Stockwinners Market Radar for December 01, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:39 EST Redfin says for-sale home supply hit all-time low last wek - In a press release, Redfin stated: "The number of homes for sale hit an all-time low during the week ending November 28, according to a new report from Redfin. During that period, sustained demand pushed the median home price to another record high, and a third of homes sold in one week or less. The median home-sale price hit a new all-time high of $360,375, up 14% year over year. This was up 31% from the same period in 2019 and up 1.5% from a month earlier, far greater than the 0.2% increase seen during the same period last year. Asking prices of newly listed homes were up 12% from the same time a year ago and up 27% from 2019 to a median of $349,750. Pending home sales were up 8% year over year, and up 49% compared to the same period in 2019. New listings of homes for sale were down 4% from a year earlier, but up 12% from 2019."

18:48 EST Karuna Therapeutics CEO: Developing a game-changing treatment for schizophrenia - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Dr. Steve Paul said Karuna is developing a "game-changing" treatment for schizophrenia. Currently, four Phase 3 trials are up and running and he is "very optimistic" about getting through them. Paul "couldn't be more excited" about the new medicine. He is optimistic that the drug will also treat the behavioral impacts of Alzheimer's disease.

18:41 EST Humanigen announces 'positive' results for lenzilumab published in Lancet - Humanigen announced that The Lancet Respiratory Medicine published positive results from Humanigen's LIVE-AIR Phase 3 randomized, controlled trial of lenzilumab in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, as well as an independent expert commentary. The Lancet paper concludes "LIVE-AIR showed that lenzilumab treatment of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 can improve the likelihood of survival without the need for mechanical ventilation, with a safety profile similar to that of placebo." Humanigen CEO Cameron Durrant says: "Publication of LIVE-AIR results in this peer-reviewed medical journal is a major achievement. Our goal was to demonstrate that lenzilumab, a variant-agnostic therapy, could address the unmet need in treatment of COVID-19 patients by reducing death or mechanical ventilation. The results describe the positive impact lenzilumab has on improving survival without the need for invasive mechanical ventilation in COVID-19 patients upon hospitalization. As the paper describes '60% of LIVE-AIR patients were on room air or low-flow oxygen support. ... (Raising) the possibility that lenzilumab might be positioned for use before ICU admission and progression of respiratory failure requiring high-flow oxygen and non-invasive or invasive ventilation.'"

18:21 EST PulteGroup raises quarterly cash dividend 7% to 15c per share - PulteGroup announced that its Board of Directors voted to approve a 7% increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend to 15c per common share. The increase will be effective with the company's next scheduled dividend, which is payable January 4, 2022, to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 15, 2021. "This is the fourth consecutive year in which PulteGroup has raised its dividend and brings the total per-share increase during this period to 67%," said PulteGroup President and CEO, Ryan Marshall. "The strong cash flows of the business have not only allowed us to again raise our dividend, but also fund year-over-year increases in both land investment and share repurchase activities in 2021."

18:00 EST Arthur J. Gallagher acquires Sound Insurance Services, terms not disclosed - Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced the acquisition of Caulfield, Victoria-based Sound Insurance Services. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "Sound Insurance is a well-regarded broker with a strong growth record that will enhance our capabilities in Melbourne, particularly in the small corporate and mid-market segment," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am delighted to welcome Simon, Morris, Daniel, Mark and their associates to our growing, global team."

17:48 EST John Bean Technologies announces new $30M share buyback - John Bean Technologies Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase plan of up to $30M of the company's common stock, effective January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2024.

17:30 EST Weatherford awarded digital oilfield project in Kuwait - Weatherford International plc announced it was awarded a three-year digital oilfield contract from one of the digital leaders in the upstream industry, Kuwait Oil Company, aiming to support its digital transformation strategy in North Kuwait Heavy Oil field and for deploying its Integrated Enterprise Excellence Platform across KOC. The award also includes instrumentation, real-time monitoring, and production optimization and assurance of wells to enable KOC to optimize its production and workover plans. The project scope will support KOC in performing heavy oil wells analysis, model tuning, well design, asset optimization, surveillance and forecasting, and integrating with different E&P applications. Weatherford will also deploy integrated planning and optimization solutions from the reservoir to export facilities at KOC's corporate level. In addition, the integrated solution will allow KOC to leverage the full value of its existing KwIDF systems while the Integrated Enterprise Excellence Platform will enhance efficiency and support KPI tracking.

17:25 EST R.R. Donnelley board says Chatham proposal "superior", to terminate Atlas merger - R. Donnelley "announced that its Board unanimously determined that an unsolicited proposal from Chatham Asset Management, LLC to acquire all of the common stock of the Company not already owned by Chatham and its affiliates for $10.25 per share in cash constitutes a "Superior Proposal" as defined in the Company's previously announced definitive merger agreement with affiliates of Atlas Holdings LLC, dated as of November 3, 2021. Under the terms of the Atlas Merger Agreement, affiliates of Atlas have agreed to acquire the Company for $8.52 per share in cash. RRD has notified Atlas of the Board's determination that the Chatham Proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal and that RRD intends to terminate the Atlas Merger Agreement for the purpose of entering into a definitive merger agreement with affiliates of Chatham. Pursuant to the Atlas Merger Agreement, Atlas has the opportunity through December 7, 2021 to negotiate an amendment of the Atlas Merger Agreement such that the Chatham Proposal would no longer constitute a Superior Proposal. RRD intends, and is required under the Atlas Merger Agreement, to negotiate in good faith any adjustments or revisions to the terms and conditions of the Atlas Merger Agreement proposed by Atlas. RRD is not permitted to terminate the Atlas Merger Agreement or enter into a definitive merger agreement with affiliates of Chatham during the Negotiation Period."

17:18 EST PAE announces expiration of "go-shop" period - PAE announced the expiration of the "go-shop" period under the terms of the definitive agreement of October 25in which it agreed to be acquired by an affiliate of Amentum Government Services in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.9B, including the assumption of debt and certain fees. The go-shop period expired on November 29. The company did not receive an alternative acquisition proposal from any third party. The merger is expected to close in 1Q22, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by PAE shareholders and receipt of regulatory approvals. Upon completion of the Merger, PAE common stock will no longer be listed on any public market.

17:15 EST Raytheon Technologies awarded $273.35M Navy contract modification - Raytheon Technologies was awarded a $273.35M firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed fee, and cost only modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise options and add advanced radars detection laboratory generator support for Air and Missile Defense Radar; and Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar, integration and production support efforts. Work is expected to be completed by November 2022. FY17 shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $14.06M; FY20 shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $1.,99M; FY22 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8.47M; FY21 shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $6.87M; FY16 shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $3.47M; FY22 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $2.98M; FY19 shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $2.2B and FY18 shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $902,513 will be obligated at time of award, of which $2.98M will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:09 EST Crown Resorts rejects latest Blackstone proposal - Crown Resorts refers to its announcement on November 19, 2021 in relation to the unsolicited and non-binding proposal from a company on behalf of funds managed and advised by Blackstone Inc. and its affiliates, to acquire all of the shares in Crown by way of a scheme of arrangement at a price of A$12.50 cash per share. The Crown Board has carefully considered the Proposal, including obtaining advice from Crown's financial and legal advisers. Crown has discussed the Proposal with Blackstone and its advisers and has also considered feedback from shareholders and regulators. The Crown Board is of the view that the Proposal does not represent compelling value for Crown shareholders. However, the Crown Board has offered Blackstone the opportunity to access non-public information to allow Blackstone to undertake initial due diligence inquiries on a non-exclusive basis so that it can formulate a revised proposal that adequately reflects the value of Crown. The provision of such information is conditional on Crown and Blackstone entering into an appropriate confidentiality agreement.

17:05 EST PhaseBio jumps 13% to $2.15 after announcing Bentracimab phase 3 results

17:04 EST Chevron raises share buyback guidance range to $3B-$5B from $2B-$3B per year - Consistent with its track record of returning excess cash to shareholders, the company is raising its share buyback guidance range to $3B-$5B per year, versus prior guidance of $2B-$3B per year. "We're a better company than we were just a few years ago. We're more capital and cost efficient, guided by a clear and consistent objective to deliver higher returns and lower carbon," CEO Mike Wirth said. "And this enables us to return more cash to shareholders."

16:57 EST Nuance EVP Weideman sells 139,988 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Nuance EVP and GM of the Enterprise Division Robert Weideman disclosed the sale of 139,988 common shares of the company on November 30 at a price of $55.4029 per share.

16:47 EST Veeva falls 5% to $258.49 per share after Q3 results, below-consensus FY23 guide

16:46 EST Orion Engineered CEO acquires 30,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Orion Engineered Carbons CEO corning Painter disclosed the purchase of 30,000 common shares of the company on November 30 at a price of $17.39 per share.

16:43 EST Titan Medical CEO David McNally steps down - Titan Medical announced that President and Chief Executive Officer David McNally has stepped down as President and CEO, and resigned from the Board of Directors effective today. Paul Cataford, Chair of the Board, has been appointed Interim President and CEO and Anthony J. Giovinazzo will assume the role of Lead Independent Director of the Board. The Board intends to commence a search process in early 2022 to identify a permanent CEO. "We continue to be impressed with Titan's strong fundamentals and look forward to starting clinical trials," said Mr. Cataford. "With the development of the EnosTM robotic single access surgical system, we look to provide an enhanced experience for surgeons and patients in robotic assisted surgery. Furthermore, as an innovation leader in robotic surgery, our significant and growing intellectual property portfolio of over 190 patents and applications provide potential licensing opportunities in addition to the subset that has been licensed to Medtronic. The company's entire IP portfolio, including those patents licensed to Medtronic, may be used in the company's own products and services."

16:35 EST Comfort Systems USA to acquire Ivey Mechanical Company - Comfort Systems USA, Inc. announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Ivey Mechanical Company, headquartered in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Initially, Ivey is expected to contribute annualized revenues of approximately $150M-$160M, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization of $7M-$9M. Considering the required amortization expense related to intangibles and other costs associated with the transaction, the acquisition is expected to make a neutral to slightly accretive contribution to earnings per share in 2022 and 2023. Brian Lane, Comfort Systems USA's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are very happy to announce that Ivey has brought its outstanding workforce and leadership into our family of companies. Ivey has strong construction and service capabilities, including the ability to collaborate with numerous of our operations. I am confident that we will benefit from their expertise as we invest in training and development for their people and business. In addition to well-known construction capabilities, Ivey has a terrific service business in several markets."

16:32 EST Territorial Bancorp declares 10c per share special dividend - Territorial Bancorp announced that its board of directors has declared a special cash dividend of 10c per share payable on December 23 to shareholders of record as of December 11.

16:31 EST ACM Research gets order from major U.S.-based global semiconductor maker - ACM Research announced the receipt of two orders for ACM's Ultra C SAPS V 12-chamber cleaning tools from a major U.S.-based global semiconductor manufacturer. Both tools are expected to be installed in the prospective customer's U.S. facilities for use in its advanced processes. The first order, scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2022, is an evaluation tool to further confirm the tool's cleaning performance and finalize specific features. The second order, scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2022, is a production tool intended for a high-volume manufacturing line. "These orders mark a significant milestone in ACM's globalization strategy and build upon recently- announced successes from three major semiconductor manufacturers with fabs in China.

16:30 EST Solar Senior Capital trading resumes

16:27 EST Snowflake jumps nearly 13% to $350 after Q3 results

16:21 EST Gulf Island Fabrication announces acquisition to expand services business - Gulf Island Fabrication announced the acquisition of the services and industrial staffing businesses of Dynamic Industries. The rationale for Expands services business. Grows the Company's customer base for its existing services offerings. The rationale for the acquisition includes diversifies services offerings. Expands the Company's services offerings to include coatings, scaffolding, and specialty services such as torquing and hydrotesting. Provides for revenue synergy opportunities. Allows for potential to cross-sell expanded services offerings to a broader customer base, while also providing the opportunity to pull-through fabrication work to DSS's customers. Increases skilled labor workforce. Nearly doubles the Company's craft labor headcount and expands its geographic footprint for craft labor to include South Texas and Western Louisiana. Provides entry into specialty staffing. Provides entry into the industrial staffing market, which will further help to attract and retain craft personnel.

16:19 EST Culp, Inc. withdraws FY22 guidance - Culp, Inc states: "The company continues to navigate uncertainty in the macroeconomic environment related to customer supply chain disruption for non-fabric components, significant inflationary pressures, a challenging labor market, and fluctuation in foreign currency exchange rates. Although CULP is well positioned over the long term with its product-driven strategy and flexible global platform, the current headwinds are expected to continue pressuring results throughout the second half of FY22, especially during the third quarter. The third and fourth quarters will also be affected by the timing of the Chinese New Year holiday, which begins at the end of the third quarter and continues into the beginning of the fourth quarter. Due to the uncertain and rapidly changing inflationary environment, the lack of visibility relating to the duration and magnitude of customer supply chain disruptions, and uncertainty relating to the impact of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the company is withdrawing its previously issued annual guidance for FY22 and is only providing a limited outlook for the third and fourth quarters until the current volatility stabilizes. The company's net sales and consolidated operating income for the third quarter of fiscal 2022 are expected to be sequentially comparable to the second quarter of fiscal 2022. The company expects a strong improvement in net sales and operating income for the fourth quarter of FY22, as compared to both the third quarter of FY22 and the fourth quarter of FY21."

16:17 EST PHX Minerals announces working interest divestitures, mineral acquisition - PHX Minerals announced that it has sold two packages of assets totaling 193 non-operated legacy working interest wellbores located primarily in the Arkoma Shale and Western Anadarko Shale plays of Oklahoma to two undisclosed buyers for a total of approximately $2,500,000. The buyers of the assets will also assume approximately $500,000 of asset retirement obligation from the Company. These working interest divestitures, along with the Fayetteville wellbores PHX sold last month, generated net proceeds of approximately $4,625,000 and represent 692 total gross legacy wellbores divested and approximately $670,000 in aggregate asset retirement obligation removed from the company's balance sheet. On a pro forma basis, PHX has 1,089 legacy working interest wellbores remaining. Additionally, PHX completed the acquisition of approximately 172 net royalty acres located primarily in Carter and Stephens County, Okla., for $1,376,416. This acquisition is predominately located in the same Springboard III area of the SCOOP play as the Company's previously closed April 2021 royalty acreage acquisition where current drilling activity continues to accelerate. The new royalty acreage acquisition, along with the cash acquisitions announced by the Company last month, represent a full redeployment of net proceeds received by the company for the working interest divestures. These recent working interest divestitures and royalty acquisitions are expected to have a neutral effect on overall production during 2022.

16:16 EST Univar acquires Sweetmix, terms not disclosed - Univar Solutions announced that it has acquired Sweetmix Distribuidora de Materias Primas Industriais Ltda, one of the top five distributors in Brazil of ingredients and specialty chemicals. Bringing together both new customers and suppliers as well as agreements with existing Univar Solutions' suppliers, Sweetmix significantly enhances the company's specialty food ingredients offering in Latin America. The business also enhances Univar Solutions position in the local coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers market. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

16:15 EST Oil-Dri Corporation of America to increase fluid purification products prices - Oil-Dri Corporation of America announced that it will increase prices for its fluid purification products. The price increases, effective January 1, 2022, will range up to 10% depending on the product. These pricing actions are necessary as the company said it is facing significant inflation across many key cost inputs, including natural gas, diesel, packaging, and non-fuel manufacturing costs.

16:15 EST Zuora CEO says Q3 was highest upsell quarter in history - "Q3 was another solid quarter. We continued to deliver strong performance, exceeding our guidance for operating metrics including total revenue, subscription revenue, and non-GAAP loss from operations. It was also the highest upsell quarter in Zuora's history. Based on our overall results, our dollar-based retention rate, and ARR growth, we are confident in our strategy and believe our opportunity in the Subscription Economy continues to expand," said Tien Tzuo, founder and CEO of Zuora.

16:14 EST HireQuest names David Burnett CFO - HireQuest announced that David S. Burnett has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. "We are very excited to have David join HireQuest. He will be a close advisor to me and an important member of our senior leadership team as we continue to expand and grow," said Rick Hermanns, HireQuest's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are confident that his leadership and finance and accounting experience will benefit HireQuest and its employees and shareholders." Burnett will succeed Cory Smith, who is staying on with the company as Chief Accounting Officer.

16:13 EST HealthStream acquires Rievent Technologies for about $4M in cash - HealthStream announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Rievent Technologies, a Virginia-based healthcare technology company. Through the acquisition, HealthStream gains an innovative, SaaS-based continuing education management and delivery application, branded as Rievent, which supports publishers, professional associations, healthcare insurance companies, and healthcare providers, HealthStream said. "Rievent Technologies introduced one of the most advanced SaaS-based CME/CE management applications to the industry and we've consistently stayed ahead of the curve in making sure it's the best on the market to fulfill this vital need," said Randy Rienerth, founder & Chief Executive Officer, Rievent Technologies. "Our customers will benefit from expanded opportunities as part of HealthStream while continuing to receive outstanding service from the same Rievent team." HealthStream acquired substantially all of the assets of Rievent Technologies for approximately $4M in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments.

16:12 EST Solar Senior Capital trading halted, news pending

16:12 EST Clarivate CFO Richard Hanks stepping down, Dana CFO Jonathan Collins to succeed - Clarivate (CLVT) announced a change to its executive leadership team. Executive VP and CFO Richard Hanks is leaving the company and will be succeeded by Jonathan Collins, who is currently Executive VP and CFO of Dana Incorporated (DAN). Collins will be joining Clarivate effective Dec. 16 as Executive ViP and CFO. Hanks will remain with Clarivate until April 1 to support the CFO transition. Collins has been EVP and CFO of Dana since March 2016. Prior to joining Dana, Collins was Senior VP and CFO for ProQuest from 2013-2016 and VP Global Financial Operations from 2010-2013.

16:12 EST Snowflake sees Q4 product revenue up 94%-96% y/y at $345M-$350M - Sees FY22 product revenue up 103%-104% y/y at $1.126B-$1.131B.

16:11 EST Sierra Wireless names Russell Jones new board chair - Sierra Wireless announced that Russell Jones, who has served on the Board of Sierra Wireless since 2018, has been appointed by the Board of Directors to be the new Chair effective January 1, 2022, replacing Robin Abrams who joined the Board in March 2010 and has served as Chair since October 2018. Ms. Abrams will continue to serve as a director on the company's Board until her retirement from the Board at the upcoming Annual Meeting in the Spring of 2022.

16:10 EST Digital World Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

16:08 EST Synopsys announces planned retirement of CFO Trac Pham - Synopsys announced that Trac Pham, CFO, intends to retire in 2022. To ensure an orderly transition, Pham will remain in his current role until a successor is in place. Synopsys will initiate a comprehensive search to identify a replacement.

16:02 EST Amgen reports 'positive' results from Otezla Phase 3 DISCREET trial - Amgen announced positive top-line results from the DISCREET trial, a Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study to assess the efficacy of Otezla in adults with moderate to severe genital psoriasis and moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. The study showed that oral Otezla 30 mg twice daily achieved a clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement, compared with placebo, in the primary endpoint of the modified static Physician's Global Assessment of Genitalia response at week 16. In addition, all secondary endpoints were also met with meaningful and significant improvements in Genital Psoriasis Itch Numerical Rating Scale response; affected body surface area change from baseline; Dermatology Life Quality Index change from baseline; and static Physician's Global Assessment response at week 16 with Otezla versus placebo.

16:01 EST Spectrum COO Tom Riga named next president, CEO - Spectrum Pharmaceuticals announced that Tom Riga, currently Chief Commercial and Chief Operating Officer, will be the next President and CEO effective December 31, 2021. Mr. Riga will also join the company's Board of Directors upon assuming his new role. Spectrum and Joseph Turgeon, President and CEO, have agreed that Mr. Turgeon will retire from Spectrum on December 31, 2021, after nine years with the company. Accordingly, he will also be stepping down from Spectrum's Board of Directors. "We welcome Tom as the new CEO of Spectrum and look forward to the continued benefits of his entrepreneurial and executive experience as we work to progress our two lead product candidates to commercialization," said William Ashton, Chairman of Spectrum's Board of Directors. "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would also like to thank Joe for his many contributions to the company and wish him success in his future endeavors. The Board has been preparing for this day and we have complete confidence that Tom is the right leader for the organization as we embark on our next stage."

15:14 EST Orange County Bancorp Inc trading resumes

14:53 EST 180 Life Sciences says Phase 2b trial met primary end point - 180 Life Sciences announced that Professor Jagdeep Nanchahal from the University of Oxford, a co-founder of 180 Life Sciences, presented a keynote address entitled "Re-purposing anti-TNF for Dupuytren's Disease" at the 2021 International Dupuytren Symposium on Wednesday, December 1. "As part of the keynote address, Professor Nanchahal described how his team unraveled the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of Dupuytren's disease leading to the identification of Tumor Necrosis Factor as a potential therapeutic target and clinical trials he led to identify the optimal dose and formulation of adalimumab, an anti-TNF biologic. At the keynote, he also disclosed the top line data from the phase 2b clinical trial, for patients with early-stage disease, which met the primary end point of nodule hardness and the secondary end point of nodule size on ultrasound scan with statistically significant differences. There were no related severe adverse events. The full results have been submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and will be disclosed on publication," the company stated.

14:21 EST General Motors raises FY21 adjusted EBIT view to about $14B form $11.5B-$13.5B - According to a regulatory filing, on December 1, 2021, Paul Jacobson, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of General Motors Company, will meet with investors at a virtual fireside chat hosted by Credit Suisse. Jacobson plans to discuss that the company now expects full-year 2021 EBIT-adjusted to be approximately $14B, higher than the previous outlook of the high end of the range of $11.5B-$13.5B.

13:48 EST EA's Respawn to discontinue new sales of first 'Titanfall' game - Respawn Entertainment, a game developer owned by Electronic Arts, said that it is discontinuing new sales of the original "Titanfall" game, released in 2014. "We've made the decision to discontinue new sales of the original Titanfall game starting today and we'll be removing the game from subscription services on March 1, 2022, " the studio said. "We will, however, be keeping servers live for the dedicated fanbase still playing and those who own the game and are looking to drop into a match. Rest assured, Titanfall is core to Respawn's DNA and this incredible universe will continue. Today in TItanfall 2 and Apex Legends, and in the future." Reference Link

13:32 EST Amgen announces FDA approves Kyprolis/Darzalex Faspro combo expansion - Amgen (AMGN) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the expansion of the Kyprolis U.S. prescribing information to include its use in combination with Darzalex Faspro and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three lines of therapy. The expansion of the Kyprolis prescribing information to include Darzalex Faspro plus dexamethasone was supported by the ongoing, Phase 2, non-randomized, open-label, multicenter PLEIADES trial evaluating the clinical benefit of Darzalex Faspro administered in combination with four standard-of-care treatment regimens in patients with multiple myeloma. "I am pleased that the addition of subcutaneous daratumumab to Kyprolis plus dexamethasone will offer increased flexibility and convenience for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma and will greatly reduce the administration burden," said David M. Reese, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. Separately, the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) also announced the FDA approval of Darzalex Faspro in combination with Kyprolis and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior lines of therapy.

13:16 EST GCP Applied Technologies up 14% after Bloomberg report on takeover interest

13:02 EST Blackstone Tactical Opportunities acquires Sustana, terms not disclosed - Blackstone announced that funds managed by its Blackstone Tactical Opportunities business have acquired Sustana Group, a manufacturer of premium, sustainable recycled fiber, paper and packaging products, from an affiliate of H.I.G. Capital. Headquartered in De Pere, Wisconsin, Sustana uses post-consumer materials and the high standards for environmental sustainability to produce a comprehensive suite of recycled fiber, paper and packaging solutions for customers throughout North America. It services a diversified customer base through four facilities, all of which have leading energy efficiency, water conservation systems, wastewater treatment technology and recycling of process by-products.

12:55 EST Ping Identity sees total addressable market 'at least' $50B through 2023 - Ping Identity said in investor day presentation slides: "Based on management's internal analysis, we estimate that our Total Addressable Market is at least $50 billion through 2023, with the customer and workforce use cases comprising $27 billion and $23 billion of the TAM, respectively. We quantify our market opportunity by identifying the total number of global companies above $500 million in annual revenue as identified by D&B Hoovers as of September 30, 2021 and segmenting these companies into four revenue bands. We then multiply the number of companies within each revenue band by our internal ARR data for that revenue band, assuming deployment of all our solutions and use cases at each of the companies, and apply an estimated market growth rate for the period."

12:00 EST Acadia Healthcare forms JV with Orlando Health - Acadia Healthcare Company announced that it has formed a joint venture with Orlando Health, one of Central Florida's premier health systems. With Acadia's partnership, Orlando Health will expand inpatient and outpatient programs, enhance community outreach activities, improve patient experience, and develop new comprehensive psychiatric strategies across its entire healthcare system. "Acadia is proud to be partnering with Orlando Health to provide critical services to individuals and families in Orlando and the surrounding communities," said Debbie Osteen, Chief Executive Officer of Acadia Healthcare. "This joint venture expands our acute service line into Orlando, one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. It is our 14th partnership. We will continue to seek partnerships with premier health systems across the country who share our commitment to provide healing and hope to those in need." "We take great pride in providing the full continuum of care to our patients," said Gregory P. Ohe, Senior Vice President, Ambulatory and Post-Acute Services, Orlando Health. "This partnership sets us on a strategic path to meet the current and future behavioral health needs in the communities we serve."

12:00 EST Local Bounti falls -7.9% - Local Bounti is down -7.9%, or -52c to $6.05.

12:00 EST Box rises 12.6% - Box is up 12.6%, or $2.95 to $26.36.

12:00 EST Build-A-Bear rises 28.5% - Build-A-Bear is up 28.5%, or $4.86 to $21.92.

11:57 EST FDA approves J&J, Amgen treatments for multiple myeloma - The Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) daratumumab plus hyaluronidase-fihj and Amgen's (AMGN) carfilzomib plus dexamethasone for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior lines of therapy. Reference Link

11:52 EST Centrexion Therapeutics Corp trading resumes

11:47 EST Mazda reports North America November sales down 5.3% to 20,602 vehicles - Mazda North American Operations reported total November sales of 20,602 vehicles, a decrease of 5.3% compared to November 2020. Year-to-date sales totaled 313,334 vehicles, an increase of 26.4% compared to the same time last year. With 24 selling days in November, compared to 23 the year prior, the company posted a decrease of 9.2% on a daily selling rate basis.

11:37 EST Honda reports November U.S. sales down 17.1% to 85,055 units - American Honda reports auto sales totaled 85,055 units in November, down 17.1% from the same month of last year, due to limited inventory of key Honda and Acura models. Reference Link

11:28 EST Moderna drops 8% after denied appeal in drug delivery patent fight - Shares of Moderna (MRNA) are down $29.27, or 8%, to $323.16 after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a patent review board's findings that upheld parts of two Arbutus (ABUS) patents on drug-delivery technology and dismissed Moderna's appeal "for lack of standing." Arbutus owns the '435 patent directed to "stable nucleic acid-lipid particles comprising a nucleic acid, methods of making the SNALP, and methods of delivering and/or administering the SNALP." Moderna petitioned for inter partes review of the '435 patent and Moderna asserted three grounds challenging all claims of the '435 patent, the ruling noted. Arbutus Biopharma shares have jumped $1.55, or 48%, to $4.75 following the appeals court ruling, while those of Roivant Sciences (ROIV), an Arbutus shareholder, are up 13% to $7.50.

11:01 EST Microsoft announces general availability of Teams Essentials - Microsoft announced the general availability of Teams Essentials, which it calls "the first-ever standalone Microsoft Teams offering, designed specifically for small businesses." Microsoft said: "Teams Essentials gives small businesses a professional and affordable meetings solution to support collaboration, connection and productivity in a hybrid work environment. At $4 USD per person, per month, Teams Essentials is the most competitively priced online meetings and collaboration solution in the market."

10:51 EST GM, POSCO Chemical to build a North America factory to process CAM - General Motors (GM) and POSCO Chemical (PKX) announced plans to form a joint venture through which the parties will construct a factory in North America to process critical battery materials for GM's Ultium electric vehicle platform. The joint venture will process Cathode Active Material, a key battery material that represents about 40 percent of the cost of a battery cell. The location of the facility, which will create hundreds of jobs when it opens in 2024, will be announced later. The new facility will supply the Ultium Cells LLC facilities GM and LG Energy Solution are building in Lordstown, Ohio and Spring Hill, Tennessee. Two more U.S.-based Ultium cell plants are planned by mid-decade as GM drives mass adoption of EVs with high-volume Ultium-powered EVs, including a Chevrolet crossover priced around $30,000. GM and POSCO Chemical have signed a non-binding term sheet to create the joint venture and expect to execute definitive agreements soon.

10:17 EST Wunong Net announces name change to Meiwu Technology Company - Wunong Net Technology Company is pleased to announce that effective on December 2, 2021, the Company will change its name to "Meiwu Technology Company Limited".

10:05 EST BAE Systems, U.S. Air Force collaborate for Compass Call platform - The U.S. Air Force has collaborated with BAE Systems to cross-deck the company's advanced Compass Call electronic warfare system onto its next-generation electronic warfare aircraft. It is a critical upgrade for the EC-37B Baseline 4 platform that comes on the 40th anniversary of Compass Call, and is facilitated by BAE Systems' Small Adaptive Bank of Electronic Resources technology. The SABER system transitions from hardware to software-based electromagnetic spectrum warfare capability on Compass Call. The system is built on a suite of software defined radios using an open system architecture and will provide the backbone of the EC-37B's operati

10:01 EST Q2 Holdings names Kirk Coleman as chief banking officer - Q2 Holdings announced the appointment of Kirk Coleman as its chief banking officer. In this role, Coleman will be responsible for driving Q2's growth strategy, product management and marketing, to meet increasing customer demand for Q2's comprehensive digital banking and lending solutions. Prior to joining Q2, Coleman founded Centerline Advisors in July 2020 with the mission of helping mid-sized financial institutions and fintechs develop actionable strategies.

10:00 EST Manning & Napier falls -6.3% - Manning & Napier is down -6.3%, or -56c to $8.32.

10:00 EST GCP Applied Technologies rises 10.9% - GCP Applied Technologies is up 10.9%, or $2.55 to $25.89.

10:00 EST Box rises 11.8% - Box is up 11.8%, or $2.75 to $26.16.

09:47 EST Edenor falls -5.4% - Edenor is down -5.4%, or -32c to $5.60.

09:47 EST Local Bounti falls -7.9% - Local Bounti is down -7.9%, or -52c to $6.05.

09:47 EST Box rises 12.6% - Box is up 12.6%, or $2.95 to $26.36.

09:41 EST OP Stock trading resumes

09:38 EST iSpecimen Inc trading resumes

09:35 EST Adagio Therapeutics Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:33 EST iSpecimen Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:29 EST Cabot signs MOU with IFF Health and Biosciences on additives for rubber products - Cabot announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with IFF Health and Biosciences for the development and commercialization of sustainable reinforcing additives for rubber products. Under the terms of this MOU, Cabot and IFF will exclusively work together to accelerate the advancement of solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the amount of renewable bio-based content in rubber products. Over the last year, the two companies have been exploring the development of novel, highly sustainable rubber reinforcing additives based on the use of IFF's Nuvolve engineered polysaccharide. Under the terms of this new MOU, Cabot will lead the development and commercialization of this novel product as a complementary material to Cabot's reinforcing carbons in rubber applications, leveraging the sustainability benefits of a renewable resourced material.

09:27 EST Sophia Genetics launches DEEP-Lung-IV multimodal clinical study - Sophia Genetics is launching its DEEP-Lung-IV clinical study. The study leverages deep learning-enabled analysis of the aggregation of multimodal clinical, biological, genomic and radiomics data to identify and validate predictive signatures associated with response to immunotherapy and prognosis of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The DEEP-Lung-IV clinical study aims to predict immunotherapy treatment response at first evaluation at the individual patient level using data across multiple modalities including genomics, radiomics, clinical and biological data. The study also aims to validate an algorithm that will allow the prediction of outcomes at the individual patient such as progression-free survival and overall survival. This predictive model will help identify patients that are likely to benefit from immunotherapy versus those that are not, as well as stratify patients according to risk, helping clinicians make more informed therapeutic decisions for their patients and supporting biopharma to ensure the right patients are selected for clinical trials.

09:25 EST APT announces bid for New Jersey Board of Public Utilities solicitation - Atlantic Power Transmission, a Blackstone portfolio company, announced its bid to develop a clean power transmission solution in response to the 2021 New Jersey Offshore Wind SAA Transmission Solicitation initiated by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, in collaboration with PJM Interconnection. APT's project offers a total offshore wind transmission solution of up to 3,600 MW and is expected to provide over $1.3B in economic value to the New Jersey economy. The project is expected to deliver clean offshore wind power to over 1.5M New Jersey families, enabled by an underground clean energy corridor connecting to an existing substation in Central New Jersey. APT has prioritized union labor and has partnered with the New Jersey union coalition, including Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, International Union of Operating Engineers Locals 825 and 25 and Iron Workers Local 399.

09:19 EST Cue Health's COVID-19 self-test approved in Singapore - Cue Health received Pandemic Special Access Route authorization from the Health Sciences Authority for the Cue COVID-19 Test for self-testing in Singapore. The Cue COVID-19 Test is the first natively digital molecular diagnostic product ever authorized for consumer home use in Singapore. Cue's partnership with Omnicell (OMCL) allows Cue to immediately begin supporting public sector use of the Cue COVID-19 Test. Cue intends to explore both public and private sector partnerships that Cue believes will further enable the complete utilization of the Cue Health Monitoring System for not only the Cue COVID-19 Test, but also Cue's future test menu and other offerings.

09:16 EST BioHiTech Global receives multi-unit food waste digester order from Villanova - BioHiTech Global announces that it has received an order for three Revolution Digesters in support of Villanova University's Dining Services' commitment to sustainability and toward protecting and preserving the environment, striving to reduce waste campus-wide, and utilizing renewable resources as much as possible in all its dining locations. Sustainable dining practices and waste reduction is stressed throughout Villanova's dining operations.

09:15 EST Xponential Fitness in master franchise pact in NZ for three of its brands - Xponential Fitness announced that it has recently signed a Master Franchise Agreement in New Zealand for three of its brands: CycleBar, StretchLab, and Rumble. The agreement provides the Master Franchisee with the opportunity to license at least 30 studios across the three brands to potential franchisees in New Zealand over the next 10 years. Xponential has over 2,000 open studios worldwide, operating in 10 countries and across four continents. The New Zealand Master Franchisee, Boutique Fitness Studios NZ Ltd., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Boutique Fitness Studios Pty Ltd., Xponential's Master Franchisee in Australia for CycleBar, StretchLab and Rumble, which is run by CEO Matt Gordin. "New Zealand is a natural extension of our existing agreement in Australia for Cyclebar, StretchLab and Rumble. We are confident that Matt Gordin and his entire franchise team will continue their successful development in this new, fitness conscious market," said John Kersh, Chief International Development Officer for Xponential Fitness. This agreement also extends Xponential's existing promotional arrangement with entertainment industry duo, the Stafford Brothers, whose involvement in Australia has already resulted in numerous franchise territory signings for the Rumble brand.

09:12 EST Verizon works with Bang & Olufsen to launch soundbars with built-in stream TV - Verizon Stream TV announces the introduction of two soundbars featuring Verizon's on-demand streaming solution built-in. The soundbars were designed in collaboration with audio brand Bang & Olufsen. Stream TV Soundbar and Stream TV Soundbar Pro are available exclusively at Verizon starting today. The Stream TV Soundbar sports five Bang & Olufsen-tuned speakers and Dolby Atmos virtual surround sound.

09:11 EST Allegiant Travel and Viva Aerobus enter alliance for U.S.-Mexico flights - Allegiant and Viva Aerobus announced plans for a fully-integrated Commercial Alliance Agreement, designed to expand options for nonstop leisure air travel between the U.S. and Mexico, while lowering fares. Allegiant and Viva Aerobus have submitted a joint application to the U.S. Department of Transportation requesting approval of and antitrust immunity for the alliance. Allegiant will also make an equity investment of $50; in Viva Aerobus, and Allegiant CEO Maurice Gallagher, Jr. is expected to join the Viva Aerobus Board of Directors. The transactions are also subject to clearance by the Mexican Federal Economic Competition Commission. Allegiant does not currently serve Mexico. Monterrey-based Viva Aerobus offers intra-Mexico service, as well as nonstop flights from Mexico to destinations in the U.S. and Latin America. The alliance will also enable Viva Aerobus to add routes in the U.S. The alliance is anticipated to add new transborder routes and nonstop competition where currently only connecting service is available. More than 250 new potential route opportunities have been identified as part of the DOT application. Allegiant and Viva Aerobus currently expect to offer flights under the alliance beginning in 1Q23, pending governmental approval of the application.

09:09 EST Acadia Pharmaceuticals publishes data showing ADVANCE met its primary endpoint - Acadia Pharmaceuticals announced that The Lancet Psychiatry published results from the Phase 2 ADVANCE study. ADVANCE was an international, 26-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficacy and safety of adjunctive pimavanserin treatment in outpatients with moderate-to-severe predominant negative symptoms of schizophrenia who had achieved control of positive symptoms with their ongoing antipsychotic treatment. ADVANCE met its primary endpoint, with significant improvement observed with pimavanserin for the change from baseline to week 26 on the Negative Symptoms Assessment-16 total score, compared with placebo. In a post hoc analysis, greater improvement in the NSA-16 total score compared to placebo was observed in the 53.8% of patients who received the highest pimavanserin dose of 34 mg. In the study, pimavanserin was well-tolerated with high completion rates of approximately 86% in both the pimavanserin and placebo treatment groups through 26 weeks and similar rates of adverse events between pimavanserin and placebo. Additionally, no clinically significant differences in vital signs, weight, metabolic syndrome or extrapyramidal symptoms were observed in the pimavanserin group compared to placebo. Serious adverse events were reported in 2.0% of patients on pimavanserin and 0.5% of patients on placebo and discontinuations due to adverse events were also low, 5.0% for pimavanserin and 3.0% for placebo.

09:07 EST Hepsiburada names Alexey Shevenkov as Chief Technology Officer - Hepsiburada announced the appointment of Alexey Shevenkov as its Chief Technology Officer, effective December 6. Current CTO, Gurkan Cokuner, will be appointed as the company's Chief Information Officer and continue to play a key role in guiding the company's technology architecture. Shevenkov has significant experience having spent 16 years at Yandex, a Russian technology company, most recently as CTO of Yandex.Market, the group's flagship online marketplace.

09:06 EST Honeywell begins testing T55-714C engine for U.S. Army Chinook helicopters - Honeywell has reached a significant milestone with the U.S. Army by being the first engine to test as part of its Cooperative Research and Development Agreement for the next-generation engine for Chinook helicopters. The CRADA program and testing of the T55-714C engine is planned over a two-year period to validate the benefits and ease of integration of the new engine variant onto the Chinook platform. This will allow the U.S. Army to evaluate the capabilities of the newest rendition of Honeywell's battle-proven T55 engine.

09:05 EST T2 Biosystems T2SARS-CoV-2 Panel detects Omicron COVID-19 variant - T2 Biosystems announced that its T2SARS-CoV-2 Panel detects the Omicron COVID-19 variant. To confirm that the T2SARS-CoV-2 Panel would detect the new Omicron variant, in silico analysis was performed using sequences in the GISAID database. SARS-CoV-2 sequences were evaluated for alignment with primer and probe sequences from T2SARS-CoV-2 Panel. These analyses demonstrated that none of the new B.1.1.529 mutations occur within the region targeted by the T2SARS-CoV-2 Panel. "We are proud to announce our technology is capable of detecting additional COVID-19 variants including Omicron, enabling healthcare providers with the confidence to make more informed decisions about their patients' health," said T2 Biosystems' Chairman and CEO, John Sperzel.

09:04 EST Marsh McLennan subsidiary acquires InSource Insurance Group - Marsh McLennan Agency, or MMA, a subsidiary of Marsh, announced the acquisition of InSource Insurance Group, an independent agency in Texas. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. InSource Insurance Group was formed in 1986 to provide business insurance, employee health and benefits, private client, and surety services to the oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, and transportation industries. InSource will help lead the Southwest region's energy industry vertical, with 45 employees across offices in Midland and Odessa, Texas, joining MMA.

09:03 EST ArcelorMittal receives shareholding notification from Societe Generale - ArcelorMittal (MT) announces that on 1 December 2021 it received a shareholding notification from Societe Generale (SCGLY). The notification was made to reflect Societe Generale SA's entry into various financial instruments. According to the notification, the following threshold of voting rights was reached: 4.91% on 26 November 2021.

09:02 EST Groupon appoints Kedar Deshpande as CEO - Groupon announced its board of directors has appointed Kedar Deshpande as the company's CEO, effective December 10. Kedar has also been appointed to the Groupon board of directors. Aaron Cooper, interim CEO, will step down from his role. Kedar spent the last 10 years at Zappos in roles of escalating responsibility, culminating with his appointment to CEO.

09:02 EST INVO Bioscience obtains regulatory Approval for INVOcell in Thailand - INVO Bioscience has received approval by the Medical Devices Control Division for FDA Thailand to import and commercialize INVOcell in Thailand. In April, INVO Bioscience entered an exclusive distribution agreement with IVF Envimed Company to distribute the INVOcell system within Thailand. Established in 1993, IVF Envimed has established a wide network of clinics and hospitals across Thailand primarily focused on fertility solutions. In November, INVO Bioscience started to train physicians and embryologists from both private and government hospitals.

08:56 EST Everbridge wins 'Platinum Homeland Security award' for powering JARVISS - Everbridge announced that the company's JARVISS software solution won "Best Federal Government Security Program" at the 2021 Annual "ASTORS" U.S. Homeland Security Awards. The ASTORS honor distinguished government solutions that help keep the United States secure by delivering enhanced value, benefit, and intelligence to government, homeland security, enterprise, and public safety markets. "We are proud to be acknowledged with an ASTOR Award for Best Federal Government Security Program," said Mike Mostow, Everbridge's Vice President of Federal. "Protecting our soldiers represents a privilege and a responsibility that we do not take lightly. As risks evolve and new hazards emerge, threat mitigation becomes much more nuanced and represents a command-level discussion. Everbridge's unrivaled expertise in risk assessment and response empowers our federal government customers to reach full organizational resilience."

08:52 EST Carrier Global joins AWS Partner Network - Carrier Global (CARR) is now a part of the Amazon (AMZN) Web Services Partner Network, a global community of Partners who leverage AWS to build solutions and services for customers. Carrier's work with AWS is an integral part of its ongoing digital transformation and as an AWS Partner, Carrier can reach more customers with its innovative, digital-forward solutions.

08:51 EST CSW Industrials expands board with appointment of Bobby Griffin - CSW Industrials (CSWI) announced that its Board of Directors has elected Bobby Griffin as an independent director. This appointment expands CSWI's Board to eight members, seven of whom are independent. Griffin serves on two CSWI Board Committees: Nominating and Corporate Governance, which includes CSWI's Environmental, Social, and Governance efforts in its oversight responsibilities, and Compensation and Talent Development, which includes CSWI's Diversity and Inclusion efforts in its oversight. Griffin has served as Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer of Rockwell Automation (ROK) since February 2021.

08:49 EST Conduent to upgrade MMIS technology infrastructure for ND DHS - Conduent announced a new agreement with the North Dakota Department of Human Services, ND DHS, to upgrade the technology infrastructure of the agency's Medicaid Management Information System, MMIS. Conduent will perform comprehensive updates to ND DHS' full technology stack to deliver a more robust, higher performing system that enables cloud-based MMIS modernization while increasing system reliability, scalability, and security. "We are proud of our ongoing partnership with the North Dakota DHS," said Lydie Quebe, General Manager of Government Healthcare Solutions at Conduent. "We appreciate the trust the agency has placed in us to modernize the MMIS to maximize ROI and support its priorities to improve the health and well-being of the 300,000 North Dakotans."

08:47 EST TransUnion, Neustar announce transaction close - TransUnion and Neustar announced that TransUnion has completed its $3.1B acquisition of Neustar from a private investment group led by Golden Gate Capital and with minority participation by GIC. Neustar, a premier identity resolution company with leading solutions in Marketing, Fraud and Communications, enables customers to build connected consumer experiences by combining decision analytics with real-time identity resolution services driven by its OneID platform. Like TransUnion, Neustar has built its brand and reputation on fostering trusted connections between consumers and businesses to help them transact with greater confidence. Neustar's security business, Neustar Security Services, is excluded from the transaction and now operates as a standalone portfolio company of Golden Gate Capital and GIC

08:46 EST Neogen acquires Delf, terms not disclosed - Neogen announced that it has acquired Delf Ltd., a United Kingdom-based manufacturer and supplier of animal hygiene and industrial cleaning products. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

08:43 EST Akari presents data from observational studies in COVID pneumonia, COPD - Akari Therapeutics announces data from observational studies in COVID pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that highlight the potential role of complement and leukotriene hyperactivity in driving life threatening disease exacerbations and therefore a potential therapeutic role for nomacopan. An observational study sponsored by Akari on COVID pneumonia undertaken at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust was reported at the recent British Thoracic Society Annual Meeting November 24-26, 2021. Plasma levels of C5a, C5b9 and LTB4 in COVID pneumonia patients were elevated compared with control patients and increased with disease severity. In addition, the levels of C5a and C5b9. which are potential biomarkers for disease progression, rose significantly in patients that worsened. These findings align with a prior, separate Akari-sponsored observation study in COPD patients that demonstrated that exacerbating patients have elevated C5a in sputum but not in serum and that the level of C5a was correlated with the duration/severity of the exacerbations. In exacerbations of COPD, Leukotriene B4 is also found in the sputum. All three of these inflammatory mediators, LTB4, C5a and C5b9 are inhibited by nomacopan. Akari is targeting lung diseases such as asthma, COPD and COVID pneumonia where in certain patients, a hyperreactive response to external agents triggers a severe exacerbation. For example, it is estimated that 14% of COPD patients have severe annual exacerbations associated with hospitalization and increased mortality. Complement and leukotriene are key inflammatory mediators which through their inhibition by nomacopan may prevent disease progression. Their combined inhibition has been shown in several lung disease models to be more effective than inhibiting either LTB4 or C5 alone. Leukotriene inhibition is an established treatment for severe asthma and complement hyperactivity is increasingly associated with severe lung inflammation. Importantly, the observational data indicate that the inflammatory response may be driven by rising complement and leukotriene levels directly in the lung, indicating that an inhaled form of nomacopan may potentially be the most effective route of administration. Akari has demonstrated full activity and potential for deep delivery to the lung with a nebulized inhaled form of nomacopan. Akari is investigating the pharmacokinetics of inhaled nomacopan in the lung and a proof of principle study in exacerbating COPD patients to further evaluate the impact of inhibiting C5 and LTB4 with nomacopan. In addition, the COVID pneumonia observational findings are being further evaluated to explore the potential role of biomarkers in identifying the most appropriate COVID pneumonia patients to be treated with nomacopan.

08:42 EST Jones Soda names COO Chastain as president of new Beverage Division - Jones Soda announced the promotion of longtime executive team member Eric Chastain to serve as president of the new Jones Soda Beverage Division. The position was created as part of a leadership expansion related to the upcoming launch of a new cannabis-infused beverage and edibles business that was announced in July. In his new position, Chastain is responsible for continuing to drive the growth of the core Jones Soda beverage portfolio, including running all operations, supervising all functional areas, and executing the three-year strategic plan adopted last year for the craft soda side of the business. Chastain's promotion is effective immediately.

08:41 EST Next Decentrum launchs Crypto Pharaohs NFT collection - Victory Square Technologies is pleased to announce that portfolio company, Next Decentrum has launched Crypto Pharaohs, an iconic collection of digital collectibles inspired by the culture and heritage of ancient Egypt. Crypto Pharaohs was born out of a love for Egyptian culture and fascination with its ancient civilization. A limited NFT collection of 7006 cryptographically unique majestic collectibles, programmatically brought to life, endowed with power and magic.

08:39 EST Forward Air announces general rate increase in 2022 - Forward Air announced that it is notifying customers of a general rate increase, or GRI, of 7.9% applicable to rates established under the existing tariffs effective February 1, 2022. Selected accessorial charges and minimum charges will also be impacted. The GRI is intended to offset rising costs associated with the challenging operating environment.

08:38 EST Aveanna completes acquisition of Accredited Home Care - Aveanna Healthcare Holdings announced that it has successfully completed its acquisition of Accredited Home Care, a private duty services company based in Southern California, for a base purchase price of $180 million, plus up to $45 million subject to satisfaction of certain 2021 volume targets. Aveanna expects to fully integrate Accredited in 2022, with a majority of the integration process occurring in the first 180 days. Founded in 1980, Accredited is one of the largest home care agencies in the Western United States, providing nursing and home health services to more than 9,000 patients annually through its team of 6,250 field nurses and caregivers. Accredited has been recognized as one of the nation's HomeCare Elite in repeated years. Accredited has five offices located in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. Accredited had approximately $114.8 million in revenue for the twelve months ended August 31, 2021. Accredited currently derives 86% of its revenues through Medicaid or other state-funded programs.

08:37 EST Allogene announces call to review ALPHA, ALPHA2, UNIVERSAL data - Allogene Therapeutics announced that management will host a conference call to review data to be presented at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting from the ALPHA and ALPHA2 Phase 1 trials in relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma and the UNIVERSAL Phase 1 trial in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma on December 13, 2021 at 1:30 PM Pacific Time/4:30 PM Eastern Time.

08:36 EST Moleculin Biotech says FDA to allow IND application to study WP1122 - Moleculin Biotech announced that the U.S. FDA is allowing the company's Investigational New Drug application to study WP1122 for the treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme to go forward. With this IND now cleared, Moleculin plans to initiate a Phase 1 open label, single arm, dose escalation study of the safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of oral WP1122 in adult patients with GBM. Consistent with its strategy of leveraging external funding for many of its clinical trials, Moleculin intends to seek opportunities for an investigator-initiated clinical trial of WP1122 in cancer patients in 2022.

08:35 EST Predictive Oncology acquires zPREDICTA - Predictive Oncology announced the acquisition of zPREDICTA, a company pioneering tumor-specific in vitro 3D cell culture models for drug discovery and development. The acquisition adds a new anticipated revenue stream to Predictive Oncology. Based on zPREDICTA's historical operating results and anticipated synergies, Predictive Oncology believes the acquisition will be accretive on a short term as well as a long term basis. "The acquisition of zPREDICTA adds an established company with clear synergies to Predictive Oncology's team, not to mention a progressive revenue stream," said J. Melville Engle, CEO and Chairman of Predictive Oncology. "But it's not just about what zPREDICTA is doing today or the revenue it's generating now -- it's about how zPREDICTA will complement our larger efforts to accurately predict cancer treatment outcomes and optimal drug formulations to treat specific types of cancer in specific types of patients. zPREDICTA's work in the development of new 3D cell culture methods gives us yet another competitive advantage in helping identify, develop, and expedite new cancer therapies."

08:34 EST Kopin receives $19.8M order from Army - Kopin announced it has received a $19.8M order for its eyepiece subassembly which is a critical component in the U.S. Army's Family of Weapon Sight-Individua thermal sight system.

08:34 EST Zymeworks to get payment following Janssen dosing of first JNJ-78306358 patient - Zymeworks (ZYME) announced that Janssen Biotech (JNJ) dosed the first patient with JNJ-78306358, a bispecific antibody developed using Zymeworks' Azymetric and Efect therapeutic platforms. This is the second Janssen bispecific program utilizing Zymeworks' proprietary technology platforms to enter the clinic this year, following the announcement in August of Janssen's dosing of the first patient with JNJ-78278343. Zymeworks will receive a payment in connection with this milestone under Zymeworks' 2017 licensing agreement with Janssen. Under the terms of that agreement, Zymeworks provided Janssen with a worldwide, royalty-bearing license to research, develop and commercialize up to six bispecific antibodies directed to Janssen therapeutic targets using Zymeworks' Azymetric and Efect platforms. Janssen is responsible for all research, development, and commercial activities under the licensing agreement. Zymeworks received an upfront payment of $50M and is eligible to potentially receive up to $282M in development milestone payments and up to $1.12B in commercial milestone payments, as well as tiered royalties on potential sales.

08:33 EST Sterling acquires Employment Background Investigations, terms not disclosed - Sterling announced that it has acquired Employment Background Investigations in a highly complementary deal that will expand Sterling's presence in key US verticals, including financial services, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and transportation. Founded in 1994, EBI provides background screening, drug testing, occupational healthcare, and electronic Form I-9 solutions for today's talent acquisition and workforce management needs. Known for outstanding customer service and commitment to compliance, EBI has built a client base which includes blue chip logos across a diversified set of verticals in the US market. These clients will continue to receive exceptional support as well as additional benefits from Sterling's vertical delivery model, industry-leading global reach, and broad set of tech-enabled services. This all-cash transaction is expected to add over $30 million in revenue in 2022. The deal is expected to be highly synergistic and be accretive to adjusted earnings in 2022.

08:32 EST Dirtt Environmental announces completion of C$35M bought deal financing - DIRTT Environmental Solutions is pleased to announce the successful closing of the issue and sale of C$35 million aggregate principal amount of 6.25% convertible unsecured subordinated debentures. The Debentures were offered to the public through a syndicate of underwriters led by National Bank Financial Inc. The Company has also granted the Underwriters an over-allotment option to purchase up to an additional C$5.25 million aggregate principal amount of Debentures on the same terms, exercisable in whole or in part at any time up to the 30th day following the closing of the Offering. The Company intends to use a portion of the net proceeds of the Offering, together with cash reserves on hand, to fund its anticipated 2022 capital expenditure program of approximately US$7.0 million, comprised of approximately US$2.5 million related to refreshes of DIRTT Experience Centers, continued enhancement of the Company's customer relationship management system and website redesign, approximately US$2.5 million on software development and approximately US$2.0 million on manufacturing and other capital upgrades. The remaining net proceeds of the Offering are expected to be used, initially, to support the continued funding of the Company's manufacturing and commercial activities as the COVID-19 pandemic recovery occurs, and to provide incremental liquidity to support the Company's operations and growth objectives.

08:31 EST Nielsen, AccuWeather Network enter multi-year TV agreement - The AccuWeather Network announced it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Nielsen for cable TV measurement to help deepen AccuWeather's ability to profile its evolving audience, identify trends in viewer behaviors that may represent marketing or programming opportunities, and provide greater insights into engagement with agencies and advertisers who rely on Nielsen as a currency.

08:30 EST Mid Penn Bancorp completes acquisition of Riverview Financial - Mid Penn Bancorp (MPB) announced that its acquisition of Riverview Financial Corporation (RIVE) was completed after the close of business on November 30, 2021. In connection with the holding company merger, Riverview's banking subsidiary, Riverview Bank, has been merged with and into Mid Penn's subsidiary bank, Mid Penn Bank. The all-stock transaction was valued at approximately $124.7M and will extend Mid Penn's footprint into attractive new markets, including the Lehigh Valley and State College region, and will expand its presence in Western Pennsylvania. The consolidated assets of the combined company are valued at approximately $4.7B. "We are pleased to welcome Riverview customers, employees and shareholders to Mid Penn and Mid Penn Bank," said Mid Penn President and CEO Rory G. Ritrievi. "As we introduce the Mid Penn brand of community banking throughout the Riverview footprint, we are committed to making this combination a positive one for all involved. We believe our commitment to offering the best products and services, delivered by the best financial professionals, will be appreciated by customers and the communities at large."

08:29 EST Medigus files motion for capital reduction of up to $3M for buyback program - Medigus announced it had filed a motion seeking a court approval for a capital reduction of up to $3M for the Company's buyback program, increasing the contemplated program from $2M to $3M. Contingent upon court's approval the buyback program will initiate during the first quarter of 2022.

08:27 EST BTCS appoints Michael Prevoznik as CFO - BTCS announced the appointment of Michael Prevoznik as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Prior to joining BTCS, Prevoznik worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for over nine years, specializing in investment company audits for leading asset managers in the financial services industry.

08:26 EST Columbia Financial announces completion of Freehold Bank acquisition - Columbia Bank, Columbia Financial, and Columbia Bank announced that Columbia has completed its acquisition of Freehold MHC, Freehold Bancorp and Freehold Bank pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 17, 2021, by and between Freehold MHC, Freehold Bancorp and Freehold Bank, and the MHC. At the effective time of the Merger, Freehold MHC merged with and into the MHC, with the MHC continuing as the surviving entity and Freehold Bancorp merged with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving entity. In connection with the Merger, Freehold Bank has converted to a federal savings bank and will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company for at least two years following the effective time of the Merger, or no later than December 31, 2023. After such time, Freehold Bank will be merged with and into the Bank, with the Bank continuing as the surviving institution, unless the parties mutually agree to complete the Bank Merger earlier in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement. As part of the transaction, on December 1, 2021, the Company also issued 2,591,007 shares of its common stock to the MHC in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement.

08:24 EST Homeowners of America introduces services in Iowa - Homeowners of America announced the launch of service in Iowa. Iowa marks HOA's 12th state of operation, advancing the active scaling of the Porch presence in the insurance industry. HOA's sustained growth and comprehensive home insurance offerings provide increased reach for Porch's InsurTech business.

08:22 EST International Petroleum announces approval for share repurchase program - International Petroleum Corporation is pleased to announce that the Toronto Stock Exchange has approved IPC's notice of intention to make a normal course issuer bid. Pursuant to the share repurchase program, IPC is authorized to repurchase through the facilities of the TSX, Nasdaq Stockholm and/or alternative Canadian trading systems, as and when considered advisable by IPC, up to 11,097,074 common shares, representing approximately 7% of the 155,367,757 common shares outstanding as at November 30, 2021, over a period of twelve months commencing December 3, 2021 and ending December 2, 2022, or until such earlier date as the share repurchase program is completed or terminated by IPC. The maximum number of common shares which can be repurchased each day on Nasdaq Stockholm will be 25% of the average daily trading volume of the common shares for the 20 trading days preceding the date of purchase, subject to certain exceptions for block purchases. In addition, IPC will be limited to daily purchases of no more than 15,222 common shares on the TSX, being 25% of IPC's average daily TSX trading volume of 60,889 common shares during the six months ended October 31, 2021, subject to certain exceptions for block purchases and other prescribed exemptions available under applicable Canadian securities laws. IPC currently does not hold any common shares in treasury. In connection with the share repurchase program, IPC has entered into an automatic share purchase plan with its designated broker to allow IPC to repurchase common shares when it would ordinarily not be permitted to purchase common shares due to regulatory restrictions and customary self-imposed blackout periods. Pursuant to the ASPP, IPC will provide instructions during non-blackout periods to its designated broker, which instructions may not be varied or suspended during the blackout period. Outside of any blackout periods, common shares will be purchased in accordance with management's discretion. All purchases made under the ASPP will be included in computing the number of common shares repurchased under the share repurchase program. The ASPP has been reviewed and pre-cleared by the TSX and may be terminated by IPC or its broker in accordance with its terms, or will terminate on the expiry of the share repurchase program. Any common shares that IPC repurchases under the share repurchase program will be purchased on the open market through the facilities of the TSX, Nasdaq Stockholm and/or alternative Canadian trading systems at the prevailing market price at the time of such purchase and in accordance with the applicable rules and policies of the TSX and Nasdaq Stockholm and applicable Canadian and Swedish securities laws. The actual number of common shares that will be repurchased, and the timing of any such purchases, will be determined by IPC, subject to the limits imposed by the TSX, Nasdaq Stockholm and under applicable Canadian securities laws. There cannot be any assurances as to the number of common shares that will ultimately be acquired by IPC. Any common shares purchased by IPC under the share repurchase program will be cancelled. IPC believes that the repurchase of common shares for cancellation represents an effective use of IPC's capital and an efficient way to return value to IPC's shareholders.

08:20 EST Olink starts delivery of Olink Explore 3072 - Olink Holding announced that the delivery of Olink Explore 3072 is now starting, providing customers with access to its expanded library of ~3000 carefully curated and validated assays that together cover of all major biological pathways. With the introduction of Olink Explore 3072, the company offers customers the possibility to run either 96 or 384 samples per run. This means that the throughput will increase significantly, and customers can process over 4600 samples per week per system, with almost 3000 proteins measured for each sample.

08:20 EST Verizon Business adds to NaaS strategy with additions from Cisco - Verizon Business (VZ) announces new features to its Network as a Service, NaaS, digitization strategy with the addition of Cisco (CSCO) managed SD WAN services, including options for 4G/5G connectivity. With these new solutions, enterprises can use Verizon's 4G and 5G networks, as well as the network as a service strategy, giving them the ability to scale and adopt the latest technology. The new solutions include: Managed Cisco SD WAN for the Cisco Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms Family, and Integrated Services Router 1000 and 4000 series, including management of the Cisco cellular Pluggable Interface Modules, and Cisco Catalyst Cellular Gateways. Verizon is delivering a Cisco SD WAN performance suite including Cisco Umbrella for cloud security, Duo for zero trust application access, and Thousand Eyes for network observability. Cloud collaboration services with carrier-grade quality, reliability and security via Verizon's fully private connection to Cisco Webex Calling and Webex Contact Center.

08:17 EST BioVie secures up to $25M debt facility with Avenue Venture funds - BioVie entered into a debt facility with Avenue Venture Opportunities Fund, L.P. and Avenue Venture Opportunities Fund II, L.P. providing up to $25 million with the initial $15 million funded at the close on November 30, 2021. "We are pleased to partner with the Avenue Venture Funds as we prepare for a catalyst-rich 2022, which includes anticipated top-line data from both our Phase 2b trial of BIV201 in refractory ascites and our Phase 3 trial of NE3107 in Alzheimer's," said Cuong Do, CEO of BioVie. "This non-dilutive funding provides us with the capital to take us through several key clinical milestones and to support continued advancement of our programs in additional indications as we initiate a Phase 2 trial of NE3107 in Parkinson's disease that is expected to have topline data readout in the first half of 2022 and initiate a Phase 3 trial of BIV201 in the treatment of hepatorenal syndrome-acute kidney injury."

08:14 EST Sabre expects booking fee, free cash flow improvement in Q4 vs. Q3 - Sabre says "global travel trends continue to be reflective of COVID-19 case counts, cumulative and daily vaccination rates and regional travel restrictions." In October and November, the company said it saw continued monthly improvement in corporate travel bookings, "which typically represent higher revenue and margin bookings." In Q4, notwithstanding the recent discovery of the omicron variant, Sabre expects a continued sequential improvement in its average booking fee and free cash flow from Q3. In November versus the same period in 2019, its gross air bookings were down approximately 51%, net air bookings were down approximately 51%, passengers boarded were down approximately 29% and gross hotel central reservation system transactions were down approximately 12%.

08:13 EST Clear Secure expands to Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport - Clear announced its trusted and secure identity technology and expedited lanes are now available at Newark Liberty International Airport's Terminal B. With this expansion, Clear's expedited security lanes are now available at Terminals B and C just ahead of the busy holiday travel season.

08:12 EST Werewolf Therapeutics to present data on INDUKINE at ASH meeting - Werewolf Therapeutics announced the Company will present preclinical data demonstrating interleukin-12, IL-12, and interferon-alpha, INFa, INDUKINETM molecules inhibited syngeneic lymphoma tumor growth in mice, induced anti-tumor immune responses and were tolerated in non-human primates. These data will be presented in a poster presentation during the 63rd American Society of Hematology, ASH, Annual Meeting, taking place December 11-14, 2021. The detailed data will be shared in a poster entitled, "Conditionally Activated IL-12 or IFNalpha INDUKINE Molecules Inhibit Syngeneic Lymphoma Tumor Growth in Mice, Induce Anti-tumor Immune Responses and Are Tolerated in Non-human Primates." WTX-330 and WTX-613 are systemically delivered, conditionally activated IL-12 and IFNalpha INDUKINE molecules, respectively, for the potential treatment of solid tumors. The study used surrogate WTX-330 and WTX-613 INDUKINE molecules, consisting of a mouse/human chimeric IL-12 or a mouse IFNalpha1, to explore anti-tumor responses in syngeneic hematologic cancer models, as human IL-12 and IFNalpha2b are not active in mice. The WTX-330 surrogate showed dose-dependent anti-tumor activity with four out of ten tumor-free mice at the top dose in the subcutaneously A20 B cell lymphoma model, and inhibited tumor growth during the dosing period. The WTX-613 surrogate demonstrated tumor stasis lasting beyond the treatment phase, and efficiently blocked tumor growth, utilizing the subcutaneous EG7.OVA T lymphoblast line. Both treatments were well tolerated by the mice at active dose levels. The WTX-330 and WTX-613 surrogates also strongly activated NK and CD8+ cell responses and induced antigen-presenting cell and effector cell markers in the MC38 syngeneic tumor model. WTX-330 and WTX-613 were well tolerated in non-human primates. In addition, plasma levels of free IL-12 after dosing with WTX-330 were very low compared to tolerated levels of wild-type IL-12.

08:10 EST Beyond Air expands leadership team with appointment of Colin as CMO - Beyond Air announced the appointment of Dr. Andrew Colin to the newly created position of Chief Medical Officer, CMO, effective December 1, 2021. Dr. Colin joins Beyond Air from the Miller School of Medicine of the University of Miami, where he spent the last 16 years, serving as the Professor of Pediatric Pulmonology and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and the Cystic Fibrosis Program.

08:09 EST Vaxart acquires second GMP manufacturing facility, terms not disclosed - Vaxart has entered into an agreement with Kindred Bioscience for the purchase of KindredBio's manufacturing equipment and sublease of its GMP manufacturing facility in Burlingame, California, giving Vaxart control of its second GMP manufacturing facility. The transaction closed Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, and Vaxart expects the facility to be operational for GMP production in Q1 2022. Vaxart's existing South San Francisco GMP manufacturing facility and the Burlingame facility will manufacture materials for Vaxart's COVID-19 and norovirus oral vaccine tablets. Vaxart recently began a Phase II study of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate and has several Phase I studies of its norovirus vaccine candidate underway. The Burlingame facility, which can produce biologic drug substances at up to 500L bioreactor scale, has been used by Vaxart since April 2020 to produce COVID-19 and norovirus vaccine clinical trial materials. It will also provide GMP manufacturing capacity to support the development of additional candidates in Vaxart's vaccine portfolio.

08:08 EST Indaptus Therapeutics appoints Mark Gilbert to board of directors - Indaptus Therapeutics announces the appointment of Mark Gilbert, M.D., to its Board of Directors. Dr. Gilbert served as Chief Medical Officer of Juno Therapeutics prior to its acquisition by Celgene Corporation and currently serves as Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Acepodia. He succeeds outgoing Director Hoonmo Lee, who has stepped down from Indaptus' Board as part of the transition, effective upon Dr. Gilbert's appointment.

08:07 EST Ultragenyx announces first patient dosed in Phase 1/2study of UX053 - Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical announced that the first patient has been dosed in its Phase 1/2 study of UX053, an investigational messenger RNA, mRNA, therapy in development for the treatment of Glycogen Storage Disease Type III, GSDIII. "Initiation of this trial paves the way for UX053 to potentially become the first medicine for people living with GSDIII, who currently are burdened with managing a complex metabolic disorder with diet alone," said Camille L. Bedrosian, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Ultragenyx. "We believe mRNA is a promising treatment modality for rare diseases like GSDIII because this technology can deliver large genes to targeted cells and achieve a high uniformity of protein expression. We can also individualize mRNA therapies based on the needs of each patient by adjusting the dose level and dose frequency."

08:07 EST NV5 Global to join S&P SmallCap 600 Index - NV5 Global announced that NV5 will be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 Index effective prior to the open of trading on Thursday, December 2, 2021.

08:06 EST Zogenix announces FDA acceptance for priority review of sNDA for FINTEPLA - Zogenix announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for filing and granted Priority Review to the company's supplemental New Drug Application for the use of FINTEPLA for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The FDA granted Priority Review, which means that the FDA has a goal to complete its review within six months from the date of receipt, with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date of March 25, 2022. FDA Priority Review is granted for investigational therapies that, if approved, may offer significant improvements in the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of a serious condition. The sNDA submission is based on a positive, global, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial, Study 1601, in 263 patients that demonstrated FINTEPLA at a dose of 0.7/mg/kg/day was superior to placebo in reducing the frequency of drop seizures, as well as long-term safety and effectiveness data from Zogenix's ongoing open-label extension trials. In June 2020, FINTEPLA was approved by the FDA for the treatment of seizures associated with Dravet syndrome in patients two years of age and older.

08:05 EST CytoDyn submits majority of CMC modules to FDA for HIV BLA - CytoDyn announced it has completed submission of all the major sections of CMC modules to FDA, some remaining supporting documentation will be submitted under Regional Information before the end of this week. CMC is a part of CytoDyn's biologics license application, or BLA, for HIV. This submission was made under rolling review consistent with guidance from the FDA. Only the clinical section remains to be submitted.

08:05 EST Worksport provides corporate update, 2021 retrospective, 2022 plans - Worksport is providing a Corporate Update, including a review of 2021 and what Management has planned in 2022. The company said, "As a cornerstone of Worksport's agenda, the Company began ramping up production from its Chinese factory immediately following the close of the Regulation-A offering in March. To service Worksport's new B2B and B2C sales strategies, the Company has been stocking inventory during Q4, 2021, which includes our conventional products that will be sold through our eCommerce platform slated for launch Q1 2022. During 2021, we developed the first solar tonneau cover along with its counterpart, the Terravis COR, portable rechargeable energy storage unit. With our $30mm capital raise we were able to begin to bring our manufacturing home to Canada. In our new facility, we will be able to streamline our manufacturing process to produce our products faster while maintaining similar profit margins. To close out 2021 Worksport will be heavily focusing on securing and tooling its new facility. - with the first automated cutting and milling machines having arrived in October. Management expects delivery of the remaining equipment to continue into December and through the end of January. Management expects most, if not all, of these systems to be installed between the end of January and mid-February 2022. If there are no delays, management believes the Canadian factory will begin servicing its B2B and B2C customers by the end of Q2 2022... In addition, we have been able to increase our research and development operations and attract several professionals with PhDs to join our already talented team of engineers and designers... As Management looks toward the second half of 2022, we have already begun the process of transforming the COR system into its own platform, with a variety of uses, including whole home power backup with an emphasis on portability to work in conjunction with its SOLIS and COR products. To echo Worksport's Director of Engineering, Dr. Rafael Oliveira, the Company is already looking to continue innovating with more powerful mobile units, maintaining focus on simplicity and usability. And while still early in its development, Terravis Energy's NPEV system is making incredibly significant progress, with Management expecting to have a working prototype in early 2022. Furthermore, because of the Company's charismatic business development strategies involving actively seeking out partners and having conversations with potential partners, there have been exploratory talks of building a B2B business with large multinational stores."

08:04 EST Selecta Biosciences, Sobi complete enrollment in DISSOLVE Phase 3 study - Selecta Biosciences (SELB) and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (SOBI) announced the completion of enrollment for DISSOLVE I, the first of two clinical studies of the phase 3 DISSOLVE development program of SEL-212 for chronic refractory gout. SEL-212 is a combination of Selecta's ImmTOR immune tolerance platform and a therapeutic uricase enzyme. Sobi has in-licensed SEL-212 from Selecta and is responsible for development, regulatory and commercial activities in all markets outside of China. The phase 3 program for SEL-212 is being run by Selecta and funded by Sobi.

08:03 EST Kroger, Kipster Farms partner on carbon-neutral, cage-free eggs - The Kroger Co. and Kipster Farms announced a strategic partnership to bring the world's first carbon-neutral, cage-free eggs to retail shelves in the U.S. Kipster aims to help create a food system in which animals do not pollute but rather help clean up byproducts of food production. In this way, chickens upcycle food waste into eggs, meat and fertile manure. Kipster is the only poultry farmer in the world to farm with such a high level of circularity. The new Simple Truth eggs will further expand the brand's line of natural and more sustainable choices as part of Kroger's Our Brands product portfolio. Simple Truth and Kipster eggs are expected to be available in select stores in late 2022.

08:02 EST BeyondSpring receives complete response letter from FDA for plinabulin NDA - BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals announced it has received a Complete Response Letter, CRL, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, for the New Drug Application, NDA, seeking approval of plinabulin in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, G-CSF, for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, CIN. The FDA issued the CRL to indicate that they have completed their review of the application and have determined that it cannot be approved in its present form. The FDA's CRL indicated that the results of the single registrational trial was not sufficiently robust to demonstrate benefit and that a second well controlled trial would be required to satisfy the substantial evidence requirement to support the CIN indication. "BeyondSpring strongly believes that plinabulin in combination with G-CSF has significant potential to raise the standard of care in CIN, a devastating side effect of chemotherapy," said Dr. Lan Huang, BeyondSpring's co-founder, chief executive officer and chairwoman. "The Company plans to request a meeting with the FDA and remains committed to its goal of bringing plinabulin to cancer patients in need globally."

07:55 EST BeyondSpring trading halted, news pending

07:52 EST Blackstone acquires SaaS solutions firm Irth, terms undisclosed - Blackstone announced that Blackstone Energy Partners has agreed to acquire Irth Solutions . Irth is a leading provider of cloud-based software-as-a-service "SaaS" solutions that automate processes for damage prevention and asset protection across critical network infrastructure assets. Additionally, Irth collects and analyzes operational and environmental data and runs risk management analytics for its blue-chip customer base across the energy, utilities, telecom and media end-markets. Its products and services support electric grid resiliency, electric vehicle penetration, 5G infrastructure build-out, emissions reduction efforts and help improve the safety and efficiency of pipeline operations. The acquisition of Irth continues Blackstone Energy Partners' focus on investing in companies that support critical infrastructure and the global energy transition. Kush Patel, Managing Director at Blackstone, said: "Irth is well-positioned to benefit from the tailwinds impacting each of the company's end-markets. Irth can be a key partner for electric utilities, telecom companies and energy infrastructure operators as they improve and expand operations, while reducing environmental impacts. We look forward to working with Brad and his team to capitalize on these trends..." Following the acquisition, Irth Solutions will retain its name and continue to operate independently as a Blackstone portfolio company. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of December. Lazard and Lincoln International acted as financial advisors to Irth, and Ropes & Gray acted as the company's legal advisor. Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisor to Blackstone. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

07:50 EST Match Group to pay $441M to settle Tinder-related claims - Match Group (MTCH) announced the settlement of Rad, et al. v. IAC/InterActiveCorp (IAC), et al. and related arbitrations. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Match Group will pay plaintiffs $441M, and plaintiffs will dismiss all claims presently on trial and in arbitration related to the 2017 Tinder valuation. The company said, "We intend to pay the settlement from cash on hand." The parties issued the following media statement on the settlement: "The parties are pleased to announce that they have settled the valuation lawsuit presently on trial in New York Supreme Court and the related valuation arbitration."

07:46 EST Marimaca Copper COO Luis Tondo to step down - Marimaca Copper announces that, for family reasons, Luis Tondo will step down from his role as COO of the Company. Luis will continue working with Marimaca Copper as a consultant, focused on the various ongoing technical workstreams which are underway.

07:42 EST Molecular Data sets up JV with GY Energy Tech for EV charging solutions - Molecular Data has announced a joint venture with GY Energy Tech, a company funded by several PRC Energy SOEs. The JV will involve constructions of stations to replace batteries, battery replacement services, charging stations, and logistics management platform. The services rendered will not only cover the existing chemical space, it will seek to serve various industries. Electric trucks allow for replacement of a discharged battery with a fully fresh charged one, with the replacement process typically taking less than 5 minutes.

07:39 EST Gan Limited launches Ainsworth Game via SuperRGS for Churchill Downs - Gan Limited (GAN) announced the deployment of Ainsworth Game online gaming content occurred via the company's SuperRGS content aggregation platform to Churchill Downs (CHDN) online wagering platform, TwinSpires, in Michigan. In May of this year, Gan announced it had reached an agreement with Ainsworth to obtain the exclusive online rights to all current and future Ainsworth online games for an undisclosed amount. For Gan, this marks the first deployment of exclusive Ainsworth online gaming content via SuperRGS in Michigan.

07:37 EST Alimera Sciences announces addition of Erin Parsons to board of directors - Alimera Sciences announces the addition of Erin Parsons to its Board of Directors. Parsons has more than 20 years of experience working in the ophthalmic industry overseeing scientific strategy, medical communications, advocacy development, and peer-to-peer educational programs, much of this in the retina space.

07:36 EST VBI Vaccines announces FDA approval of PreHevbrio - VBI Vaccines announced that the FDA has approved PreHevbrio for the prevention of infection caused by all known subtypes of hepatitis B virus, or HBV, in adults age 18 years and older. PreHevbrio contains the S, pre-S2, and pre-S1 HBV surface antigens, and is the only approved 3-antigen HBV vaccine for adults in the U.S.

07:35 EST Vertex Pharmaceuticals announces data from VX-147 study - Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced that, in a Phase 2 proof-of-concept, or POC, study in patients with APOL1-mediated focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, or FSGS, VX-147 on top of standard of care achieved a statistically significant, substantial and clinically meaningful mean reduction of 47.6% in the urine protein to creatinine ratio, or UPCR, at Week 13 compared to baseline. VX-147 was well tolerated. These results provide the first clinical evidence and POC that an oral small molecule APOL1 inhibitor can decrease proteinuria in patients with APOL1-mediated kidney disease. Based on these results, Vertex plans to advance VX-147 into pivotal development in APOL1-mediated kidney disease, including FSGS, in Q1 2022. A total of 16 patients were enrolled in the study. According to the pre-specified statistical analysis plan, three patients who were noncompliant with treatment were not included in the primary efficacy analysis. In the 13 evaluable patients, treatment with VX-147 on top of standard of care resulted in a rapid, statistically significant and clinically meaningful mean change in proteinuria from baseline of -47.6% following 13 weeks of treatment. Reduction in proteinuria was observed early and continued throughout the 13-week treatment period. Results were consistent regardless of baseline proteinuria or background therapy. There were no treatment discontinuations due to adverse events, or AEs, and there were no serious adverse events considered related to study drug. All AEs were mild or moderate in severity. The most common AEs were headache, back pain and nausea. Based on these data, Vertex plans to advance VX-147 into pivotal development in Q1 2022 as a potential therapy for the more than 100,000 patients with proteinuric kidney disease mediated by variants in the APOL1 gene, including, but not limited to, FSGS. Consistent with the company's serial innovation strategy, Vertex will also continue to investigate additional small molecule APOL1 inhibitors in the clinic.

07:34 EST Daktronics expects dynamic supply chain conditions to persist through next year - CEO Reece Kurtenbach added, "We expect dynamic supply chain conditions to persist through next calendar year. As we continue to work through supply chain challenges, inflationary pressures, and evolving pandemic impacts, we expect volatility in our pricing, order and revenue cycles, and production costs in the near term. Over the long-term, we believe the fundamentals of the audiovisual industry are strong and are poised for continued growth. To position us to benefit from both near term growth and long-term trends, we are actively investing in capacity, in new technologies, and in different markets to make Daktronics and our solutions the preferred choice for new and existing customers."

07:31 EST Gran Colombia Gold announces updates mineral resource estimate - GCM Mining announced that it has completed an updated Mineral Resource estimate for its Toroparu Project in Guyana with an effective date of November 1, 2021 and in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum, CIM, Definition Standards incorporated by reference in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. GCM Mining also announced that Nordmin Engineering and SRK Consulting have completed preliminary results of a Preliminary Economic Assessment, PEA, for the Toroparu Project effective November 26, 2021 and is currently finalizing the technical report to be prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and filed on SEDAR and the Company's website in mid-January 2022. Lombardo Paredes, Chief Executive Officer of GCM Mining, commented "The PEA was initiated as a result of a significantly expanded Mineral Resource developed from the discovery of the structural control of high-grade gold mineralization at Toroparu as reported in our July 6, 2021 press release. Compared with Gold X Mining's previous Mineral Resource estimate, total Measured and Indicated Gold Resources have increased by approximately 15% to 8.4 million ounces of gold and reflect an increase in the average head grade from 0.91 g/t to 1.42 g/t in the latest update. The updated mineral resource estimate reported herein, which represents a potential step change to the economic value of Toroparu, underlies the scoping of a long mine life project within the PEA recovering 280,000 ounces of gold in the first year of operation in 2024 and an estimated 225,000 ounces of gold per year from both surface and underground mining operations over 24 years. A total of 5.4 million ounces of gold is expected to be produced over the LoM in the PEA, an approximately 20% increase from the previous PEA prepared by Gold X Mining in July 2019. We have already commenced pre-construction activities at the Toroparu Project site. We have hired Haukes Construction Ltd., a division of Haukes NV of Suriname, for construction of the preliminary earthworks at Toroparu, with development of the permanent man-camp, airstrip and rock quarries currently underway. Preparations are also being made for the rehabilitation of the historical access road commencing early next year. Based on the technical and financial merits demonstrated by the PEA and funded by the $300M Senior Notes financing we closed in August and the Wheaton stream, we are proceeding with construction of the Toroparu Project, which is initially focused on the surface mining of higher-grade gold processed through a 7,000 tonnes per day gold leach mill. The PEA envisions an expansion of milling capacity to 14,000 tpd with the addition of a copper concentrator in year 6 and the addition of underground mining operations in year 10 of the mine life. Importantly, the Toroparu Deposit is open both along strike and at depth with the additional mineralization potential below the 450 m level amenable to underground mining methods. We believe the Toroparu Project has the potential to be a multi-generational gold mine which can create significant value for our shareholders, solidifying its position along with our Segovia Operations as a cornerstone asset in GCM Mining."

07:30 EST PureTech Health says weight management approach Plenity widely available - PureTech Health noted that its Founded Entity, Gelesis announced that Plenity, an FDA cleared weight management approach, is now broadly available across the United States to adults who meet the prescription criteria. Gelesis also announced the appointment of leading health and nutrition authority Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN, as Chief Nutrition Officer. In this new role, Bauer will offer nutrition counseling and education for Plenity members and engage with and educate healthcare professionals about the product. Bauer is one of the nation's leading health and nutrition authorities. She is a beloved media personality and a #1 New York Times bestselling author with 14 bestsellers to her credit. In the earlier part of her career, Bauer was the Director of Nutrition and Fitness for the Department of Pediatric Cardiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, as well as the clinical dietitian for their neurosurgical team. She has worked closely with Plenity since spring 2021 on healthcare provider support, establishing awareness and educating registered dietitian nutritionists RDNs on the safety profile and clinical evidence for Plenity. As part of her expanded role with the company, she will continue to build education and advocacy to support RDNs in recommending Plenity to their patients through professional educational content, key events, and outreach to members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and other certified nutrition professionals. Plenity is available by prescription via a stigma-free telehealth consultation with a physician trained in weight management support, with free, unlimited follow-up visits as needed. The pandemic continues to prove out the importance of convenient access to healthcare, and the Plenity experience-including both the digital model and the strong efficacy to safety profile-is built to address that. A Plenity subscription costs $98 for a four-week supply and, if prescribed, the product arrives in two business days.

07:30 EST Atlantic Coastal Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading resumes

07:29 EST Cazoo launches service in France, Germany - Cazoo announced that it has now launched its service in both France and Germany. Following its launch in both France and Germany, Cazoo intends to grow its inventory to thousands of cars as it expands across Europe over the coming months as well as adding many new features to its EU proposition including buying cars directly from consumers, fully digital car financing and all-inclusive monthly car subscriptions.

07:27 EST Soluna Holdings files universal shelf offering - Soluna Holdings announced that it has filed a "universal shelf" registration statement on Form S-3 with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the registration of Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Debt Securities, Warrants, Units, and the Subscription Rights, as well as the resale of certain securities privately offered by the Company. When declared effective by the SEC, the shelf registration statement will allow the Company to raise capital, up to an aggregate of $150.0 million, excluding the resale of certain securities privately offered by the Company. The specifics of any future offering, along with the prices and terms of any such securities and the use of proceeds of a particular offering, will be determined at the time of any such offering and will be described in a prospectus supplement filed in connection with such offering. Once declared effective by the SEC, the shelf registration statement will be in effect for three years, or such shorter period that the securities registered under the shelf registration statement have been issued or sold.

07:27 EST Virios achieves over 50% enrollment milestone in its FM Phase 2b clinical trial - Virios Therapeutics announced that more than 50% of the patients planned for the Phase 2b FORTRESS, Fibromyalgia Outcome Research Trial Evaluating Synergistic Suppression of HSV-1, study have been randomized. The FORTRESS study is a randomized, double-blind evaluation of IMC-1 in patients with fibromyalgia FM. Worldwide, FM affects 3-6% of the population and is characterized by widespread chronic pain and multiple symptoms often including severe fatigue, sleep disruption and cognitive dysfunction. Based on Virios market analysis, we estimate that only 15% of FM treatment prescribers report satisfaction with existing treatment options. The FORTRESS study builds on the statistically significant results from the Company's previously completed Phase 2a FM clinical study. The 143-patient Phase 2a trial demonstrated that IMC-1 met its primary endpoint of pain reduction and was statistically better tolerated than placebo. "We are pleased that enrollment in our FORTRESS trial is progressing rapidly, with careful patient selection and the support of more than 40 U.S. clinical sites," said R. Michael Gendreau, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Virios Therapeutics. "We are very grateful for the physicians at these sites and their patients for their commitment and willingness to participate in this critical FM trial, especially during a pandemic. Reaching this enrollment milestone on a timely basis indicates that we are currently on track to report top line results in Q3 of 2022." Greg Duncan, Chairman and CEO of Virios, stated, "Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease that affects 10 million patients in the U.S. As many as 40% of FM patients are being treated with opioids, according to market surveys. This is particularly troubling given FM patients treated with opioids have been shown to experience worse outcomes among multiple assessment domains. Consistent with our mission, Virios Therapeutics is developing the non-opioid IMC-1 with the end goal of advancing care for hundreds of millions of patients globally in need of new FM treatment options." Virios' lead antiviral development candidate Virios' lead antiviral development candidate, orally administered IMC-1, is a novel, proprietary, fixed dose, antiviral therapy combining famciclovir and celecoxib. This dual mechanism antiviral therapy is designed to synergistically suppress Herpes Simplex Virus-1 activation and replication. The uniqueness of this approach has garnered IMC-1 "fast track" designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the first of its kind for a new FM development candidate. It is the Company's hypothesis that HSV-1 related immune responses can serve as a catalyst for symptoms commonly associated with FM, irritable bowel syndrome and related disorders. This hypothesis is supported by both clinical and mechanistic data, the latter of which has suggested that HSV-1 is actively replicating in the tissue of patients diagnosed with FM and chronic GI disorders, such as IBS.

07:25 EST SAB Biotherapeutics Inc trading halted, news pending

07:25 EST Exxon Mobil to maintain capital investments of $20B-$25B through 2027 - ExxonMobil said it has finalized corporate plans, which increase spending to $15B on greenhouse gas emission-reduction projects over the next six years while maintaining capital investments in its portfolio. The plans support the corporate strategy of continued structural cost savings, investment in low-cost-of-supply and lower-emission products, and further portfolio high-grading, positioning the company to double earnings and cash flow by 2027 versus 2019. The company also announced it is on track to meet its 2025 greenhouse gas emission-reduction plans by year-end 2021, four years ahead of schedule. In addition, ExxonMobil has developed more aggressive plans for further Scope 1 and Scope 2 reductions through 2030, consistent with Paris Agreement pathways. ExxonMobil plans to maintain capital investments in the range of $20B-$25B per year through 2027 with flexibility to adjust to adverse market conditions or changes in policy and technology for low-emissions projects. Projected growth of cash flow and earnings in the Upstream business results from cost reductions and progressing advantaged investments in low-cost-of-supply projects in Guyana, Brazil, and the Permian Basin in the United States. More than 90% of Upstream planned capital investments through 2027 are expected to generate returns of greater than 10% at prices less than or equal to $35 per barrel of oil equivalent, while reducing Upstream GHG emissions intensity by 40%-50% through 2030, compared to 2016 levels. Downstream and Chemical earnings and cash flow growth plans are focused on high-return projects, which are expected to double the volume of performance chemicals and lower-emission fuels and lubricants. The company will leverage its manufacturing scale, integration, and technology position to high-grade its portfolio and reduce costs, while optimizing operations and leveraging the capabilities of the Low Carbon Solutions business to reduce greenhouse gas emission intensity at operated facilities. Increased cash flow and earnings enable both further debt reduction and returns to shareholders. It has also announced a $10B share-repurchase program over 12-24 months that will commence in 2022, and it increased its annual dividend payment for the 39th consecutive year. As part of its plan, ExxonMobil has committed $15B for lower-emission investments through 2027. These investments will include a balance between projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing operations and increased investments in the Low Carbon Solutions business.

07:23 EST TC Energy to highlight strategy, five-year outlook at virtual Investor Day - TC Energy Corporation will host its annual Investor Day in a virtual format today. During the event the company will provide an overview of its corporate strategy, five-year financial outlook and the targets it has set to support its ten sustainability commitments. In addition, the company will outline the opportunity set that lies ahead for its natural gas pipelines, liquids pipelines and power and storage businesses in Canada, the United States and Mexico. "Our vision is to be the premier energy infrastructure company in North America, now and in the future," said Francois Poirier, TC Energy's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our $100B portfolio of high-quality, long-life energy infrastructure assets is performing very well as evidenced by the record financial results we are on course to deliver in 2021. We also have visibility to significant future growth as a result of both the world's growing demand for energy and the transition to a cleaner energy future. Today, we are advancing $29B of commercially secured projects that will expand and extend our asset footprint across North America and generate attractive long-term returns for our shareholders as they enter service over the next five years... we expect to improve our already solid credit profile and exceed targeted credit metrics in the latter part of our five-year plan. This will provide us with the capacity to fund additional growth opportunities, continue our long history of dividend increases or consider a share buyback. As always, we will allocate capital in a manner that maximizes growth in earnings, cash flow and dividends per share and delivers superior long-term returns to our shareholders." Looking forward, TC Energy expects to capture substantial new opportunities that would add to its EBITDA growth outlook.

07:20 EST Diffusion Pharmaceuticals announces issuance of US Patent - Diffusion Pharmaceuticals announced that it has been granted United States Patent No. 11,185,523, "Use of Bipolar Trans Carotenoids With Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy for Treatment of Cancer," by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This patent includes new claims related to methods of treating cancerous tumors by administering the Company's lead product candidate, trans sodium crocetinate, in combination with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. "We believe the issuance of this patent represents another important step in our development of TSC and provides us with additional intellectual property protection to support the design and execution of our recently announced clinical program to support the use of intravenously administered TSC as a treatment for hypoxic solid tumors," said Robert Cobuzzi, Jr., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Office of Diffusion.

07:19 EST Clene Nanomedicine present updated data from RESCUE-ALS Phase 2 study - Clene, along with its subsidiaries "Clene" and its wholly owned subsidiary Clene Nanomedicine, presented new data from the RESCUE-ALS Phase 2 study of CNM-Au8, a catalytically active gold nanocrystal suspension, in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, at the 4th Annual ALS ONE Research Symposium which took place virtually on November 30, 2021. New data presented included analyses of CNM-Au8's efficacy in limb and bulbar onset participants across key endpoints of slowing ALS clinical worsening: Consistent clinical benefit was shown in both limb and bulbar onset participants for the pre-specified endpoint of ALS disease progression defined as death, or the need for tracheostomy, non-invasive ventilation, or gastrostomy; and Similarly, CNM-Au8 treated participants showed consistent clinical benefit in the proportion without a 6-point decline on the ALSFRS-R across both limb and bulbar onset participants in a post hoc analysis. In a pre-specified joint-rank analysis of survival and ALSFRS-R decline, the Combined Assessment of Function and Survival, CAFS, CNM-Au8 showed directional benefit. "We were pleased to continue sharing our findings from the RESCUE-ALS trial with the ALS community at this symposium. We continue to remain excited about these clinically meaningful findings, which given the remarkable safety and tolerability of CNM-Au8 seen so far in the development program, speak to the potential for a positive benefit-risk assessment," stated Dr. Robert Glanzman, Chief Medical Officer at Clene.

07:18 EST Voltus, Broadscale Acquisition enter agreement for business combination - Voltus and Broadscale Acquisition announced a definitive agreement for a business combination that will result in Voltus becoming the first publicly traded pure-play DER software technology company. Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will be named Voltus Technologies, Inc. and will remain listed on the Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol "VLTS." Voltus is a category creator providing the leading software technology platform to orchestrate and monetize distributed energy resources, including demand response, distributed generation, energy storage, energy efficiency, and EV batteries and EV charging infrastructure - which are the future of our electricity system as it decentralizes, decarbonizes, and digitizes in response to climate change; the need for greater resiliency; and the increased penetration of intermittent renewable power sources. Voltus leverages its world-class technology team and extensive electricity market expertise to maximize the value of every DER with no upfront cost or risk for its over 600 customers, including Home Depot, Coca-Cola and Simon Property Group. Grid operators pay Voltus to connect DERs to the market and Voltus shares a portion of revenues with its customers as well as with its DER partners, including recently announced partners PowerSecure and ENTOUCH, a leading energy management company. Voltus has built a highly capital-efficient software technology business model. Highlights include: approximately 40% gross margins; 100%+ net customer value retention; and an impressive 10:1 ratio of Lifetime Value to Customer Acquisition Cost. The Company has a clear track record of predictable, rapid, recurring revenue growth in a massive global market supported by macro tailwinds as approximately $3 trillion in global electricity spend transitions to DERs. The Company also enjoys strong visibility into future revenue given an average contract term length of roughly five years. Voltus has approximately $275 million in revenue backlog from contracted megawatts on its platform, as well as a pipeline of $1.3 billion. Voltus expects the pipeline to grow significantly as the company strategically deploys the proceeds expected from this transaction. The combined company will be led by Gregg Dixon, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Matthew Plante, President and Co-founder, Dana Guernsey, Chief Product Officer, and Neil Lakin, Chief Technology Officer. Voltus's leadership team has more than 100 years of collective experience in the DER market and has delivered more than 12,000 megawatts of DERs to market, more than any other team in the industry. Voltus's Chief Regulatory Officer, Jon Wellinghoff, previously was the longest-serving Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Company has created the only DER technology platform integrated into all nine U.S. and Canadian electricity markets and it offers more than 50 discrete programs to monetize DERs, more than any competitor. Voltus is a pioneering ESG company that enables the adoption of clean, resilient DERs, which are poised to permanently displace 3.9 gigatons of annual CO2 emissions globally from traditional fossil fuel power plants. The Company is also deeply committed to diversity and inclusion, as evidenced by women comprising 45% of its leadership team and 38% of its board of directors. The Company processes an estimated 2 million daily transactions that reflect changes in DER market positions, prices, registrations, and asset schedules. It collects approximately 5 million data points per day with real-time, 30-second data intervals that represent one of the largest energy databases in the world. The business combination values the combined company at a $1.3 billion pro forma equity value, at a price of $10.00 per share and assuming no redemptions by Broadscale stockholders. The transaction will provide $445 million of gross proceeds to the company, assuming no redemptions, including a $100 million PIPE offering at $10.00 per share. The PIPE is led by Equinor Ventures, Belfer Management, Solanas Capital, Ev Williams. Broadscale Acquisition Corp.'s sponsor, Voltus management, and existing Voltus investors, including Activate Capital and Ajax Strategies, also participated in the PIPE. All Voltus stockholders will roll 100% of their equity holdings into the new combined company. The Boards of Directors of each of Voltus and Broadscale have unanimously approved the transaction. The transaction will require the approval of the stockholders of both Voltus and Broadscale, and is subject to other customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals. The transaction is currently expected to close in the first half of 2022. Dan Leff, Senior Operating Partner at Broadscale and Broadscale Group, will join the combined company's Board of Directors. Dan has four decades of experience as a business leader, investor, board member, and advisor in energy and industry globally, with a focus over the last decade on technology and software companies driving the energy transition.

07:15 EST CynergisTek in cybersecurity services pact with multi-service health system - CynergisTek adds a multi-hospital full service Midwest regional health system with more than 30 locations to the CynergisTek's growing healthcare client base. In this six-figure agreement, CynergisTek will provide the health system with comprehensive cybersecurity services. Under the agreement, CynergisTek's Red Team will perform a series of tests to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses within the health system's information technology environment and a thorough assessment of the organization's security program. The result and high-valued deliverable is a clearly defined remediation roadmap of priorities that the client can use to strategize for the upcoming year, gain budget approval, and shore up defenses to build resiliency against data breaches and cyber-attacks. In a recent article on how to improve cyber resiliency, CynergisTek's CEO and President, Mac McMillan is quoted saying, "Cybersecurity is a constant battle between good and bad. Good must work harder than bad, because bad only has to find one way to take advantage of you, and good has to find every way to stop them. But at the end of the day, you end up a lot better off down the road if you make good decisions based on continuous testing and evaluation of your program and controls." Partnering with a third-party and expert in technical testing and security risk assessments is one of the first steps in making good decisions because it helps organizations understand their strengths and weaknesses.

07:14 EST SAB Biotherapeutics announces SAB-176 met primary endpoint in Phase 2 study - SAB Biotherapeutics announced that SAB-176, its investigational therapeutic for the treatment of seasonal influenza, achieved statistically significant reductions in viral load and clinical signs and symptoms compared to placebo in a Phase 2a challenge study. In the study, SAB-176 appeared to be safe and well-tolerated. SAB-176 is a quadrivalent fully human polyclonal antibody therapeutic candidate designed for the treatment of moderate to severe Type A and B seasonal influenza viruses. "We are highly encouraged by these topline results showing that treatment with SAB-176 achieved statistical significance in reducing influenza viral load and clinical signs and symptoms in treated subjects, despite the small size of this first Phase 2 study. These data suggest that SAB-176 has the potential to be an effective treatment for this prevalent, highly-mutating virus that resurfaces annually and is a major source of hospitalizations and deaths," said Tom Luke, MD, Chief Medical Officer of SAB Biotherapeutics. "These trial results support advancing SAB-176 as a potential treatment for seasonal influenza through further clinical studies, and we look forward to sharing additional data as it becomes available."

07:12 EST Global Polo Entertainment signs agreement with ESPN - Global Polo Entertainment has announced a landmark deal with ESPN. USPAGL manages U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association, the governing body for the sport of polo in the U.S. This multi-faceted agreement will bring the finals of the top seven U.S. and World Championship polo events in 2022 to ESPN. All games will be distributed on ESPN2, ESPNU or streamed live on ESPN3. Beginning in 2022, ESPN will distribute the 2022 GAUNTLET OF POLO, the number-one-rated U.S. Open Women's Polo Championship and the 2022 FIP World Polo Championship on ESPN3 and ESPN2, all for the very first time. The semi-finals and finals of the 100th Men's and Women's National Intercollegiate Championship will air for the first time on ESPNU. This agreement also includes the 30-minute, made-for-television series World of Polo, presented by U.S. Polo Assn., and which will be available on ESPN's VOD platform.

07:10 EST Telesat Holdings announces agreement with SatixFy - Telesat announced an agreement to deploy SatixFy baseband modem equipment for Telesat Lightspeed gateway earth stations throughout the world. The SatixFy advanced Sx3099 landing station modems will be capable of processing up to 1.6 GHz of bandwidth in each direction, supporting 10 wideband carriers, uplink power control and adaptive coding and modulation, and network data processing. This manufacturing agreement follows a previously announced early access program to validate and qualify the Sx3099 modem ASIC for use in the Telesat Lightspeed ground infrastructure. Each landing station antenna will be capable of transmitting approximately 12 Gbps on the forward link and receiving approximately 6 Gbps on the return link. "Packaged in a small, lightweight outdoor enclosure, SatixFy's innovative technology and equipment delivers a powerful value proposition for our gateway earth station network," stated Aneesh Dalvi, Telesat's Director of LEO Landing Stations and User Terminals. "With SatixFy's solution, we have further optimized our landing station size and capacity while reducing deployment and operating costs."

07:09 EST Immunome expects IMM-BCP-01 to neutralize omicron variant - Immunome announced that it has conducted an assessment of the reported mutations in the new SARS-CoV-2 variant, omicron. Based upon mapping of those mutations and activity against previous and current CDC variants of concern, Immunome expects its antibody cocktail, IMM-BCP-01, to neutralize the omicron variant. The company is diligently working to confirm this activity in laboratory testing and expects initial results to be available in January 2022. IMM-BCP-01 is an antibody cocktail designed to target three distinct, non-overlapping epitopes. Immunome used its discovery engine to interrogate the body's immune response to SARS-CoV-2 through isolation of human memory B cells. The technology rapidly led to isolation of rare and potent antibodies including those targeting novel and highly conserved epitopes.

07:09 EST Lottery.com hires Greg Potts as Global VP of Affiliate Success - Lottery.com announced that Greg Potts has joined the company as Global Vice President of Affiliate Success. Potts has over 25 years of strategic marketing experience. At Lottery.com, he will be leading the execution of the Company's B2B growth strategy and will oversee the recently launched Global Affiliate Marketing Program. His responsibilities will include developing multiple recurring revenue streams for the Company by adding new master affiliates and sub-affiliates, and providing them with tools designed to accelerate the sales of Lottery.com products. Potts most recently served as a Senior Sales Executive for Vericast, where he oversaw the channel affiliate program and specialized in co-op marketing, customer activation, and integrated media campaigns.

07:07 EST Zeeba selects Electric Last Mile Solutions for order of commercial EVs - Electric Last Mile Solutions announced a firm purchase order from Zeeba Vans ("Zeeba"), a Los Angeles-based mobility company, for 50 ELMS Urban Delivery vans with the intent to purchase hundreds more in 2022. Zeeba has a fleet that consists of several thousand vans with plans to add 2,500 all-electric vans by the end of 2023. The electrification program accounts for approximately one-third of Zeeba's two-year growth plan. Zeeba has turned its focus to two areas: commercial business-to-business rentals and leasing and a San Francisco van sharing pilot program. The San Francisco program, set to launch in the first quarter of 2022, is a key vertical through which Zeeba's customers will utilize the ELMS Urban Delivery.

07:07 EST U.S. Physical Therapy acquires 70% stake in injury prevention services - U.S. Physical Therapy announced the acquisition of a 70% ownership interest in a provider of industrial injury prevention services. The acquired company also provides and manages inpatient and outpatient physical therapy services to hospitals and their respective ancillary units. The business provides human performance solutions, combining ergonomic, injury prevention, physical rehabilitation, onsite medical and performance maximization services to its clients, many of which are Fortune 500 companies. The business generates approximately $27M in annual revenue at a margin of approximately 20%; in addition, it has approximately $1.7M in pretax earnings related to the acquired company's 49% ownership interest in a joint venture providing physical therapy services to hospitals and their respective ancillary units. USPH acquired its interest in the acquired company at a purchase price of approximately $63.2M. The founders will continue to have a 30% ownership interest and maintain their roles as executive leaders in the acquired company; they also will continue to own a separate company that provides physical therapy and rehabilitation services to hospitals and other ancillary providers in a distinct market area. As part of the transaction announced today, USPH and the founders agreed to the right to a future purchase of such company.

07:05 EST Eguana says AES has placed $2.1M opening order for Evolve solutions - Eguana Technologies announced that Alternative Energy Southeast has placed an opening order valued at $2.1M and will promote, sell and install Eguana's Evolve and Evolve Max throughout the US south east region. 5kW Evolves are immediately available at numerous Certified Eguana partners across North America, with the Evolve Max expected to be in market January 2022.

07:03 EST Future FinTech signs LOI to develop metaverse platform - Future FinTech signed a Strategic Cooperative Letter of Intent with Faya Digital Technology to establish a metaverse research and operations platform. FTFT and Faya Digital plan to establish the joint venture Future Metaverse Chengdu and will cooperate to develop a new underlying technology engine, HyperVerse Version 1.0, to run the platform. The two parties plan to initially develop 18 non-fungible token avatar products and three blockchain games. FTFT plans to leverage Faya Digital's resources such as the metaverse ecosystem project CITY - 1.07 million dapp users -, the blockchain game ecosystem project DO - 570,000 active game users -, etc., to contribute to the market development and future profitability of the HyperVerse Version 1.0 ecosystem platform.

07:02 EST BioXcel Therapeutics announces FDA extends review period of NDA for BXCL501 - BioXcel Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA, has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, PDUFA, date for its review of the New Drug Application, NDA, of BXCL501 for the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders I and II. In connection with the FDA's ongoing review, BioXcel Therapeutics responded to the agency's information request pertaining to analyses of clinical data, and was recently informed the application would require additional time for review. As a result, the FDA extended the previously disclosed PDUFA date of January 5, 2022 to April 5, 2022. BioXcel Therapeutics and the FDA met on November 30. No additional data has been requested. "Following our meeting with the FDA, we remain committed to working closely with the agency to facilitate a review of our NDA for BXCL501 and excited about making this potential therapy available to patients and caregivers as soon as possible," said Vimal Mehta, Ph.D., CEO of BioXcel Therapeutics. "As we prepare for anticipated FDA approval, we are confident in BXCL501's broad potential to treat the millions of patients suffering from agitation associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders."

06:54 EST Sanofi to acquire Origimm Biotechnology to add ORI-001 to early-stage pipeline - Sanofi announced it entered into an agreement to acquire Origimm Biotechnology GmbH, an Austrian privately owned biotechnology company specializing in the discovery of virulent skin microbiome components and antigens from bacteria causing skin disease, such as acne. "With this acquisition, Sanofi continues executing its global Play to Win strategy, pursuing growth opportunities and building an industry-leading vaccines pipeline. The transaction will add ORI-001 to Sanofi's early-stage pipeline. ORI-001 is a therapeutic vaccine candidate for acne vulgaris based on recombinant proteins, which entered preliminary clinical studies in Q3 2021. In parallel, Sanofi is working to develop additional antigen versions and expects to leverage its next-generation mRNA platform in a comprehensive Ph1/2 trial to start in 2023," the company stated. The acquisition is expected to close early December 2021.

06:52 EST Northern Dynasty comments on EPA press release regarding Pebble Project - Northern Dynasty commented on the November 17 press release by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, in which the EPA extended the deadline to either withdraw the 2014 Proposed Determination or to prepare a Recommended Determination regarding the Pebble Project in Southwest Alaska. "While it is not yet known what action, if any, the EPA will finally take, we are cautiously optimistic about their commitment to consider new information that has become available since the 2014 Proposed Determination and to make science-based decisions," said Ron Thiessen, president and CEO of Northern Dynasty. "We do not know which new information they may use in their decision, but we believe that the strong administrative record of the overwhelmingly positive Final Environmental Impact Statement of 2020 that was prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should be an important part of it. We are also pleased that the EPA has established a timetable for their review, with the recent extension through the end of May of 2022. This action suggests their intention is to comply with the regulations and not let the Proposed Determination languish, therefore attempting to regulate by inaction. We do caution, however, that we understand that the deadline can be extended further at the EPA's option."

06:50 EST Merck: FDA accepts for priority review sBLA for VAXNEUVANCE - Merck announced the U.S. FDA has accepted for Priority Review a supplemental Biologics License Application for VAXNEUVANCE for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in children 6 weeks through 17 years of age. The FDA grants priority review to medicines and vaccines that, if approved, would provide a significant improvement in the safety or effectiveness of the treatment or prevention of a serious condition. The FDA set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or target action date, of April 1, 2022.

06:47 EST Sanofi confirms Vaccines mid-term view of mid-to-high single-digit sales growth - Sanofi will host a hybrid Vaccines Investor Event with key members of the Vaccines leadership team to discuss how the company will pursue growth opportunities and "build an industry-leading vaccines pipeline," the company announced. Sanofi confirms its mid-term sales guidance announced at the 2019 Capital Markets Day of mid-to-high single-digit growth for its Vaccines business. "Sustained growth will be driven by four core franchises of influenza, meningitis, PPH & Boosters, as well as the planned launch of nirsevimab, a first-in-class monoclonal antibody for all infant protection against Respiratory Syncytial Virus. These core franchises are well positioned to capture market growth, such as in the global influenza market which Sanofi expects to exceed EUR15 billion by 2030," the company stated.

06:38 EST Bionano Genomics CEO buys 5K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Bionano Genomics disclosed that its CEO Erik Holmlin bought 5K shares of common stock on November 29th in a total transaction size of about $20K.

06:34 EST Sage Therapeutics and Biogen report positive data on depression disorder drug - Sage Therapeutics (SAGE) and Biogen (BIIB) announced 12-month data for the cohort of patients who received zuranolone 50 mg once nightly for 14-days as their initial dose in the ongoing Phase 3 open-label SHORELINE Study and had the opportunity to be followed for 12-months. The SHORELINE Study, part of the LANDSCAPE clinical program, was designed to naturalistically follow adult patients with major depressive disorder - MDD - and evaluate the safety and tolerability of zuranolone as well as the need for repeat dosing for up to one year. For the primary endpoint of safety and tolerability, the data analyzed to date show zuranolone was generally well-tolerated, with no new safety findings or trends identified in the long-term safety data available regardless of the number of courses of zuranolone a patient received. Zuranolone has demonstrated improvements in depressive symptoms and a well-tolerated safety profile throughout the LANDSCAPE clinical program. Secondary endpoints included the percentage of patients who received repeat dosing with zuranolone as well as response and remission as evaluated by the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. In the zuranolone 50 mg cohort, nearly 75% of patients responded to the initial 2-week treatment course. Of those who responded to the initial course and continued in the study, approximately 80% of those patients received at most one additional zuranolone treatment during their time in the study. Enrollment of an anticipated 300 additional patients in the 50 mg cohort is ongoing. The companies plan to present additional data from the ongoing SHORELINE Study in future scientific forums.

06:18 EST Tesla CEO unveils $50 Cyberwhistle inspired by Cybertruck - In a Tuesday tweet, Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk said, "Blow the whistle on Tesla!", adding a link to a webpage to purchase a $50 Cyberwhistle. "Inspired by Cybertruck, the limited-edition Cyberwhistle is a premium collectible made from medical-grade stainless steel with a polished finish. The whistle includes an integrated attachment feature for added versatility," the webpage said. Following the announcement, the CEO also tweeted, "Don't waste your money on that silly Apple (AAPL) Cloth, buy our whistle instead!" The Fly notes the Cyberwhistle webpage shows the item out of stock. Reference Link

06:09 EST Polaris partners with Qmerit for home EV charging installation - Polaris announced an agreement with Qmerit, a provider of green energy transformation with a nationwide network of certified electrical installers for EV charging, to provide a home charging installation service solution for Polaris customers in the U.S. The Ranger XP Kinetic comes standard with a combined Level 1 / Level 2 EV charge cord that allows you to charge from a 120V or 240V outlet. For customers looking for a 240V solution, Polaris selected Qmerit.

06:07 EST Aspen Pharmacare enters term sheet on manufacture, sale of COVID-19 vaccine - Aspen Pharmacare Holdings (APNHY) confirmed yesterday that one of its wholly-owned South African subsidiaries, Aspen SA Operations, has confirmed a non-binding term sheet with Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Pharmaceutica, two of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), that will form the basis for negotiation of a definitive agreement on the manufacture and sale of an Aspen-branded COVID-19 vaccine throughout Africa. That agreement would expand the existing technical transfer and manufacturing agreements between the parties to grant Aspen SA the rights to: manufacture finished SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 vaccine product from COVID-19 drug substance supplied by Johnson & Johnson; and sell the finished form vaccine, to be launched and branded as Aspenovax, to public sector markets in Africa through transactions with designated multilateral organisations and with national governments of member states of the African Union. In addition, Johnson & Johnson would grant Aspen a license to the enabling intellectual property for this purpose. The term of the grant of rights and supply of COVID-19 drug substance, subject to the signing of the definitive agreement, would be until 31 December 2026. The non-binding term sheet contemplates a good faith undertaking between the parties to discuss the expansion of the agreement to include any new versions of the drug substance, such as those developed for new variants or as a different formulation for administration as a booster, and the applicable terms thereof. Reference Link

05:26 EST LexinFintech senior management to purchase up to $10M of ADSs - LexinFintech announced that members of its senior management have informed the company that they planned to use their personal funds to purchase the company's American depository shares, or ADSs, and some purchases had been made in the past few days. Led by chairman and CEO Jay Wenjie Xiao, president Jared Yi Wu, CFO Sunny Rui Sun, chief financing cooperation officer Kris Qian Qiao, chief human resource officer Shirley Yunwen Yang and chief marketing officer Jason Ming Zhao, the members intend to continue the purchase to up to $10M worth of the ADSs within the next six months, pursuant and subject to applicable laws and the company's securities trading policy.

05:21 EST Amazon.com announces 18 new renewable energy projects - Amazon announced 18 new utility-scale wind and solar energy projects across the U.S., Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the U.K., totaling 5.6 gigawatts, or GW, of procured capacity to date in 2021. Amazon now has 274 renewable energy projects globally and is on a path to power 100% of its business operations with renewable energy by 2025-five years earlier than its original 2030 commitment. These new utility-scale wind and solar projects bring Amazon's total committed renewable electricity production capacity to more than 12 GW and 33,700 gigawatt hours when the projects become fully operational, or electricity output equivalent to powering more than 3M U.S. homes for a year. The projects will supply renewable energy for Amazon's corporate offices, fulfillment centers, and Amazon Web Services, or AWS, data centers that support millions of customers globally. The projects will also help Amazon meet its commitment to produce the clean energy equivalent of the electricity used by all consumer Echo devices. The amount of clean energy produced by these projects will avoid the equivalent of the annual emissions of nearly 3M cars in the U.S. each year, or about 13.7M metric tons. The company said, "Following today's announcement, Amazon is the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the world, with 274 global projects including 105 utility-scale wind and solar projects and 169 solar rooftops on facilities and stores worldwide."

05:09 EST Xpeng delivers 15.613 Smart EVs in November - XPeng announced its vehicle delivery results for November. XPeng reached the monthly delivery target amidst global supply chain challenges with 15,613 Smart EVs delivered in November, representing a 270% increase year-over-year. Deliveries in November consisted of 7,839 P7 smart sports sedans, representing a 187% increase year-over-year. The P5 smart family sedan, launched in September, has been building a order backlog with 2,154 units delivered in November. At the same time, the G3i smart SUV - launched in July - is gaining increasing customer traction with 5,546 units delivered in November plus 74 G3s delivered. As of November 30, year-to-date total vehicle deliveries reached 82,155, representing a 285% increase year-over-year, including 53,110 P7 deliveries. The company's cumulative deliveries reached 121,953 as of the end of November.