Stockwinners Market Radar for December 14, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:39 EST Helix Energy extends contracts with Petrobras - Helix Energy Solutions Group (HLX) announced that it has entered into an extension of its well intervention charter and services contracts for the Siem Helix 2 offshore Brazil with Petroleo Brasileiro (PBR). The initial four-year contract for the Siem Helix 2 has been extended by one year at a reduced rate reflective of the current market. The Siem Helix 2 is now set to remain under contract with Petrobras until mid-December 2022 performing riser-based well intervention activities. The Siem Helix 2 is a purpose-built, advanced well intervention vessel capable of performing a wide range of subsea services including production enhancement, well decommissioning, subsea installation work, offshore crane and ROV operations, offshore construction work and emergency response capabilities.

18:30 EST Bumble CEO: Business has remained largely unaffected from omicron - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Whitney Wolfe Herd said, "We are a business that serves a very wide TAM." Demand doesn't change with lockdowns or new variants, she noted. Bumble tries to make safety foundational. Everything is done with safety in mind, she added. "We've grown because we've built an app with better behavior at the helm," she said.

18:26 EST Bumble CEO: Business has remained largely unaffected from omicron - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Whitney Wolfe Herd said, "We are a business that serves a very wide TAM." Demand doesn't change with lockdowns or new variants, she noted. Bumble tries to make safety foundational. Everything is done with safety in mind, she added. "We've grown because we've built an app with better behavior at the helm." she said.

18:21 EST Vir Biotechnology's data showed antigenic shift in omicron from sotrovimab - Vir Biotechnology "announced new preclinical data, published to the preprint server bioRxiv, demonstrating the impact of the significant antigenic shift of the new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. A significant reduction in plasma neutralizing activity was observed against Omicron in sera from vaccinated and convalescent individuals. Researchers also tested the in vitro neutralizing activity of 44 monoclonal antibodies. Data demonstrate that sotrovimab and five other preclinical mAbs, developed by Vir in conjunction with GlaxoSmithKline, retained their in vitro neutralizing activity against Omicron. These preclinical results were generated through pseudo-virus testing, and support recent pre-published findings from Vir researchers1, as well as other independent laboratories and institutions. These data confirm Omicron's immune evasion and its impact on the neutralizing activity of the majority of tested monoclonal antibody therapies that target the receptor binding motif and other areas of the spike protein that are more prone to mutate." Chief Scientific Officer Herbert "Skip" Virgin states: "While we work to better understand the potential impact of the significant number of mutations in the Omicron variant and its anticipated trajectory, it is encouraging to see such a high level of consistency across a rapidly growing body of preclinical data generated from both industry and academia. These results, together with new data from external sources, continue to validate our approach of targeting a highly conserved region of the spike protein. We believe this strategy is responsible for sotrovimab's ability to maintain activity against all tested variants of concern and interest, including Omicron."

18:03 EST Luminar CFO buys $240.8K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Luminar disclosed that its CFO Thomas Fennimore bought 16K shares of common stock on December 14th in a total transaction size of $240.8K, boosting his stake by about 4%. Shares of Luminar are up 2.7% afterhours at $15.48.

17:44 EST Runway Growth Finance CEO and CFO each buys $315.2K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Runway Growth Finance disclosed that CEO David Spreng and CFO Thomas Raterman each bought 23.3K shares of common stock on December 13th in two transactions of $315.2K.

17:16 EST Brown & Brown Dealer Services acquires assets of Rainmaker - J. Scott Penny, Chief Acquisitions Officer of Brown & Brown and Ryan Hanlon, owner of Rainmaker Advisory, announced that Brown & Brown Dealer Services, or BBDS, has acquired substantially all of the assets of Rainmaker. Ryan Hanlon is a seasoned advisor regarding F&I product and reinsurance planning for auto and RV dealers. The Rainmaker operations will join Brown & Brown Dealer Services under the leadership of Mike Neal. Ryan and the Rainmaker team will continue operating from their offices in Ventura, California.

17:02 EST Eli Lilly's mirikizumab meets primary endpoint in Phase 3 study - Eli Lilly and Company announced that mirikizumab met the primary endpoint of clinical remission and all key secondary endpoints at one year in LUCENT-2, a Phase 3 maintenance study evaluating the efficacy and safety of mirikizumab for the treatment of patients with moderately-to-severely active ulcerative colitis, or UC. Patients in this study were previously enrolled in a 12-week induction study, LUCENT-1. These results build on the positive outcomes from LUCENT-1. With these data, Lilly plans to submit a Biologics License Application to the FDA for mirikizumab in UC, followed by submissions to other regulatory agencies around the world in the first half of 2022. Topline results from the Phase 3 induction study, LUCENT-1, were announced in March 2021. Data from the Phase 3 LUCENT program, including results from LUCENT-1 and LUCENT-2, will be disclosed at upcoming congresses and in publications in 2022. Additional Phase 3 clinical trials are ongoing for mirikizumab in Crohn's disease.

16:59 EST Oppenheimer Holdings declares $1.00 special cash dividend - Oppenheimer Holdings announced that its Board of Directors has declared a special cash dividend on the Company's Class A non-voting and Class B voting common stock of $1.00 per share, payable December 31 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 27. The aggregate payment will be approximately $12.5M. The special dividend will be funded through existing cash. Albert G. Lowenthal, Chairman and CEO commented: "We are pleased that the Firm's operating results for a second consecutive year have been outstanding, permitting us to again reward shareholders with a special year-end dividend of $1.00 per share. This is in addition to the 3c, or 25%, increase in the quarterly dividend to 15c per share effective in the Q2. Despite recent market turbulence surrounding Coronavirus variants, we remain optimistic about the Company's competitive position and prospects in a continuing strong economy."

16:54 EST GrowGeneration announces retirement of COO Tony Sullivan - GrowGeneration announced the retirement of Tony Sullivan, executive vice president and COO, effective immediately.

16:49 EST Ford chairman William Ford buys $8.5M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Ford disclosed that its chairman William Clay Ford bought 412.5K shares of common stock on December 10th in a total transaction size of $8.5M, boosting his stake by about 3%.

16:39 EST MFA Financial raises quarterly dividend to 11c from 10c per share - The dividend will be paid on January 31, 2022, to common stockholders of record on December 31, 2021.

16:34 EST Pangaea Logistics announces passing of CEO/Chairman Ed Coll - Pangaea Logistics announces the death of Ed Coll, its Chairman and CEO and one of its founders. Pangaea's Board of Directors has made the company's temporary succession plan a permanent one, appointing Mark Filanowski, the company's Chief Operating Officer, as CEO. Mr. Richard du Moulin, a long-time Director of the Company, has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Claus Boggild, a founder and Director of the company, has been appointed as a Lead Independent Director.

16:33 EST SGH announces Silver Lake-nominated directors will not stand for re-election - SGH announced that Silver Lake-nominated directors Ajay Shah and Jason White will not stand for re-election at the SGH 2022 annual meeting of shareholders, following Silver Lake's recent sell down of its ownership position in the company. Mukesh Patel, director and co-founder, will also step down as of the 2022 annual meeting. With this change, the SGH board will be entirely independent, with the exception of SGH director and chief executive officer Mark Adams.

16:32 EST Atea introduces new clinical development program for AT-527 in COVID-19 - Atea Pharmaceuticals announced an updated strategy for AT-527 to address the rapidly evolving SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants by maximizing the compound's unique profile for potential use as both a monotherapy and in combination. Taking into account the changing COVID-19 landscape with the anticipated availability of new antiviral treatment regimens, the global Phase 3 MORNINGSKY trial will be closed out and the ongoing Phase 2 hospitalized trial will be further amended to expand enrollment to unvaccinated, high-risk outpatients. Atea expects to provide a more detailed update on its strategy and new development plan in 2022. "We believe strongly in AT-527's potential to combat the evolving SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants as a monotherapy and as an important backbone in potential combination therapy," said Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Atea Pharmaceuticals. "Our new strategy enables us to rapidly drive forward a plan to maximize AT-527's unique profile with a development approach designed to meet the current and future needs of COVID-19, which may include the emergence of new variants and drug resistance to other therapies."

16:31 EST Incyte says FDA accepts ruxolitinib cream sNDA for priority review - Incyte announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for Priority Review the supplemental New Drug Application for ruxolitinib cream 1.5% a topical JAK inhibitor, as a potential treatment for adolescents and adults with vitiligo. The FDA grants Priority Review to medicines that may offer a major advance in treatment where none currently exists. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date is April 18, 2022. "Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disease that can have a profound impact on people's lives," said Jim Lee, M.D., Ph.D., Group Vice President, Inflammation & Autoimmunity, Incyte. "Currently, there are no FDA-approved drug therapies for repigmentation in people with vitiligo. The FDA's acceptance of our sNDA for ruxolitinib cream brings us one step closer to offering patients with vitiligo an additional treatment option." The sNDA is supported by data from the Phase 3 TRuE-V clinical trial program evaluating the safety and efficacy of ruxolitinib cream in more than 600 people with non-segmental vitiligo, age 12 and older. Results from the Phase 3 program were recently presented at the 30th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology congress during a late-breaking research session. The data showed that at Week 24, 29.9% of patients applying ruxolitinib cream achieved greater than or equal to75% improvement from baseline in the facial Vitiligo Area Scoring Index, the primary endpoint.

16:17 EST Pyxis Tankers receives 180 day extension from Nasdaq to meet minimum bid price - Pyxis Tankers announced that on December 14, it received a notification letter from Nasdaq, granting the company an additional 180-day extension, or until June 13, 2022, to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement under Nasdaq's listing rules.

16:16 EST AVCtechnologies in equities securities purchase agreement, proceeds $25M - American Virtual Cloud Technologies announced that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement for a sale of equity securities to an institutional investor. The initial gross proceeds from the current sale will total $25M, and combined with the November equity raise, may provide up to approximately $76M of gross cash proceeds to the company in aggregate, if and when all warrants issued pursuant to the transactions are fully exercised. AVCtechnologies previously announced a strategic focus on acquisitions and organic growth in its cloud technologies business and to explore strategic opportunities for its IT solutions business, including the planned divestiture of Computex Technology Group. The Company expects that the latest placement and expected proceeds from its proposed disposition of Computex will fully fund the Company's current growth plan through 2022 and completely eliminate its debt. "The newly issued shares of common and preferred stock which result from these placements allow for a broader base of non-affiliated shareholders, which we believe will create a better trading environment for our investors and improved liquidity in the marketplace," said Darrell J. Mays, CEO of AVCtechnologies. "We look forward to deploying these resources and employing our industry-leading suite of products and services to achieve our previously announced revenue guidance." Larry Mock, AVCtechnologies' Board Chair, said, "This investment will not only strengthen AVCtechnologies' balance sheet but will also improve its agility in the market. I continue to have the utmost conviction in AVCtechnologies' growth prospects." AVCtechnologies delivers a full suite of cloud-based Unified Communications as a Service capabilities to its cloud customers through its carrier-grade Kandy Business Solutions including Cloud PBX, Smart Office UC Clients, Collaboration, Contact Center, and SIP Trunks. The projected annual growth of the Kandy Business Unit comes as a result of deeper penetration by existing enterprise customers including IBM, AT&T, and Etisalat and expansion into new customer relationships.

16:11 EST Alcoa purchases additional group annuity contracts - Alcoa Corporation (AA) announced the purchase of additional group annuity contracts that will further enhance the company's strong balance sheet, reduce the risk of volatility in pension plans and secure the company's commitments to retirees and beneficiaries. The additional annuity contracts with two subsidiaries of Athene Holding, Ltd. (ATH) will facilitate the transfer of approximately $500 million of pension obligations and related assets associated with defined benefit pension plans for certain United States retirees and beneficiaries. The transfer complements a prior annuitization announced last month for certain U.S. pension plans. That action, which is now complete, included approximately $1B of pension obligations and related assets. As a result of the action announced today, Athene will assume later this month obligations for approximately 2,600 participants. There will be no benefit changes for those covered by the pension plans. Athene, through its subsidiaries, is a leading retirement services company with total assets of $224.4B as of September 30, 2021. With operations in the United States, Bermuda and Canada, Athene specializes in helping its customers achieve financial security and is a solutions provider to institutions. Athene's principal insurance company subsidiaries have an "A" rating from A.M. Best and Fitch Ratings and an "A+" from Standard and Poor's Global Ratings. Alcoa expects to record in the fourth quarter of 2021 a non-cash settlement charge of approximately $285M, pre- and after-tax, related to the December action. When combined with the prior annuity purchase announced in November, the total charge in the fourth quarter of 2021 is approximately $850M, pre- and after-tax, or $4.48 per share.

16:09 EST Veracyte announces data demonstrating clinical utility of Envisia - Veracyte announced the publication of clinical utility data confirming the ability of the Envisia Genomic Classifier to improve diagnostic and treatment decision-making for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The findings, which appear online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, suggest that use of the test increases diagnostic accuracy, physician confidence in diagnosis, and patient referral to appropriate therapy, while also reducing invasive and potentially risky surgical lung biopsies. Findings from the study were previously presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting 2021 in October. Veracyte estimates that each year in the United States and Europe approximately 200,000 patients have unclear results following evaluation for suspected interstitial lung diseases, including IPF, which is among the most common, deadly and difficult to diagnose of these lung-scarring diseases. Among the cohort of 81 physicians who reviewed cases both pre- and post-Envisia (a total of 155 case reviews), use of the Envisia test: Increased IPF diagnosis by an absolute difference of 39%, from 47 (30%) pre-Envisia to 107 (69%) post-Envisia, and also decreased the number of unclassifiable ILD diagnoses by an absolute difference of 10.5%, from 24 (15%) to 7 (4.5%). Increased the number of physicians saying they had a high level of confidence (greater than90%) in their diagnosis by an absolute difference of 36.2%, from 9 (5.8%) pre-Envisia to 65 (42%) post-Envisia. Increased the recommendation for patients to initiate antifibrotic treatment by an absolute difference of 36.4%, from 15 (10%) pre-Envisia to 72 (46.4%) post-Envisia. Decreased the recommendation for an SLB or cryobiopsy significantly decreased from 40 (26%) pre- Envisia to 26 (17%) post-Envisia.

16:08 EST Aurora Cannabis and 22nd Century sign license agreement with Cronos Group - Aurora Cannabis (ACB) together with 22nd Century Group (XXII) announced a three-way non-exclusive agreement to license biosynthesis intellectual property to Cronos Group (CRON), intended to assist in the advancement of research and development on the biosynthesis of cannabinoids. Biosynthesis, a process common in the pharmaceutical industry, involves using living micro-organisms to convert simple substances into complex compounds. Through biosynthesis, cannabinoids, particularly those that are rare such as cannabigerol, or CBG, cannabichromene, or CBC, and cannabinol, or CBN, are expected to be produced efficiently and reliably at high levels of purity. Through licensing agreements, Aurora and 22nd Century Group together share the global IP rights to commercialize key aspects of cannabinoid biosynthesis in plants and micro-organisms. The two companies are working closely to enforce their IP against infringing parties, as well as to actively explore commercial development opportunities.

16:07 EST Fortune Brands raises quarterly dividend to 28c from 26c per share - The dividend is payable on March 16, 2022, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 25, 2022.

16:06 EST R.R. Donnelley to be acquired by Chatham Asset Management for $10.85 per share - R.R. Donnelley & Sons announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by affiliates of Chatham Asset Management in an all-cash transaction with a total enterprise value of approximately $2.3B and total equity value of approximately $897M. RRD also announced that it has terminated its previously announced merger agreement with affiliates of Atlas Holdings LLC , dated November 3, 2021, pursuant to which affiliates of Atlas had agreed to acquire RRD for $10.35 per share in cash. The Chatham transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of RRD stockholders and receipt of regulatory approvals.

15:38 EST Adobe adds smudge and sponge tools to Photoshop for iPad - "While working on a creative design on your iPad (AAPL), do you want to create the effect of a finger running through wet paint? Do you want to smudge lines in your artwork? Do you want to blend colors in your images? Then look no further! Use the Smudge tool, a blending tool now available in Photoshop on the iPad, to smudge lines and colors. Use the Apple Pencil for best results, or even your finger," said the company in an earlier blog posting... "To work with the Smudge tool, do the following: Make your image areas color rich with the Sponge tool...The Sponge tool, a retouching solution, is now available in Photoshop on the iPad. Use it to achieve your desired vibrancy and shade of colors, saturate or desaturate areas, and intensify or remove color," said Adobe (ADBE) in part, in a "Blend with the Smudge tool" blog entry. Reference Link

15:10 EST Bank of America CEO says planning BNPL product to 'meet customer need' - Moynihan said the bank plans to launch a Buy Now, Pay Later, or BNPL, product in the next "several months." Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan continues being interviewed on CNBC.

14:42 EST Microsoft says end-to-end encryption for Teams calls now available - Microsoft announced that end-to-end encryption support for one-to-one Microsoft Teams calls is now generally available. IT admins will have the option to enable and control the feature for their organization once the update has been received. Multiple enterprise customers in the US and Europe across industries such as aerospace, manufacturing, telecommunications, and professional services are in the process of rolling out E2EE for Teams calls, the company said. Reference Link

14:26 EST Coinbase debuts new accessibility features for users to participate in 'DeFi' - Sid Coelho-Prabhu, Group Product Manager at Coinbase said partly, in a blog posting: "More and more people are discovering the benefits of crypto, web3, and blockchain-enabled experiences. To meet the needs of these new users, we are investing in accessible and user-friendly experiences that make it easier to participate in decentralized finance or DeFi, and collect non-fungible tokens, NFTs. We believe this is especially important for self-custody wallets given the added responsibility placed on the user in managing their own crypto. With Coinbase Wallet, we are building the most user-friendly self-custody experience in crypto, including making it easier to manage your crypto across a range of supported networks. We are also adding some of our users' most requested features to Wallet extension, including the ability to natively trade on decentralized exchanges (DEXes) and bringing NFT collections directly into the browser...We are excited to announce that your NFT collection is coming to Coinbase Wallet's browser extension. Soon, users will be able to view their NFT collection from within the Coinbase Wallet extension, easily see their NFTs' attributes, and easily access popular NFT marketplaces like OpenSea...We will be launching support for NFTs in the browser extension in just a few days, so make sure you have the latest version of the browser extension installed from the Chrome webstore." Reference Link

14:05 EST Nuvei teams with FTX for 'instant payment solutions' for digital currencies - Nuvei announced it has entered into a partnership with FTX Trading, owner and operator of FTX.COM, a global cryptocurrency exchange. "This partnership with Nuvei will enable FTX to provide its users instant payment solutions for an enhanced customer journey and experience. Through this collaboration, FTX can now offer users access to Nuvei's innovative payment solutions that significantly improves the user journey, enabling instant deposits that support high value transactions. This in return will help FTX's users to buy cryptocurrencies faster and in a more secured way." announced the company in a statement. "Our partnership with FTX demonstrates Nuvei's leadership in the growing cryptocurrency vertical and shows our ability to provide innovative solutions for customers of all types around the world," said Philip Fayer, Nuvei's Chair and CEO. "FTX is one of the world's largest digital currency exchanges, and we are thrilled to partner with them to help simplify the transaction experience for their customers and speed processing times. Together, we will provide instant payment deposits, supporting the higher value transactions that are often required in cryptocurrency trading. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with FTX and to expand the partnership to provide more APMs and enable payouts, bringing the latest innovations to their payment capabilities." "We want our users to have a frictionless experience and be able to convert from fiat to crypto and back seamlessly. We are thrilled to partner with an innovative company like Nuvei to provide a reliable payment on and off-ramp for our users," said Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and CEO of FTX.

13:04 EST Acadia Healthcare forms joint venture with SCL for behavioral health facility - Acadia Healthcare Company announced that it has formed a joint venture with SCL Health. The new partnership will build a new 144-bed facility in the Denver area. The new freestanding behavioral health hospital will expand comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services to address the growing need for accessible, high-quality behavioral health services in the Denver metro area. The facility is expected to open in the middle of 2023.

12:52 EST Campbell Soup plans to make sauces business $1B franchise - Campbell Soup held its investor today and issued a press release with highlights. The company said, "With at-home quick scratch cooking continuing to increase in relevance, Campbell's Italian and Mexican sauce businesses are well-positioned to continue to capture market share and grow. The company outlined a goal to expand the sauces business to a $1 billion franchise through a 3% annual sales growth rate in the core business, in addition to brand and segment extensions."

12:25 EST Zebra Technologies director Modruson sells 2,000 class A shares - In a regulatory filing, Zebra Technologies director Frank Blaise Modruson disclosed the sale of 2,000 class A common shares of the company on December 13 at a price of $605.44 per share.

12:05 EST Helbiz enters global partnership with Workplace from Meta - Helbiz (HLBZ) announced its collaboration with the Meta's (MVRS) Workplace platform. Helbiz has chosen to integrate Workplace from Meta to enable all of its company's workers to connect and communicate efficiently and effectively through the creation of Groups, Chat, Meeting Rooms and LiveVideos. Workplace will allow employees across different Helbiz teams in every market it serves to build more direct and closer relationships, allowing them to strengthen their sense of community and feel part of a global group.

12:05 EST East Stone Acquisition Corporation (Units) trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:03 EST Arthur J. Gallagher acquires Richied & Associates, terms not disclosed - Arthur J. Gallagher announced the acquisition of Reno, Nevada-based Richied & Associates. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Richied & Associates is a retail property/casualty insurance agency primarily serving small- to mid-market commercial clients, as well as families and individuals, Arthur J. Gallagher said in a statement. Paul Richied, Tera Hodges, Cindy Fleischer and their associates will remain in their current locations under the direction of Scott Firestone, head of Gallagher's Southwest region retail property/casualty brokerage operations.

12:00 EST Planet Labs falls -17.6% - Planet Labs is down -17.6%, or -$1.57 to $7.33.

12:00 EST Sonida Senior Living falls -26.2% - Sonida Senior Living is down -26.2%, or -$8.14 to $22.90.

12:00 EST J.Jill rises 8.4% - J.Jill is up 8.4%, or $1.22 to $15.76.

12:00 EST Terminix rises 20.4% - Terminix is up 20.4%, or $7.63 to $45.04.

11:32 EST Boeing reports 109 gross commercial airplane orders in November - Boeing reported 34 jets delivered in November and 109 gross jet orders in its commercial program. Reference Link

10:55 EST Vox Media acquires SB Nation owner Group Nine, terms not disclosed - Vox Media last night announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Group Nine, owner of media brands including The Dodo, NowThis, PopSugar, Thrillist, and Seeker. Group Nine joins Vox Media's brands including SB Nation, New York Magazine, The Verge, Vox, Eater, The Cut, Vulture, Polygon, and The Strategist. The deal, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval, is expected to close in early 2022. It is also outside of Group Nine Acquisition (GNAC), which is a completely separate special purchase acquisition entity. Jim Bankoff will be the CEO and chair of Vox Media, of which he is also a co-founder. Group Nine founder and CEO Ben Lerer will join the board of Vox Media and "maintain a presence at the company to help drive key strategic initiatives and advise on commercial and corporate development." Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Reference Link

10:28 EST Partner Communications enters collective employment agreeement for three years - Partner Communications Company announced that the Company, the employees' representatives and the Histadrut New General Labor Organization have signed a renewal of the collective employment agreement initially executed in 2019 and ending on December 31, 2021, for an additional period of three years, with certain changes, at a cost that is immaterial for the Company. Under the Collective Employment Agreement it was agreed, among others things, on a salary increase budget for 2022, in the amount of 3%, to be differentially allocated. In addition, the Parties agreed to negotiate at a later time a salary increase and participation in the Company's profits mechanism for the years 2023- 2024.

10:13 EST Delta sees holiday projected customer volume doubling from 2020 season - In a post to its corporate news hub site, Delta Air Lines stated that the company expects to serve at least 8.7M customers from Dec. 17-Jan. 3. "That volume represents a near-return to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, when Delta served 9.3M passengers, and Delta's projected customer volume during this period is more than double the 3.6M customers who flew Delta during the 2020 season," the company noted. Reference Link

10:06 EST Adagene Inc (ADS) trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:04 EST AIkido says filing for expanded worldwide patent coverage on 'key assets' - AIkido Pharma provided a status update on its expansion of "key patent applications" into several territories worldwide outside of the U.S. For the company's pancreatic cancer drug licensed from The University Texas at Austin, in which the company currently seeks patent protection in the U.S., the company will now also seek protection on the licensed drug formulation in China, India and the European Patent Office, with all member countries designated, which includes all 27 EU member countries plus 11 non-EU countries. In connection with one of the two patent families relating to antiviral treatments licensed from University of Maryland, Baltimore, the company filed a continuing patent application under the Patent Cooperation treaty, which will permit the company seek patent protection simultaneously in the multitude of worldwide member countries. For the other patent family, the company filed seeking to expand protection in the European Patent Office, designating all member countries. Anthony Hayes, CEO of AIkido, stated, "Acquiring solid patent protection is the bedrock of drug asset ownership and essential to acquiring potential future market share in key countries around the world. At the appropriate times and when it makes economic sense, we will continue seeking to expand the territorial patent coverage on our licensed assets."

10:02 EST Deere acquires majority ownership in Austria's Kreisel Electric - Deere & Company said it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire majority ownership in Kreisel Electric, a battery technology provider based in Rainbach im Muhlkreis, Austria. "John Deere sees demand growing for batteries as a sole- or hybrid-propulsion system for off-highway vehicles. Products in Deere's portfolio such as turf equipment, compact utility tractors, small tractors, compact construction, and some road building equipment could rely solely on batteries as a primary power source. Deere intends to continue to invest in and develop technologies to innovate, deliver value to customers, and work towards a future with zero emissions propulsion systems," the company said in a statement. The transaction requires final regulatory approval in Austria, with closing expected to take place in approximately 60 days. Financial details are not being disclosed.

10:00 EST Soliton trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:00 EST Oscar Health falls -10.3% - Oscar Health is down -10.3%, or -$1.07 to $9.38.

10:00 EST CNFinance rises 9.0% - CNFinance is up 9.0%, or 40c to $4.85.

10:00 EST Terminix rises 29.3% - Terminix is up 29.3%, or $10.96 to $48.37.

09:51 EST Oscar Health falls -9.8% - Oscar Health is down -9.8%, or -$1.03 to $9.43.

09:51 EST Planet Labs falls -12.6% - Planet Labs is down -12.6%, or -$1.12 to $7.78.

09:49 EST Innovative Solutions trading resumes

09:47 EST Campbell sees $4B of operating cash flow fiscal 2022 through 2025

09:46 EST Campbell sees Meals and Beverages operating margin 21% by fiscal 2025

09:44 EST Campbell sees Snacks operating margin 17% by fiscal 2025 - Campbell Soup in investor day presentation slides guided to 17% operating margin for its Snacks division by fiscal 2025.

09:38 EST Thorne HealthTech announces multiyear partnership with Human Powered Health - Thorne HealthTech announced a new, multi-year partnership with professional cycling team, Human Powered Health, formerly Rally Cycling, in which Thorne will serve as their Official Personalized Health Solutions Partner. The partnership will equip the athletes of Human Powered Health with Thorne's health testing and nutritional supplements needed to fuel their performance.

09:36 EST Radcom says Hadar Rahav to replace Amir Hai as CFO - Radcom announced that it has appointed Hadar Rahav to serve as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective January 1, 2022. Hadar will replace Amir Hai, who will be leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. Since joining Radcom in 2020, Hadar has been serving as Radcom's Head of Global Finance, the company noted.

09:35 EST Hudson Capital enters new merger agreement to acquire 100% of Freight App - Hudson Capital announced it entered into a New Merger Agreement to acquire 100% of Freight App, as a direct, wholly owned subsidiary. Simultaneously Hudson Capital terminated the Agreement and Plan of Merger signed on October 10, 2020 with Fr8App and other parties. Warren Wang, Chairman and CEO of Hudson Capital, stated, "Fr8App is a leader in transportation technology with a focus on US-Mexico cross-border shipping that provides compelling solutions to carrier and shipper partners. Over the past year, Fr8App has grown its market leading solution set, broadened its shipper relationships, expanded its carrier base, and greatly improved the company's financial performance. Based on the significant growth in North American logistics market, and for Fr8App specifically, we are excited to continue supporting Fr8App and set the stage for the next phase in its evolution."

09:33 EST Generation Bio trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:31 EST Aytu BioScience announces FDA clearance of IND application for AR101 - Aytu BioPharma announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the IND application for AR101/enzastaurin, enabling the company to proceed with initiating a pivotal clinical trial for AR101 in vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. The company plans to initiate the PREVEnt Trial in VEDS in the first half of 2022. The PREVEnt Trial will assess the safety and efficacy of enzastaurin in COL3A1-confirmed VEDS patients. There are currently no FDA-approved therapies for VEDS.

09:23 EST Intellicheck president Garrett Gafke bought $111K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Intellicheck disclosed that its president Garrett Gafke bought 20K shares of common stock in a total transaction size of $111.3K on December 10th, boosting his overall stake to 21K shares. Intellicheck is up about 2% in pre-market trading $5.30 per share.

09:22 EST Unisys acquires CompuGain for $87.3M - Unisys announced it has acquired leading cloud solutions provider CompuGain for $87.3M on a cash-free, debt-free basis. CompuGain's capabilities in application modernization, cloud-native agile application development and cloud and hybrid cloud data management, including its designation as an Amazon Web Services Advanced Consulting Partner, will deepen Unisys' cloud offerings. The company brings more than 400 engineers, cloud solution architects and developers. Unisys funded the transaction, which closed concurrently with the signing of the acquisition agreement, with cash on hand. CompuGain generated $58M of revenue for the 12-month period ending September 30, 2021, up 12% year over year, with more than 90% of its revenue from client relationships with an average tenure of greater than nine years. Unisys expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow.

09:21 EST Crackle Plus netowrks expand distribution rollout - Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment reported that it has increased distribution of its Crackle Plus AVOD streaming services to 60 touchpoints, ahead of internal plans, and is now expanding this initiative with plans to reach a total of more than 80 consumer touchpoints next year. The Crackle Plus streaming services, including Crackle, Popcornflix and the recently launched Chicken Soup for the Soul, are available on a variety of platforms and services as both linear and VOD offerings. Crackle Plus streaming services are always free and offer a wide selection of hit movies and TV series, as well as original and exclusive programming. Expansion of Crackle Plus's distribution is a key part of the Company's broader strategy to drive more viewers to its original and exclusive content.

09:18 EST Blink Charging IQ 200 receives CTEP certification - Blink Charging announced it has received a certificate of approval for its IQ 200 chargers under the Division of Measurement Standards: California Type Evaluation Program, CTEP. "The CTEP certification is designed to ensure accuracy and transparency and Blink is pleased that our IQ 200 line of chargers has met the stringent standards of CTEP and been approved for certification," commented Brendan Jones, President of Blink Charging. Jones emphasized that "as a leading owner and operator of EV charging infrastructure, Blink recognized that California represents a tremendous growth opportunity and that Blink is well positioned to deploy our chargers throughout the state to support rising demand as more drivers transition to EVs." Analysis conducted earlier this year by the California Energy Commission, CEC, shows the state will need nearly 1.2M public and shared chargers by 2030 to meet the fueling demands of the 7.5M passenger plug-in electric vehicles anticipated to be on California roads and an additional 157,000 chargers to support medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks and buses.

09:16 EST Rockwell receives feedback from FDA on IND application for Phase 2 trial of FPC - Rockwell Medical announced that it received feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding its Investigational New Drug, IND, application in support of its proposed Phase 2 clinical trial of Ferric Pyrophosphate Citrate, FPC, designed for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia and maintenance of hemoglobin in patients receiving infusion therapy in the home setting. FDA requested that additional data related to the microbiology and short-term stability of FPC be submitted to further support the drug administration method proposed for the study. The company expects to run these additional studies, complete the required analysis, and provide the requested data in the first half of 2022. "We have a clear understanding of the request from FDA, and we believe there is a well-defined path forward to generate the data. The effort will help us refine our study approach, which is carefully designed for the home infusion application. We expect that these activities will have a minimal impact on the timing of our planned dosing of the first patient in this study," said Marc Hoffman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Rockwell Medical. Once the additional data is submitted, Rockwell must wait 30 calendar days before treating any patients in the clinical trial. During this time, FDA has an opportunity to review the IND and the additional data that is submitted.

09:15 EST BayCom, PEB shareholders get shareholder approval for planned merger - BayCom and Pacific Enterprise Bancorp, PEB jointly announced that, at their respective special meetings of shareholders held yesterday, they each received the necessary shareholder approval for the consummation of their planned merger. BayCom previously announced the receipt of all required bank regulatory approvals for the merger of BayCom and PEB, as well as the merger of PEB's bank subsidiary, Pacific Enterprise Bank, into BayCom's bank subsidiary, United Business Bank. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2022, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions. Upon completion of the merger, PEB shareholders will be entitled to receive 1.0292 shares of BayCom common stock for each share of PEB common stock they own. The exchange ratio is fixed, and the transaction is expected to qualify as a tax-free exchange for PEB's shareholders.

09:14 EST EnWave, PiP International sign technology, evaluation license option agreement - EnWave Corporation announced that it has signed a Technology Evaluation and License Option Agreement with Protein Isolate Plant International to evaluate the potential commercial use of the Company's Radiant Energy Vacuum dehydration technology in their large scale yellow pea wet fractionation processing facility. During the limited evaluation term, PiP International has exclusive rights to evaluate the Company's patented REV drying technology for pea protein isolate and derivative products globally. During the term of the Agreement, PiP International will lease a 10kW REV machine for intensive product development at its commercial testing processing facility in Lethbridge, Alberta. If commercially viable pea protein isolate applications are developed under the Agreement, PiP International will look to purchase large-scale REV machinery to commence commercial production to fulfill the growing demand for pea protein isolate and derivative products.

09:12 EST Genentech announces results from POLARIX study - Genentech, a member of Roche, announced results from the Phase III POLARIX study showing that treatment with Polivy in combination with Rituxan plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and prednisone, or R-CHP significantly reduced the risk of disease progression, relapse or death by 27% compared with the current standard-of-care, Rituxan plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone, or R-CHOP, in people with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, or DLBCL. Safety outcomes were consistent with those seen in previous trials, and the safety profile was comparable for Polivy plus R-CHP versus R-CHOP. Results were presented as a late-breaking abstract and during a press briefing at the American Society of Hematology, or ASH, annual meeting and exposition on Tuesday, December 14. Data from POLARIX were simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine, or NEJM. First efficacy and safety data from the pivotal Phase III POLARIX study showed a significant improvement in PFS with Polivy plus R-CHP versus R-CHOP in patients with previously untreated DLBCL after a median follow-up of 28.2 months. PFS is a clinically meaningful disease-related outcome for patients with previously untreated DLBCL as it represents the goals of first-line therapy: avoiding disease relapse, disease progression and death. The safety profile was comparable for Polivy plus R-CHP versus R-CHOP, including rates of Grade 3-4 adverse events, serious AEs, Grade 5 AEs and AEs leading to dose reduction. The POLARIX data form the basis of ongoing marketing applications to global health authorities. Currently, Polivy is used as an off-the-shelf, fixed-duration treatment option in the relapsed or refractory DLBCL setting and is approved in combination with bendamustine and Rituxan for the treatment of R/R DLBCL in more than 70 countries worldwide, including in the EU and in the United States. Genentech continues to explore areas of unmet need where Polivy has the potential to deliver benefit, with ongoing studies investigating combinations of Polivy with the CD20xCD3 T-cell engaging bispecific antibodies mosunetuzumab and glofitamab, with Venclexta, which is being developed by AbbVie and Genentech, and with Rituxan in combination with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin in the Phase III POLARGO study.

09:11 EST Sanofi presnts data from Phase 3 studies of fitusiran - Data from two Phase 3 studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of fitusiran, an investigational small interference RNA therapy for the prophylactic treatment of adults and adolescents with hemophilia A or B, with or without inhibitors, are presented at the 63rd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting. Results from the ATLAS-A/B study, investigating fitusiran in people without inhibitors, are being presented today in the Late-Breaking Abstract Session and findings from the ATLAS-INH study, which evaluated fitusiran in people with inhibitors to factor VIII or IX, were shared in the Plenary Scientific Session on December 12, 2021. Hemophilia A and B are rare congenital bleeding disorders caused by a deficiency of factor VIII and IX, respectively, resulting in insufficient thrombin generation and ineffective clot formation. Fitusiran is a novel subcutaneous siRNA prophylactic investigational therapy designed to lower antithrombin levels with the goal of enhancing thrombin generation to rebalance hemostasis in people with hemophilia, regardless of type or inhibitor status. The Phase 3 studies compared once monthly fitusiran prophylaxis with on-demand use of factor concentrates in the ATLAS-A/B study, and on-demand use of bypassing agents in the ATLAS-INH study. Across both clinical studies, prophylactic treatment with fitusiran reduced annualized bleeding rates by greater than89% compared to the control arms, showing a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in bleeds when compared to on-demand treatments, and also showing significant improvement in quality of life. The fitusiran Phase 3 clinical program is ongoing. Sanofi is currently investigating the efficacy and safety of fitusiran under an amended protocol which includes lower doses and an extended dosing regimen in all ongoing adult and adolescent studies. Fitusiran has the potential to provide prophylactic treatment for all people with hemophilia A or B, with as few as six injections per year. ATLAS-A/B is a Phase 3 randomized, open-label study investigating the efficacy and safety of fitusiran in males greater than or equal to12 years with severe hemophilia A or B without inhibitors who had previously been treated with on-demand factor therapy. Study participants were randomized 2:1 to receive either once-monthly 80mg subcutaneous fitusiran prophylaxis or on-demand factor therapy for bleeding episodes. The primary endpoint is annualized bleeding rate. The key findings in this study include the following: A statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in treated annualized bleeding rate of 89.9% in the fitusiran prophylaxis arm compared to the factor on-demand arm. Median annual bleeding rate for treated bleeds is 0.0 in the fitusiran arm compared to 21.8 in the factor on-demand arm. 50.6% of study participants in the fitusiran prophylaxis arm had zero treated bleeds compared to 5.0% of participants in the factor on-demand arm. The most common adverse events reported in at least five participants in the fitusiran prophylaxis arm were increased alanine aminotransferase, upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis, abdominal pain, increased aspartate aminotransferase, cough, arthralgia, asthma, gastritis, and headache. Treatment emergent adverse events of special interest of any ALT or AST elevation greater than3 x upper limit of normal were reported in the fitusiran prophylaxis arm in 15 participants. There were no TEAESIs of suspected or confirmed thromboembolism reported. The ATLAS-INH study is a randomized, open-label Phase 3 study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of fitusiran in males greater than or equal to12 years with severe hemophilia A or B with inhibitors to factor VIII or IX. Study participants receiving on-demand treatment with bypassing agents were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive once-monthly 80mg subcutaneous fitusiran prophylaxis or continue with on-demand BPA. The primary endpoint is annualized bleeding rate. The key findings in this study include the following: Fitusiran prophylaxis resulted in a statistically significant reduction in treated annualized bleeding rate of 90.8% in comparison to treatment with BPAs. The median treated annualized bleeding rate is 0.0 in the fitusiran prophylaxis arm compared to 16.8 in the on-demand BPA on-demand arm. 65.8% participants in the fitusiran prophylaxis arm had zero treated bleeds compared to 5.3% in the BPA on-demand arm.. The most common adverse events reported in at least five participants in the fitusiran prophylaxis arm were increased ALT, increased AST, upper abdominal pain, increased gamma-glutamyl transferase, headache, upper respiratory tract infection, arthralgia, increased blood alkaline phosphatase, and increased transaminases. TEAESIs of ALT or AST elevation greater than3 x upper limit of normal and suspected or confirmed thromboembolism were reported in the fitusiran prophylaxis arm in 10 and 2 participants, respectively. Fitusiran significantly reduced annualized bleeding with a meaningful improvement in health-related quality of life. Reported TEAEs in the fitusiran prophylaxis arm of ATLAS-A/B and ATLAS-INH were generally consistent with previously identified risks of fitusiran, or risks associated with the underlying disease of severe hemophilia A or B.

09:09 EST Workiva acquires 'global audit content and services provider' AuditNet, no terms - Workiva announced it has acquired global audit content and services provider, AuditNet. The acquisition comes on the heels of Workiva being named a Leader in The Forrester WaveTM: Governance Risk and Compliance GRC Platforms Q3 2021 Report, and showcases Workiva's investment in and commitment to the future transformation of audit. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. AuditNet created the world's first online portal for the global audit community and serves as a primary communications resource with a digital network where 160,000+ audit practitioners access and share content, resources, and audit program tools and templates. AuditNet's content guides internal auditors through changing regulations, emerging risks, different approaches to testing, and new risk and control frameworks. "Digital communities like AuditNet, where thought leaders and practitioners can connect and collaborate, share best practices, and build and scale programs, are essential for businesses looking to accelerate digital transformation," said Marty Vanderploeg, Workiva CEO. "Workiva's acquisition of AuditNet adds to our customer offering, ensuring that organizations of all sizes and maturity can turn to the Workiva platform to quickly scale their teams, strengthen risk assurance and greatly improve efficiency in the audit process." Workiva entered into a strategic partnership with AuditNet in March 2020 to offer customers access to AuditNet's robust content catalog to help them create and update internal audit programs with transparency and accountability inside the Workiva platform. "This acquisition will ensure that AuditNet's expertise is accessible and relevant to even more global audit teams," said Jim Kaplan, AuditNet founder and CEO. "I believe in Workiva's mission to power transparent reporting for a better world and have seen how their technology streamlines processes to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of audit teams. I have full confidence that AuditNet and our faithful subscribers will be in good hands with Workiva."

09:07 EST Euronet to use REN payments tech in collaboration with Indonesia's Jalin - Euronet Worldwide announced its REN payments platform will be used to modernize the largest state-owned bank switching network in Indonesia, PT Jalin Pembayaran Nusantara. Studies suggest as many as 85% of consumers in Southeast Asia at the beginning of 2021 were using some form of digital payments. This rapid adoption of cashless payments and requests from participant financial institutions for modern and resilient payments processing solutions motivated Jalin to embark on a platform modernization strategy that would enable it to launch new services as well as improvements to existing services in the shortest possible time. After an extensive RFP process, Euronet and the REN payments platform was awarded the project. To meet the project's complex requirements and large transaction volumes, Euronet is deploying its REN payments platform to support transaction switching from ATMs, POS terminals and QR codes, enable digital wallets, connect to major card associations, drive ATMs and manage associated back office functions such as clearing and settlement for the different transaction types and payment form factors. The services will also be available through APIs that can be consumed by various constituents of the ecosystem for agile implementation of newer services. The project is going to be deployed in phases and will involve migrating the workloads from the existing system to REN and onboarding new services like ATM driving and processing of digital wallet-based QR code payments. The first phase of this project is enablement of cross border QR code payments, which involves developing an incoming and outgoing payment interface with the central infrastructures of Thailand and Malaysia. The remaining services will be migrated and/or enabled in subsequent phases during the next 12 months, resulting in a project with potentially billions of transactions per year caused by the increased popularity of digital payments in the region.

09:06 EST Beam announces EV ARC charging system deployed at Virginia Regional Airport - Beam Global announced that Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport deployed the airport's first EV ARC solar-powered EV charging system to charge airport EVs, and the EVs of employees, staff, travelers and visitors. The system was funded through the U.S. Department of Energy in the Mid-Atlantic Electrification Partnership to support regional expansion of EV charging infrastructure. "Airports are ideal locations for Beam's EV ARC off-grid charging systems. They can rapidly deploy EV charging without disrupting business operations or incurring construction costs," said Beam Global CEO Desmond Wheatley. "There are over 20,000 public and private airports in the U.S. and we see increased interest in electrification of operations and aviation especially since our world record setting solar powered production electric aircraft flight earlier this summer. Forward thinking organizations like Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport are leading in the nation's big EV charging infrastructure build out."

09:06 EST Rimini Street granted U.S. patent for AI-based case assignment advisor - Rimini Street announced it has been granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, USPTO, for its proprietary artificial intelligence AI based application, Case Assignment Advisor. The Case Assignment Advisor resolves the challenge of identifying and assigning the best engineer to work a particular case by: Integrating multiple data sources and capturing multi-dimensional engineer skills ;Applying machine learning algorithms to normalize and rank engineer skills ;Filtering the engineer pool based on the rules and constraints driven by business requirements; Recommending the optimal engineer by analyzing more than 40 vectors; Providing additional business insights and predictions through deep analysis to further enrich auto case assignment. The technology, which resides on the Rimini Street AI platform, empowers Rimini Street engineers to resolve cases much faster with ultra-responsive support and services. Since implementing Case Assignment Advisor, Rimini Street has improved case resolution times for clients by an average of 23% while increasing its overall client satisfaction score to an average case survey rating of 4.9 out of 5.0 . This innovative technology has garnered industry accolades, even before the patent was officially granted. Among the recognitions: A Gold 2021 Stevie American Business Award for Achievement in Science or Technology; a Stevie International Business Award for Achievement in Science or Technology; and a Grand Prize for Best Customer Support from the Japan Institute of Information Technology.

09:04 EST Caterpillar, BNSF Railway and Chevron to develop hydrogen fuel locomotives - Progress Rail, a Caterpillar (CAT), BNSF Railway Company, and Chevron U.S.A., a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation (CVX), announced a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, to advance the demonstration of a locomotive powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The goal of the demonstration is to confirm the feasibility and performance of hydrogen fuel for use as a viable alternative to traditional fuels for line-haul rail. Hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role as a lower-carbon alternative to diesel fuel for transportation, with hydrogen fuel cells becoming a means to reduce emissions. Under the MOU, the parties are working toward reaching definitive agreements on a demonstration with three primary objectives. First, Progress Rail plans to design and build a prototype hydrogen fuel cell locomotive for line-haul and/or other types of rail service. Second, Chevron expects to develop the fueling concept and infrastructure to support this use of the locomotive. Lastly, the prototype hydrogen fuel cell locomotive is expected to be demonstrated on BNSF's lines for a mutually agreed upon period of time.

09:03 EST MKS Instruments, Atotech expect to close acquisition in 1Q22 - MKS Instruments (MKSI) and Atotech Limited (ATC) provided the following update on MKS' previously announced pending acquisition of Atotech. The pending acquisition has received the approval, or indication of imminent approval, from 12 out of 13 global antitrust regulatory authorities, which approvals are conditions to the closing of the transaction. In China, the remaining jurisdiction, MKS and Atotech are continuing to work constructively with the State Administration for Market Regulation , and now anticipate closing the acquisition in the first quarter of 2022. Completion of the transaction, which is to be effected by means of a scheme of arrangement under the laws of the Bailiwick of Jersey, is also subject to obtaining the required sanction by the Royal Court of Jersey and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The court hearing seeking such sanction is now expected to take place in the first quarter of 2022, rather than on December 22, 2021 as previously scheduled. As previously announced on July 1, 2021, MKS entered into a definitive agreement with Atotech pursuant to which MKS will acquire Atotech for $16.20 in cash and 0.0552 of a share of MKS common stock for each Atotech common share. At the time of the announcement, the equity value of the transaction was approximately $5.1 billion and the enterprise value of the transaction was approximately $6.5 billion As previously announced by Atotech, on November 3, 2021 the transaction was approved by Atotech shareholders at a meeting convened pursuant to an order of the Royal Court of Jersey and a special resolution to implement the transaction was passed by Atotech shareholders at a general meeting. In accordance with the terms of the Implementation Agreement, the last date for completing the transaction will automatically be extended to March 31, 2022 to allow additional time for the outstanding approval in China to be received.

09:01 EST GeoVax Labs receives notice of allowance for Malaria vaccine patent - GeoVax Labs announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a Notice of Allowance for Patent Application No. 16/648,693 titled "Compositions and Methods for Generating an Immune Response to Treat or Prevent Malaria." In general, the claims to be granted in the patent cover GeoVax's modified vaccinia Ankara vector expressing certain antigens from the malaria parasite. David Dodd, GeoVax President and CEO, commented, "Our corporate focus and development priorities continue to be our COVID-19 vaccine, currently in Phase 2 clinical trials, and our cancer immunotherapy program, with Gedeptin(R) as our lead product in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for Head and Neck cancer. However, developing vaccines against global public health threats, such as malaria, is also part of our longer-term focus. We remain strongly committed to advancing innovation towards improving public health worldwide and this patent reflects a potential game-changing advance relative to malaria prevention."

08:55 EST Evolus enters into $125M credit facility with Pharmakon Advisors - Evolus announced that it has entered into a $125M term loan financing facility with funds managed by Pharmakon Advisors. The term loan facility will be available to Evolus under the following terms: A senior secured term loan of up to $125M in two tranches. Proceeds of the facility will be used for general corporate purposes and working capital. A portion of the proceeds may also be used for potential strategic transactions. $75M will be drawn upon execution of the agreement. At its option, Evolus may draw up to an additional $50M before December 31, 2022. This second tranche is available with no additional performance obligations or financial covenants. The facility will mature in six years from funding. Interest-only payments will be required during the first 39 months after which ratable principal payments commence for the remaining 33 months. Interest will be paid quarterly using the 3-month LIBOR plus 8.5% per annum. "Supported by our unique business strategy and focus on the fast-growing millennial demographic, Evolus is continuing to gain market share in the aesthetic neurotoxin industry," said David Moatazedi, Evolus' President and Chief Executive Officer. "This new credit facility greatly strengthens our capital structure, and we expect the initial tranche to eliminate our near-term equity financing overhang by providing us with a flexible source of funding that will carry us beyond cash flow breakeven. We are very pleased to be working with a long-term financing partner who embraces our strategy to become a leading, multi-product aesthetics company."

08:53 EST Medirom Healthcare reports 316 salons in November - MEDIROM Healthcare announced its major Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs, updated for the month of November 2021. Data is provided for all salons for which comparative financial and customer data is available and excludes certain salons where such information is not available. The following monthly KPIs provide insight into the business fundamentals and progress of the Company, updated for the month of November 2021. The number of salons was 316 in November 2021, up from 291 in the year-ago period, primarily as a result of the acquisition of another salon brand in May 2021. Total customers served increased to 65,569 in November 2021 from 63,993 in the year-ago period. Sales per customer increased to JPY 6,466 in November 2021, up from JPY6,312 in November 2020. Such increase is mainly attributed to the upselling of value-added optional services. Our repeat ratio, a measure of repeat customers, increased to 81.9% in November 2021 from 80.7% in the year-ago period. Our operation ratio was 47.7% in November 2021, which remained stable compared to in the year-ago period. The total number of salons with data increased to 221 in November 2021, from 220 in November 2020. The number of salons with data decreases when we close salons with data available and increases as we open salons with such data.

08:50 EST Kansas City Southern closes sale to Canadian Pacific, enterprise value of $31B - Kansas City Southern (KSU) announced the completion of its sale to Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) . The transaction represents an enterprise value of approximately $31B. KCS stockholders will receive 2.884 CP common shares and $90 in cash for each share of KCS common stock held and $37.50 in cash for each share of KCS preferred stock held. Immediately upon the closing of the acquisition, the shares of KCS were placed into a voting trust with Dave Starling, former KCS President and CEO, appointed as the Voting Trustee. The Voting Trust, which ensures KCS will operate independently of CP, will remain in effect until the U.S. Surface Transportation Board issues its decision on the companies' joint railroad control application. The STB's approval of CP's control of KCS would create Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, the only single-line railroad linking the United States, Mexico and Canada. The STB review of CP's proposed control of KCS is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2022. "Today is a historic day for our two iconic companies," said Keith Creel, CP President and Chief Executive Officer. "CPKC will become the backbone connecting our customers to new markets, enhancing competition in the U.S. rail network, and driving economic growth across North America while delivering significant environmental benefits. We are excited to reach this milestone on the path toward creating this unique truly North American railroad." "As a Board and management team, we are proud of the countless contributions and achievements of all those who work for Kansas City Southern," said Patrick J. Ottensmeyer, KCS President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are excited for the possibilities that will open to us through this combination with CP and we look forward to our next chapter." Expected benefits from the business combination will not be realized until the STB approves CP's control of KCS' railroads. Upon obtaining control approval from the STB, the two companies expect to achieve full integration over the ensuing three years, unlocking the benefits of the combination.

08:48 EST Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics added to Nasdaq Biotechnology Index - Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics announces that Brooklyn has been named to be part of the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index, effective December 20, 2021.

08:47 EST Orbit International to acquire Panel Products, terms not disclosed - Orbit International announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the business of Panel Products of Carson, California. The Transaction, which is structured as a purchase of assets, and is subject to certain specified closing conditions, is expected to close on or about December 31, 2021. In connection with the Transaction, Orbit has formed a new subsidiary, Simulator Product Solutions LLC, which will be majority owned by Orbit, with a minority equity interest to be held by Panel. It is intended that Nabil Radi, the founder of Panel, will continue his leadership of Panel's business as President of Orbit's newly formed subsidiary. In addition, Orbit intends to keep Panel's operation in the Carson/Long Beach area. The Transaction is expected to be accretive to earnings in fiscal 2022 and is being funded substantially from Orbit's cash on hand.

08:39 EST AgeX Therapeutics teams with UCI to explore program for exosome-based therapies - AgeX Therapeutics announced a research collaboration with the University of California, Irvine UCI to explore the therapeutic potential of exosomes and other extracellular vesicles produced by neural stem cells derived from AgeX pluripotent stem cells, with the goal of developing therapies to treat adverse neurocognitive effects of cancer chemotherapy and radiation therapy on brain function. This research project seeks to address a critical unmet medical need that impacts the quality of life for millions of cancer survivors. The agreement between AgeX and UCI has been handled by the team at UCI Beall Applied Innovation. The research will be conducted at UCI under the direction of Munjal Acharya, Ph.D., Associate Professor at the UCI Stem Cell Research Center. Dr. Acharya has been working in the field of regenerative medicine and cancer therapy-induced brain injury for the past 10 years. Currently, Dr. Acharya's laboratory is studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of radiation-induced brain injury, regenerative therapies for Alzheimer's disease, and chemobrain. Exosomes are nano-sized extracellular vesicles, secreted by cells, which contain a cargo of lipids, proteins and/or nucleic acids, and which participate in communication between cells. Dr. Acharya will search for exosomes and other extracellular vesicles in samples of cell culture-conditioned media used at UCI to derive neural stem cells from AgeX pluripotent stem cells in a program sponsored by AgeX seeking therapies for Huntington's disease and other neurological disorders. Using mouse models of brain cancer therapy, Dr. Acharya will determine the safety and efficacy of exosomes or other extracellular vesicles in repairing radiation- and chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments and neuroinflammation in the brain. "We are excited to collaborate with AgeX to test the efficacy of exosomes derived from a GMP-compliant neural stem cell line that would increase the translational feasibility of our approach to thwart this unmet medical need faced by millions of cancer survivors world-wide," said Dr. Acharya, UCI. The collaboration includes an opportunity for AgeX to license inventions that may arise from the research program, and to pursue clinical development and commercialization of therapies derived using those licensed inventions.

08:38 EST Franklin Wireless 5G Mobile Hotspot device available on C Spire network - Franklin Wireless announced that its new sub-6 5G mobile hotspot, Jextream 5G, is now available for purchase on www.cspire.com. The product supports connectivity using C Spire's state-of-the-art 5G network. The device, which cost $199.80 or can be purchased for $6.66 a month over 30 months with an eligible data plan, is available for immediate, free shipping or in-store pick up.

08:37 EST Solarwindow President, Director Rhee acquires majority ownership - SolarWindow Technologies announced that it has received notification that Light Quantum Energy Holdings, a company owned and controlled by SolarWindow President and Director, John Rhee and his immediate family, has acquired 62% of the issued and outstanding shares of SolarWindow Technologies from former controlling stockholder, Kalen Capital Corporation and its subsidiaries, in a privately negotiated deal. "Today, we launch a fresh and exciting new stage of the Company's growth and reaffirm our pledge to a sustainable future. This transaction cements our belief in SolarWindow, its leadership team, and game-changing LiquidElectricity technology at a time when worldwide market demand for renewables is stronger than ever," explained SolarWindow President John Rhee.

08:37 EST Maravai Lifesciences added to the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index - Maravai LifeSciences Holdings announced that the Company has been added to the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index effective prior to market open on Monday, December 20, 2021.

08:35 EST Willdan gets $90M NYCHA award to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in NY housing - Willdan Group announced that New York City Housing Authority, NYCHA, selected Willdan through a technical engineering competition to provide innovative thermal load solutions for greenhouse gas emissions reduction at Tilden and Pink Houses. This $90M design-build contract upgrades the heating and hot water infrastructure at multifamily housing facilities and introduces innovative electrification measures, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with NYCHA's sustainability agenda. These upgrades also aim to improve resident comfort indoors, domestic hot water availability, and heating reliability. As part of the winning design, Willdan proposed advanced heat pumps for both Tilden and Pink Houses and an innovative heating technology for Tilden Houses that provides new electrical heating panels that will allow the residents to control the temperature in each room. This heating technology is popular in Northern Europe and has been proven to be safe and comfortable in high-end hotels and offices throughout the world. More information about this technology and its benefits will be provided to Tilden residents prior to deployment. Other enhancements include central plant upgrades and air-to-water heat pumps for domestic hot water production. "Addressing climate change and creating a greener, more sustainable world is one of the most pressing issues of our time," said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. "The partnership that we have established with the Willdan Group will allow us to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions at these developments while delivering meaningful eco-friendly upgrades at the same time." "Our innovative design was competitively selected to best execute a key strategy in NYCHA's Climate Mitigation Roadmap," said Tom Brisbin, Willdan's CEO and Chairman. "This project helps achieve a core pillar of NYCHA's vision to 'build back better' to meet a majority of building energy needs through low- or no-carbon sources. This win demonstrates that Willdan can provide innovative electrification solutions that can achieve some of the world's most aggressive climate goals."

08:34 EST Iteris awarded $1.1M contract from California Department of Transportation - Iteris announced that it has been awarded a $1.1M contract from the California Department of Transportation for smart mobility design and engineering services related to the rehabilitation and upgrade of roadways spanning three communities in the City of Los Angeles. Under the terms of the one-year sub-contract agreement with Jacobs, Iteris will provide services in the areas of engineering traffic signal system, street lighting system, and pavement, sidewalk and curb ramp upgrades across 75 intersections in Santa Monica, Hollywood and Echo Park.

08:32 EST UPS surpasses 1B COVID-19 vaccine delivery milestone - UPS announced that it surpassed the 1B COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered mark, including nearly 50M doses in Canada. "UPSers have been essential in the fight against COVID-19, delivering equitable access to critical healthcare services'" said Chief Sales and Solutions Officer and Executive Vice President, UPS Global Healthcare Kate Gutmann. "This milestone would not have been possible without every person in our global network working tirelessly, alongside our partners and customers, to accelerate vaccine distribution and help keep communities as safe as possible."

08:32 EST Ouster appoints Adam Dolinko as general counsel - Ouster announced the appointment of Adam Dolinko as general counsel. Dolinko brings over 25 years of capital markets, corporate, and mergers & acquisitions experience advising and leading legal operations for global technology companies. Prior to joining Ouster, Dolinko served as a senior executive and general counsel for global companies, including Nasdaq and FTSE 250 company CSR.

08:31 EST The Oncology Institute adds San Gabriel Valley practices to network - The Oncology Institute recently acquired the practice of Honghao Yang, MD and his two oncology clinics in Hacienda Heights and Alhambra, California. The addition of Dr. Yang's practice gives TOI comprehensive coverage of the San Gabriel Valley, including TOI's existing offices in San Gabriel, Pasadena, West Covina, and Montebello. "We are excited to expand our presence in the San Gabriel Valley with the addition of Dr. Yang's practice," TOI COO Dr. Daniel Virnich remarked. "Dr. Yang has been practicing medicine for more than 30 years and has a great reputation in the community. His compassionate, evidence-based approach to patient care is a natural fit for TOI and we look forward to growing his locations to serve even more patients."

08:31 EST Molecular Data to form joint venture to build supercomputing clusters - Molecular Data announced that the Company has entered an agreement to form a Joint Venture to build supercomputing clusters in North America. The new Joint Venture plans to construct two plants in the USA and start operating on one plant in the next two months in the initial phase. The Company expects to add 13MW in the initial phase. The new business line is expected to generate approximately $5M in revenue and $4M in gross profit.

08:28 EST Quest Diagnostics acquires Labtech Diagnostics, terms not disclosed - Quest Diagnostics announced it has acquired substantially all assets of Labtech Diagnostics, an independent clinical diagnostic laboratory provider serving physicians and patients primarily in South and North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

08:25 EST AGF Management appoints Ash Lawrence SVP, head of alternatives - AGF Management announced the appointment of Ashley Lawrence to the position of Senior Vice-President, Head of Alternatives. Ash joins the organization on February 14, 2022, reporting to Kevin McCreadie, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, AGF. Ash has approximately 20 years of private alternatives experience in global markets, including 16 years with Brookfield Asset Management where he most recently led real estate investing for Canada.

08:24 EST Biomea Fusion to be added to Nasdaq Biotechnology Index - Biomea Fusion announced that the company has been selected for addition to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, effective prior to market open on Monday, December 20, 2021.

08:23 EST Climb Channel Solutions partners with Invicti - Climb Channel Solutions announced their partnership with Invicti Security. Invicti brings security and development teams together to help organizations secure their web applications and protect customer and company data from breach. Invicti's products help security professionals identify web vulnerabilities and send them to developers for remediation. Acunetix is designed for small and medium-sized companies, with technology that enables lean and nimble teams to move fast. The first-ever automated web application security scanner utilizes a unique scanning engine known for speed and accuracy in spotting vulnerabilities. Netsparker is Invicti's scalable technology for enterprises that can scan thousands of websites and web apps with its proprietary Proof-Based Scanning technology that confirms 94% of direct-impact vulnerabilities with 99.98% accuracy. The company currently serves more than 3,000 customers globally, enabling them to secure thousands of web applications with high confidence.

08:21 EST Green Brick locks rate on $100M senior unsecured notes - Green Brick Partners announced that the Company has locked interest rate on $100M of senior unsecured notes due in 2029 at a fixed rate of 3.25% per annum in an oversubscribed club deal structured by Prudential Private Capital as a Section 4(a)(2) private placement transaction. The closing for the notes is expected to be the last week of December 2021. This will be the fourth issuance of senior notes by the Company, following the issuance of $75.0, $37.5, and $125.0 million of senior unsecured notes over the past two-plus years. Green Brick Partners expects to use the proceeds to repay borrowings under its existing revolving credit facilities, pay fees and expenses incurred in connection with the transaction, and for general corporate purposes. The institutional investors who purchased the notes were represented by Prudential Private Capital, Barings LLC, Hartford Investment Management Company, Securian Asset Management, Inc., and Voya Investment Management Co. LLC. Prudential Private Capital structured the club deal. The Company also completed an extension, expansion, and amendment of its line of credit facility arrangement on December 10, 2021, that adds $130 million in new commitments, bringing our total commitments to $300 million. The maturity of all the commitments under the facility have been extended to December 14, 2024. The amendment also increases the Company's accordion feature by an additional $50 million to $325 million, enabling Green Brick to further expand its commitments from $300 million without further amendment. The credit facility is supported by a diverse lender group composed of eight banks including Flagstar Bank, Veritex Community Bank, Huntington National Bank, Texas Capital Bank, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, BancorpSouth Bank, Woodforest National Bank, and MidFirst Bank. Two lenders elected to not extend their commitments one year prior to their expiration, four lenders extended their commitments to 12/14/2024, and four lenders were added for an initial term of three years subject to annual extensions.

08:20 EST Provident Bank appoints Robert Tharp as FVP, retail sales, services director - Provident Bank has announced that Robert Tharp has joined the Bank as First Vice President, Retail Sales & Services Director. Tharp is based in the bank's Iselin, N.J. administrative headquarters and is responsible for developing and managing the execution of the overall retail sales and services strategy and business development plans. In addition, he is responsible for the programming and the structuring of Small Business Lending, Government Banking, Corporate Development, and Provident Investment Services. Mr. Tharp has more than 35 years' experience in retail banking and sales management. Prior to joining Provident, he served as a Senior Manager of the TD Bank Partnership at TD Ameritrade.

08:19 EST iCAD announces first recurrent GBM tumor treated with Xoft Brain IORT in US - iCAD announced that the first patient with recurrent glioblastoma, GBM, was treated with the Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. This procedure was part of the international multi-center GLIOX trial. The GLIOX trial is designed to compare Xoft IORT plus Avastin to the investigational arm of RTOG-1205. Researchers hope this study will validate the initial results from a prospective two center comparative study at the European Medical Center in Moscow, Russia. New Research Supports Innovative Therapy Approach. Data supporting Xoft Brain IORT for the treatment of recurrent GBM were recently published in study and a subsequent erratum in the peer-reviewed journal, Surgical Neurology International.The comparative study evaluated 15 patients with recurrent GBM who were treated with maximal safe resection and Xoft Brain IORT, and 15 patients with recurrent GBM treated with maximal safe resection and other modalities, between June 2016 and June 2019. As of March 2021, patients treated with Xoft Brain IORT lived for up to 54 months after treatment without recurrence, whereas patients in the control group had a recurrence within 10 months and lived for up to 22.5 months after treatment. Researchers also found there were fewer complications in the IORT group. One patient from the IORT group was still alive in fall 2021, whereas none of the patients in the control group survived. Additionally, a subgroup analysis of patients with postoperative tumors volumes of less than 2.5 cm showed more favorable outcomes for patients in the IORT group. "The researchers concluded that the results are encouraging and that further clinical trials are warranted," the company said. The Xoft System is FDA-cleared, CE marked and licensed in a growing number of countries for the treatment of cancer anywhere in the body. The Xoft System is also currently being studied in the treatment of other types of brain tumors.

08:17 EST Plug Power and Certarus announce supply and logistics agreement - Certarus and Plug Power have entered into a long-term supply and logistics agreement to further scale and expand the infrastructure needed to accelerate the adoption of green hydrogen fuel. The companies will leverage their collective expertise in hydrogen production, mobile energy distribution and related technologies to enhance the North American supply chain - helping to make hydrogen fuel an affordable and convenient option for companies looking to reduce carbon emissions and achieve ESG goals across multiple industry sectors. Plug Power will provide Certarus with up to 10 tons of green hydrogen per day from its North American hydrogen production network with initial deliveries expected in Q1 2022.

08:15 EST Fast Radius announces nominees to the post-closing board of directors - Fast Radius announced four nominees to the board of directors of ECP Environmental Growth Opportunities Corp (ENNV), a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company, in anticipation of the previously announced proposed business combination between Fast Radius and ENNV. The Board nominees will serve on the Board of the combined company following the consummation of the business combination, subject to ENNV stockholder approval. The business combination is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022. The following individuals have been nominated to serve on the Board:Matt Maloney, Former CEO and Founder of Grubhub; Betsy Ziegler, CEO of 1871; Matt Flanigan, Board Member at Jack Henry & Associates (JKHY) and Performance Food Group (PFGC); and Steve Koch, Managing Director of Bowline Group and Managing Partner of mHUB Product Impact Fund I. Other director nominees: Lou Rassey, CEO and co-founder of Fast Radius; Tyler Reed, President and CEO of ECP Environmental Growth Opportunities; and Nick Solaro, General Partner at Drive Capital.

08:13 EST Safe-T announces dismissal of NetNut's patent litigation - Safe-T Group announces that NetNut Ltd., Safe-T Group's enterprise privacy solutions subsidiary unit, has entered into a settlement agreement with Bright Data Ltd. agreeing to terminate the patent infringement action Bright Data initiated against NetNut on June 11, 2020 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division. NetNut respects the valid intellectual property rights of others and believes that Bright Data's patents were not infringed by NetNut's services and that they are invalid based on voluminous prior art. In order to continue providing superior technology and service to its customers and to free the market of invalid patents that are used in litigation as a tool to stifle market innovation and inhibit market growth and fair competition, NetNut will continue to challenge the validity of all relevant patents controlled by Bright Data. As previously reported, on June 11, 2020, Bright Data filed an action, alleging infringement by NetNut of U.S. Patent Nos. 10,484,511 and 10,637,968, as well as claims of trade secret misappropriation, which NetNut indicated it believed was without merits. Based on initial evaluation at the time when the complaint was filed, NetNut believed that the action was without merits. Pursuant to a confidential settlement agreement, the case was dismissed without prejudice on December 10, 2021, with no monetary payment from NetNut to Bright Data and with no effect on NetNut's ongoing services for customers. As indicated in the table below, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ("PTO") has granted NetNut's Ex Parte Reexamination requests on these two patents and has preliminarily rejected all the claims asserted against NetNut. NetNut has consistently challenged the patentability of Bright Data's patents, both in court and at the PTO. To date, NetNut has filed several requests for Inter Partes Review (and Ex Parte Reexamination, challenging the validity of Bright Data's patents. In each of NetNut's PTO challenges reaching a preliminary decision on the merits, the PTO has agreed with NetNut's positions that Bright Data's patents are likely unpatentable. As also previously reported, on June 18, 2021, Bright Data filed an action alleging infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 10,257,319 and 10,484,510 against NetNut. The action was also filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division. Bright Data amended its complaint on October 11, 2021, to additionally assert infringement of U.S. Patents Nos. 10,491,713, 11,050,852 and 11,044,346, as well as a claim for alleged false advertising. NetNut disagrees with each of Bright Data's claims and is defending itself in the litigation. As indicated in the table above, NetNut has already challenged most of the patents asserted in this action and believes that the outcome will be similar to that of the patents asserted against it in the first case.

08:11 EST Terminix to be acquired by Rentokil for $6.7B in shares, cash - The boards of directors of Rentokil (RTOKY) and Terminix (TMX) announced that Rentokil Initial and Terminix have entered into a definitive agreement under which Rentokil Initial will acquire Terminix for stock and cash. Under the terms of the Agreement, Rentokil Initial will issue to Terminix shareholders at closing aggregate consideration comprised of approximately 643.29M new Rentokil Initial shares and approximately $1.3B in cash. Based on Rentokil Initial's five-day average daily volume weighted share price and the five-day average of the Sterling U.S. Dollar exchange rate both over the period spanning December 6-10 inclusive, this values the entire share capital of Terminix at $6.7B, implying a value of $55.00 per share of Terminix common stock, and represents an aggregate consideration mix of 80% stock and 20% cash and: a premium of 47.0% over the closing price of Terminix common stock on December 13 and a premium of 32.5% over the 90-day volume weighted average share price of Terminix ending on December 13. Terminix shareholders may elect to receive all cash or all stock consideration, subject to proration in the event of oversubscription. Each Terminix share for which no election or an invalid election is received will be deemed to have elected for all stock consideration. The value of the per share cash election and the value of the per share stock election will be equalized ahead of closing such that the value of each election choice will be substantially the same. The total number of new Rentokil Initial ADSs to be issued and the aggregate amount of cash to be paid under the terms of the agreement will not vary as a result of individual election preferences. As part of the combination, Rentokil Initial will list the American depository receipts evidencing the ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange. The combination will result in Terminix's existing shareholders owning approximately 26% of the combined group on completion and sharing the benefits accruing to the combined group.

08:10 EST CN partners with Google Cloud to modernize railway services - CN (CNI) and Google Cloud (GOOG;GOOGL) announced a seven-year strategic partnership to transform CN's supply chain. The companies will collaborate on new services to revolutionize the North American railway system, combining CN's expertise in the transportation and logistics industry with Google Cloud's technology and culture of innovation. CN's work with Google Cloud will drive the railway's ability to achieve continued growth and execute on transformational business initiatives. "Our partnership with Google Cloud is central to our strategic plan, and reinforces our commitment to digitalizing scheduled railroading and building the premier railway of the 21st century by investing in technologies that deliver high-quality service to customers, improve safety, and create capacity," said Dominique Malenfant, Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Technology Officer, CN. "We are excited to work together to drive further innovation across our company and support our customers, employees, and supply chain partners."

08:09 EST Canadian National and Google partner to develop digital scheduled railroading - CN (CNI), and Google (GOOG; GOOGL) Cloud announced a seven-year strategic partnership to transform CN's supply chain as part of digital scheduled railroading, deliver new customer experiences, and modernize its technology infrastructure in the cloud. The companies will collaborate on new services to improve the North American railway system, combining CN's world-leading expertise in the transportation and logistics industry with Google Cloud's technology and culture of innovation.

08:08 EST Inovio provided update from Phase 3 program for VGX-3100 - INOVIO announced updates on the Phase 3 program for VGX-3100 for HPV-associated cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, or HSIL, including a one-year follow-up of efficacy and safety data in participants from REVEAL1, completing enrollment in REVEAL2, and advancing its pre-treatment biomarker candidate for VGX-3100 to be further developed with QIAGEN. In addition, INOVIO's development partner within Greater China, ApolloBio, dosed the first participant in a separate Phase 3 trial in China. Key Updates for VGX-3100 include: INOVIO's second global Phase 3 clinical trial of VGX-3100 for cervical HSIL is fully enrolled and top-line efficacy and safety data are expected to be available in 2H22. INOVIO completed the 52-week safety follow-up of participants in REVEAL1, INOVIO's first global Phase 3 trial of VGX-3100, and the safety profile of VGX-3100 observed at Week 36 remained well-tolerated through Week 88. In addition, participants treated with VGX-3100 who met the primary endpoint at Week 36 remained clear of HPV-16 and/or HPV-18 at Week 88. INOVIO and QIAGEN have made progress in biomarker development by identifying candidate biomarker signatures for VGX-3100 with the intent of selecting a final signature in a pre-treatment in vitro diagnostic to improve the primary clinical outcome for biomarker-positive patients with cervical HSIL. The first participant has been dosed in the Phase 3 trial of VGX-3100 for cervical HSIL in China. This trial is being run by ApolloBio and is similar in design to REVEAL2. The trial is expected to enroll up to 84 participants.

08:08 EST BlackBerry achieves carbon neutrality - BlackBerry announced it has achieved carbon neutrality across Scope 1, Scope 2 and material Scope 3 emissions, the three groups that categorize the emissions a company creates, as classified under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard. Additionally, BlackBerry has invested in carbon removal, for a net effect of the company removing carbon from the atmosphere.

08:07 EST Ascendis to provide update on endocrinology rare disease development programs - Ascendis Pharma A/S plans to provide an update on two of its investigational endocrinology rare disease development programs, TransCon PTH for hypoparathyroidism, and TransCon CNP for achondroplasia, and on one of its investigational oncology product candidates, TransCon TLR7/8 Agonist at the Company's virtual R&D Program Update. Ascendis' management outlined continued clinical advancement on each of the three rare disease development programs. Highlights include: Update from ongoing TransCon PTH development program: Reviewed clinical data from ongoing Phase 2 PaTH Forward Trial; Topline results from the Phase 3 PaTHway Trial expected in Q1 2022; Planned NDA submission in Q3 2022 for the treatment of adults with hypoparathyroidism; Topline results from the PaTHway Japan Trial expected in Q3 2022; Planned MAA submission in Q4 2022 for the treatment of adults with hypoparathyroidism; Initiation of the pediatric hypoparathyroidism program planned for Q4 2022. Update from ongoing TransCon CNP development program: Interim Phase 2 ACcomplisH Trial Update: ACcomplisH enrollment complete; Preliminary PK data demonstrated that TransCon CNP provided continuous and dose-dependent exposure with a half-life of ~110 hours mirroring Phase 1 data; Well tolerated in children with achondroplasia with up to 65 weeks follow-up, with mean orthostatic vital signs unchanged; Interim blinded data from the ACcomplisH Trial informed dose selection of 50 and 100 microgram/kg/week for the ACcomplisH China Trial; ACcomplisH Infants TrialIND or equivalent submission planned for Q2 2022; ACcomplisH Trial topline unblinded data anticipated in Q4 2022; Interim update from ongoing TransCon TLR7/8 Agonist first-in-human trial: Early signs of clinical activity in three out of three efficacy-evaluable cancer patients treated with TransCon TLR7/8 Agonist as monotherapy or in combination with pembrolizumab; PK data indicate sustained release of active drug with a half-life of ~7 days and low systemic exposure providing a wide safety margin; Consistent and robust immune activation in tumor tissue was observed for at least 7 days post dose; In the safety-evaluable population observed to date, TransCon TLR7/8 Agonist was well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or drug-related systemic side effects; the only related adverse events reported were transient, mild injection site-related reactions; transcendIT-101 dose expansion expected to start enrollment in Q2 2022.

08:07 EST Quotient expands media network at point of purchase with Redbox pact - Quotient (QUOT) announced it has entered into a partnership with Redbox (RDBX) that expands its media network. Through this partnership, Quotient's media network will begin offering advertisers access to approximately 40,000 Redbox kiosks as well as over 2,000 large display screens on the top of select kiosks. The combination of Quotient's programmatic digital-out-of-home DOOH platform technology with Redbox's expansive kiosk reach with over 400 million estimated weekly retail impressions, gives advertisers new opportunities to serve ads to consumers at grocery and drug stores at a time when purchase intent is very high. In addition, Quotient is able to retarget audiences exposed to any Redbox screen on mobile and in-app display ads. This allows advertisers to engage with consumers on multiple touchpoints throughout their shopping journey. "Redbox is a leader in the entertainment ecosystem and we are thrilled to partner with them," said Steven Boal, CEO and Founder at Quotient. "Redbox's screens can be targeted through Quotient's DOOH DSP technology using our exclusive purchase data, intent data and location intelligence to reach consumers in contextual environments in the moments that matter." "Our collaboration with Quotient brings added value to our retail partners and brands by ensuring relevant and impactful messaging to consumers," said Galen Smith, CEO, Redbox. "We're excited to take this next step with Quotient, particularly on the heels of our digital video signage rollout on select kiosks."

08:06 EST Beam Global announces the VCC at JMU deployed EV ARC charging system - Beam Global announced that Virginia Clean Cities, VCC, at James Madison University, JMU, in Virginia deployed its first EV ARC solar-powered EV charging system to charge fleet, student, faculty and visitor EVs. The system was funded through the U.S. Department of Energy in the Mid-Atlantic Electrification Partnership and also supports university education programs in sustainability and clean technology. VCC's EV ARC system is off-grid and powered by renewable energy, generating and storing its own clean electricity. The system is equipped with 2 Enel X JuiceBox Pro EV chargers that are factory integrated at Beam and delivered as a turnkey sustainable charging system that is rapidly deployed. The system is solar-powered, requiring no construction, or electrical upgrades and will generate no utility bill. "James Madison University is the latest educational institution to enjoy the benefits of driving on sunshine while teaching about clean technology and sustainability," said Desmond Wheatley, Beam Global CEO. "U.S. Department of Energy and Virginia Clean Cities funding made it possible. The emphasis of the current administration on the rapid and widespread growth of EV charging infrastructure is good for these organizations and it's good for Beam Global too as we see more orders coming through our state and federal contracts."

08:05 EST Reservoir Media acquires rights to the catalog of Fred Parris - Reservoir Media acquired a stake in the publishing catalog of Fred Parris, the writer, lead vocalist and founder of the all-time top doo-wop group The Five Satins. Parris is best known as the writer and lead singer of "In the Still of the Night." "In the Still of the Night" has been ranked among the top doo-wop songs of all time, also having been recorded by Boyz II Men and Debbie Gibson. The song is best known for its use in the Dirty Dancing film soundtrack, with the soundtrack album having sold more than 33 million copies worldwide to date, as well as its predominant use in the Martin Scorsese film The Irishman and in The Buddy Holly Story.

08:04 EST Goldman Sachs Asset Management to acquire 70 MW solar project portfolio - Dynamic Energy Solutions announced that it has executed definitive asset sale agreements with the Renewable Power Group of Goldman Sachs Asset Management for approximately 70 MWs of distributed solar generation in the state of Maine. Comprised of 11 projects located throughout the state, the portfolio includes projects in Corinth, Madison, Norridgewock, Enfield, Exeter, Glenburn, Gray, Guilford, Leeds, and Wales. The portfolio is expected to come online in 2022 and 2023 and will connect to the local electric distribution systems in Central Maine Power and Versant utility territories. These projects were developed under Maine's net energy bill credit program that provides Maine commercial entities with the ability to derive economic and environmental benefits generated by the projects. Several of Maine's largest employers have signed offtake agreements with Dynamic and Goldman Sachs.

08:03 EST Nuvei says short-seller allegations are 'misleading, false' - The Board of Directors of Nuvei Corporation released its statement of support for the Company and its executive team as part of its review of the allegations made in a recent short-seller report. The company said, "Immediately following the release of the report last week making a series of allegations against Nuvei, the Company's Board led by its independent directors retained legal counsel to assist in determining whether the claims had any merit. Based on the review initiated last week, the Board believes that the claims are misleading, false or unrelated to Nuvei's business. The Board is confident that Nuvei's financial and other disclosures are accurate in all material respects. Nuvei has been subject to extensive due diligence, both by its private equity control investors as well as in connection with its public offerings and listings on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq. Moreover, Nuvei operates in a highly regulated environment and is continuously subject to extensive diligence and audits by regulators, bank partners, customers, card schemes and other industry stakeholders in all markets in which the Company operates." Phil Fayer, Chair and CEO said, "The allegations made against Nuvei are malicious and unfounded. I stand behind all our employees as we continue to execute on our strategy with a relentless focus on supporting our customers and making the world a local marketplace. We will not allow the report to distract us any further and we remain unwavering in our commitment to drive growth and value for our shareholders." We remain on track to deliver our full year 2021 financial outlook disclosed on November 9, 2021 and reiterate our medium and long-term growth targets, reflecting our continued momentum around driving innovation, growth and new customer wins."

07:57 EST Goeasy announces renewal of normal course issuer bid - goeasy announced the acceptance by the Toronto Stock Exchange of goeasy's notice of intention to renew its normal course issuer bid and has provided a capital management update, with reference to recent purchases for cancellation of the Company's common shares and hedging activity related to the contingent shares in Affirm Holdings held by the Company. Pursuant to the NCIB, goeasy may purchase for cancellation up to an aggregate of 1,243,781 common shares in the capital of the Company, representing approximately 10% of goeasy's public float. As at December 7, 2021, goeasy had 16,254,135 Common Shares issued and outstanding. Under the NCIB, goeasy may purchase up to 15,706 of its Common Shares on the TSX during any trading day, which represents 25% of the average daily trading volume of 62,825 Common Shares on the TSX for the six months ended November 30, 2021, other than block purchase exemptions. Purchases under the NCIB may commence on December 21, 2021 and continue until December 20, 2022 or such earlier date as goeasy completes its purchases pursuant to the NCIB. The NCIB will be conducted through the facilities of the TSX or alternative trading systems, if eligible, and the price that goeasy will pay for any Common Shares will be the market price prevailing at the time of purchase or such other price as may be permitted. Purchases under the NCIB will be made by means of open market transactions or other such means as a securities regulatory authority may permit, including pre-arranged crosses, exempt offers and private agreements under an issuer bid exemption order issued by a securities regulatory authority. In connection with the NCIB renewal, the Company also announces that it has entered into an issuer automatic purchase plan agreement (the "Plan") with an independent designated broker responsible for making purchases of Common Shares pursuant to the Plan. Under the Plan, the Broker will have sole discretion to purchase Common Shares pursuant to the NCIB during trading black-out periods established under the Company's Insider Trading Policy, subject to the price limitations and other terms of the Plan and the rules of the TSX. The Company may instruct the Broker to make specific purchases and suspend or terminate the Plan, provided in each case that the Company certifies to the Broker that it is not in possession of any material undisclosed information and such request is otherwise in compliance with the terms of the Plan. Under its current normal course issuer bid, which commenced on December 21, 2020 and expires on December 20, 2021, the number of Common Shares that could be repurchased for cancellation was 1,079,703. Pursuant to the NCIB, between November 8, 2021 and December 7, 2021, the Company has purchased for cancellation a total of 322,327 Common Shares, through the facilities of the TSX and alternative trading systems, at a volume weighted average price of $187.16 per Common Share, resulting in a total investment of $60.3 million. The purchase for cancellation of Common Shares is part of the Company's capital management strategy, which is designed to effectively allocate capital in a manner that will produce the greatest long-term return for shareholders. Provided the Company can access and maintain a sufficient level of liquidity to fund organic growth, invest in capital expenditures that produce future revenue growth, and maintain its target level of financial leverage, the Company distributes a quarterly dividend proportionate to approximately 35% of the prior year's adjusted net earnings per share, while utilizing its excess capital to opportunistically invest in new business lines, or purchase its common shares when they are deemed to be trading below their intrinsic value. The Company continues to maintain a level of liquidity sufficient to fund its organic growth plans through 2023, allowing it to deploy excess capital in a manner consistent with this approach going forward. Subsequent to quarter end, the Company entered into a 7-month total return swap agreement to substantively hedge its market exposure related to an additional 75,000 contingent shares related to the equity held in Affirm. The TRS effectively results in the economic value of this hedged portion of the Company's contingent equity in Affirm being settled in cash at maturity for $163.00 per share, net of applicable fees. During the third quarter, the Company previously entered into a 9-month total return swap agreement to substantively hedge its market exposure related to 100,000 contingent shares related to the equity held in Affirm, with those shares being settled in cash at maturity for $110.35 per share, net of applicable fees. To date, the Company has substantively hedged its market exposure related to 175,000 of the 468,000, or approximately 37%, of the total contingent shares related to the equity held in Affirm.

07:52 EST Blue Star Foods to acquire assets of Gault Seafood, terms not disclosed - Blue Star Foods announced that it has signed a term sheet to acquire certain assets of Gault Seafood, a Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems company with unique technology focused on harvesting the Atlantic Blue Crab during its off-season. Gault Seafood has been in operation for close to 20 years and is based in Beaufort, South Carolina. The acquisition of Gault Seafood is being done through a combination of cash and equity. The transaction is expected to close in Q1-2022. Newbridge Securities Corporation is acting as the Exclusive M&A Advisor to Blue Star Foods Corp. and The Crone Law Group is acting as the Company's Legal Counsel.

07:51 EST Ultralife receive contract up to $9.9M for its BA-5390 batteries from US DLA - Ultralife Corporation has received a firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract not to exceed $9.9M from the U.S. Government's Defense Logistics Agency, DLA, for its lithium manganese dioxide, non-rechargeable BA-5390 batteries. The award consists of a three-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Actual delivery orders including the amounts and timing under this contract are at the discretion of the DLA. "Ultralife has been a long-standing supplier to the U.S. military, and our BA-5390 battery is recognized for its long life, unsurpassed safety record and reliability under the toughest conditions. We are pleased that DLA has selected Ultralife once again.," said Michael D. Popielec, President and Chief Executive Officer.

07:49 EST Blacboxstocks reports record recurring revenue, cash receipts in November - Blackboxstocks announced that the company had a record month in November for both monthly recurring revenue and cash receipts. The record cash receipts and revenue in November is expected to result in the company hitting revenue projections at the high end of the previously projected range for Q4. Approximately $800,000, or 67%, of the $1.2M of November's cash receipts were from the sale of annual subscriptions. Revenue recognized from these sales will be amortized over the next twelve months. The significant sale of annual subscriptions in November resulted in the overall ratio of annual subscriptions increasing to 37% of the overall user base from 32%.

07:46 EST Actinium presents data from Phase 1 portion of Actimab-A and venetoclax trial - Actinium Pharmaceuticals announced that data from the Phase 1 portion of its Actimab-A and venetoclax combination trial in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, was presented at the 63rd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, or ASH, that is being held December 11 - 14, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia and virtually. Patients enrolled in the study to date have been a median age of 64, with 75% of patients having adverse cytogenetics and 50% of patients having received and failed prior venetoclax and hypomethylating agent, or HMA, therapy. The trial will continue to dose escalate to a fourth dose cohort of 1.5 muCi/kg to determine the dose for the Phase 2 portion of the study.

07:45 EST Centessa reports initial safety data from ALERT study - The Company reported initial safety data from the ongoing open-label ALERT Study of ADPKD subjects who previously discontinued JYNARQUE due to liver toxicity. The ALERT Study is designed to assess liver and non-liver safety in subjects who previously experienced liver chemistry test abnormalities that met the criteria for likely drug-induced liver injury while being treated with tolvaptan and who permanently discontinued the drug. Subjects in the ALERT Study undergo up to 8 weeks of screening followed by a three-week baseline measurement period and then a three- to six-week titration phase with lixivaptan, with weekly liver chemistry test monitoring during the baseline and titration phases. During the maintenance phase, liver chemistry tests are obtained every four weeks. The primary outcome measure in the study is the proportion of subjects who develop alanine aminotransferase levels greater than3x ULN adjudicated to be related to lixivaptan resulting in discontinuation of the study drug. To date, ten subjects have entered screening, five failed screening, and one failed the baseline measurement period. The four subjects who enrolled in the study had cases of DILI while being treated with tolvaptan for ADPKD and had ALT elevations that peaked between 1.8x and 3.5x ULN and did not return to below ULN until 23 to 140 days after tolvaptan use was discontinued. Each of these subjects was successfully titrated to a maintenance dose of lixivaptan of either 100 mg BID or 200 mg BID and entered the maintenance phase of the study. As of the most recent data cutoff, three out of four subjects remain on lixivaptan with the longest treatment duration being 366 days, and the remaining subjects at 174 days and 172 days on treatment. One subject successfully titrated to 200 mg BID lixivaptan but withdrew consent after 93 days of dosing. No subjects have had clinically meaningful ALT elevations attributed to lixivaptan and no subjects met the pre-specified stopping criteria of an ALT level greater than3x ULN. The ALERT Study remains open for enrollment of subjects who have had a confirmed case of DILI while being treated with tolvaptan. Most subjects who stop treatment with tolvaptan due to liver toxicity are also eligible for enrollment in the ACTION Study, which is now the primary focus of the Company's recruitment efforts.

07:44 EST Centessa initiates global Phase 3 ACTION study of lixivaptan - Centessa Pharmaceuticals together with subsidiary Palladio Biosciences announced the initiation of active recruitment of the global ACTION Study, a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating lixivaptan as a potential treatment for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease. Additionally, the Company reported initial safety data from four subjects who participated in the ongoing open-label ALERT Study of ADPKD subjects who previously discontinued JYNARQUE due to liver toxicity and announced the Notice of Allowance for a U.S. Patent application covering use of lixivaptan in ADPKD. Recruitment has commenced in the global Phase 3 ACTION Study which consists of a two-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized phase followed by a single-arm, open-label phase. The study will evaluate the benefit and safety of lixivaptan that has been titrated to a maximum tolerated dose between 100-200 mg BID in subjects with ADPKD and a Mayo Clinic MRI imaging classification of 1C, 1D or 1E and an estimated glomerular filtration rate greater than or equal to25 and less than or equal to90 mL/min/1.73 m2. The primary analysis of the ACTION Study will be performed at the end of Part 1 of the trial, which will have a 2:1 randomization and is designed to assess lixivaptan in slowing the decline in renal function as measured at 52 weeks by the difference in eGFR between the lixivaptan-treated and placebo-treated subjects. Final efficacy measurements at the end of the double-blind period will be conducted while the subject is off study drug over three successive clinic visits. The sample size of the study will be up to 1,350 subjects to provide 90% power to the primary analysis, aiming to detect a 1.4 mL/min/1.73 m2 eGFR difference between lixivaptan-treated and placebo-treated subjects. Thirteen clinical sites have been initiated and the trial is ultimately expected to enroll subjects across more than 200 sites in more than 20 countries. As previously disclosed, the Company expects to dose the first subject in the ACTION Study by the first quarter of 2022. All subjects successfully completing Part 1 are expected to continue into Part 2 of the study and will be treated with lixivaptan for an additional 54-56 weeks to further assess the sustainability of the potential benefit on eGFR change over a two-year period. Consistent with Part 1, updated efficacy measurements will be conducted off study drug. Both parts of the study will contribute to further establishing the safety profile of lixivaptan. An independent data monitoring committee will periodically review all safety data including the liver chemistry data for all subjects throughout the study. The Company anticipates completing enrollment in 2H 2023 and, pending positive data, plans to submit a New Drug Application after completion of the one-year double-blind portion of the study.

07:41 EST Field Trip Health launches Site Management Organization Services - Field Trip Health announced the launch of its Site Management Organization Services. The SMO Services will enable companies and researchers developing psychedelic therapies to use Field Trip's world class facilities, and expertly trained medical and therapy teams, to conduct clinical trials. The SMO Services will be led by Stephan Cote, who has joined Field Trip as Head of Quality. Cote, who joins Field Trip as the Head of Quality, brings more than 25 years of experience in the area of Quality and Regulatory Compliance. Prior to joining Field Trip, Cote was Director of Quality Assurance at Impel NeuroPharma where he led and supported the development and optimization of Impel's quality systems and the buildup of the commercial quality and compliance systems which enabled Impel's first product launch. In his role with Field Trip, Cote will focus on development and refinement of the Field Trip's quality systems to strategically align with rapid advancement of the Field Trip's drug development pipeline and the creation of a clinical research network and the SMO Services.

07:39 EST KemPharm announces results from trial evaluating higher doses of SDX - KemPharm announced top-line results from its clinical trial exploring the safety and pharmacokinetics of serdexmethylphenidate, SDX, delivered at doses higher than those studied as part of the AZSTARYS development program. AZSTARYS is a once-daily product approved for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in patients ages six years and older. SDX is KemPharm's proprietary prodrug of d-methylphenidate and the primary active pharmaceutical ingredient in AZSTARYS. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has classified SDX as a Schedule IV controlled substance, which is a lower schedule than all other currently available methylphenidate-based products. The dose-ascending Phase 1 clinical trial enrolled 14 subjects who were administered up to four increasing single oral doses of SDX, each at least 14 days apart. Data from the study indicated that the 240 mg and 360 mg doses of SDX were well-tolerated and produced d-MPH exposure generally proportional to the dose. Consistent with previous studies, after dosing d-MPH plasma concentrations demonstrated a gradual increase followed by a slow decline resulting in prototypical broad d-MPH exposure peak observed after oral administration of SDX. Additionally, data suggested that the higher SDX doses produced targeted biological effects that potentially align with the treatment of idiopathic hypersomnia and other sleep disorders, as well as stimulant use disorder. Based on these results, KemPharm is assessing the development programs, approval pathways and commercial potential of two product candidates based on SDX, KP1077 for the treatment of IH, and KP879 for the treatment of SUD, and expects to provide an update on its plans to expand its pipeline in early Q1 2022. KemPharm is also exploring other disease indications that may benefit from SDX-based treatments.

07:37 EST Arbutus, Antios dose first patient in Phase 2a trial of ATI-2173, AB-729 - Antios Therapeutics and Arbutus Biopharma Corporation announced that the first patient has been dosed in a triple combination treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. A single cohort in the ongoing Antios Phase 2a SAVE-1 clinical trial will evaluate a triple combination of Antios' proprietary active site polymerase inhibitor nucleotide, ATI-2173, Arbutus' proprietary GalNAc delivered RNAi therapeutic, AB-729, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, a nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor. The multi-center, double-blind, combination clinical trial plans to enroll 40 patients including a cohort of 10 patients with chronic HBV infection assigned 8:2 to active drugs or matching placebos. The active drugs or placebos will be administered in combination with 300 mg of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. ATI-2173 and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate will be administered orally and by injections once daily for 90 days. AB-729 will be administered by subcutaneous injection at Day 28 and Day 90. Following this 90-day treatment period, patients will be followed-up for safety and sustained antiviral responses for six additional months.

07:35 EST SL Green Realty announces sale of 707 Eleventh Avenue - SL Green Realty announced the sale of its ownership interest in 707 Eleventh Avenue for a gross sale price of $95M to a domestic buyer. SL Green purchased the 160,000 square foot, loft-style building in January of 2020 for $90M. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. Proceeds from the sale are expected to be used for the repayment of corporate debt. A team led by Andrew Scandalios at JLL represented SL Green in the transaction.

07:33 EST MindMed appoints Robert Barrow as CEO - Mind Medicine announced that Robert Barrow was appointed as CEO and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Barrow previously served as interim CEO and Chief Development Officer of MindMed and brings strategic expertise and deep industry insight to his role. Robert Barrow is an accomplished pharmaceutical executive with over a decade of experience leading organizations and drug development programs in a variety of disease areas. Barrow is a recognized leader in the psychedelic industry, in which he has played a central role in the design and execution of several successful regulatory and drug development strategies.

07:32 EST Atai Life Sciences announces outcome of Phase 2a trial of RL-007 - atai Life Sciences announced positive topline data from its Phase 2a study of RL-007 for Cognitive Impairment Associated with Schizophrenia, CIAS. The 32-patient, single-arm, single-blind study demonstrated a clinically meaningful pro-cognitive profile for RL-007, based on analysis of general cognition and episodic memory. Additionally, the trial showed changes in quantitative electroencephalogram, qEEG, that are consistent with previous results of a prior study of healthy volunteers. Together, the results support atai's decision to progress RL-007 to a double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial focused on cognition. The topline Phase 2a data showed dose-related improvements on exploratory cognitive endpoints. The dose-responsive improvement of Symbol Coding and HVLT replicated the previously observed cognitive bi-phasic dose response of RL-007. Importantly, Symbol Coding is a highly sensitive cognitive endpoint in CIAS patients, has a high correlation with patient outcome, and is a key component of the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia Consensus Cognitive Battery. In addition to the pro-cognitive effects, a dose dependent response in qEEG was observed, with the greatest increases seen in 20mg and 40mg doses of RL-007. The qEEG data demonstrated salient increases in amplitude in the alpha band and in the alpha-slow wave index, both markers of alertness believed to correlate with aspects of cognition.

07:31 EST Medtronic: FDA grants 510(k) clearance for INVOS 7100 system - Medtronic announced that the U.S. FDA has granted 510(k) clearance for its INVOS 7100 cerebral/somatic oximetry system for children from birth through age 18. The INVOS system picks up key signals to inform time-critical decisions by pediatric clinicians related to hemodynamic management, ventilation, and resuscitation for premature infants, neonates, children, and other patients treated by pediatric clinicians.

07:31 EST NerdWallet appoints John Caine as Chief Product Officer - NerdWallet welcomes John Caine as its new Chief Product Officer, or CPO. Caine will be part of the executive leadership team at NerdWallet, where he will accelerate product development to provide consumers with the best product experiences. Caine brings over 20 years of experience in building, scaling and optimizing consumer products. Most recently, as CPO and Chief Conversion Officer at Vroom, he focused on simplifying and improving the car buying process for consumers by understanding their motivations and building products to help alleviate their pain points. Prior to Vroom, John served as the CPO at Priceline.com and was one of the early leaders responsible for developing and driving mobile growth. Caine launched the Priceline mobile business as a side work project, which later turned into the core focus of the product organization, driving a significant amount of revenue.

07:30 EST Galera Therapeutics trading resumes

07:28 EST Galera Therapeutics trading halted, news pending

07:28 EST Cidara Therapeutics trading halted, news pending

07:26 EST TG Therapeutics announces FDA acceptance of BLA for ublituximab - TG Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the Biologics License Application, BLA, for ublituximab, the Company's investigational glycoengineered anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, as a treatment for patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, RMS. The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act, PDUFA, goal date of September 28, 2022. The FDA also notified the Company that it is not currently planning to hold an advisory committee meeting to discuss this application. Michael Weiss, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TG Therapeutics, stated, "We are excited to share that we have received formal communication from the FDA, and the BLA for ublituximab to treat relapsing forms of MS has been accepted and granted a standard review. This is a major milestone for us as it is our first U.S. marketing application for an autoimmune indication. We look forward to working with the FDA throughout this review process."

07:24 EST Helius Medical announces issuance of US patent for wireless PoNS - Helius Medical Technologies announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office, USPTO, has issued U.S. Patent No. 11,197,994, which is directed to systems for providing non-invasive neurorehabilitation of a patient. The patent is similar in scope to prior Helius patents for the Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator, PoNS. device but expressly recites that the communications between the mouthpiece and controller are done wirelessly. "We are pleased to announce our new patent, which will allow for a wireless connection between the mouthpiece and controller of our PoNS device," said Dane Andreeff, President and Chief Executive Officer of Helius. "PoNS is the first and only patented therapy combining trigeminal nerve neurostimulation via the tongue with physical therapy to reduce symptoms of neurological disease or trauma, and this patent is an important building block for future generations of PoNS therapy." Helius now owns 34 U.S. and 46 foreign patents expiring between 2026 and 2036, and exclusively licenses nine U.S. medical method patents expiring between 2029 and 2031.

07:22 EST Intema's Generationz Gaming signs LOI with Wild Rose Entertainment - Intema Solutions announces the creation of Generationz Gaming Entertainment, a new U.S. subsidiary located in Chicago, Illinois, led by gaming veteran CEO William Foss. Generationz has signed a letter of intent with Wild Rose Entertainment to award Generationz a LOOT.BET sports wagering skin. The LOI will be contingent on, among other things, the negotiation of a definitive agreement, successful certification of the LOOT.BET betting platform by Gaming Laboratories International and obtention of a gaming license from the State of Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. Further to its news release of April 21, 2021, on July 12 and October 12, 2021, Intema issued an aggregate of 118,868 common shares of the Corporation at a deemed price of $0.53 per share to Agora Internet Relations Corp. in consideration of services rendered.

07:20 EST Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits signs purchase order with Xos - Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits announced it has signed a purchase order with Xos for 10 Xos Class 7 refrigerated beverage trucks. This initial test of electric trucks will be used to inform future deployments of Xos electric vehicles into the Company's national fleet. The 10 first-of-their-kind vehicles will be deployed from Southern Glazer's Dallas/Ft. Worth distribution center and used as part of the Company's delivery fleet supporting the North Texas market in the second half of 2022. Plans to invest in electric vehicle charging stations at the facility are also underway.

07:17 EST Green Thumb Industries to open GreenStar Herbals Chelsea in Massachusetts - Green Thumb Industries announced it will open GreenStar Herbals Chelsea in Massachusetts on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. The store will be rebranded to Rise in 2022. Profits from the first day of sales will be donated to La Colaborativa, an organization committed to empowering Latinx immigrants to enhance the social and economic health of the community and its people.

07:13 EST Adagio reports neutralizing activity of ADG20 against Omicron COVID-19 variant - Adagio Therapeutics provided an update following external in vitro analyses to evaluate neutralizing activity of ADG20 against the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant. The in vitro data generated through both authentic and pseudovirus testing of the Omicron variant show a greater than 300-fold reduction in neutralizing activity of ADG20 against Omicron. Additional analyses are ongoing, and the company plans to engage with regulatory and government agencies to assess the role ADG20 can play for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, particularly as the industry's understanding of the epidemiology and impact of Omicron and potential new variants develops. ADG20 is an investigational monoclonal antibody product candidate designed to provide broad and potent neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2, including variants of concern, for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 with potential duration of protection for up to one year with a single injection.

07:11 EST Tuesday Morning appoints Marcelo Podesta as independent director - Tuesday Morning Corporation announced that Marcelo Podesta joined the company's board of directors as an independent director, effective December 13, 2021. Podesta is currently President of National Business Furniture Inc., a role he has held since August 2020.

07:10 EST Jushi Holdings opens 28th BEYOND / HELLO retail location - Jushi Holdings announced the opening of its 28th retail location nationwide and 18th BEYOND / HELLO medical marijuana dispensary in Pennsylvania through its subsidiary, Agape Total Health Care Inc. BEYOND / HELLO Pottsville will begin serving Pennsylvania medical marijuana patients and caregivers on Monday, December 20, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., providing an unparalleled in-store experience coupled with convenient online reservations available through beyond-hello.com and in-store express pickup.

07:09 EST Alnylam submits sNDAs to FDA, EMA for Oxlumo label expansion in PH1 - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals announced the submission of a supplemental New Drug Application, sNDA, to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA and Type II Filing Variation to the European Medicines Agency EMA for lumasiran, an investigational RNAi therapeutic targeting hydroxyacid oxidase 1 HAO1 - the gene encoding glycolate oxidase GO - for the reduction of plasma oxalate in the treatment of patients with advanced primary hyperoxaluria type 1 PH1. "Compromised renal function in patients with advanced PH1 often leads to elevated levels of plasma oxalate and subsequent pathologic deposition of oxalate in multiple organs, including the bones, eyes, heart, and skin - a highly morbid and potentially fatal condition known as systemic oxalosis. Treatment options for these patients are limited to intensive hemodialysis and liver/kidney transplantation. With that in mind, we believe the ILLUMINATE-C data package demonstrates the potential for lumasiran to provide a therapeutic option that substantially reduces plasma oxalate levels that result in systemic oxalosis in adult and pediatric PH1 patients with advanced disease, including for patients on hemodialysis," said Jeroen Valkenburg, General Manager, Lumasiran program at Alnylam. The applications to the FDA and EMA are based on positive results from the ILLUMINATE-C single-arm, open-label Phase 3 study of lumasiran in patients of all ages with advanced PH1. The six-month primary analysis results from the study were presented in November 2021 at the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week annual meeting and showed a substantial reduction in plasma oxalate from baseline in PH1 patients with chronic kidney disease stage 3b-5, with or without dialysis. The most common drug-related adverse events were injection site reactions, all of which were mild and transient.

07:09 EST PharmaTher announces research results from LSD microneedle patch - PharmaTher Holdings announced that it has successfully completed its first research study evaluating MicroDose-MN, a proprietary microneedle patch for the intradermal delivery of psychedelics, in delivering lysergic acid diethylamide. These results provide support to file for an IND application with the FDA to conduct Phase 2 clinical studies in 2022 with LSD for various indications. The aim of PharmaTher's research program was to develop a suitable prototype of MicroDose-MN patch for transdermal drug delivery to confirm compatibility and suitability to deliver LSD. The research program scope included, full characterization of LSD conjugated on the microneedle patch backbone, establishment and demonstration of the loading capacity for LSD, and release rate evaluations for the LSD conjugated materials using appropriate models that will be used to support the Company's IND application with the FDA in the future. The Company's research program with LSD conjugated microneedles have been successfully fabricated, optimized, and characterized. Both structural aspects and ex-vivo skin insertion assessments of the LSD conjugated microneedles have demonstrated successful fabrication and acceptable performance. The incorporation of LSD into microneedles without issue and the ability to demonstrate complete ex vivo skin model release over several days demonstrates potential for larger doses and modified release profiles. With these results, the Company believes it has an acceptable prototype for completing IND-enabling studies with the aim to conduct clinical studies in 2022. Details of the research program will be published in a scientific journal. The Company believes that its MicroDose-MN patch for delivering LSD and other psychedelics may enable flexible drug load capacity and combinations, controlled released delivery, and be able to present desired pharmacokinetic and safety profiles. In addition, the MicroDose-MN patch for psychedelics aims to empower patients to dose their medication remotely, safely and conveniently rather than under supervision by a healthcare provider at a certified medical office or hospital. To achieve this, the Company will incorporate anti-tampering and anti-abuse features that would parallel the approach used for the tamper-resistant transdermal fentanyl patch. The Company is completing its evaluation of MicroDose-MN with 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine and N, N-dimethyltryptamine and expects to provide results before the end of this year and pursue clinical studies in 2022. The Company is actively engaged in partnering discussions for the use of its microneedle patch system to deliver psychedelics including, but not limited to, MDMA, LSD, DMT, ibogaine and mescaline. As such, PharmaTher offers potential partners a differentiated and validated delivery system for psychedelics, desired pharmacokinetic profiles, intellectual property protection, cGMP microneedle patches for IND-enabling and clinical studies, and a clear clinical pathway towards clinical studies in 2022.

07:07 EST Bio-Techne enters option agreement with Wilson Wolf - Bio-Techne announced it has entered into an option agreement with Wilson Wolf Corporation. The agreement includes a potential 20% ownership investment in Wilson Wolf upon its achievement of approximately $100M in revenue or $50M in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization as well as the opportunity to fully acquire the company upon its achievement of approximately $225M in revenue or $135M in EBITDA.

07:06 EST Footprint to become public through Gores Holdings VIII merger agreement - Footprint, a global materials science technology company focused on sustainable solutions, and Gores Holdings VIII (GIIX), a special purpose acquisition company formed by an affiliate of The Gores Group announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement that, subject to the consummation of the transaction, will result in Footprint becoming a publicly listed company. Upon closing of the proposed transaction, the combined company will be named and is expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol (FOOT). The combined company will be led by Troy Swope, co-Founder and CEO of Footprint, and is expected to have a pro forma enterprise value of $1.6B at the closing of the proposed transaction. The transaction implies an enterprise value of approximately $1.6B for the combined company, representing approximately 3.2x of 2023 estimated revenue. Current Footprint equity holders will retain approximately 62% ownership in Footprint and roll 100% of their equity interests into the pro forma company. Assuming no redemptions by the public stockholders of Gores Holdings VIII, the business combination will provide approximately $805M in gross proceeds to fund the combined company's growth strategy. The gross proceeds are comprised of $345M of cash held in trust from Gores Holdings VIII and approximately $460M of additional capital, including $150M Class C Preferred Financing which will be funded immediately. The PIPE investment, which was oversubscribed, and Class C Preferred Financing are anchored by Koch Strategic Platforms and include a meaningful commitment from Gores Holdings VIII Sponsor and affiliates. The proposed business combination, which has been unanimously approved by both the board of directors of Gores Holdings VIII and the board of directors of Footprint, is expected to close in the first half of 2022, subject to approval by Gores Holdings VIII's stockholders and other customary closing conditions.

07:05 EST Centene announces board changes, cooperation agreement with Politan Capital - Centene announced various enhancements as part of its ongoing board refreshment and governance review process and a cooperation agreement the company has entered into with Politan Capital Management. The Board of Directors will appoint five new directors: Ken Burdick, Christopher Coughlin, Wayne DeVeydt, and Theodore Samuels, as well as a fifth director to be mutually agreed upon by Centene and Politan. Appointments will be made on January 5, 2022. Current director James Dallas will become Lead Independent Director immediately and will assume the Independent Chair by the end of 2022. The reconstituted Board will be responsible for appointing a new CEO following a thorough selection process, including evaluating internal and external candidates with the support of an external search firm. In addition, a subset of Centene's directors will be included in management's existing Value Creation Steering Committee, which was formed in July and is tasked with evaluating and prioritizing initiatives as part of the company's previously announced Value Creation Plan. Finally, Centene will implement a mandatory Board retirement age of 75 years, with existing directors grandfathered until their current election term is up. Six current directors will retire from the Board over time. Pursuant to the cooperation agreements, Politan has agreed to customary standstill, voting, and other provisions.

07:04 EST Village Farms receives approval for voluntary delisting from the TSX - Village Farms International announced that it has applied and received approval for a voluntary delisting of its common shares from the Toronto Stock Exchange, or TSX. With Village Farms' common shares being listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market since February 2019, the Company believes the trading volume of its common shares on the TSX no longer justifies the expense and administrative requirements associated with maintaining a TSX listing. The Company also believes Nasdaq provides its shareholders with sufficient liquidity, and the cost savings from the elimination of TSX listing fees and associated professional fees, as well as the savings in time and effort of management required to maintain a dual listing, can be redirected to initiatives intended to generate shareholder value. Effective at the close of markets on December 31 Village Farms' common shares will no longer be listed or traded on the TSX. Following delisting from the TSX, Village Farms' shareholders can trade their common shares through their brokers on Nasdaq.

07:03 EST Fusion Fuel appoints Theresa Jester to board of directors - Fusion Fuel Green00 announced the appointment of Theresa "Terry" Jester to the Company's Board of Directors. Ms. Jester currently serves on the Boards of NEXT Energy Technologies, a developer of organic photovoltaic coatings used to transform windows into energy-producing assets, and Silicor Materials, a global leader in the production of solar silicon. She previously served as CEO of BIA Controls, a developer and installer of demand management, energy management and building automation software systems.

07:03 EST Eldorado Gold completes key growth projects at Lamaque, Kisladag - Eldorado Gold is pleased to announce the completion of the Triangle-Sigma decline at Lamaque and the construction and wet commissioning of the high-pressure grinding rolls circuit at Kisladag. Both growth projects were approved in 2020, just prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decline at Lamaque was delivered on budget and on schedule. The Kisladag HPGR project was two months delayed due to COVID-19 related slower than planned equipment delivery. The project however was delivered within budget. The completion of the Triangle-Sigma decline project, connecting the ore transportation ramp between the Triangle mine and the Sigma processing plant, is expected to provide multiple near-term and long-term benefits as the Company continues to grow production at Lamaque. The project included approximately 3,200 meters of development, completed within the 18-month schedule and within the $24 million cost estimate. Benefits of the Triangle-Sigma decline include: Eliminates surface rehandling and haulage of the ore from the Triangle mine to the Sigma mill, reducing costs and carbon emissions, and removing haulage traffic from public roads. Provides underground access for lower-cost exploration in the prospective area between the Triangle mine and the historic Sigma and Lamaque mines - including further drilling of the Ormaque, Plug 4 and Parallel deposits. Facilitates increased future production from the Triangle mine and allows for mining of satellite deposits. Reduces the energy requirements for mine ventilation. Provides a means of secondary egress and ventilation from the Triangle mine, increasing safety underground. Commissioning of the HPGR circuit has been completed and the circuit is now ramping up to production and metallurgical specifications. The HPGR circuit is a key growth project that is expected to increase heap leach life of mine recovery by an estimated 4% to approximately 56%. The Company believes there is potential to further increase recovery with additional optimization of the HPGR circuit, which could lead to higher gold production. The project was completed within the $35 million cost estimate over a two-year period.

07:01 EST Immatics and Bristol-Myers enter into an agreement for IMA401 - Immatics (IMTX) and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY), announced that they have entered into a license, development and commercialization agreement for Immatics' TCR Bispecific candidate, IMA401. Under the terms of the agreement, Immatics will receive an upfront payment of $150M as well as up to $770M in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, in addition to tiered double-digit royalty payments on net sales of IMA401. Immatics retains the options to co-fund U.S. development in exchange for enhanced U.S. royalty payments and/or to co-promote IMA401 in the US. IMA401 is the most advanced product candidate in Immatics' TCR Bispecifics pipeline, called TCER, in which one binding region targets MAGEA4/8, a highly prevalent antigen in multiple solid tumors, and the other region engages and activates T cells.

06:59 EST Neogen and 3M food safety business to combine, 3M to receive $1B consideration - Neogen (NEOG) and 3M (MMM) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which 3M will separate its food safety business and simultaneously combine it with Neogen in a transaction that is intended to be tax-efficient to 3M and its shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The transaction implies an enterprise value for 3M's Food Safety business of approximately $5.3B, including $1B in new debt to be incurred by 3M's food safety business. This represents an implied multiple of approximately 32x and 27x CY 2022E adjusted EBITDA pre and post run-rate synergies respectively, based on Neogen's closing price as of December 13. 3M's food safety business will fund to 3M consideration valued at approximately $1B, subject to closing and other adjustments. The combined company is expected to have an enterprise value of approximately $9.3B, based on Neogen's closing share price as of December 13. Under the terms of the definitive agreements, which involve a tax-free "Reverse Morris Trust" structure, existing Neogen shareholders will continue to own approximately 49.9% of the combined company, and 3M shareholders will receive approximately 50.1% of the combined company. The boards of directors of both Neogen and 3M have unanimously approved the transaction. The transaction involves a tax-free "Reverse Morris Trust" transaction structure, where 3M's Food Safety business will be spun-off or split-off to 3M shareholders and simultaneously merged with a wholly owned subsidiary of NEOGEN. The transaction is intended to be tax-efficient to 3M and 3M's shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. At the completion of the transaction, Neogen will issue a number of shares to 3M shareholders such that 3M shareholders will receive approximately 50.1% of the combined company and existing Neogen shareholders will continue to own approximately 49.9% of the combined company. In connection with the transaction, 3M will also receive consideration valued at approximately $1B, subject to closing and other adjustments. Neogen's expected pro forma net leverage ratio at close is expected to be less than 2.5x, inclusive of the $1B of new debt. Strong expected free cash flow generation and EBITDA growth of the combined business enables rapid deleveraging post-closing. The transaction is expected to close by the end of Q3 2022, subject to approval by Neogen shareholders, receipt of required regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Neogen's president and CEO, John Adent, and Neogen's existing management team will continue to lead the combined company. The size of the Neogen board will be increased and two new independent board members, to be designated by 3M, will be appointed at closing.

06:55 EST Brookfield to renew its normal course issuer bid for its partnership units - Brookfield Renewable announced that the Toronto Stock Exchange, or TSX, has accepted notices filed by Brookfield Renewable Partners of its intention to renew its normal course issuer bid for its limited partnership units and by Brookfield Renewable Corporation (BEPC) its intention to renew its normal course issuer bid for its outstanding class A exchangeable subordinate voting shares. Brookfield Renewable believes that in the event that Units or Exchangeable Shares trade in a price range that does not fully reflect their intrinsic value, the acquisition of Units or Exchangeable Shares, as applicable, may represent an attractive use of available funds. Brookfield Renewable is authorized to repurchase up to 13,750,520 Units and 8,610,184 Exchangeable Shares, representing 5% of its issued and outstanding Units and Exchangeable Shares, respectively.

06:51 EST Tyme Technologies reports preclinical data on the effect of TYME-19 study - TYME Technologies announced encouraging preclinical data on the effect of TYME-19 in SARS CoV-2 infections. The Company believes that TYME-19, a synthetic bile acid, may have differentiated mechanisms that could offer alternatives for COVID-19 infected patients who may not be served by current and emerging oral agents. Bile acids can act to help overcome the viral hijacking of cells' translational machinery and the production and replication of virus proteins and particles. Based on these properties and recent research on COVID-19 disease processes, the Company anticipates that the TYME-19-based mechanisms of action may be independent of genetic shifts in the spike protein and, therefore, could have utility against a variety of current and future variants of SARS CoV-2, such as Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron, regardless of their spike protein characteristics. As a result, the Company believes this has the potential to be a complementary effective mechanism to current and emerging therapeutic options in COVID-19. In this initial preclinical study, TYME-19 was tested post-COVID-19 infection in human lung epithelial cells, examining changes in viral mRNA levels. This cell model is well understood and frequently used for screening for antiviral effects for drugs against respiratory viruses.

06:49 EST NRx Pharmaceuticals provides new safety update on ZYESAMI - NRx Pharmaceuticals provided a new safety update on ZYESAMI, or aviptadil, which is being tested in the ACTIV-3b Critical Care Phase 3 study sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health, or NIH. In its third scheduled analysis, the study's Independent Data Safety Monitoring Board found no new safety concerns after reviewing a total of 348 patients and recommended continued enrollment. The study leadership indicated that enrollment has been steady, and the Delta surge does not seem to be dissipating. The majority of enrolled patients are unvaccinated. The NIH expects to include the first patient in Brazil in the study in February 2022. ACTIV-3b is a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial testing ZYESAMI and remdesivir, or Veklury, in hospitalized patients with acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19 who require high-flow supplemental oxygen delivered by nasal cannula, mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

06:47 EST Pfizer reports final results from Phase 2/3 EPIC-HR trial of PAXLOVID - Pfizer announced final results from an analysis of all 2,246 adults enrolled in its Phase 2/3 EPIC-HR trial of its novel COVID-19 oral antiviral candidate PAXLOVID. These results were consistent with the interim analysis announced in November 2021, showing PAXLOVID significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization or death for any cause by 89% compared to placebo in non-hospitalized, high-risk adult patients with COVID-19 treated within three days of symptom onset. In a secondary endpoint, PAXLOVID reduced the risk of hospitalization or death for any cause by 88% compared to placebo in patients treated within five days of symptom onset, an increase from the 85% observed in the interim analysis. The EPIC-HR data have been shared with the U.S. FDA as part of an ongoing rolling submission for Emergency Use Authorization. In the final analysis of the primary endpoint from all patients enrolled in EPIC-HR, an 89% reduction in COVID-19-related hospitalization or death from any cause compared to placebo in patients treated within three days of symptom onset was observed, consistent with the interim analysis. In addition, a consistent safety profile was observed.

06:41 EST Luminar jumps 12% to $16.50 after announcing $250 share repurchase plan

06:34 EST Generation Bio provides update on factor VIII expression on hemophilia study - Generation Bio provided an update on factor VIII expression from a series of mouse and companion non-human primate, or NHP, studies in hemophilia A, as well as an update on the development of its non-viral genetic medicine platform. Generation Bio's proprietary genetic medicine technology comprises a closed-ended DNA, or ceDNA, delivered via a novel, cell-targeted lipid nanoparticle, or ctLNP. In July 2021 the company announced that it would incorporate its novel, proprietary rapid enzymatic synthesis, or RES, for ceDNA production into its pipeline programs. RES has improved ceDNA purity to 99%. In mouse studies, RES-derived ceDNA delivered by ctLNP generated peak mean human factor VIII expression of 205% of normal at 2.0 mg/kg. This is compared to peak mean human factor VIII expression of 23% of normal at 2.0 mg/kg using ceDNA produced by the company's prior Sf9-based manufacturing process.

06:33 EST Lion Electric receives conditional purchase order for 200 LionC school buses - Lion Electric announced that it has received a conditional purchase order for 200 all-electric LionC school buses from Langs Bus Lines, with deliveries to begin gradually in 2022, through 2026. The purchase order is conditional upon the satisfactory grant of non-repayable contributions to Langs Bus Lines under Infrastructure Canada's Zero-Emission Transit Fund, for which Langs Bus Lines has filed a formal application.

06:32 EST Luminar to purchase $250M or more of Class A common stock - Luminar Technologies, with support of its CEO, board members, and management, announced its authorization and intent to purchase $250M or more of its Class A common stock, which is anticipated to commence December 14 after market open. The company plans to use a portion of the proceeds from a proposed private financing transaction for the share repurchase.

06:19 EST Li-Cycle to build $485M commercial Hub facility in New York - Li-Cycle Holdings announced that it will proceed with the construction of its first commercial Hub facility, which is being developed within the Eastman Business Park near Rochester, New York. Li-Cycle will increase the input processing capacity of the Hub by over 40%, from 25,000 tonnes to 35,000 tonnes of "black mass" annually. With its increased capacity, the Hub will be able to process battery material that is equivalent to approximately 225,000 electric vehicles, or EVs, per year. The Company estimates that the Hub will require a total capital investment of approximately $485M, +/-15%, which can be funded from existing balance sheet cash. Li-Cycle also expects to explore various opportunities to optimize its capital structure, for example, with potential credit from government-related institutions. The Hub will be fully integrated with Li-Cycle's existing network of Spoke facilities across North America. Li-Cycle's Spoke facilities take in end-of-life batteries and battery manufacturing scrap to produce "black mass", an intermediate product containing valuable metals such as nickel, cobalt and lithium. The Hub will transform that black mass into critical battery grade materials to be returned back to the lithium-ion battery supply chain. Li-Cycle's Spoke facilities will be the primary suppliers of feedstock for the Hub. Once the Hub is fully operational, Li-Cycle expects to be the #1 or #2 domestic U.S. based supplier of battery grade advanced materials.

06:04 EST Perimeter Solutions authorizes $100M share repurchase program

06:03 EST IBM, Samsung Electronics announce breakthrough in semiconductor design - IBM and Samsung Electronics jointly announced a breakthrough in semiconductor design utilizing a new vertical transistor architecture that demonstrates a path to scaling beyond nanosheet, and has the potential to reduce energy usage by 85% compared to a scaled fin field-effect transistor.

05:32 EST Li-Cycle, LGC and LGES enter scrap supply and nickel sulphate off-take agreement - Li-Cycle announced that it has entered into a manufacturing scrap supply and nickel sulphate off-take agreement non-binding letter of intent with LG Chem, or LGC, and LG Energy Solution, or LGES. Upon execution of the definitive commercial agreement related to the proposed supply and off-take arrangements, LGC and LGES will together make a $50M investment to purchase common shares of Li-Cycle, pursuant to the terms of definitive subscription agreements effective immediately. Upon the execution of the definitive agreement, Li-Cycle, through its end-product off-take partner for the Rochester Hub, Traxys North America, will sell 20,000 tons of nickel contained in nickel sulphate produced by Li-Cycle to LGC and LGES over 10 years, beginning in 2023. Additionally, LGES and Li-Cycle intend to cooperate on recycling nickel-bearing lithium-ion battery scrap and certain other lithium-ion battery materials to create a closed loop ecosystem. Li-Cycle estimates that the amount of nickel that LGC and LGES plan to procure from Li-Cycle will be enough to produce lithium-ion batteries to power approximately 300,000 EVs. Under the terms of the proposed investment, LG Chem and LG Energy Solution will each subscribe for 2,208,480 common shares at a price of $11.32 per share, for an aggregate investment in the company of $50M. The subscription price per common share is based on a 30-day volume-weighted average price of the common shares prior to LGES' investment committee approval of LGES' participation in the Investment on October 28. The closing of the Investment is conditional on the parties entering into mutually acceptable definitive commercial agreements regarding the supply of nickel-bearing lithium-ion battery scrap from LGES to Li-Cycle and nickel sulphate off-take from Li-Cycle to LGES and LGC.

05:23 EST GXO deploys 6RS robots on multiple mezzanine floors in distribution center - GXO Logistics announced that it has achieved an industry first by deploying 6 River Systems, or 6RS, collaborative robots, or cobots, on multiple mezzanine floors in one of its distribution centers in Milton Keynes, England. GXO collaborated with 6RS to develop and test new features on the cobots, which automatically travel from one location to another carrying picked items, reducing employees' walk time and helping them pick items from inventory more efficiently. At another GXO site in Stoke-on-Trent, the cobots, which are called "Chucks," have enhanced picking accuracy by 40 percent and reduced new employee training time by 80 percent since being deployed.

05:18 EST Iveco, Air Liquide to develop hydrogen mobility in Europe - Iveco, the commercial vehicles brand of CNH Industrial and Air Liquide have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop hydrogen mobility in Europe. The partnership will contribute to materialize clean mobility by leveraging the two companies' competencies, in particular Air Liquide's expertise across the hydrogen value chain, from production and storage to distribution, and Iveco's legacy as a provider of advanced, clean sustainable transport solutions. Both partners will dedicate means and resources to study the roll-out of heavy-duty fuel-cell electric long-haul trucks coupled with the deployment of a network of renewable or low-carbon hydrogen refueling stations along the main trans-European transport corridors. In parallel, both companies will jointly promote initiatives to encourage hydrogen mobility by involving all stakeholders along the entire value-chain.

05:13 EST FTI Consulting to acquire Bold, terms undisclosed - FTI Consulting announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Bold, a restructuring, transactions, digital and transformation advisory firm in the Netherlands. The acquisition is expected to close during Q1 of 2022. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2013 by Klaas Wagenaar and Gerrit van Munster, Bold helps businesses become and stay relevant in times of strategic change and mergers and acquisitions. The acquisition will extend FTI Consulting's restructuring, business transformation, digital and transactions teams to the Dutch market and will provide Bold's existing clients with access to FTI Consulting's platform. Thirty-one billable professionals, including two senior managing directors and eight managing directors, will join the corporate finance and restructuring segment at FTI Consulting.

05:07 EST KKR and Synergy acquire Two Drydock from Skanska, terms undisclosed - KKR and Skanska announced that KKR has acquired Two Drydock from Skanska. Synergy Investments, a full-service real estate investment and operating company primarily focused on the Boston market, is participating in the investment alongside KKR and will operate the property. Two Drydock is a 13-story, 235,000-square-foot, Class-A, office building developed by Skanska. It features approximately 7,000 square-feet of ground-floor retail, 150 above-ground parking spaces and a 10,000-square-foot outdoor plaza.