliminate its controlling Series I preferred stock and also acquire control of KKR Associates Holdings L.P. The company stated, "Currently, holders of our common stock are entitled to vote on a one vote per share basis with respect to certain corporate actions including, among others, a sale of all or substantially all of our assets or amendments to our certificate of incorporation, which adversely change the rights or preferences of our common stock. Holders of our common stock do not vote on other matters, including with respect to the election of directors, who are currently elected by the Series I preferred stockholder. Following the elimination of the Series I preferred stock, all common stock will vote on a one vote per share basis on all matters customarily presented to common stockholders, including with respect to the election of directors. These reorganization transactions are expected to increase the rights of our common stockholders, further align the interests of the current and future leadership of KKR with our common stockholders, enhance corporate governance at KKR, and simplify KKR's corporate structure."

09:12 EDT Hims & Hers personal care offerings available through Vitamin Shoppe - Hims & Hers Health (HIMS) announced a partnership with The Vitamin Shoppe (VSI). Hims & Hers haircare products are now available both online and at vitaminshoppe.com and in-store at over 280 locations of The Vitamin Shoppe. "Providing consumers access to personalized care has always been our priority," said Melissa Baird, Chief Operating Officer of Hims & Hers. "We are excited to work with The Vitamin Shoppe, which shares our passion for helping consumers be their best selves, to bring our hair care solutions to more physical retail locations, as well as their digital shoppers."

09:08 EDT Celsion announces publication reviewing history of ThermoDox development - Celsion announces the journal Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews has published an article reviewing the history of ThermoDox from animal studies through to the Phase III OPTIMA Study in advanced liver cancer. Titled "Drug development of lyso-thermosensitive liposomal doxorubicin: Combining hyperthermia and thermosensitive drug delivery," the article was authored by Nicholas Borys, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Celsion, and Mark W. Dewhirst, D.V.M., Ph.D., the Gustavo S. Montana Professor of Radiation Oncology and Vice Director for Basic Science of the Duke Cancer Institute at Duke University School of Medicine, and is available. ThermoDox features a novel mechanism of action that delivers high concentrations of doxorubicin to a region targeted with the application of localized heat at 40 degrees C, just above body temperature. ThermoDox is positioned for use with multiple heating technologies and has the potential to treat a broad range of cancers including metastatic liver, recurrent chest wall breast cancer and non-muscle invading bladder cancers. The article's authors noted that ThermoDox is the first heat-activated formulation of a liposomal drug carrier to be utilized in human clinical trials. Celsion GmbH is also announcing a new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Institutes of Health to evaluate ThermoDox in two in vivo studies: Evaluation of ThermoDox deployment in the rectal mucosa with endorectal heating. This preclinical study in a swine model seeks to explore the feasibility of the maximum tolerated dose of intravenous ThermoDox administration with endorectal heating of mucosa to assess the feasibility, depth of penetration and drug levels in the acute setting. Evaluation of ThermoDox deployment in the bladder mucosa with endo-cavitary bladder heating. This preclinical study, also in a swine model, is intended to identify the feasibility of ThermoDox for bladder mucosal delivery utilizing a standard commercial bladder heating devices. To augment standard regimens, intra-cavitary mitomycin C will be co-administered with intravenous ThermoDox, along with heated bladder fluid in a closed circuit, in a regimen that simulates potential future clinical use. ThermoDox is currently the subject of investigator-sponsored trials for several cancer indications, including: A Phase I study led by the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands to determine the safety, tolerability and feasibility of ThermoDox in combination with Magnetic Resonance Guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound hyperthermia and cyclophosphamide therapy for the local treatment of the primary tumor in metastatic breast cancer. A Phase I study led by Oxford University in the UK to assess intravenous delivery of ThermoDox in combination with High Intensity Focused Ultrasound in pancreatic cancer.

09:06 EDT Katapult collaborates with Adobe to give consumers more ways to pay - Katapult (KPLT) announced it has become an Accelerate partner in the Adobe (ADBE) Exchange Program. Adobe Commerce, powered by Magento, is an application for brands of all sizes and supports B2B, B2C, and hybrid use cases across more than 20 industries. Katapult's lease-purchase solution is available as an extension in the payment category of the Magento Marketplace and integrates with online platforms. As an Accelerate partner, Katapult and Adobe will engage in enhanced collaboration. Becoming an Accelerate partner means that Katapult's merchants utilizing Adobe Commerce or Magento Open Source will receive support and access to real-time data and partner offerings. "Upgrading our partnership with Adobe to the Accelerate tier furthers Katapult's goals of expanding our footprint in the fintech space. We are excited to add more value through our technology to merchants using Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source," says Rolando De Gracia, Chief Commercial Officer of Katapult.

09:05 EDT T. Rowe Price names Theresa McLaughlin as head of Global Marketing - T. Rowe Price Group (TROW) announced that Theresa McLaughlin will join the firm on October 25 as head of Global Marketing. Most recently she served as global chief marketing officer for State Street (STT). McLaughlin will be based at the firm's corporate headquarters in Baltimore and report to Robert Higginbotham, head of Global Distribution.

09:03 EDT Stryve Foods adds over 4,000 new convenience locations - Stryve Foods announced that it added another 4,000+ net new convenience store and retail locations in the last quarter. These additions were led by approximately 2,600 Speedway and 1,400 Circle K locations to the distribution footprint for its popular all-natural air-dried meat snacking products sold under the Stryve, Kalahari, and Vacadillos brands. With this new convenience store growth, as well as an additional region of Costco, Stryve has expanded its retail footprint to more than 30,000 retail locations. The new Speedway distribution launches of approximately 2,600 locations represent more than 3/4 of Speedway's U.S. footprint. The 1,400 Circle K locations come from the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain and South Atlantic regions and adds about 20% of Circle K's total U.S. base to Stryve's distribution portfolio.

09:03 EDT Usio wins contract to support Houston's COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Program - Usio announced the contract it was awarded by the Houston Health Department to provide the prepaid card issuing platform underlying the mayor's recently initiated Vaccine Incentive Program to vaccinate an additional 20,000 city residents has reached its capacity. Under this program, the city provided those who get a first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, at an eligible health department site a $100.00 prepaid card. Prepaid cards valued at $50.00 were awarded for second doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

08:52 EDT Gossamer Bio adds two CNS-penetrant BTK inhibitors to product candidate pipeline - Gossamer Bio announced the addition of two CNS-penetrant Bruton's tyrosine kinase, or BTK, inhibitors to its product candidate pipeline. Gossamer plans to initiate first-in-human studies of the first of these candidates, GB5121, in Q4 of 2021. Gossamer intends to develop GB5121 in CNS-oncology indications, including relapsed / refractory primary CNS lymphoma for which a potentially registrational Phase 1b / 2 study is expected to initiate in the first half of 2022. The second product candidate, GB7208, is currently in IND-enabling studies and is expected to enter the clinic in the second half of 2022. In a BTK-dependent pre-clinical disease model, GB7208 demonstrated superior outcomes vs. tolebrutinib, a BTK inhibitor being studied in a broad Phase 3 program for multiple sclerosis.

08:44 EDT mPhase Technologies signs agreements to add over 1,200 mPower sites in Florida - mPhase Technologies announced that it has signed agreements with members of the Asian American Store Owners Association to add approximately 1,200 mPower locations in the State of Florida in Phase I of a statewide expansion, followed by additional locations in Phase II early next year. The mPower ecosystem is an integrated set of platform technologies consisting of consumer engagement software, EV charging, and 5G connectivity designed to create a beneficial link between consumers and retailers transitioning to an EV-centric future. All sites will initially receive the consumer engagement portion of the ecosystem and pay a base recurring monthly fee. Following site assessments, locations with appropriate facilities will also qualify for installation of 5G and/or EV charging stations, which will generate additional monthly recurring revenue. The mix of locations includes convenience stores, gas stations, restaurants and other businesses primarily focused on serving mobile consumers.

08:42 EDT Coherus Biosciences announces passing of board member Alan Mendelson - Coherus BioSciences announces the unexpected passing of board member Alan Mendelson. He had been a director of the Company since January 2021 and had previously served as external legal counsel since its founding in 2010. Mendelson served as a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP from May 2000 to December 2020, where he held several leadership roles, including Co-Chair of the Emerging Companies Practice Group and Global Co-Chair of the Life Sciences Industry Group, and advised numerous private and public companies, primarily in the life sciences industry.

08:41 EDT ChemoCentryx appoints Rita Jain as Executive VP, CMO - ChemoCentryx (CCXI) announced the appointment of Rita Jain, M.D., as Executive Vice President, or VP, Chief Medical Officer, or CMO. In this role, she will oversee development activities including clinical development, development operations, regulatory affairs, and drug safety and pharmacovigilance. Jain will continue to serve on the ChemoCentryx board of directors as an executive employee director. Jain previously served as Chief Medical officer of Immunovant (IMVT).

08:37 EDT Montrose Environmental acquires lab Environmental Chemistry, no terms - Montrose Environmental Group, announced the acquisition of Environmental Chemistry , a full-service environmental laboratory serving the Texas and Louisiana gulf coast region. ECI's leadership team, including CEO Deanna Jean Zeck and President Nan Thorney, will join Montrose, and the business will be integrated into the Company's Measurement and Analysis Segment and will operate as part of Enthalpy Analytical, LLC, a subsidiary of Montrose. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

08:36 EDT Natera announces new publication validating Signatera MRD test - Natera announced the publication of a new study in Clinical Cancer Research demonstrating the ability of its personalized and tumor-informed molecular residual disease test, Signatera, to assess tumor growth rates and predict patient survival in early-stage colorectal cancer. In previous studies, Signatera was validated to detect early-stage CRC recurrence 8.7 months earlier than CT imaging, simply based on positive or negative MRD status. Without treatment, more than 98% of MRD-positive patients go on to relapse. This new study replicates that previous test performance in a larger, multi-center cohort; but it also demonstrates that MRD-positive patients can be further stratified based on the quantity of circulating tumor DNA found in the blood, in particular, how quickly those levels grow over time.

08:34 EDT OSI System receives $6M order for electronic components from OEM - OSI Systems announced that its Optoelectronics and Manufacturing division has received an order for approximately $6M to provide electronic sub-assemblies to a wireless communication technology original equipment manufacturer . OSI Systems' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Deepak Chopra, stated, "We are excited to receive this order and look forward to continue supporting this customer's leading technology offerings."

08:34 EDT TOMI obtains EPA registration of SteraMist BIT 0.35% solution - TOMI Environmental Solutions announced that it has obtained EPA registration for its 0.35% hydrogen peroxide BIT Solution, an all-in-one disinfectant for use across the entire food supply chain. This is the company's third EPA registration and significantly expands Company's addressable markets. The company previous registrations are SteraMist, 90150-1 for mold and mildew and 90150-2 for Hospital-Healthcare facilities. SteraMist BIT 0.35% is a low-percentage solution designed for agricultural applications, as well as sites requiring more precise application of ionized Hydrogen Peroxide. This EPA registration comes after years of research, expansive testing with SteraMist technology, as well as cooperating with the lengthy EPA registration processes during the pandemic. This registration will allow SteraMist low percentage BIT solution to be sold as an all-in-one direct application disinfectant across the entire food industry including: pre-harvest, harvest, storage, packaging, transportation, and distribution for such products as citrus, berries, herbs and spices, cucurbit, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, fruiting vegetables, medicinal/ nutraceutical plants, and delicate food contract surface. This new low-percentage BIT Solution will permit direct application to combat harmful plant pathogens such as Botrytis, Mildew, and Xanthomonas, among others. The 0.35% H2O2 composition maintains trusted BIT Solution efficacy and compatibility, bringing it to pre-harvest use sites, greenhouses, and other contact surfaces associated with Raw Agricultural Commodities.

08:32 EDT Chefs' Warehouse acquires certain assets of Martin Preferred Foods - The Chefs' Warehouse announced that it has acquired certain assets of Martin Preferred Foods, based in Houston, Texas. Christopher Pappas, Chairman and CEO of The Chefs' Warehouse, said, "This acquisition offers The Chefs' Warehouse the opportunity to continue to build upon our success in the Texas market. We are thrilled to be in a position to bring the Allen Brothers brand to our local customers in Texas."

08:31 EDT Hoegh LNG Partners CEO Sveinung Stohle to step down - Hoegh LNG Partners announced that on October 9, Sveinung Stohle gave notice that he intends to step down from his position as the Partnership's CEO in order to pursue an alternative career opportunity based outside of Norway. Stohle will remain in his position until November 1. Stohle will also be stepping down from his role as President & CEO of Hoegh LNG Holdings Ltd. at the same date. The Board is undertaking a process to select a successor for the CEO position, and has appointed Hundefinedvard Furu, the Partnership's CFO, to also act as the Partnership's interim CEO while the Board conducts its search. The board of directors of Hoegh LNG has appointed Mr. Thor Jorgen Guttormsen as interim President & CEO of Hoegh LNG. Guttormsen has had a long career with Hoegh, having served as a director of Hoegh LNG Holdings Ltd. and Hoegh LNG AS, and serves as a director of Hoegh Autoliners. He has also previously served as CEO of Leif Hoegh & Co. and Hoegh Autoliners.

08:17 EDT ESS Inc., ACON S2 Acquisition close business combination - ESS Inc. and ACON S2 Acquisition announced the completion of their previously announced business combination, resulting in ESS becoming a publicly listed company. The combined company retains the ESS Inc. name and its shares and warrants will commence trading today on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbols "GWH" and "GWH.W", respectively. The transaction is primarily comprised of $308 million of pro forma net cash to the combined company including a private investment in public equity. The PIPE is led by institutional investors including Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, Koch Industries, Tortoise Capital Advisors, SB Energy Global Holdings Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp., Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BASF Venture Capital, and others. The ESS executive management team will continue to be led by Eric Dresselhuys, Chief Executive Officer; Craig Evans, President and Co-founder; Julia Song, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder; and Amir Moftakhar, Chief Financial Officer. The ESS Board of Directors will comprise eight members, including Chairman Michael R. Niggli, Eric Dresselhuys, Craig Evans, Raffi Garabedian, Rich Hossfeld, Shirley Speakman, Kyle Teamey, and Daryl Wilson.

08:17 EDT Verb Technology partners with Pittsburgh Penguins to provide sales software - Verb Technology announced that the company has entered into a partnership with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League to provide its interactive sales software to drive ticket and merchandise sales. "Verb is absolutely thrilled to partner with the five-time Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins to bring our interactive technology to the professional sports world," said Rory Cutaia, CEO of VERB. "We have no doubt that this will prove to be one of many future sports entertainment partnerships for the Company and it speaks to the Penguins' vision and innovative focus as the first to embrace the interactive sales space."

08:15 EDT FOREWARN partners with Greater Chattanooga REALTORS - FOREWARN announced that Greater Chattanooga REALTORS has contracted to make FOREWARN services available for the 2,400+ REALTOR members it serves throughout the Greater Chattanooga area including Hamilton and Sequatchie counties in southeast Tennessee and Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties in northwest Georgia to promote proactive real estate agent safety.

08:14 EDT Novartis' Sandoz completes acquisition of GSK's cephalosporin business - Sandoz, a Novartis (NVS) division, announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition of GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) cephalosporin antibiotics business. Through this transaction, Sandoz has acquired rights to three established brands - Zinnat, Zinacef and Fortum - in more than 100 markets, "further reinforcing its leading global position in antibiotics." In 2020, the three brands had combined sales of approximately $140M in the relevant markets. The transaction excludes rights to certain brands previously divested by GSK in the US, Australia and Germany. GSK will also retain full brand rights in China -excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau - India, Pakistan, and Egypt and to certain brands in Japan. Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor said, "The successful and timely closing of this important transaction is further proof of our commitment at Sandoz to be a leading global supplier of these essential medicines. Cephalosporins are the largest antibiotic segment by global sales and this acquisition complements our #1 position in generic penicillins, the other key segment. It also sets us up for additional synergies driven by an increased promotional footprint across markets."

08:13 EDT Evercel, Inc announces sale of 80.1% stake in Printronix for $30M - Evercel announced the completion of the sale of its 80.1% stake in Printronix, a worldwide leader in multi-technology industrial printing solutions, on October 7, 2021. Evercel received approximately $30M from the sale of its 80.1% stake. Including the proceeds from this transaction plus prior dividends, the Company has cumulatively received more than $80M from its investment in Printronix, excluding taxes and applicable fees. Evercel invested approximately $18M for its 80.1% equity stake in Printronix in 2013. Evercel's investment in Printronix was managed by CoronaPark and Evercel's CEO, Daniel Allen. Proceeds from the investment have been reinvested into other transactions completed by the Company, including its investment in ZAGG earlier this year. At the time of Evercel's investment in Printronix, Evercel's only material asset was the $18M it invested in the CoronaPark-led acquisition of Printronix. Today, following the sale of Printronix, Evercel has approximately $48M in cash and note. Evercel also continues to hold its position in Current Technologies, which it purchased for $3M, and its investment in ZAGG, which it purchased for approximately $36M.

08:12 EDT Atai Life Sciences announces launch of PsyProtix for TRD - atai Life Sciences announced the launch of PsyProtix, a new platform company formed with Chymia. PsyProtix is a precision psychiatry company focused on developing therapeutics for treatment-resistant depression, or TRD, and other mental health indications. Precision psychiatry is designed to allow physicians to prescribe treatments specifically targeted to the individual, rather than relying on the trial and error approach and/or adding on treatments, such as antidepressants or antipsychotics, in the quest to achieve a therapeutic benefit. "Our view is that each patient is unique, meaning that any given patient will likely have specific individual needs," said Srinivas Rao, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of atai Life Sciences. "This emerging technology adapts to the variability of conditions, such as depression, with the aim of allowing patients with psychiatric disorders to potentially be diagnosed and treated more accurately and efficiently according to their specific needs. It's an honor to be collaborating with Professor Rima Kaddurah-Daouk and her team at Duke, given their great work in advancing the research of metabolomics and their study of neuropsychiatric disorders."

08:11 EDT Athenex to redeploy resources to focus on oral paclitaxel studies other than mBC - Athenex announced that it recently held a Type A meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding the New Drug Application for oral paclitaxel and encequidar in metastatic breast cancer. The purpose of the meeting was to review with the FDA a proposed design for a new clinical trial intended to address the deficiencies raised in the Complete Response Letter received in February 2021 and discuss the potential regulatory path forward for Oral Paclitaxel in mBC in the U.S. "We had an informative meeting with the FDA, which was an important step to assessing the U.S. regulatory pathway for Oral Paclitaxel in mBC," said Dr. Johnson Lau, Chief Executive Officer of Athenex. "After careful consideration of the FDA feedback, we have determined to redeploy our resources to focus on other ongoing studies of Oral Paclitaxel and our promising CAR-NKT and TCR-T cell therapies to maximize value for all stakeholders. We also remain committed to serving patients utilizing products manufactured by our specialty pharmaceutical business."

08:10 EDT BurgerFi to acquire Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings for $161.3M - BurgerFi International announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings from L Catterton for approximately $161.3M, comprised of $33.6M in common stock, $53M in new junior non-convertible preferred equity and the assumption of existing debt, all subject to closing adjustments. The shares of common stock issued as consideration will be determined based on the 30 day volume weighted average price of BFI common stock through the day prior to closing, up to a cap of $14.25 per share and a minimum of $10.25 per share. At the closing of the transaction, L Catterton will become one of BurgerFi's largest shareholders. BurgerFi expects the transaction will be accretive to EPS to common shareholders and EBITDA in 2022. Ophir Sternberg will lead both the BurgerFi and Anthony's brands in his continuing role of Executive Chairman of BurgerFi and Mike Rabinovitch will continue as BurgerFi Chief Financial Officer. At the closing of the transaction, Ian Baines will become the Chief Executive Officer of BurgerFi while Julio Ramirez will remain Chief Executive Officer and President of the BurgerFi brand and Patrick Renna will become President of the Anthony's brand. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to certain customary closing conditions.

08:07 EDT SilverBow Resources to acquire Eagle Ford assets for $75M - SilverBow Resources announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire oil and gas assets in the Eagle Ford from two sellers. The Total purchase price was approximately $75M, consisting of $45M in cash and approximately $30M in equity The transaction is expected to be accretive on all key financial metrics 17,000 total net acres in the oil-window of La Salle, McMullen, DeWitt and Lavaca counties May 2021 net production of approximately 2,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day, 71% liquids / 46% oil from 111 PDP wells . Acquired oil production represents a 30% increase to SilverBow's current full year 2021 oil production guidance; 2021E Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $28M and Over 100 net drilling locations, adding approximately three years of inventory at SilverBow's current 1 rig drilling pace. "Today's announcement is a testament to the extensive work we have done evaluating opportunities and executing our in-basin consolidation plan. Furthermore, SilverBow once again utilized a mix of both cash and stock to fund the purchase price. The use of equity has allowed us to access a larger opportunity set for strategic growth while aligning our interests with surrounding peer companies and other key stakeholders for accretive, long-term value creation. Including the pro forma contribution of our recent acquisitions, SilverBow is targeting a leverage ratio of 1.25x at year-end 2021. We plan to share additional details as part of our third quarter 2021 reporting in November." The acquisition has an effective date of August 1 and is expected to close before year-end, subject to customary closing conditions. The total purchase price is approximately $75M consisting of $45M in cash and the greater of approximately 1.35 million shares of SilverBow common stock based on its 30-day volume weighted average price as of October 4 and the number of shares equal to $25 million divided by the 30-day volume weighted average price as of the first trading day preceding the closing date. SilverBow intends to fund the cash component and fees and expenses with cash on hand and borrowings under its revolving credit facility.

08:07 EDT Gentex acquires thin-glass laminating technology - Gentex Corporation announced the acquisition of a laminating technology that yields durable, lightweight, ultra-thin glass engineered for aircraft cabin partitions, mirrors and wood veneer applications. The company said, " Gentex is a long-time supplier of electro-optical products for the global automotive, aerospace and fire protection industries. Within aerospace, the company is best known for supplying aircraft manufacturers with electronically dimmable windows that darken on demand to cut sunlight while sill providing an exterior view. The new laminating technology and related patents were included in Gentex's 2020 acquisition of Air-Craftglass, a Belgium-based startup that was founded to develop glass solutions for private and commercial aircraft. The company ultimately developed a lightweight, chemically strengthened, thin-glass laminate that offers significant improvements over polycarbonate structures, including superior noise reduction, durability, UV resistance, antibacterial performance, and flame/smoke resistance...Gentex foresees numerous potential aircraft uses for its new technology, including glass dust panels, class dividers and monitor protectors, as well as mirrors for use in lavatories, cabins and galleys. Other applications include tabletops, cabinet doors, ceilings and decorative glass elements."

08:06 EDT SI-Bone announces United Healthcare adopts exclusive iFuse only coverage - SI-BONE announced that UnitedHealthcare has changed its minimally invasive SI joint fusion policy from covering all devices to exclusively covering SI-BONE's triangular iFuse Implants, effective October 1, 2021. UnitedHealthcare has adopted InterQual Clinical Criteria for Sacroiliac Joint Interventions, updating its policies to cover minimally invasive SI joint fusion using a Titanium Triangular Implant. "UnitedHealthcare's evidence-driven decision to cover minimally invasive SI joint fusion procedures only when using triangular titanium implants is an important step for improving patients' access to the iFuse procedure," said Carlton Reckling, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President, Medical Affairs at SI-BONE. "The InterQual clinical criteria reflect the high level of rigorous study associated with the iFuse Implant System, and are aligned with clinical criteria from NASS, ISASS and numerous other organizations. UnitedHealthcare's decision follows numerous other insurers that have adopted specialty benefits management companies' criteria, including eviCore, AIM Specialty Health, and Hayes, which have positive assessments of the evidence supporting the iFuse procedure."

08:05 EDT Aligos Therapeutics begins dosing with ALG-020572 in Phase 1 PoC study - Aligos Therapeutics announced that the company has started dosing in the first cohort of healthy volunteers in Study ALG-020572-401. The trial is evaluating ALG-020572, a proprietary antisense oligonucleotide therapeutic candidate that is designed to reduce circulating HBsAg levels. Study ALG-020572-401 is a two-part umbrella protocol. In Part 1, it will evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of single subcutaneous doses of ALG-020572 in healthy volunteers. In Part 2, it will evaluate the safety, PK, and antiviral activity of multiple SC doses given over 28 days in multiple chronic hepatitis B subpopulations. Aligos's ASO program represents one of several in the company's CHB portfolio that target different clinically validated mechanisms of action in the hepatitis B virus life cycle. The portfolio also includes S-antigen Transport-inhibiting Oligonucleotide Polymer molecules, capsid assembly modulators, and small interfering RNA drug candidates. The properties of these candidates indicate that their use in combination could yield potentially best-in-class treatment regimens that may achieve higher rates of functional cure than current standard of care. For each of these drug candidates, Aligos plans to initially establish proof of concept as monotherapy in Phase 1 umbrella trials before evaluating them in combination in subsequent trials.

08:04 EDT Reneo Pharmaceuticals appoints Ashley Hall as Chief Development Officer - Reneo Pharmaceuticals (RPHM) announced the appointment of Ashley Hall, JD, to the position of Chief Development Officer. In this role, Hall will oversee nonclinical and clinical operations, global regulatory affairs, pharmaceutical development, and program management for all the company's development programs. Hall brings more than 20 years of experience in global drug development to Reneo. Prior to joining Reneo, Hall was the Chief Development Officer and Head of Global Regulatory Affairs at Esperion Therapeutics (ESPR).

08:03 EDT Kansas City Southern engages Commtrex in effort to boost supply chain - Kansas City Southern announced that it has engaged Commtrex to enhance the visibility and connectivity of the KCS network's over 100 transload facilities in the U.S. and Mexico using the Commtrex platform. The new relationship comes at a time of increasingly complex and volatile global supply chains, capacity constraints, labor shortages, rising transportation costs, as well as growing trade throughout North America due to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Located in 19 U.S. and Mexican states, the KCS transload network handles food and agricultural commodities, bulk materials, chemicals, paper and forest products, steel and other metals. The Commtrex platform allows shippers to search for transload centers by location, commodities handled, services provided and other parameters to develop their freight rail options. Close to one-third of Commtrex's 2,300 members are rail-served shippers.

08:02 EDT Berkshire Grey, Atos partner to accelerate automation of supply chain - Berkshire Grey and Atos announced a partnership to accelerate automation of supply chain operations. Together, the two companies will bring Intelligent Enterprise Robotic solutions to retail, transportation, and logistics customers, enabling them to overcome strained supply chains. This partnership between Berkshire Grey and Atos will enable retailers and logistics providers to integrate end-to-end intelligent robotic solutions within existing IT and operations ecosystems, helping them meet demand through enhanced supply chain visibility and automation with minimal manual intervention. Berkshire Grey's automated picking, mobility and orchestration solutions augment existing warehouse staff to increase throughput and productivity throughout the supply chain and maximize flexibility and responsiveness. Atos will implement and integrate Berkshire Grey's AI-enabled robotic solutions into clients' complete supply chain ecosystems to ensure information flows across systems of record as smoothly as materials transition through the warehouse. With this partnership, Atos will become part of Berkshire Grey's Partner Alliance program as a Solutions Integrator Partner. The program includes a select group of strategic partners that provide customers with scalable robotic solutions developed to improve fulfillment throughput while driving down operational costs.

07:58 EDT Ondas spikes 7% after announcing on strategic partnership with Dynam.AI - Shares of Ondas are up 65c or 6.60% to $10.55 per share in pre- market trading on Monday after the company reported it has entered into a strategic partnership with Dynam.AI , "a leading developer of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies."

07:50 EDT GlaxoSmithKline unveils plan for headquarters of new consumer healthcare company - GSK announced proposals for a major new UK-based headquarters and global campus for the new Consumer Healthcare company following separation in 2022, and its long-term plan for the future headquarters of GSK. The proposals form part of GSK's ongoing work to prepare for the separation of the Group into two UK-based companies next year - new GSK, a global pharmaceuticals and vaccines company with an R&D approach focused on the science of the immune system, human genetics and advanced technologies, and a Consumer Healthcare company with annual sales of more than GBP 10B. Under the proposals, the new Consumer Healthcare company will build a new campus in Weybridge, UK. This campus will house the global headquarters for the new Consumer Healthcare business, including an innovation center and the company's global support function teams based in the UK. It will be home to around 1,400 employees. The new Consumer Healthcare company will open its new headquarters at the end of 2024, subject to consultation and planning approvals. Whilst the development of the campus is ongoing, and at the point of separation of the two companies - expected in mid-2022 - Consumer Healthcare teams will leave GSK House in Brentford and will move to a temporary headquarters in Weybridge, at a site close to but separate from the company's existing facilities in the area.

07:46 EDT Embraer, NetJets sign deal for up to 100 additional Phenom 300 aircraft - After successfully delivering over 100 Phenom 300s, one of NetJets' most requested aircraft, Embraer and NetJets, have signed a continuing deal for up to 100 additional aircraft, in excess of $1.2B. As part of the deal, NetJets will begin taking delivery of the Phenom 300E in the second quarter of 2023, in both the U.S. and Europe. NetJets first signed a purchase agreement with Embraer in 2010, for 50 Phenom 300 executive jets plus up to 75 options. With this new aircraft order, which includes a comprehensive services agreement, NetJets signifies their commitment to an enhanced customer experience and their trust in Embraer's industry-leading portfolio and customer support network to deliver the ultimate experience to its customers.

07:39 EDT Gol Linhas plans to increase Q4 capacity by 30% vs. 3Q - GOL plans to increase its 4Q21 capacity by approximately 30% over 3Q21, in anticipation of stronger seasonal demand.

07:37 EDT Rekor Systems subsidiary selected for a strategic research initiative by Volvo - Rekor Systems (REKR) announced that its Waycare subsidiary has been selected for a strategic research initiative by Volvo Cars (VLVLY) to ascertain how artificial intelligence can be used to enable predictive awareness in a smart city context. This marks the first deployment in Europe for the company's crash prediction technology. The six-month pilot test, beginning in October, involves the Waycare technology being used for AI-based crash prediction in Volvo Cars' hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars is leading the research project for Drive Sweden's AI Aware program, which investigates and tests central traffic control that supports connected and automated vehicles. The test will be performed in conjunction with the Swedish Transport Administration and the Gothenburg Traffic Management Center. Through the pilot, agencies will have access to the company's cloud-based platform to view and manage roadway incidents, traffic hazards, zones at risk, and more. The platform incorporates data from a variety of sources, including anonymized data from Volvo Cars' hazard light alert and slippery road alert technologies, in addition to navigation apps, physical infrastructure, and anonymized connected vehicle data.

07:34 EDT Exxon Mobil announces plans to build plastic waste recycling facility - Exxon Mobil plans to build its first, large-scale plastic waste advanced recycling facility in Baytown, Texas, and is expected to start operations by year-end 2022. A smaller, temporary facility, is already operational and producing commercial volumes of certified circular polymers that will be marketed by the end of this year to meet growing demand. The new facility follows validation of Exxon Mobil's initial trial of its proprietary process for converting plastic waste into raw materials. To date, the trial has successfully recycled more than 1,000 metric tons of plastic waste, the equivalent of 200M grocery bags, and has demonstrated the capability of processing 50 metric tons per day. Upon completion of the large-scale facility, the operation in Baytown will be among North America's largest plastic waste recycling facilities and will have an initial planned capacity to recycle 30,000 metric tons of plastic waste per year. Operational capacity could be expanded quickly if effective policy and regulations that recognize the lifecycle benefits of advanced recycling are implemented for residential and industrial plastic waste collection and sorting systems. ExxonMobil is developing plans to build approximately 500,000 metric tons of advanced recycling capacity globally over the next five years. In Europe, the company is collaborating with Plastic Energy on an advanced recycling plant in Notre Dame de Gravenchon, France, which is expected to process 25,000 metric tons of plastic waste per year when it starts up in 2023, with the potential for further expansion to 33,000 metric tons of annual capacity. The company is also assessing sites in the Netherlands, the U.S. Gulf Coast, Canada, and Singapore.

07:32 EDT CarLotz opens hub in Plano, Texas - CarLotz announced it has opened a hub located at 1001 Preston Road in Plano, TX. Complementing its sister location in San Antonio, the hub marks the second opening for the company in the Lone Star State and will provide CarLotz's guests in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex with easy access to its unique buying and selling experience.

07:31 EDT EzFill more than triples size of fuel delivery fleet, advances expansion - EzFill announced that it has purchased 33 additional fuel trucks, more than tripling the size of its delivery fleet to support the expansion of its service offering in cities throughout Florida including Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando, as well as other select U.S. markets. EzFill expects to take delivery of the new mobile fueling trucks during the fourth quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022. Each truck will have the capacity to carry 1,200 gallons of fuel, which collectively will add approximately 400,000 gallons of delivery capacity per week when all 33 trucks are fully utilized. "We expect that the purchase of these 33 trucks, with delivery scheduled over the next two quarters, will enable us to expand our services throughout our home state of Florida and around the U.S." said Mike McConnell, CEO of EzFill. "Fleet owners and consumers are continuing to reduce their reliance on traditional gas stations and turning to the convenience, cost-effectiveness, peace of mind and safety of mobile delivery to fuel their vehicles."

07:31 EDT Aehr Test Systems receives $1.3M order for FOX-NP systems - Aehr Test Systems announced it has received a $1.3M order from a current customer for two FOX-NP systems, adding to their existing fleet to provide additional test capacity for new product engineering characterization and qualification of photonics devices. The FOX-NP Systems are expected to ship within the next few months.

07:30 EDT Flexion trading resumes

07:08 EDT Flexion sees Q3 ZILRETTA net sales $21M-$23M - Flexion expects that ZILRETTA net sales were in the range of $21 million to $23 million for the third quarter of 2021. Third quarter 2021 sales were negatively impacted, particularly in the second half of the quarter, by the following primary factors: temporary disruptions from rebate program modifications, pandemic-related challenges, and several unanticipated manufacturing batch failures that led to short-dated ZILRETTA inventory resulting in smaller order sizes by physician practices and product returns from specialty distributors. Consistent with Pacira practices, Flexion is withdrawing its ZILRETTA sales guidance for 2021.

07:07 EDT Pacira sees Q3 EXPAREL sales $121.9M, iovera sales $4.2M - EXPAREL net product sales of $121.9 million for the third quarter and $39.7 million for the month of September 2021, compared with $113.7 million and $39.5 million in the prior year, respectively. The number of EXPAREL selling days for the month of September was 21 in both 2021 and 2020. The elective surgery market faced additional pandemic-related challenges in August and September due to regional surges in COVID-19 delta variant cases, staffing shortages, and surgical fatigue from care teams addressing significant procedure backlogs. These variables began to subside in the latter part of September and Pacira expects the fourth quarter to reflect improving market dynamics. iovera degrees net product sales of $4.2 million for the third quarter and $2.3 million for the month of September 2021, compared with $2.7 million and $1.1 million in the prior year, respectively.

07:05 EDT New Residential in pact with Goldman affiliates to acquire Genesis Capital - New Residential Investment (NRZ) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with affiliates of The Goldman Sachs Group (GS), to acquire Genesis Capital and acquire a related portfolio of loans. Genesis is expected to originate approximately $2B of loans in 2021 and has originated over 12,000 loans since 2014. Genesis supports developers throughout the property lifecycle, partnering to create value for their long standing and new borrower relationships. New Residential intends for Genesis to operate as an independent subsidiary of New Residential. "The acquisition of Genesis adds a new complementary business line to our Company and advances our ability to create and retain additional strong housing assets for our balance sheet," said Michael Nierenberg, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of New Residential. "We are excited to work with the seasoned Genesis team and add business purpose lending to our suite of products, furthering our connectivity with a new subset of borrowers. We see the acquisition of Genesis as a great opportunity that supports our growing single-family rental strategy and one that allows us to capture additional unmet demand from our Retail and Wholesale origination channels."

07:05 EDT Protagonist Therapeutics: FDA removes full clinical hold on rusfertide program - Protagonist Therapeutics announced that the U.S. FDA has removed the full clinical hold on the company's rusfertide clinical studies, announced on September 17. Per the FDA, dosing in all clinical studies of rusfertide may be resumed. The company provided the FDA with all requested information as the basis for a Complete Response and subsequent removal of the clinical hold. In particular, the company provided the requested individual patient clinical safety reports, updated the investigator brochure and patient informed consent forms, performed a comprehensive review of the most recent safety database, and included new safety and stopping rules in the study protocols. The company is working closely with study investigators and clinical trial sites to resume dosing of patients in ongoing clinical trials with rusfertide after patients have been reconsented.

07:04 EDT Pacira to acquire Flexion Therapeutics for $8.50 per share in cash plus one CVR - Pacira BioSciences (PCRX) and Flexion Therapeutics (FLXN) announced a definitive agreement pursuant to which Pacira will acquire Flexion for $8.50 per share in cash, plus one non-tradeable contingent value right worth up to $8.00 per share in cash. The CVR is payable in the event certain sales and/or regulatory milestones are achieved. The transaction was unanimously approved by the board of directors of each of Pacira and Flexion. Flexion is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel, local non-opioid therapies for the treatment of patients with musculoskeletal conditions, including osteoarthritis, postsurgical pain and low back pain. Approved in 2017, Flexion's lead product, ZILRETTA is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for OA knee pain utilizing extended-release microsphere technology. Pacira said transaction rationale includes, " Innovative non-opioid portfolio directly aligns with the Pacira mission to provide an opioid alternative to as many patients as possible and address medical needs along the neural pain pathway. Flexion's ZILRETTA is a non-opioid injection that will allow Pacira to offer a treatment to manage OA pain of the knee at an earlier stage of the patient's journey along the neural pain pathway. Complementary sales call points and clinical-stage pipeline offer significant cost synergies across research and development and commercial activities. Adds multiple clinical milestones, including the initiation of a Phase 3 registration trial of ZILRETTA in shoulder osteoarthritis and the advancement of Phase 1 studies of FX201 for musculoskeletal pain, including OA, and FX301 as a lower extremity nerve block for postsurgical pain. Immediately revenue generating and expected to be accretive to full-year 2022 earnings and significantly accretive thereafter." Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Pacira will commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Flexion for a purchase price of $8.50 per share in cash, plus one non-tradeable CVR. The CVR will entitle Flexion stockholders to up to an additional $8.00 per share in cash payable upon achievement of the following milestones: $1.00 per share if total calendar year ZILRETTA net sales achieve $250 million; $2.00 per share if total calendar year ZILRETTA net sales achieve $375 million; $3.00 per share if total calendar year ZILRETTA net sales achieve $500 million; $1.00 per share upon U.S. FDA approval of FX201; and $1.00 per share upon U.S. FDA approval of FX301. The milestones associated with each contingent cash payment must be achieved, if at all, on or before December 31, 2030. There can be no assurance any payments will be made with respect to the CVR. The transaction is not subject to any financing condition and Pacira will fund the transaction from its existing cash resources. Flexion's board of directors unanimously recommends that Flexion's stockholders tender their shares in the tender offer. Additionally, Flexion's directors and executive officers, or their affiliates, have agreed to tender their shares in the tender offer. The transaction is anticipated to close during the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and the tender of a majority of the outstanding shares of Flexion's common stock. Following the successful closing of the tender offer, Pacira will acquire any shares of Flexion that are not tendered in the tender offer through a second-step merger at the same consideration as paid in the tender offer.

07:03 EDT Farmland Partners names James Gilligan as CFO - The company announced that it has appointed James Gilligan as CFO and Treasurer, effective immediately. Gilligan's responsibilities will include overseeing the company's finance, accounting, treasury, financial planning, and SEC reporting functions. Gilligan will report directly to the Chairman and CEO. Gilligan joined Farmland Partners in 2021 as a Consultant, and later as a Vice President in the finance department, after eight years with Equity International, the private equity firm founded by Sam Zell.

07:01 EDT Chesapeake names Domenic Dell'Osso as CEO - Chesapeake Energy announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously voted to appoint Domenic "Nick" Dell'Osso as President and CEO and a member of the company's Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mike Wichterich, who served as Interim CEO, will assume the role of Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors.

06:59 EDT Emerson Electric to own 55% of AspenTech following $11B transaction - Emerson (EMR) and AspenTech (AZPN) announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement to contribute Emerson's industrial software businesses - OSI Inc. and the Geological Simulation Software business - to AspenTech to create a diversified, high-performance industrial software leader with greater scale, capabilities and technologies. Emerson will also contribute $6.0B in cash to new AspenTech, which will be received by AspenTech shareholders, in exchange for a 55% stake in new AspenTech. Emerson CEO Lal Karsanbhai states: "We saw an attractive opportunity to accelerate our software strategy to capitalize on the rapidly evolving industrial software landscape and advance Emerson's high value portfolio journey. Our customers are increasingly seeking partners to help realize stronger performance as they automate workflows in their facilities to optimize operations. New AspenTech will become an engine for both acquisition and organic growth."

06:58 EDT Flexion trading halted, news pending

06:56 EDT ISS urges Capital Senior Living shareholders to vote for company's proposals - Capital Senior Living announced that leading proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services has recommended that shareholders vote FOR all of the company's proposals, including the company's previously announced amended investment agreement with Conversant Capital to raise up to $154.8M, at the Special Meeting of Stockholders on October 22.

06:53 EDT KKR: Joe Bae and Scott Nuttall appointed co-CEOs - KKR & Co. announced that Joe Bae and Scott Nuttall have been appointed Co-CEOs, and co-Founders Henry Kravis and George Roberts will remain actively involved as Executive Co-Chairmen of KKR's Board of Directors. The leadership transition is effective immediately. Bae and Nuttall both joined KKR in 1996 and have served as Co-Presidents and Co-Chief Operating Officers of KKR since July 2017. Since then, KKR has seen significant growth in operating performance, with assets under management, book value, total distributable earnings doubling and KKR's stock price tripling along with strong and differentiated investment performance on behalf of KKR's fund investors.

06:52 EDT Medtronic receives CE Mark for Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system - Medtronic announced it has received CE Mark for the Hugo robotic-assisted surgery, or RAS, system, authorizing the sale of the system in Europe. CE Mark approval is for urologic and gynecologic procedures, which make up about half of all robotic procedures performed today.

06:51 EDT NanoViricides announces NV-CoV-2 effective against SARS-CoV-2 - NanoViricides announced that its Pan-Coronavirus COVID-19 drug candidate NV-CoV-2 was found to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 in a standard cell culture pseudovirion assay, demonstrating that the drug indeed has broad-spectrum pan-coronavirus activity. This pan-coronavirus activity implies that the drug NV-CoV-2 should remain active in spite of evolution of variants of SARS-CoV-2 in the field. In this assay, both the drug candidate NV-CoV-2 and a control antibody specific to the Spike antigen S1 of the SARS-CoV-2 virus suppressed the infection by the SARS-CoV-2-pseudovirions in cell culture studies to virtually the same baseline levels. The company has now demonstrated that NV-CoV-2 is highly effective in cell cultures against SARS-CoV-2, human coronavirus NL-63, and human coronavirus 229E, all very different human coronaviruses. These results imply that the drug will remain active in spite of novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 evolution in the field, and indeed demonstrate the pan-coronavirus activity of our clinical drug candidate NV-CoV-2. Additionally, the pseudovirion study also showed that NV-CoV-2 neutralizes the virus particles themselves, outside of the cells, validating our design mechanism. A strong SARS-CoV-2 infection inhibition activity of NV-CoV-2 was observed in this pseudovirion study. Pseudovirion assay is a standard method for evaluating virus entry-inhibitors in BSL2 laboratories and is primarily used for viruses that would otherwise require high security BSL3 or BSL4 laboratories. In this study, SARS-CoV-2-pseudovirion virus particles were made that carry a green fluorescent protein producer mRNA inside, and use the SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein on their surface to bind to ACE2 receptor protein on cells. They were incubated with NV-CoV-2, or a known neutralizing antibody, or just the vehicle buffer. Then these solutions were separately used to infect ACE2 positive cells and the cultures were incubated. Only the infected cells produced GFP and were visualized by green fluorescence in microscopy. In this well-known assay, NV-CoV-2 was as effective as the neutralizing antibody in reducing the virus infection. This study demonstrates that NV-CoV-2 attacks the SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirion particles and renders them incapable of binding to the ACE2 positive cells.

06:50 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 1.5M shares of Ginkgo Bioworks on Friday

06:47 EDT CVS Health adopts 2050 net zero aspiration for equity upstream Scope 1, 2 - "Chevron issued an updated climate change resilience report that further details the company's ambition to advance our lower carbon future. Chevron adopted a 2050 net zero aspiration for equity upstream Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The TCFD-aligned report describes how Chevron is incorporating Scope 3 emissions into its greenhouse gas emission targets by establishing a Portfolio Carbon Intensity target inclusive of Scope 1 and 2 as well as Scope 3 emissions from the use of its products." Chevron's new PCI target assists with transparent carbon accounting and company comparison from publicly available data. The target covers the full value chain, including Scope 3 emissions from the use of products. The company has set a greater than 5% carbon emissions intensity reduction target from 2016 levels by 2028. This target is aligned with Chevron's strategy which allows flexibility to grow its traditional business, provided it remains increasingly carbon-efficient, and pursue growth in lower-carbon businesses. Chevron plans to publish a PCI methodology document and online tool to enable third parties to calculate PCI for energy companies.

06:36 EDT Palantir, MSP Recovery announce partnership - MSP Recovery announced the formation of a partnership to transform legal, data, and healthcare delivery into one united ecosystem. MSP will provide the detailed underlying legal, data and healthcare knowledge, utilizing Palantir Foundry as the foundation of the data ecosystem.

06:32 EDT Supernus to acquire Adamas Pharmaceuticals for $9.10 per share - Supernus Pharmaceuticals (SUPN) and Adamas Pharmaceuticals (ADMS) announced a definitive agreement for Supernus to acquire Adamas through a tender offer for $8.10 per share in cash, or an aggregate of approximately $400M, payable at closing plus two non-tradable contingent value rights collectively worth up to $1.00 per share in cash, or an aggregate of approximately $50M, for a total consideration of $9.10 per share in cash, or an aggregate of approximately $450M. The first CVR, worth $0.50 per share, is payable upon achieving net sales of GOCOVRI of $150M in any four consecutive quarters between closing and the end of 2024. The second CVR, worth 50c per share, is payable upon achieving net sales of GOCOVRI of $225M in any four consecutive quarters between closing and the end of 2025. The transaction is expected to close in late fourth quarter 2021 or in early first quarter 2022. The acquisition is expected to be significantly accretive in 2022.

06:08 EDT National Energy Services awarded multiple contracts valued over $150M - National Energy Services announced multiple contract awards across several drilling and evaluation service lines in GCC countries. Totaling more than $150M, these multi-year contracts encompass slickline services, tubular running services and testing services with multiple national oil companies.

06:06 EDT Tutor Perini JV awarded $178M contract - Tutor Perini announced that a joint venture comprised of the Company and Brosamer & Wall, Inc. has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $178M by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, for the Friant-Kern Canal Middle Reach Capacity Correction Phase I project in central California, southeast of Visalia. Construction is expected to begin in November 2021 with substantial completion anticipated in June 2024. Tutor Perini's portion of the contract value is included in the company's third-quarter 2021 backlog.

06:02 EDT Merck, Ridgeback submit EUA to FDA for molnupiravir - Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced that Merck has submitted an Emergency Use Authorization application to the U.S. FDA for molnupiravir, an investigational oral antiviral medicine, for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults who are at risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. The companies are actively working with regulatory agencies worldwide to submit applications for emergency use or marketing authorization in the coming months.

05:15 EDT UAW union informs Deere that its employees voted to reject collective bargaining - The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, or UAW, has informed Deere that its production and maintenance employees have voted to reject the tentative collective bargaining agreements that would have covered more than 10,000 workers at 14 facilities across the United States. "After weeks of negotiations, John Deere reached tentative agreements with the UAW that would have made the best wages and most comprehensive benefits in our industries significantly better for our employees," said Brad Morris, vice president of labor relations for Deere & Company. "John Deere remains fully committed to continuing the collective bargaining process in an effort to better understand our employees' viewpoints. In the meantime, our operations will continue as normal."

05:11 EDT Hyatt opens IL Tornabuoni Hotel in Florence - Hyatt announced the opening of IL Tornabuoni Hotel in Florence. The 62-bedroom former palace signifies the debut of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand in Italy.

05:08 EDT Golden Ocean sell two vessels, enters agreement to construct four vessels - Golden Ocean announced the sale of two older Panamax vessels, Golden Opportunity and Golden Endurer, and an agreement to construct four Kamsarmax vessels. The aggregate sale price of the vessels is $37.2M, and the company expects to record gain from sale of approximately $4.9M in Q3 and $5M in Q4 and receive net cash proceed of approximately $22.2 million in Q4. The net cash proceeds will fund close to half of the estimated required equity for the Kamsarmax vessels. The balance will be funded through cash on hand and long-term debt financing to be secured closer to delivery. The four Kamsarmax vessels are 85,000 dwt ECO-type and are being constructed at the Chinese shipyard where the company currently has three vessels under construction with the same design. The vessels will be delivered to the company in the third and fourth quarter of 2023.