Stockwinners Market Radar for December 20, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:10 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 62.5K shares of Robinhood on Monday

20:08 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 55.4K shares of DraftKings on Monday

20:06 EST Cathie Wood's UiPath ARK Investment bought 132.4K shares of UiPath on Monday

18:44 EST Northwest Pipe to supply pipe for Phase 1B of Carrizo-Water Supply Project - Northwest Pipe has been selected by Garney Construction and the Alliance Regional Water Authority to manufacture engineered steel pipe for Phase 1B - Segment A of the Carrizo-Water Supply Project. The project, which will be operational by late 2023, includes new water transmission pipeline, four wells, storage tanks, pump stations, and a treatment facility. Serving the cities of San Marcos, Buda, Kyle, and other utility districts represented by the Canyon Regional Water Authority, the plant will provide 19 million gallons of water per day to these Texas communities. Northwest Pipe Company is manufacturing over 89,000 feet, or nearly 17 miles, of water transmission pipe that will convey water from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer to a new treatment plant. Over 5,100 tons of steel is being used to manufacture the cement mortar lined and polyurethane coated 48-inch-diameter engineered pipeline.

18:01 EST Airbus receives a formal legal claim in the English courts filed by Qatar Airway - Airbus received a formal legal claim in the English courts filed by Qatar Airways, relating to the dispute over the degradation of surface and paint on certain of Qatar Airways' A350XWB aircraft. Airbus is in the process of analysing the contents of the claim. Airbus intends to vigorously defend its position. Reference Link

17:44 EST InterGroup announces increase in share repurchase program - The InterGroup announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the company to purchase up to an additional 125,000 shares of the company's common stock under its existing stock repurchase program, reflecting the Board's confidence in management and the company's business, as well as belief that the company's shares are undervalued. That action increased the total remaining number of shares authorized for repurchase to approximately 130,000 shares.

17:28 EST Boeing awarded $329.3M Air Force contract - Boeing has been awarded a $329.3M indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for GPS, IIF on-orbit support to satisfy the GPS IIF mission requirements. This contract will provide engineering services to the operational units in support of GPS Block IIF satellite constellation. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Los Angeles, California, and is expected to be completed by December 20, 2031. The Space Systems Command Directorate of Contracting is the contracting activity.

17:19 EST Hayward announces $450M stock buyback - Hayward announced the company's board of directors has approved a new stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to $450M of the company's outstanding common stock over the next three years.

17:12 EST Target director sells $6.47M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Target disclosed that its director John Mulligan sold 28.9K shares of common stock on December 17th in a total transaction size of $6.47M, reducing his stake by about 14%.

17:02 EST Camber Energy receives letter from NYSE American over compliance - Camber Energy announced that on December 17, 2021 it received a letter from the NYSE American in response to the company's request for an extension of the date by which the company is to file outstanding financial reports. The company is not in compliance with the Exchange's continued listing standards as set forth in Section 1007 of the NYSE American Company Guide given the company failed to timely file the following reports: Form 10-K for the 9-month transition period ended December 31,2020; Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2021; and Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2021. The Filing Delinquency will be cured via the filing of the Delayed Reports. The company intended to remedy the Filing Delinquency on or before December 17, 2021, however due to certain circumstances requested the Exchange grant the company a brief extension of time by which to file the Delayed Reports. The Exchange accepted the company's request and has allowed the company until January 14, 2022 to file the Delayed Reports.

16:56 EST Funko director buys $1.71M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Funko disclosed that its director Charles Denson bought 99.3K shares of common stock on December 16th in a total transaction size of $1.71M, boosting his stake by 116%.

16:44 EST Micron says non-memory component shortages limiting CY21 auto output - "We expect automotive and industrial to be the fastest-growing memory and storage markets over the next decade, and we are exceptionally well positioned as the market share leader, with over 10% of our revenue coming from these end markets," Micron said in prepared remarks for its Q1 call. "In the near term, non-memory component shortages are limiting CY21 auto unit production to be flat year over year, significantly below end-consumer demand. However, our FQ1 year-over-year auto revenue growth remained strong at 25% as a result of content growth from in-vehicle infotainment and driverassistance applications, which are advancing rapidly, especially as EV adoption accelerates. New EVs are becoming like a data center on wheels, and we are already seeing examples of 2022-model-year EVs supporting level 3 autonomous capability with over 140GB of DRAM and also examples with over 1TB of NAND. In addition to continued content growth, we expect CY22 auto unit production to increase as nonmemory component shortages ease. We entered into a new supply agreement with UMC to improve our ability to support our automotive customers with NAND solutions as market demand strengthens in CY22. In industrial IoT, we saw more than 80% year-over-year revenue growth, fueled by the continued ramp in applications such as factory automation and security systems. In consumer IoT, we saw more than 40% year-over-year revenue growth, driven by applications such as virtual reality (VR) headsets and smart home devices. We expect internet of things (IoT) demand trends to accelerate further as 5G speeds the adoption of data-intensive applications powered by intelligent-edge infrastructure."

16:36 EST Aldeyra down 37% to $4.50 at resumption of trade after TRANQUILITY trial data

16:34 EST KKR Real Estate Finance names Kendra Decious as CFO, succeeding Mostafa Nagaty - KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (KREF) announced that Kendra Decious has been appointed CFO and Treasurer of the company, effective March 2, 2022. Decious will replace Mostafa Nagaty, who resigned from the company. Nagaty will remain in his positions through March 1, 2022 and has agreed to assist the company as it transitions his responsibilities. Decious is currently a Managing Director in the finance group of KKR & Co. (KKR) and its subsidiaries, and has been with KKR since 2006.

16:32 EST Braze jumps 6.4% to $68.50 per share after Q3 earnings

16:32 EST Pfizer says VYNDAQEL/VYNDAMX reduced all-cause mortality risk by 41% in trial - Pfizer announced the publication of a post-hoc, interim analysis showing that treatment with VYNDAQEL/VYNDAMAX provided a clinically significant survival benefit at five years for patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. This analysis from the Phase 3 Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy Clinical Trial and its long-term extension study was published in Circulation: Heart Failure. In ATTR-ACT, patients were randomized to receive VYNDAQEL 80 mg, 20 mg or placebo, and upon study completion at 30 months could enroll in the LTE study. In the LTE study, patients who had been treated with VYNDAQEL 80 mg continued this therapy, then transitioned to the bioequivalent single-capsule VYNDAMAX. Patients treated with placebo in ATTR-ACT were randomized to receive either VYNDAQEL 80 mg or 20 mg in the LTE study and were subsequently transitioned to VYNDAMAX. VYNDAMAX 61 mg is bioequivalent to VYNDAQEL 80 mg but is not interchangeable on a per-mg basis. "The results from this analysis build upon the positive primary results from the pivotal trial, ATTR-ACT, and reinforce that VYNDAQEL and VYNDAMAX have the potential to significantly extend survival for patients with ATTR-CM," said Brenda Cooperstone, M.D., Chief Development Officer, Rare Disease, Pfizer Global Product Development. "VYNDAQEL and VYNDAMAX represent a breakthrough for these patients who have no other approved medicines and the ATTR-ACT and the LTE study demonstrate that earlier treatment is crucial for patients with ATTR-CM."

16:29 EST BioDelivery Sciences wins in BELBUCA ANDA litigation against Alvogen Group - BioDelivery Sciences announced that the U.S. District Court of Delaware has issued an opinion in favor of BDSI in the company's patent litigation against Alvogen Group and its affiliates, who filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application for BDSI's BELBUCA product on May 23, 2018. The opinion by the trial judge upholds the validity of claims in BDSI's patents 8,147,866 (the '866 patent), which expires in 2027, and 9,901,539 (the '539 patent), which expires in 2032. Alvogen conceded infringement of these claims. Accordingly, BDSI expects market exclusivity of BELBUCA against Alvogen until 2032.

16:26 EST Amgen announces FDA approval of Otezla for treatment of plaque psoriasis - Amgen announced that the U.S. FDA has approved Otezla for the treatment of adult patients with plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy. With this expanded indication, Otezla is now the first and only oral treatment approved in adult patients with plaque psoriasis across all severities, including mild, moderate and severe.

16:22 EST Life Storage CEO Saffire sells 4,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Life Storage CEO Joseph Saffire disclosed the sale of 4,000 common shares of the company on December 20 at a price of $146.39 per share.

16:21 EST VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings III to transfer listing to Nasdaq - VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings III announced that it intends to withdraw the listing of its Class A common stock, warrants to purchase shares of Class A common stock and related units from the New York Stock Exchange and list its Class A common stock and warrants on The Nasdaq Global Market following, and subject to, the completion of its previously announced business combination with Dave Inc., which is expected to close on or around January 5, 2022.

16:17 EST Glaukos chairman William Link to retire effective December 31, 2021 - Glaukos Corporation announced that William J. Link, Ph.D., will be retiring as Chairman of the Board, effective December 31, 2021. Dr. Link joined Glaukos' Board and has served as Chairman since June 2001. In connection with Dr. Link's retirement, the Board has appointed Thomas W. Burns, Glaukos' President and Chief Executive Officer and a director on the Board since 2002, to serve as the company's Chairman of the Board, effective upon Dr. Link's retirement on December 31, 2021. Mr. Burns will continue to serve as the company's President and CEO. In addition, the independent members of the Board have appointed Mark J. Foley, who has served on the Board since 2014 and is the chair of the Compensation, Nominating and Governance Committee, as the Board's lead independent director. "We're grateful for Bill's leadership and contributions over the past 20 years, helping to guide Glaukos' transformational evolution from an early-stage startup into a global, diversified, ophthalmic drug and device leader," said Mark J. Foley, lead independent director and chair of the Compensation, Nominating and Governance Committee. "The Board believes Tom is an ideal fit to serve as the company's next Chairman and is confident he will continue to successfully lead Glaukos forward in its next phase of innovation and growth."

16:17 EST Neptune Wellness launches Mood Ring's new pre-roll line in Ontario, Alberta - Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. announced the launch of Mood Ring's new cannabis pre-roll product line in Alberta and Ontario. With the introduction of pre-rolls, Neptune now has an offering for every major cannabis product category in Canada. "The pre-roll market is booming in Canada, and we're pleased to introduce this in-demand format to our popular Mood Ring product mix," said Michael Cammarata, Chief Executive Officer and President of Neptune. "With sales up almost 200% year over year, pre-rolls have become a top three best-selling product category in Ontario as consumers increasingly seek them out for their accessibility and convenience." Mood Ring pre-rolls will initially be available in the popular Florida Citrus Kush strain in 2 x 0.5 gram format, launching in Alberta and Ontario in January. In addition, Neptune will introduce several new Mood Ring product formats across Canada, including: Jack Flash Distillate Applicators across Alberta and Ontario, and Pure Kush Distillate Applicators in Alberta; Craft Golden Berry dried flower in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario; High THC Oil in Alberta; THC/CBD Balanced Oil in Ontario. "These product launches signify Neptune's emergence as a diversified, high quality cannabis company with a complete offering across the major cannabis forms," added Cammarata. "We continue to execute on our strategy to deliver profitable growth through our cannabis business and we look forward to adding additional branded products to our licensed Canadian footprint over the coming year."

16:15 EST Micron sees CY21 industry DRAM bit demand growth in low 20% range - Sees CY21 industry DRAM bit demand growth to be in the low 20% range and industry NAND bit demand growth to be in the high 30% range. Sees CY22 industry bit demand growth to be in the mid to high teens for DRAM and approximately 30% for NAND. Sees long-term DRAM bit demand growth CAGR of mid-to-high teens and long-term NAND bit demand growth CAGR of approximately 30%. Sees company's CY22 bit supply growth for DRAM and NAND expected to be in line with industry demand. Says planning to deliver record revenue with solid profitability in FY22 with stronger bit shipment growth in the second half of the fiscal year. Sees annual cost-per-bit reductions to be competitive with the industry in FY22 and over the long term. Sees FY22 capex in the range of $11B to $12B. Guidance taken from Q1 earnings presentation slides.

16:13 EST Wayne Savings Bancshares adopts new 5% stock repurchase program - Wayne Savings Bancshares reported that its Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase program. On December 16, the Board of Directors adopted a new 5% stock repurchase program authorizing the Company to repurchase up to an additional 118,707 shares. The stock repurchase program may be limited or terminated at any time without prior notice. The previous stock repurchase program will be completed during the fourth quarter of 2021.

16:12 EST Aldeyra to resume trading at 16:35ET

16:11 EST Aldeyra reproxalap Phase 3 TRANQUILITY trial does not meet primary endpoint - Aldeyra Therapeutics "announced top-line results from the Phase 3 TRANQUILITY Trial of 0.25% reproxalap ophthalmic solution, an investigational product candidate for the treatment of dry eye disease. Although the primary endpoint of ocular redness was not met in TRANQUILITY, statistical significance was achieved for the dry eye disease sign of Schirmer test, a secondary endpoint. Statistical significance was also achieved for the post-hoc assessment of Schirmer test responders of greater than or equal to10 mm. The Schirmer test has been accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of the basis of approval of other dry eye disease products. The primary endpoint of the upcoming Phase 3 TRANQUILITY-2 Trial has been modified such that the endpoint will have been met if either Schirmer test or ocular redness demonstrates stastisical significance. In addition, target enrollment in TRANQUILITY-2 has been increased from 300 to up to 400 patients. Top-line results from TRANQUILITY-2 are expected mid-2022. Per draft FDA guidance, to be considered for regulatory approval in the United States, a product candidate for the treatment of dry eye disease must demonstrate efficacy in an objective sign in at least two clinical trials and efficacy in a subjective symptom in at least two clinical trials. To satisfy the symptom efficacy requirements, Aldeyra intends to submit two previously completed 12-week adequate and well-controlled symptom trials that pre-specified patient-reported ocular dryness score as a primary endpoint, the Phase 3 RENEW-Part 1 Trial and the Formulation Phase 2 clinical trial. Aldeyra's recently completed Phase 2 clinical trial achieved the primary endpoint of ocular redness, an approvable sign of dry eye disease. Pending discussion with the FDA and the results of TRANQUILITY-2, Aldeyra may submit two pivotal trials for either ocular redness or Schirmer test, or two trials for both signs if ocular redness and Schirmer test are achieved in TRANQUILITY-2. Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials can be submitted as pivotal, provided that the trials are adequate and well-controlled."

16:11 EST TimkenSteel announces $50M share repurchase plan, FY22 CapEx budget $40M - TimkenSteel announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program under which the company may repurchase up to $50M of its outstanding common shares. Additionally, the Board of Directors approved the capital expenditure budget for 2022 in the amount of $40M.

16:09 EST Calavo to implement operational measures to mitigate cost pressures - "While demand for fresh, healthy and convenient products remains strong, the industry-wide inflationary pressures on raw materials, freight and labor costs remain uncertain. We are implementing pricing and operational initiatives to offset these items. We are optimistic that we will see continued profit improvement from our efforts as part of Project Uno," noted the company in its report.

16:07 EST Acadia announces plan for sNDA resubmission for Nuplazid - Acadia Pharmaceuticals announced that it plans to resubmit its supplemental New Drug Application for pimavanserin for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with dementia focused on Alzheimer's disease psychosis. Resubmission of the sNDA to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is planned for the first quarter of 2022. "Following our recent meetings with the FDA, we plan to resubmit our sNDA for pimavanserin, narrowing the proposed indication from dementia-related psychosis to Alzheimer's disease psychosis," said Steve Davis, Chief Executive Officer. "Our resubmission will include new analyses of existing clinical study data supporting the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Alzheimer's disease. We are aware there are challenges to overcoming our complete response letter, but are pleased with the high level of engagement from the FDA over the last three meetings and their willingness to review our resubmission, allowing us to make our case that pimavanserin should be the first drug approved to treat Alzheimer's disease psychosis." The resubmission is intended to demonstrate pimavanserin's clinically meaningful benefit in ADP patients, without worsening of cognition or motor function in this elderly population. The resubmission will include data from two positive, placebo-controlled studies that prospectively met their primary endpoints: the pivotal Phase 3 HARMONY study and the -019 study. Additional analyses from HARMONY and -019 will also be provided that validate the primary conclusions from each study and address the concerns raised in the FDA's complete response letter.

16:03 EST B. Riley Financial unit acquires receivables portfolio from W.S. Badcock - B. Riley Financial (RILY) announced that its subsidiary has purchased a portfolio of performing credit receivables from W.S. Badcock, a home furnishings company and subsidiary of Franchise Group (FRG). Under the terms of the transaction, a B. Riley Financial entity has acquired the Badcock credit receivables portfolio for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $400M. Badcock will continue to service and administer the purchased receivables, which totaled approximately $535M as of December 15. The company intends to purchase additional receivables, subject to certain limitations and restrictions.

16:01 EST Stratasys names Eitan Zamir as new CFO - Stratasys announced the promotion of Eitan Zamir to CFO. Zamir is currently vice president of finance, and will succeed Lilach Payorski, who has made the decision to step down from her role after nine distinguished years at the Company, effective at the end of February 2022.

15:18 EST U.S. EPA finalizes new vehicle emissions requirements - The EPA said in a release: The Environmental Protection Agency is finalizing the most ambitious federal greenhouse gas emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks ever. The final standards, for Model Years ( 2023 through 2026, leverage advances in clean car technology to unlock $190 billion in net benefits to Americans, including reducing climate pollution, improving public health, and saving drivers money at the pump. The final rule also delivers more net benefits to consumers than the proposed rule showcasing how zero-emission vehicles are more affordable and more efficient for consumers. The ambitious standards through 2026 also set the light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas program on track to provide a strong launch point for the Agency's next phase of standards for MY 2027 and beyond. EPA is planning to initiate a separate rulemaking to establish multi-pollutant emission standards under the Clean Air Act for MY 2027 and later that will speed the transition of the light-duty vehicle fleet toward a zero-emissions future consistent with President Biden's Executive Order, "Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks." While these standards are ambitious, they provide adequate lead time for manufacturers to comply at reasonable costs. EPA's analysis shows manufacturers can comply with the final standards with modest increases in the numbers of electric vehicles entering the fleet. By MY 2026, EPA projects that the final standards can be met with sales of about 17 percent electric vehicles (EVs), and wider uptake of advanced gasoline engine and vehicle technologies available today. Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $7.5 billion is allocated for EV charging and related programs with a target of having 500,000 public charging stations by 2030, with a focus on creating a convenient national network and providing equitable access to rural drivers and overburdened and underserved communities. More than $7 billion is set aside for investments in battery manufacturing, materials, and recycling to drive down costs, increase sustainability, and build the batteries that will power the future vehicles here in the United States. The surge in charging infrastructure investments coupled with battery technology advancements, increased range, and reduced battery and vehicle costs are making EVs more attractive than ever to consumers. Publicly traded companies that may be impacted by this include: Daimler AG (DDAIF), Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Honda (HMC), Nissan (NSANY), Stellantis (STLA), Tesla (TSLA), Toyota (TM), Volkswagen (VWAGY), Nio (NIO), ChargePoint (CHPT), FMC Corporation (FMC), Rivian Automotive (RIVN) Exxon Mobil, Lucid Group (LCID), Workhorse Group (WKHS) and EVgo (EVGO), Blink Charging (BLNK), and ChargePoint (CHPT). https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-finalizes-greenhouse-gas-standards-passenger-vehicles-paving-way-zero-emissions

15:06 EST Independent Bank announces 1.1M share repurchase plan - Independent Bank announced that its Board of Directors authorized a 2022 share repurchase plan on December 17. Under the terms of the 2022 share repurchase plan, the company is authorized to buy back up to 1.1M shares, representing approximately 5% of its common stock. The 2022 share repurchase plan is authorized to last through December 31, 2022.

14:59 EST Pfizer's crizotinib granted orphan designation - Pfizer's crizotinib was granted orphan designation as a treatment of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, according to a post to the FDA's website. Reference Link

14:22 EST California AG files statewide lawsuit against Walmart over waste disposal - California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and twelve district attorneys, filed a statewide lawsuit against Walmart for the illegal disposal of hazardous waste. Over the past six years, Walmart is alleged to have violated California's environmental laws and regulations by disposing of hazardous waste products at local landfills that are not equipped or authorized to receive this type of waste. The waste includes alkaline and lithium batteries, insect killer sprays and other pesticides, aerosol cans, toxic cleaning supplies, electronic waste, latex paints, and LED lightbulbs, as well as confidential customer information. According to results from Walmart's own inspections, the California Department of Justice estimates the company unlawfully disposes of approximately 159,600 pounds - or more than one million items - of hazardous waste in California each year. "Walmart's own audits found that the company is dumping hazardous waste at local landfills at a rate of more than one million items each year. From there, these products may seep into the state's drinking water as toxic pollutants or into the air as dangerous gases," said Attorney General Rob Bonta. "When one person throws out a battery or half-empty hairspray bottle, we may think that it's no big deal. But when we're talking about tens of thousands of batteries, cleaning supplies, and other hazardous waste, the impact to our environment and our communities can be huge. This lawsuit should serve as a warning to the state's worst offenders. We will hold you accountable. As the People's Attorney, taking on corporate polluters and protecting public health will always be among my top priorities." Reference Link

13:20 EST Mogo receives final regulatory approval for launch of MogoTrade - Mogo announced it has received final approval from the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada for the launch of MogoTrade, Mogo's commission-free stock-trading solution. Additional details on MogoTrade, including instructions for downloading the app, will be available in the near term at mogo.ca.

12:22 EST Novavax reports second WHO Emergency Use Listing for COVID-19 vaccine - Novavax announced that the World Health Organization, or WHO, has granted a second Emergency Use Listing, or EUL, for NVX-CoV2373, Novavax' recombinant protein nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine with Matrix-M adjuvant, for the prevention of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals 18 years of age and older. "Today's EUL pertains to vaccine to be marketed by Novavax as Nuvaxovid COVID-19 Vaccine in Europe and other markets. NVX-CoV2373 is also being manufactured and marketed in India and licensed territories by Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd., as Covovax, which was granted EUL on December 17. Nuvaxovid and Covovax are based on the same Novavax recombinant protein technology and the EULs are based on a common pre-clinical, clinical and chemistry, manufacturing and controls package," the company stated. "Today's Emergency Use Listing underscores the ongoing need and potential for Novavax to help significantly increase COVID-19 vaccine access across the globe through a protein-based option built on a well-understood platform. We thank the World Health Organization for its thorough assessment and look forward to helping address major obstacles to controlling the pandemic, including practical barriers to access and vaccine hesitancy," added StanleyErck, President and CEO of Novavax.

12:00 EST Zhihu falls -14.3% - Zhihu is down -14.3%, or -82c to $4.90.

12:00 EST SQM falls -15.5% - SQM is down -15.5%, or -$8.69 to $47.22.

12:00 EST StarTek rises 19.2% - StarTek is up 19.2%, or 76c to $4.70.

11:58 EST BioMarin treatment of hereditary angioedema granted orphan designation - BioMarin's treatment of hereditary angioedema was granted orphan designation by the FDA, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

11:42 EST Eagle Pharmaceuticals says Par withdraws request for preliminary injunction - Eagle Pharmaceuticals announced that Par Pharmaceutical has unilaterally withdrawn its request that the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing the launch of Eagle's recently approved vasopressin product. Par's appeal of the District Court's ruling on August 31, 2021, that Eagle's vasopressin product does not infringe any of the patents asserted by Par against Eagle remains pending, and Eagle will continue to vigorously defend against such appeal.

11:22 EST Fluence Energy to deliver first energy storage system in Taiwan - Fluence announced that it has been chosen by the local renewable energy IPP, Ina Energy, subsidiary of the PJ Asset Management Group, as the solution provider to deliver a 6MW / 6MWh battery-based energy storage system in Taoyuan, Taiwan. Fluence will cooperate with the Taiwan-based TECO Group and its subsidiary YATEC to offer Automatic Frequency Control services to the state-owned utility company Taiwan Power Company services that are vital to helping Taiwan meet its renewable energy targets and climate goals. The global storage market is growing at an unprecedented pace. According to the latest forecast from BloombergNEF, energy storage installations around the world will reach a cumulative 358 GW/1,028 GWh by the end of 2030, more than twenty times larger than the 17 GW/34 GWh online at the end of 2020. As part of to its pledge to achieve 20% of the country's electricity from renewable sources by 2025, up from approximately 5% in 2020, Taiwan has developed an energy policy that calls for increased renewable energy and LNG, significantly less coal, and a "nuclear-free homeland." Energy storage is needed to effectively integrate solar and wind power into the grid to seamlessly match power supply and demand. Taipower has made frequency control a top priority since the island's traditionally centralized grid system has faced growing challenges from intermittent renewable energy sources trying to connect to the grid. Taipower has recognized the importance of battery storage in providing ancillary services to stabilize the grid and has targeted to boost its storage capacity to 590 MWh by 2025.

11:01 EST EC grants conditional marketing authorization for Novavax COVID-19 vaccine - Novavax announced that the European Commission has granted Novavax conditional marketing authorization for Nuvaxovid COVID-19 Vaccine for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals 18 years of age and older. The authorization follows the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommendation today to authorize the vaccine and is applicable in all 27 European Union member states. The EMA opinion and related EC decision is based on the totality of preclinical, manufacturing and clinical trial data submitted for review. This includes two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials: PREVENT-19 which included 30,000 participants in the U.S. and Mexico, the results of which were published in The New England Journal of Medicine; and a trial with 15,000 participants in the U.K., the results of which were also published in NEJM. In both trials, NVX-CoV2373 demonstrated high efficacy and an acceptable safety and tolerability profile. Novavax will continue to collect and analyze real-world data, including the monitoring of safety and the evaluation of variants, as the vaccine is distributed. Novavax and the EC announced an advance purchase agreement for up to 200 million doses of Novavax' COVID-19 vaccine in August 2021. Initial doses are expected to arrive in Europe in January. Novavax is working with EMA and its partners to expedite local release testing.

10:57 EST Arcadia Biosciences appoints Kevin Comcowich to interim CEO - Arcadia Biosciences announced it has appointed Kevin Comcowich, current Chairman of the Arcadia Board of Directors, as interim CEO, effective January 1, 2022, as the board of directors finalizes its search for a permanent CEO. As previously announced on September 7, 2021, the board of directors launched a national search for a new CEO as the company further expands into the consumer packaged goods sector. Comcowich will continue to serve as board chair, a role he was appointed to in 2017. He joined the Arcadia board as an independent director in 2016 and previously served as chair of the audit committee. Matthew Plavan, Arcadia's CEO since 2019, will be departing the company as of December 31, 2021.

10:46 EST European Commission authorizes Novavax COVID-19 vaccine - The European Commission has granted a conditional marketing authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine Nuvaxovid, developed by Novavax, the fifth COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the EU. This authorization follows a positive scientific recommendation based on a thorough assessment of the safety, effectiveness and quality of the vaccine by the European Medicines Agency and is endorsed by the Member States. With the conditional market authorization, Novavax will be able to deliver up to 100M of its COVID-19 vaccine to the EU starting in Q1 of 2022. The company's contract allows Member States to purchase an additional 100M doses over the course of 2022 and 2023. Reference Link

10:35 EST Carpenter Technology trading halted, news pending

10:07 EST Pfizer, BioNTech to provide EU over 200M additional doses of COMIRNATY - Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) announced an agreement has been reached with the European Commission and its member states to exercise an option to purchase more than 200M additional doses of COMIRNATY, the companies' COVID-19 vaccine. Contractual details are currently being finalized. These 200 million optional doses are in addition to the 450 million doses already planned to be delivered in 2022 based on previously signed agreements. The number of doses to be delivered to the EC member states by the companies in 2022 will now total more than 650 million doses. This order would also cover potential vaccines adapted to the Omicron variant without additional costs, if a variant vaccine is determined to be needed and subsequently authorized or approved. Pfizer and BioNTech agreed in May to supply 900 million doses to the European Commission in 2022 and 2023, with option to request up to an additional 900 million doses.

10:03 EST Select Medical, PPA Tour sign exclusive partnership deal - The PPA Tour is excited to welcome Select Medical to the growing ranks of companies supporting the sport of pickleball. The partnership will formally commence in January 2022 and will grant Select Medical the title of "Official Physical Therapy Partner" of the PPA Tour.

10:00 EST Tuya falls -10.7% - Tuya is down -10.7%, or -70c to $5.83.

10:00 EST BrightView falls -13.8% - BrightView is down -13.8%, or -$2.00 to $12.47.

10:00 EST StarTek rises 20.6% - StarTek is up 20.6%, or 81c to $4.75.

09:59 EST JD.com plans to double imports of Sunkist's citrus fruits in three years - JD Fresh, the fresh produce business of JD.com announced a plan to double the imports of Sunkist's citrus fruits in the next three years "as the American citrus grower cooperative's first export ship of newly harvested navel oranges arrived in Shanghai from Long Beach, California in mid-December." The company added, "The rising demand for high-quality fresh produce is a prominent trend amid China's consumption upgrade. JD.com became an authorized e-commerce direct-sourcing partner of Sunkist's citrus fruits in China since 2018, the company has seen a compound annual growth rate of 60% in Sunkist's fresh citrus sales in the past years, and it plans to import no less than 10,000 tons of the premium citrus within the next three years." Reference Link

09:51 EST Roivant Sciences Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:47 EST BigBear.ai falls -8.6% - BigBear.ai is down -8.6%, or -75c to $7.97.

09:47 EST BP Midstream rises 13.1% - BP Midstream is up 13.1%, or $1.69 to $14.60.

09:47 EST Verso rises 33.4% - Verso is up 33.4%, or $6.70 to $26.75.

09:39 EST Oracle to buy Cerner for $95.00 per share in cash or $28.3B in equity value

09:34 EST Renfe Group awards DXC Technology $6M contract to modernize operations - Renfe-LogiRAIL has awarded DXC Technology a $6M contract to modernize its IT infrastructure and enable it to meet increasing demand for its passenger and freight services as they return to pre-pandemic levels. DXC will help Renfe to create a competency center for cloud technologies, enabling the company to respond more swiftly to rising levels of passenger and freight volumes. With Renfe expecting an increase of almost 120 million passengers and 1.5 million tonnes of freight in 2022, the rail operator is focused on modernizing its operations and driving growth for its services across Spain and around the world.

09:32 EST Atrion trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:24 EST Codorus Valley Bancorp appoints Cynthia Dotzel as independent board chair - Codorus Valley Bancorp announced several updates to the composition of its Board of Directors, as well as initiatives to further enhance its corporate governance practices. As part of the Company's long-term succession plan, the Board of Directors has appointed current PeoplesBank Director Keith Cenekofsky, CPA as director of the Company effective January 1, 2022. Mr. Cenekofsky will succeed Larry Miller, who will serve as Director of the Company until his retirement effective December 31, 2021. Mr. Cenekofsky will serve the remainder of the term as a Class C Director of the Company until the annual meeting of shareholders in 2023 and until his successor shall have been duly elected and has qualified. In addition, Mr. Cenekofsky has been appointed as Audit Committee Chair of the Company Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2022, and will serve in that capacity until the annual reorganization meeting in May 2022. The Company also announced the appointments of Cynthia Dotzel, CPA and J. Rodney Messick to new positions on the Company's Board, effective January 1, 2022, until the annual reorganization meeting in May 2022. Ms. Dotzel, currently a Director of the Corporation and Bank, has served as Vice Chair, Lead Director and Chair of the Audit Committee, and will now serve as Board Chair. Mr. Messick, currently a Director of the Corporation and Bank, will now serve as the Board Vice Chair. The Board also announced that as part of its ongoing corporate governance review, it has approved and adopted the Amended and Restated By-laws of the Corporation. The Board has adopted a majority vote standard for uncontested director elections. This enhancement, along with several others as outlined in the associated Form 8-K are designed to ensure that the Company is promoting industry leading corporate governance practices. The Company and Board will continue to maintain an open dialogue with shareholders.

09:24 EST Zynex starts enrollment in hemodialysis trial with CM-1500 - Zynex reported it has started enrollments in a hemodialysis clinical trial with its fluid monitoring system, CM-1500. The study, conducted at DaVita Clinical Research clinics, is aimed at further characterizing changes in the device's patented Relative Index during hemodialysis procedures where a large volume of fluid is removed from patients. The company obtained FDA clearance of the fluid monitoring system in February 2020. The CM-1500 is a non-invasive monitor intended to monitor patients' fluid balance in hospitals and surgical centers.

09:21 EST Society Pass announces addition to Russell 2000 Index - Society Pass Incorporated, or "SoPa," announced that the company will be added to the Russell 2000 Index, effective at the open of the U.S. markets on December 20, according to the preliminary list of IPO additions to the Russell indexes. Dennis Nguyen, CEO of Society Pass, said, "This is an exciting milestone for Society Pass to reach soon after our successful IPO in November. Being a part of these highly regarded and widely used indexes will bring greater market awareness to our company as we work to achieve our goals for growth and expansion in Southeast Asia."

09:20 EST Merida Merger Corp. I , Leafly announce effectiveness of S-4 statement - Merida Merger Corp. I, and Leafly Holdings announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has declared Merida's registration statement on Form S-4 effective relating to its previously announced business combination with Leafly. Merida also announced a special meeting in lieu of an annual meeting of stockholders to vote on the proposed business combination will be held virtually on Friday January 14, 2022. Stockholders of record as of December 21, 2021 are entitled to vote at the Special Meeting and encouraged to do so before 11:59 p.m. ET on January 13, 2022. If the proposals at the Special Meeting are approved, the business combination is expected to close shortly thereafter, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Upon completion of the proposed business combination, Merida will adopt the Leafly name and its common stock is expected to be listed on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol LFLY.

09:19 EST Navient adopts short-term shareholder rights plan with 20% trigger - The Board of Directors of Navient Corporation has adopted a shareholder rights plan and declared a dividend distribution of one preferred share purchase right on each outstanding share of Navient common stock. The Rights Plan is designed to protect shareholder interests by reducing the likelihood that any person or group would gain control of Navient through the open-market accumulation of the Company's shares without appropriately compensating Navient's shareholders for control. In adopting the Rights Plan, the Board noted, in particular, the recent stock activity and the accumulation of a substantial economic position in the Company by entities associated with Sherborne Investors Management LP. The Rights Plan is not intended to prevent or interfere with any action with respect to the Company that the Board determines to be in the best interests of stockholders. Instead, it will position the Board to fulfill its fiduciary duties on behalf of all shareholders by ensuring that the Board has sufficient time to make informed judgements about any attempts to control the Company. The Rights Plan will encourage anyone seeking to gain a controlling interest in the Company to negotiate directly with the Board prior to attempting to control the company. The Rights Plan treats all shareholders equally and provides several recognized shareholder-friendly features, including a one-year term and an exception for fully financed, all-cash offers that are open for at least 60 business days. The Rights Plan has a 364-day term, expiring on December 19, 2022, though the Board may consider whether to terminate the Rights Plan earlier if circumstances warrant. The rights will be exercisable only if a person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of Navient common stock, subject to certain exceptions. If a shareholder's beneficial ownership of Navient common stock as of the time of this announcement of the Rights Plan and associated dividend declaration is at or above 20%, that shareholder's existing ownership percentage would be grandfathered, but the rights would become exercisable if at any time after this announcement, the shareholder increases its ownership percentage by 0.001% or more. Each right will entitle shareholders to buy one one-hundredth of a share of a new series of junior participating preferred stock at an exercise price of $100. If a person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of Navient outstanding common stock, each right will entitle its holderto purchase for $100, a number of Navient common shares having a market value of twice such price. In addition and subject to the grandfathering provision described above, at any time after a person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 20% or more of Navient outstanding common stock, Navient's Board of Directors may exchange one share of the Company's common stock for each outstanding right. Prior to the acquisition by a person or group of beneficial ownership of 20% or more of the Company's common stock, the rights are redeemable for $0.01 per right at the option of the Board.

09:16 EST HUMBL launches ACH integration within HUMBL Pay Mobile Wallet - HUMBL announced that ACH integration is now live within the "HUMBL Pay" mobile wallet. With this new feature, consumers can attach their US bank accounts to their HUMBL Pay mobile wallet, to load balances and perform multiple functions, such as: Earn interest up to 7% APY on digital assets; Buy, and send up to 20 different digital assets; Buy, send and peg to stablecoins such as USDC; Send gasless digital asset payments between HUMBL mobile wallet customers.

09:10 EST Blue Hat Interactive unit signs agreements to provide AR education courses - Blue Hat Interactive Entertainment Technology announced that the company's operating subsidiary, Fujian Zhongqing Hand in Hand Education Technology Co., Ltd., has signed cooperation agreements to provide 36 kindergartens in eight cities, including Shanghai and Shenzhen, with certain AR education courses such as the AR+ series curriculum, AR personal safety and awareness course and other immersive education courses.

09:07 EST ContraFect announces recent publication of a case study on exebacase - ContraFect announces the recent publication of a case study report highlighting the potential of its first investigational direct lytic agent, exebacase, to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, bacteremia in a pediatric population. The case report was published in the peer-reviewed Clinical Infectious Diseases, a journal of the Infectious Disease Society of America, IDSA. "These data, although representing a single pediatric patient, provide a compelling case for further evaluation of exebacase in pediatric populations. These findings are especially important given the limited treatment options available to help address these life-threatening infections," stated Cara Cassino, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development of ContraFect Corporation. "We were pleased to learn of the positive outcome of this patient and we will continue to progress our critically important therapeutics as rapidly but as safely as possible." The results describe the pharmacokinetics and dosing of the first infant to receive exebacase. The patient, a previously healthy 5-month-old male infant, presented to Duke University Hospital for evaluation of jerking movements and inability to sit independently. The treating physician obtained authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to use exebacase under an emergency individual patient investigational new drug application and the patient subsequently received one 3 mg dose of exebacase on hospital day 7. The patient continued to receive SOC anti-staphylococcal antibiotics throughout the hospital stay. Blood cultures became sterile on hospital day 12. The patient had ongoing clinical improvement and serial echocardiograms noted no evidence of heart valve vegetation on hospital day 40. The patient was discharged, without the need for additional surgery.

09:06 EST Edwards Lifesciences receives FDA approval for SAPIEN 3 with Alterra - Edwards Lifesciences announced it received approval from the U.S. FDA for the use of the Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter valve with the Alterra adaptive prestent for patients with severe pulmonary regurgitation.

09:05 EST Sorrento Therapeutics announces FDA clearance of IND application for STI-1386 - Sorrento Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted clearance to proceed with a Phase 1b clinical trial using STI-1386, Seprehvec, entitled "Dose Escalation Study of the Safety and Preliminary Efficacy of STI-1386 Oncolytic Virus in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors." STI-1386, or Seprehvec, is a 2nd generation oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 developed following the acquisition of Virttu Biologics by Sorrento in 2017 and produced in Sorrento's GMP virus therapeutics manufacturing facility. These transgene-encoded proteins secreted by Seprehvec-infected tumor cells are designed to act in a coordinated fashion to enhance immune-mediated tumor destruction by inhibiting the PD-1/PDL-1 immune checkpoint pathway, diminishing the immunosuppressive effects of TGF beta in the tumor microenvironment, and providing a localized IL-12 signal to activate and attract T cells and NK cells to the tumor. "Seprehvec allows for locoregional immune stimulation at the tumor site while potentially minimizing the undesired effects that may accompany systemic immune stimulation. Our initial focus is to develop Seprehvec for treatment of sarcomas, pancreatic carcinomas, and hepatic metastases, with expansion to additional solid tumor indications in the future," said Mike Royal, MD, JD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer of Sorrento.

09:05 EST Northrop Grumman, Raytheon complete NGI system requirements review - The Northrop Grumman Corporation and Raytheon Technologies Next Generation Interceptor team has completed its System Requirements Review and is proceeding with initial system design, further risk reduction testing, and critical component qualification activities. The Missile Defense Agency approved the SRR, which was completed ahead of schedule, and is the first major technical review for the Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies NGI homeland defense interceptor program. This achievement comes after Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies demonstrated its NGI Common Software Factory, which enables rapid development, integration and delivery in a DevSecOps environment. The Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies team is leveraging high-fidelity model-based systems engineering, and hardware manufacturing in customer-certified facilities. The team is also conducting internally-funded risk reduction hardware development and testing to ensure deployment of NGI in the rapid timeline the nation requires.

09:05 EST Fubo Gaming launches sportsbook in Arizona - Fubo Gaming, a subsidiary of FuboTV, announced the launch of Fubo Sportsbook in Arizona, marking the second state in which the sportsbook is available. Sports enthusiasts 21 years of age and older in the Grand Canyon State can now place wagers on thousands of live professional and collegiate sporting events, including the upcoming bowl games and professional football championship game, using the mobile app or on the Fubo Sportsbook website. The launch in Arizona, in partnership with the Ak-Chin Indian Community, expands Fubo Sportsbook's presence in the U.S.

09:04 EST Goldman Sachs BDC CEO Brendan McGovern to retire - Goldman Sachs BDC announced that Alex Chi and David Miller, co-heads of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit in the Americas, will become co-CEOs and co-presidents of Goldman Sachs BDC, effective March 2022. After a 15-year career at Goldman Sachs, Brendan McGovern will retire from the firm in March. He will remain CEO and president of Goldman Sachs BDC until then in order to ensure a transition. Chi and Miller are co-heads of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Private Credit in the Americas. In these roles, Chi focuses primarily on middle market and larger capitalization corporate credit investing and Miller focuses primarily on middle market corporate credit investing.

09:02 EST Royal Dutch Shell to proceed with proposal to simplify share structure - The Board of Royal Dutch Shell has decided to proceed with its proposal to simplify the company's share structure and align its tax residence with its country of incorporation in the UK. As a result, the Board has also decided to change the company's name to Shell plc which will be implemented in January 2022, with a further announcement to be made at the time. Today's decisions follow the completion of the consultation with the Centrale Ondernemingsraad van Shell Nederland and the Shell European Works Council, and come after a December 10, 2021 shareholder vote giving the Board overwhelming approval for the necessary amendments to the Company's Articles of Association, which have been adopted with immediate effect. As described in the circular published on November 15, 2021, the Simplification entails: establishing a single line of shares to eliminate the complexity of Shell's A/B share structure; and aligning Shell's tax residence with its country of incorporation in the UK by relocating Board and Executive Committee meetings, and the CEO and CFO, to the UK; and consequently, changing the company's name from Royal Dutch Shell plc to Shell plc.

09:01 EST Rocket Companies to acquire Truebill for $1.275B in cash - Rocket Companies announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Truebill, a personal finance app that helps consumers manage every aspect of their financial lives, for $1.275B in cash. The deal is expected to close prior to the end of the year.

08:59 EST Gladstone Land acquires1,204 gross acres of farmland in Florida - Gladstone Land announced that it has acquired 1,204 gross acres of farmland, including 975 farmable acres, located north of Fort Myers, Florida, for approximately $7.4M. In connection with the acquisition, Gladstone Land entered into a five-year, triple-net lease agreement with the seller and current tenant. The property is farmed primarily for sod, melons, and cattle.

08:51 EST American Finance Trust to acquire $1.3B portfolio of properties - American Finance Trust (AFIN) announced that the company, through its Operating Partnership, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a portfolio of 81 Multi-tenant Power, Anchored and Grocery Centers from certain subsidiaries of CIM Real Estate Finance Trust, Inc. for $1.3B, representing a 7.19% cash capitalization rate. The company also announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to dispose of a non-core portfolio of three office buildings leased to Sanofi (SNY) for $261M, representing a 6.38% cash capitalization rate and a $10M increase from its original purchase price. Both transactions are expected to close during the first quarter of 2022 and the company expects the net financial impact of the transactions will be immediately accretive to AFFO per share. The acquisition is expected to be funded through a combination, to be determined at closing, of cash, including the anticipated $261 million of proceeds from the sale of its Sanofi office asset, borrowings under the company's credit facility, property level debt the company will seek to assume and $53M of equity issuance to the sellers. The acquisition is expected to result in a near term increase in leverage and AFIN plans to resume its previously announced and successful deleveraging initiative and expects to return to leverage levels consistent with recent quarters over time. Upon closing, the company will be the preeminent REIT focused on Necessity-Based retail with a best-in-class portfolio that will comprise over 1,000 properties, 29M square feet and $382M in annualized straight-line rent. In connection with the Transaction, the company will be rebranded to "The Necessity Retail REIT Where America Shops and trade under the new ticker "RTL".

08:46 EST SuperCom unit selected by government security agency for protection programs - SuperCom announced that its cyber security division, Safend, a data protection and cybersecurity company, has been selected by a government security agency and cyber security enterprises to grow their existing Cybersecurity Protection programs. Orders from these customers alone are expected to exceed $350,000 in the fourth quarter of 2021.

08:44 EST Beyond Meat announces plans for new R&D center in Shanghai - Beyond Meat announced that it has finalized the lease for a new R&D center in Shanghai, China as part of its larger global expansion strategy. It will be the company's first dedicated R&D facility outside of the United States. "The facility will serve as a hub for innovation with a world-class team of scientists and researchers focused on developing high-quality plant-based meat products that cater to customers and consumers in the Asia-Pacific region," the company said. The facility is expected to open in the first half of 2022. "The best-in-class R&D team we are building in Shanghai represents the next leg in our journey to become a global protein company," said Dr. Dariush Ajami, Chief Innovation Officer, Beyond Meat. "This new resource will enable us to more precisely serve the palate of the Chinese consumer and contribute directly to the culture's delicious cuisine, while joining our global effort to deliver plant-based meats that are indistinguishable from, healthier than, and over time, priced at parity with their animal protein equivalents."

08:43 EST IDT Corp's net2phone partners with Avant - net2phone, a subsidiary of IDT, announced a strategic partnership with Avant, a platform for IT decision-making. Through the partnership, Avant's global network of Trusted Advisors will offer net2phone's advanced communications and collaboration solutions to customers in the US and in net2phone's international markets. "Avant's strength in the provision of communications solutions and well-earned reputation for technical and customer-focused excellence is an ideal match for net2phone as we continue to build out our feature set for enterprise clients," said Jonah Fink, President of net2phone. "We were pleased to participate in the Avant Special Forces Summit during our soft launch in September. Since that introduction, we've begun to leverage our unrivaled channel partner programs for Avant's Trusted Advisors."

08:41 EST Harbor Custom Development enters contract to purchase 66 entitled lots for $2.9M - Harbor Custom Development announced that it has entered into a contract with Laughlin Development, LLC, for the purchase of 66 undeveloped lots for $2,900,000 in Poulsbo, Washington.

08:40 EST Crispr Therapeutics announces termination of EVP, R&D Tony Ho - In a regulatory filing, Crispr Therapeutics said that on December 14, Tony W. Ho was terminated from his position as Executive Vice President, Research and Development. Ho's termination is without cause and not the result of any disagreement with the company, Crispr said in the filing.

08:39 EST Muscle Maker's Pokemoto signs four franchise agreement - Muscle Maker newest subsidiary Pokemoto announced that it has signed four new franchise agreements in Connecticut, the brand's core market with the heaviest concentration of Pokemoto eateries. Pokemoto is the largest Hawaiian Poke chain in the state and the newly signed agreements will bring its total count in Connecticut to fourteen locations - six corporate owned and operated stores, four open and operating franchise stores plus the four newly signed franchise agreements. Pokemoto has announced signing 25 franchise agreements over the last 45 days. Recently signed franchise agreements were in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Mississippi. Pokemoto currently has open locations in six states - Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Georgia, Maryland and Virginia. The four new franchise agreements in Connecticut focus on the cities of Milford, Danbury, North Haven and Shelton. The Pokemoto real estate team will concentrate on sites that check the brand's demographic boxes including a heavy presence of Millennials and Gen-Zs, typically in an area with a heavy collegiate presence. The 25 new franchise agreements, when opened, will bring the Pokemoto chain to 44 locations, expanding the chain's footprint over 238% since its acquisition in May 2021.

08:38 EST Summit Therapeutics down 23% after Phase 3 Ri-CoDIFy study doesn't hit endpoint - Shares of Summit Therapeutics are down $1.17, or 23%, to $3.81 in pre-market trading after the company announced that the Phase 3 Ri-CoDIFy study evaluating its investigational drug, ridinilazole, for the treatment of and Sustained Clinical Response, SCR, for patients suffering from C. difficile infection, or CDI, showed that ridinilazole resulted in a higher observed SCR rate than vancomycin but did not meet the study's primary endpoint for superiority.

08:37 EST Orion Group announces contract awards of approximately $33M - Orion Group Holdings announced two contract awards for its Marine segment totaling approximately $33M. The Company was recently awarded a $28.3M design-bid-build contract by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, NAVFAC, Southeast for the repair and update of an existing waterside facility in the Bahamas. Work on the project site is scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2022 and to be completed in early 2024. The Company has also been awarded a contract valued at $4.4M to rehabilitate an existing barge dock for a private sector energy client along the gulf coast of Texas. Work is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2022 and be completed during the third quarter of 2022. "The award from NAVFAC continues our long history of supporting the U.S. Navy's infrastructure needs," said Mark Stauffer, Orion's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Additionally, we are pleased to continue to be the market leader supporting the needs of our energy sector clients along the Texas gulf coast."

08:35 EST Summit Therapeutics announces results for Phase III Ri-CoDIFy study for CDI - Summit Therapeutics announced topline results for the Phase III Ri-CoDIFy study evaluating its investigational drug, ridinilazole, for the treatment of and Sustained Clinical Response, SCR, for patients suffering from C. difficile infection, CDI. The study showed that ridinilazole resulted in a higher observed SCR rate than vancomycin but did not meet the study's primary endpoint for superiority. SCR is defined as Clinical Response of the treated episode of CDI and no recurrence of the infection through 30 days after the end of treatment. Patients treated with ridinilazole, a precision antibiotic, experienced substantially less recurrence of C. diff. infection as compared to patients administered vancomycin. Particularly promising results were identified in patients who were considered high-risk, including those considered immunocompromised or with a history of COVID-19 infection. "We believe this study was indicative of worthwhile work, as the knowledge that we have acquired as a team over the past 18 months is priceless," said Robert Duggan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Summit. "The differences between episodes of recurrence experienced by patients in the two arms of this study may be indicative as to the significance of precision medicinal therapies that spare the microbiome from damage. A balanced microbiome is critical to human health and protecting it must be a focus going forward for medicinal therapies whose desire is to maximize patient safety and optimize human health: I believe the impact on a balanced microbiome is a critical component of the evaluation of any drug and will become an essential part of evaluating drug safety and efficacy as we move forward in time. Dysbiosis of the microbiome can lead to recurrence when treating CDI, as we believe the differences in recurrence rates between the two arms of the study indicate, but also may increase the risk of other immune-mediated and infectious diseases, such as COVID-19."

08:34 EST American Resources gets preliminary WV state approval to issue tax-exempt bond - American Resources announced the West Virginia Economic Development Authority, WVEDA, preliminarily approved the issuance of, and a volume cap allocation for $45,000,000 of private activity, Solid Waste Disposal Facility Revenue Bonds, Series 2022 for the Company's Wyoming County Coal complex located near the town of Oceana, West Virginia. The State of West Virginia has the authority to annually authorize the issuance of certain specified private activity bonds up to an annual amount determined under federal law. Such amounts for West Virginia for calendar year 2021 is $324,995,000. On December 16, 2021, the WVEDA approved a resolution preliminarily approving the issuance of up to $45,000,000 of Tax-Exempt Solid Waste Disposal Facility Revenue Bonds, Series 2022 on behalf of the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Wyoming County Coal LLC, and allocated $45,000,000 of West Virginia's 2021 volume cap to such bonds. This allocation will be carried forward to 2022 by the WVEDA and are expected to be issued by the WVEDA during the first half of 2022. The Company has engaged Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. to underwrite the bonds. Mark Jensen, CEO of American Resources Corporation commented, "We're excited to have achieved this important milestone for our Wyoming County complex and our American Rare Earth division. The state of West Virginia has been great to work with and has been very supportive of the development of our advanced carbon and rare earth initiatives in the state. This proposed funding source will enable us to efficiently modernize and transform the complex to be the first in the industry process for both carbon and rare earth concentrates..."

08:33 EST Athene to acquire Petros PACE Finance - Athene (ATH) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Petros PACE Finance, a provider of Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy financing. The investment in Petros PACE Finance will be managed by the team at Apollo (APO) and together Apollo and Athene expect that the Company will accelerate its rapid growth in C-PACE financing driven by new market expansion, sustainable construction and regulatory climate mandates. Following completion of the transaction, Petros co-Founders Mansoor Ghori and Jim Stanislaus will continue to lead the Company and retain a minority interest along with other members of management. "This transaction is a compelling opportunity to partner with the Company and its best-in-class team at the center of the ESG movement in commercial real estate, while building on our longstanding strategy of investing in businesses that add direct origination sourcing capabilities to our alpha-generating investment portfolio," said Jim Belardi, Chairman and CEO of Athene. "Climate concerns, tenant demand and legislative mandates are driving developers to look for new opportunities to make properties more energy efficient, and Petros PACE Finance is the industry leader providing flexible funding solutions to meet those needs. The Company's successful track record and range of capabilities - from refinancings to originating new loans - are a clear advantage in a massive and rapidly growing market, and we are eager to support the platform. We look forward to working together as a funding partner to provide environmentally focused financing solutions to an even broader segment of the real estate industry." The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022.

08:30 EST Bluebird Bio trading resumes

08:27 EST Wipro to acquire cybersecurity consulting provider Edgile, no terms - Wipro announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Austin, Texas headquartered Edgile, a cybersecurity consulting provider that focuses on risk and compliance, information and cloud security, and digital identity. Edgile is recognized by security and risk leaders for its unique business-aligned cybersecurity capability, deep understanding of the changing regulatory environment and enabling cloud transformations that help secure the modern enterprise. In addition, the company's "strategy-first" approach and "Quick Start" solutions will allow the combined entity to deliver enhanced value in strategic cybersecurity services. Together, Wipro and Edgile will develop Wipro CyberTransform, an integrated suite that will help enterprises enhance boardroom governance of cybersecurity risk, invest in robust cyber strategies, and reap the value of practical security in action. In collaboration with an extensive roster of alliance partners from Wipro and Edgile, Wipro CyberTransform will enable organizations to accelerate their digital transformation and operate in virtual, digital supply chains - all in a highly secure manner.

08:23 EST Elys Game Technology announces content distribution agreement with Playtech - Elys Game Technology announced a content distribution agreement with Playtech, a gambling software development company, to integrate and launch its digital i-gaming content under the Newgioco brand in Italy. With the Playtech collection of gaming content, Elys' online and mobile casino now includes 31 providers that offer customers in Italy up to 1,300 slots as well as 100 tables and live dealer games. This gaming content is provided through Newgioco, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company.

08:19 EST Arbor Realty SR closes offering of $180M of senior unsecured notes - Arbor Realty Trust announced that its subsidiary, Arbor Realty SR, has closed, on December 17, 2021, the private placement of $180M aggregate principal amount of 5.00% senior unsecured notes due December 30, 2028. The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior basis by the Company. ARSR intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to make investments relating to its business and for general corporate purposes. Piper Sandler & Co. acted as placement agent for this offering.

08:18 EST Glass House Brands to acquire Plus Products for $25.6M - Glass House Brands announced that it has executed a definitive agreement to acquire the business of Plus Products. Glass House is acquiring PLUS for approximately $25.6M through a combination of unsecured convertible debt and equity, plus additional performance-based consideration. Glass House is working to create the largest cannabis brand-building platform in California. The Company's house cannabis brand, Glass House Farms, was the No. 1 ranked flower brand by sales in California in Q3 2021. PLUS is a leading edibles brand in California with the No. 4 ranked edibles brand by sales in Q3 2021. Based on top-of-mind brand awareness, a common CPG metric measuring brand strength, PLUS is the No. 1 ranked brand in California in the gummy segment, the largest segment of the edibles category. According to BDS Analytics, the combined company would be the only company with a top 5 position in both the Flower and Edibles categories in California. The Acquisition, which is expected to close in Q1 2022, is being completed by way of a plan under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, and is subject to certain customary closing conditions for transactions of this nature, including, among others, the approval of PLUS' creditors, approval of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in the context of the CCAA proceedings, and the approval of the Neo Exchange.

08:16 EST IceCure Medical receives notice of intention to grant European patent - IceCure Medical announced that it received notification from the European Patent Office of an intention to grant a patent for IceCure's application entitled "Cryogen Pump". When issued, the patent will include protection for IceCure's proprietary cryogenic pump, with features that will enable IceCure's next generation of cryoablation systems. The patent will be in effect until 2041.

08:15 EST Orezone Gold to commence trading on Toronto Stock Exchange - Orezone Gold Corporation is pleased to announce that is has received conditional approval to commence trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange, following graduation from the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's common shares and warrants will begin trading on the TSX at the market opening on December 23, 2021 and trading of Orezone's common shares and warrants will then be delisted from the TSXV. The trading symbol for the common shares on the TSX will continue as ORE and the warrants will continue as ORE.WT. The Company's common shares will continue to be listed on the OTCQX under the symbol ORZCF. Holders of the shares and warrants are not required to take any action in connection with the graduation to the TSX.

08:14 EST Jowell Global to establish US warehouse with Suzhou Dreamworker - Jowell Global announced that the company established a cross-border e-commerce strategic collaboration with Suzhou Dreamworker Info-Tech. Parties will work together to set up a joint venture to provide warehouse and supply chain service in the U.S. by utilizing the oversea warehousing development experience of Suzhou Dreamworker and existing e-commerce platform of Jowell Global to form a more competitive global e-commerce presence. Zhiwei Xu, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Jowell Global, commented: "Overseas warehousing is one of the foundational infrastructures for cross-border e-commerce. Suzhou Dreamworker, a leader in the cross-border industry chain for Chinese brands, has rich experience in building and developing overseas warehouses. In the future, both parties will jointly build U.S. warehousing and related services that would include storage, transshipment, fulfillment, showcasing, and after sales services. These efforts will facilitate the Company's cross-border e-commerce development and further expand our business into supply chain area."

08:12 EST Bluebird Bio says clinical hold placed on lovotibeglogene autotemcel program - Bluebird Bio announced that the FDA has placed its clinical program for lovotibeglogene autotemcel gene therapy for sickle cell disease, or SCD, on partial clinical hold for patients under the age of 18. The partial, temporary suspension relates to an ongoing investigation by bluebird bio into an adolescent patient with persistent, non-transfusion-dependent anemia following treatment with lovo-cel, now 18 months post-treatment. This patient is clinically well and there is no evidence of malignancy or clonal predominance. Enrollment and dosing for patients 18 and older living with SCD in the HGB-206, HGB-210 and LTF-307 clinical studies, as well as follow up for treated patients of all ages in all studies are continuing as planned.

08:12 EST Cenntro to showcase EV models at CES 2022 - Cenntro Automotive announced that it will participate in the upcoming 2022 Consumer Electronics Show to be held January 5-8, 2022 in Las Vegas. The Company will showcase its new EV models and state-of-the-art smart chassis, the iChassis. The iChassis is a "Skateboard" platform that redefines last-mile delivery and urban service with built-in autonomous driving capabilities. The iChassis operates on Cenntro's Smart App, a fully digitalized driving control platform powered by Cenntro's proprietary technology. Cenntro's Smart App technology integrates with the Cenntro iChassis for different vertical applications including autonomous driving for municipal services from package delivery, mobile vending machine and delivery, city sanitation, city surveillance, auto transportation, and rescue services. Production of the iChassis will commence in Q1 2023.

08:11 EST Qorvo supplies Ultra-Wideband technology for Google Pixel 6 Pro - Qorvo announced it is supplying Ultra-Wideband technology for Google's Pixel 6 Pro flagship smartphone. The Qorvo DW3720 UWB solution enables a breadth of new use cases from "find my stuff" applications and indoor location/indoor navigation to secure peer-to-peer financial transactions and other location-based "secure association" applications. UWB provides ultra-precise distance and location information, enabling context awareness to connected devices for seamless, secure and intuitive user experiences.

08:10 EST Communications Systems announces amendment to Pineapple Energy merger deal - Communications Systems announced that on December 16, the company entered an amendment to the definitive merger agreement dated March 1, between the company and privately held Pineapple Energy, a growing U.S. operator and consolidator of residential solar, battery storage, and grid services solutions. Under the amendment, among other things, CSI and Pineapple agreed to extend the merger agreement outside date from August 31 to March 31, 2022; to add additional conditions to closing of the merger agreement, including that (i) there are binding agreements for at least $32M in cash from the equity offering payable to CSI immediately following the effective time of the merger; other than as set forth in the amendment, there will be no accrued payable amounts or liabilities on the balance sheet of Pineapple to specific related parties or affiliates of Pineapple; Hercules Capital, Inc. will have waived Pineapple's obligation to pay upon consummation of the merger $3M of debt under a prior agreement and extended the maturity date of this debt to the earlier of December 10, 2024 or the date on which CSI or Pineapple receives equity financing in one more transactions in an amount in excess of $25M; and the entire amounts owed by Pineapple under a working capital loan will have been extinguished or the maturity date extended to at least December 10, 2024; to change the milestone under which CSI will be obligated to issue the 3M shares of its common stock as earnout consideration to provide that if the new closing conditions are met, CSI will be obligated to issue these 3M shares; to extend the time for CSI to complete the dispositions from 18 months to 24 months from the closing date and to extend the time under which CSI will be obligated to issue up to 10M shares of its common stock for achievement of other milestones from on or before the 18-month anniversary to on or before the 24-month anniversary of the closing date. In connection with the amendment, the parties also agreed to a revised form of contingent value rights, or CVR, agreement. The principle changes in the form of CVR agreement were to extend the CVR term from 18 months to 24 months following the closing date; to provide that certain qualified letters of intent entered into prior to the closing date will be treated in the same manner as a binding agreement for purposes of determining the CVR payment amount, subject to certain additional conditions; to change the timing and dispute resolution process for determination of and payment of CVR payment amount; to clarify the treatment of net insurance proceeds as a credit to monetization expense; to add certain limits on the duties and responsibilities of the CVR Holders' Representative; and to add a covenant prohibiting CSI or its subsidiaries following the closing date from creating or permitting any encumbrance on any of the CSI Legacy Assets Cash and the equity of any CSI subsidiary that was a subsidiary prior to the closing date) until the expiration of the CVR Term.

08:10 EST Legato Merger Corp. II announces separate trading of common stock, warrants - Legato Merger Corp. II announced that, commencing on or about December 22, 2021, holders of its units sold in the Company's initial public offering may elect to separately trade shares of the Company's common stock and warrants included in the units. The shares of common stock and warrants that are separated will trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbols "LGTO" and "LGTOW," respectively. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Those units not separated will continue to trade on Nasdaq under the symbol "LGTOU." Holders of units will need to have their brokers contact American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the Company's transfer agent, in order to separate the units into shares of common stock and warrants.

08:08 EST Achilles Therapeutics added to the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index - Achilles Therapeutics announced that the Company has been added to the NASDAQ Biotech Index, effective prior to market open today, Monday, December 20, 2021.

08:07 EST Zogenix submits Types II Variation Application to EMA for FINTEPLA - Zogenix announced that it has submitted its Type II Variation Market Authorization Application to the European Medicines Agency, EMA, for FINTEPLA for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, LGS, a highly treatment-resistant form of childhood-onset epilepsy. If approved, the application would expand the use of FINTEPLA in Europe beyond Dravet syndrome to include LGS. "The submission of this Type II Variation is a significant milestone for our FINTEPLA program and furthers our goal of bringing FINTEPLA to LGS patients and families in need," said Gail Farfel, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Zogenix. "We remain focused on working with the EMA to bring FINTEPLA for the treatment of seizures associated with LGS to market as quickly as possible in Europe." The EMA submission for FINTEPLA is supported by data from a global randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial Study 1601 in 263 patients that demonstrated FINTEPLA at a dose of 0.7/mg/kg/day was superior to placebo in reducing the frequency of drop seizures. FINTEPLA has been generally well-tolerated, with the adverse events observed to date consistent with those observed in the Company's prior Phase 3 studies in Dravet syndrome.

08:07 EST Turning Point provides regulatory updates on repotrectinib, TPX-0022 - Turning Point Therapeutics announced regulatory updates for its lead drug candidate, repotrectinib, a ROS1/TRK Inhibitor, and for elzovantinib, its drug candidate targeting MET, CSF1R and SRC. These updates follow FDA meetings held earlier in December. Based on the breakthrough therapy designation granted by the FDA earlier this quarter, the company participated in a Type B meeting with the FDA to discuss potential next steps for repotrectinib in NTRK-positive TKI-pretreated advanced solid tumor patients treated within expansion cohort 6 of the registrational TRIDENT-1 study. The FDA guided that a pre-NDA meeting should be requested to discuss the topline blinded independent central review results from the Phase 2 TKI-pretreated EXP-6 and TKI-naive EXP-5 patients, when responders have been followed for at least six months past onset of response. The FDA also acknowledged the company's plan to submit to the pre-NDA meeting, BICR data from 40 patients from EXP-6 and BICR data from patients enrolled in EXP-5 cohort at that time. The FDA noted that data from EXP-5 may be used to support the efficacy data for EXP-6, or potentially could be pooled with data from EXP-6 to support a broader indication. The FDA stated that whether the data from EXP-6 and EXP-5 are deemed potentially adequate to either support a broader indication or an indication in patients who have received a prior TKI across a wide range of tumor types will be determined at the time of the submission of the pre-NDA meeting package, and ultimately during the review of the NDA submission. The company plans to provide guidance on the timing of the pre-NDA meeting for repotrectinib in patients with NTRK-positive advanced solid tumors after completion of enrollment of the targeted 40 EXP-6 patients is achieved. The company participated in a Type B meeting with the FDA Division of Oncology 3. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the proposed approach to identifying the recommended phase 2 dose and the planned Phase 2 portion of the SHIELD-1 study focused on the potential next steps for elzovantinib in patients with MET amplified gastric/GEJ cancer. The FDA DO3 agreed with the approach for RP2D identification previously discussed with FDA Division of Oncology 2. The FDA also agreed with the company's plan to proceed to the potentially registrational Phase 2 MET amplified gastric/GEJ cancer expansion cohorts of SHIELD-1 after RP2D determination. Based on guidance from the FDA, the company plans to submit data to the FDA from the Phase 2 to discuss the potential registrational aspect of the study. Currently, the company continues to enroll patients within Phase 1 dose expansion using 40 mg QD to 40 mg BID dosing and in Phase 1 dose escalation at the last anticipated dose level of 60 mg QD to 60 mg BID. The company anticipates initiating the planned Phase 2 portion of SHIELD-1 in 2022.

08:06 EST Turtle Beach responds to misleading statements by Donerail Group - Leading gaming accessory maker Turtle Beach Corporation issued the following response on behalf of its Board of Directors to misleading statements made by Donerail Group and its representatives : The Board remains committed to dutifully pursuing the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to maximize long-term value: The Board continues to be open to strategic alternatives that maximize shareholder value. This is a normal, ongoing responsibility which does not necessarily benefit from public disclosures that could be damaging to the continuing operation of the business and employee retention. Maximizing shareholder value with respect to a strategic alternative necessitates a careful weighing of the intrinsic value of the Company's business against a one-time, near-term "exit" price. Short-term fluctuations in the share price, especially ones that are market or sector-wide, should be understood as such when evaluating the value of a business. The Board remains highly engaged in overseeing the strategy of the Company, which has generated significant shareholder value . As a result of that strategy, the Company is well-positioned for continued value creation, given its commanding leadership in console gaming headsets, successful diversification into new gaming accessory categories and strong profitability and cashflow. The Board believes this response is necessary to provide its shareholders with accurate information about Donerail's activities and address its continuing dissemination of false and misleading information. On December 15th, 2021, Donerail claimed in a public statement that it had recently re-affirmed its previously disclosed bid to acquire the Company, while also stating an intention to submit a new proposal that would "likely include an offer at a lower price" than its recently "re-affirmed" price. Donerail further called on the Company to publicly disclose a strategic review process, although it would be "potentially disadvantageous to [its] efforts of acquiring the Company." This contradictory messaging is just the most recent of Donerail's attempts to mislead investors to advance its own private agenda; a campaign that has also been accompanied by a number of articles repeating unsubstantiated, false and misleading rumors strikingly similar to the disinformation promulgated by Donerail. Even its repeated claim to be "one of the largest shareholders" of the Company exaggerates its ownership position as more than a majority of its "ownership" is through out-of-the-money call options, which may not align its interests with those of Turtle Beach shareholders. The Company is in frequent contact with its investors, including over 80 investors calls and meetings in 2021 to date, and has not found investor sentiment to be supportive of Donerail or its proposals.

08:05 EST PolarityTE submits complete response to FDA's hold regarding NDA for SkinTE - PolarityTE announced that it has submitted its complete response to the U.S. FDA clinical hold correspondence regarding its Investigational New Drug Application for SkinTE with a proposed indication for chronic cutaneous ulcers. As previously disclosed, the primary hold issues are certain Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control items, including the assay to demonstrate the potency of SkinTE. The company's complete response to the hold issues was submitted on December 17, 2021. Under FDA's standard practices and regulations, if FDA agrees that the company's response is complete, a decision from FDA should be communicated to the company within 30 days, subject to potential delays or other unforeseen circumstances.

08:03 EST FibroGen exercises exclusive license option for HiFiBiO's CCR8 program - FibroGen and HiFiBiO Therapeutics announced an extension of their partnership with FibroGen's exercise of an exclusive license option for HiFiBiO's anti-CCR8 monoclonal antibody program. "We are pleased to add the HiFiBiO CCR8 program and the HFB101110 molecule to our preclinical development pipeline," said John Hunter, Chief Scientific Officer, FibroGen. "With this addition in the immuno-oncology space, we have the exciting opportunity to further expand our early development pipeline." Under the terms of the agreement, HiFiBiO will receive a $35M upfront payment from FibroGen in addition to potential clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones. HiFiBiO will also be eligible to receive royalties based upon net sales. FibroGen will have the sole right to develop all products in the CCR8 program worldwide. The development candidate is expected to enter clinical development in 2023.

08:02 EST Intercept sees topline data from Phase 3 REVERSE trial in 1Q22 - Intercept Pharmaceuticals announced that top-line data from its Phase 3 REVERSE trial will be delayed from our previous guidance of near the end of the year and is now expected in the first quarter of 2022. REVERSE is the only active late-stage Phase 3 study in patients with compensated cirrhosis due to NASH, a serious disease for which there are no approved pharmacologic therapies. The liver biopsy samples from REVERSE are being evaluated utilizing a new consensus methodology. Intercept is also using this new methodology to compile a new data package from the Phase 3 REGENERATE study in liver fibrosis due to NASH for a potential resubmission meeting with FDA in the first half of 2022, if the data supports it. Results from REVERSE and REGENERATE represent the largest Phase 3 program ever conducted in liver fibrosis and compensated cirrhosis due to NASH.

08:00 EST Coherus Biosciences announces FDA approval of YUSIMRY - Coherus BioSciences announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration approved YUSIMRY, formerly CHS-1420, a Humira biosimilar product. YUSIMRY is indicated for plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. Approval was based on a comprehensive data package that demonstrated the biosimilarity of YUSIMRY to the reference product, Humira. Data included results from Study CHS-1420-02, a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, active-control study designed to compare the efficacy and safety of YUSIMRY versus Humira in 545 randomized subjects with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis, and Study CHS-1420-03, a double blind, randomized, single-dose, parallel-group study to confirm pharmacokinetic similarity by comparing the relative bioavailability between YUSIMRY and Humira after a single dose of 40 mg SC administered to over 200 healthy subjects. Coherus plans to launch YUSIMRY in the U.S. on or after July 1, 2023, per the terms of an agreement with Humira manufacturer, AbbVie.

07:55 EST AMC announces 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' breaks several attendance records - AMC Theatres announced that based on the opening weekend strength of Marvel & Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man: No Way Home", AMC has broken several post-reopening attendance records. The movie finished the weekend as the biggest December opening of all time, and AMC set new post-reopening domestic attendance records on Thursday, then broke that record on Friday, and then broke that record again on Saturday. More than 2M people watched a movie at an AMC location around the world on Saturday, which is the most tickets sold in a single day since Christmas day, 2019. With Sunday's domestic attendance finishing at more than 1M tickets sold, it marks the first time that AMC has sold at least one million tickets each day Thursday through Sunday since December 2019. Guests sought out PLF experiences at AMC, as this past weekend was the biggest ever weekend for PRIME at AMC, the second biggest ever for Dolby Cinema at AMC and the fourth biggest weekend for IMAX at AMC. In all, AMC recorded more than 7M tickets sold, Thursday through Sunday, at its locations around the world, including more than five million tickets sold at its U.S. theatres. AMC's attendance was off to a strong start on Thursday, as guests arrived in droves to qualify for their exclusive Spider-Man NFT. Attendance for Spider-Man at AMC's international theatres was also robust, setting a new single-day attendance record on Saturday.

07:52 EST Rekor Systems appoints Deb Hennessy as chief people officer - Rekor Systems announced the hiring of its first chief people officer. Deb Hennessy joins Rekor with more than 20 years of senior human resources leadership at large global technology and telecom companies.

07:44 EST Destination XL appoints Carmen Bauza to board of directors - Destination XL announced that on Friday, December 17th, it appointed Carmen Bauza, 59, to the Company's Board of Directors. She will serve as a director until the Company's next annual meeting of stockholders, at which time she will stand for re-election. With her appointment, the size of the Company's Board of Directors is seven members. Bauza is currently on the board of managers for privately-owned retailer Claire's Stores.

07:43 EST Icanic Brands provides update on status of Management Cease Trade Order - Icanic Brands Company is providing this update on the status of a management cease trade order granted on November 30, 2021 by the British Columbia Securities Commission under National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Order. On November 30, 2021, the Company announced that, for reasons disclosed in the news release, there would be a delay in the filing of its financial statements and accompanying management's discussion and analysis for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2021 beyond the period prescribed under applicable Canadian securities laws. The Company reports that it anticipates filing the Annual Filings on or before January 29, 2022. Further updates on timing will be provided by the Company as necessary. During the MCTO, the general investing public will continue to be able to trade in the Company's listed common shares. However, the Company's chief executive officer and chief financial officer will not be able to trade in the Company's shares. Other than as disclosed in this news release, there are no material changes to the information contained in the Default Announcement. The Company confirms that it intends to satisfy the provisions of NP 12-203 and will continue to issue bi-weekly default status reports for so long as it remains in default of the Annual Filings requirement.

07:40 EST KemPharm announces authorization of $50M share repurchase program - KemPharm announced its Board of Directors has authorized a program to repurchase up to $50M of the Company's outstanding stock. The share repurchase authorization is effective immediately and valid through December 31, 2023. This program is equivalent to approximately 18% of KemPharm's current market capitalization. "The Board's decision to establish this share repurchase program reflects the positive momentum underway across all elements of our business, including our outlook for the ongoing commercialization of AZSTARYS, our strong balance sheet, and the expectations we have for 2022 and beyond, coupled with the strong belief that our shares are currently undervalued," said Travis Mickle, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of KemPharm. "We will continue our efforts to create value for our shareholders by continuing to prioritize capital allocation initiatives that support our growth strategies, including the advancement of our serdexmethylphenidate pipeline and the exploration of other opportunities to expand our product pipeline."

07:39 EST Probe Metals raises $7M from exercise of share purchase warrants - Probe Metals announced that it has raised $7M from the exercise of 5,376,249 share purchase warrants with a strike price of $1.30. The Warrants were originally issued as part of the private placement completed in December 2019. As of today, the Company has approximately $31.4M in cash and investments. David Palmer, President and CEO of Probe, states, "The exercise of warrants has not only strengthened our balance sheet but also demonstrates the strong support we have from our existing shareholders. 2021 has been an incredibly successful year for the Company, crossing the 4 million ounce threshold for Val-d'Or and issuing a PEA that shows profitable mining operations of well over 200,000 ounces of gold per year for a minimum of 10 years. This was a goal we had set back in 2015 when the Company was formed and I am very proud of the Probe Metals team for not only achieving this goal, but exceeding it, in 2021. For us, the year represented a number of important milestones, however, we are excited for what lies ahead as we continue to grow our gold resources and unlock the tremendous upside we see in the project. We have explored less than 15% of our property and will be accelerating our programs to capture this exploration upside while continuing to increase confidence in the resource and the project economics. We end the year in a very strong financial position to begin our 2022 programs on Val-d'Or East and Detour, which represent our largest exploration programs to date. With over 150,000 metres of drilling planned for 2022, we will continue unlocking value as we push towards development."

07:37 EST VBL Therapeutics selected for EUR17.5M of funding from EIC Accelerator - VBL Therapeutics announced that it has been selected for EUR 17.5M of blended funding by the European Innovation Council Accelerator. The funding is comprised of a EUR 2.5M grant and an additional EUR 15M direct equity investment by the EIC. The EIC Accelerator is a prestigious competitive program of the European Commission, which offers grants combined with equity investments through the EIC Fund. In addition to financial support, all projects benefit from a range of Business Acceleration Services that provide access to leading expertise, corporates, investors and ecosystem actors. The EIC Accelerator's support comes at a pivotal time for VBL. VBL is nearing the completion of enrollment in the ongoing Phase 3 OVAL registration-enabling clinical trial of ofra-vec in ovarian cancer, with the top-line progression free survival co-primary endpoint data readout expected in the second half of 2022. The funds from the EIC will be used to support clinical development, Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls, and pre-commercialization activities.

07:35 EST Eton, ANI announce commercial availability of Carglumic Acid tablets - Eton Pharmaceuticals (ETON) and ANI Pharmaceuticals (ANIP) announced the commercial launch of Carglumic Acid tablets. The product will be marketed by Eton Pharmaceuticals and is the first and only FDA-approved generic version of Carbaglu. It was approved by the FDA for the treatment of acute and chronic hyperammonemia due to N-acetylglutamate synthase, NAGS, deficiency. The product is AB-rated and is bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent to Carbaglu, which allows pharmacies to substitute it in place of Carbaglu prescriptions. The product application is owned by Novitium Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of ANI Pharmaceuticals. "We are excited to offer patients a convenient Carglumic Acid product that does not require refrigeration and to provide it at a lower price than the existing Carbaglu. We believe the adoption of our product will result in significant financial savings to the U.S. healthcare system and to many patients through lower co-pay and co-insurance costs," said Sean Brynjelsen, CEO of Eton Pharmaceuticals. The product application was granted Competitive Generic Therapy designation by the FDA, and as a result, the product is expected to receive 180 days of generic exclusivity.

07:33 EST Cytokinetics, JI Xing announce expansion of collaboration - Cytokinetics (CYTK) and Ji Xing Pharmaceutical, a biopharmaceutical company based in Shanghai and backed by RTW Investments, announced an expansion of their collaboration by entering into an exclusive license and collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize omecamtiv mecarbil for the proposed treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in Greater China. In addition to the license and collaboration agreement with JI XING, Cytokinetics has also entered into Common Stock Purchase Agreements that provide for the sale and issuance to entities affiliated with RTW of 511,182 of shares of Cytokinetics common stock at a price per share of $39.125. Pursuant to these transactions, Cytokinetics will receive committed capital of $70M, comprised of $50M from JI XING of upfront and near-term payments under the collaboration agreement and $20M from RTW as proceeds for the sale of common stock. In addition, Cytokinetics will be eligible to receive up to $330M from JI XING in additional milestone payments plus tiered royalties on the net sales of omecamtiv mecarbil in Greater China, subject to certain reductions. "We are pleased to expand our current relationship with JI XING to now include omecamtiv mecarbil, and believe that their expertise in drug development and commercialization in China can help bring omecamtiv mecarbil to substantially more patients in an important cardiovascular market," said Robert Blum, Cytokinetics' President and Chief Executive Officer. "JI XING shares our strategic vision of building a business franchise by leveraging investments in science, people and infrastructure as can benefit the potential commercialization of both omecamtiv mecarbil as well as aficamten which was the subject of our initial collaboration. Together, we believe more patients in China may benefit from both drug candidates."

07:33 EST Arrowhead initiates project to build new manufacturing and lab facilities - Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, announced that it has completed a transaction to purchase 13 acres of land in the Verona Technology Park in Verona, WI, which is planned to be the site of an approximately 140,000 square foot drug manufacturing facility and an approximately 115,000 square foot laboratory and office facility to support process development and analytical activities. Arrowhead intends to invest between $200 million and $250 million into the buildout of the facilities. The Company expects that the new facilities will result in the creation of approximately 250 new jobs in the local area. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2022. Arrowhead will continue to operate additional research and development facilities in Madison, WI, and San Diego, CA.

07:32 EST Stealth Biotherapeutics reports positive pre-IND meeting for DMD program - Stealth BioTherapeutics reported an update on its pre-IND meeting with the FDA's Division of Cardiology and Nephrology regarding its Duchenne muscular dystrophy development program, including reaching alignment on Stealth's proposal to assess the progression of myocardial fibrosis as a surrogate endpoint for its planned clinical trial. "We applaud DCN for recognizing the importance of assessing myocardial fibrosis in DMD, where progressive fibro-fatty infiltration starting as early as middle childhood is associated with a loss of left ventricular function and adverse cardiovascular events," said Reenie McCarthy, CEO at Stealth. "This progressive cardiomyopathy can lead to heart failure, which is the leading cause of early mortality in DMD, and remains an important unmet need in this devastating disease. We look forward to continued dialogue with DCN regarding a proposed approval pathway on the basis of this surrogate endpoint, which will include ascertaining elamipretide's effect on this biomarker in our proposed clinical trial and designing an appropriate postmarketing confirmatory study." The purpose of the pre-investigational new drug (IND) meeting was to discuss Stealth's proposed development plan in DMD. DCN agreed that myocardial fibrosis assessed by magnetic resonance imaging using late gadolinium enhancement could serve as a primary endpoint for Stealth's proposed new clinical trial. DCN also outlined the steps that could support an eventual determination that reducing the progression of fibrosis is reasonably likely to lead to clinical benefit in DMD, which would be necessary for an Accelerated Approval based on this endpoint. DCN signaled alignment with other key aspects of the clinical trial design, while recommending that additional information be submitted with Stealth's planned IND on others. Stealth expects to engage in further dialogue with DCN early next year as it moves toward an IND submission during the first half of the year and a potential trial initiation during the second half of the year, subject to further regulatory feedback and financing.

07:30 EST Biogen announces $500M cost cut plan amid 'delayed uptake' of Aduhelm - Biogen announced that it will implement a series of cost-reduction measures in 2022 "to better align its costs with its revenue base, which is expected to be impacted by the continued entry of generics in multiple sclerosis, as well as the delayed uptake of Aduhelm." The cost-reduction measures are estimated to yield approximately $500M in annualized savings, a significant portion of which will be realized in 2022. A portion of these savings will be offset by investments in Biogen's pipeline and strategic initiatives, the company said in a statement. Added CEO Michel Vounatsos: "These are difficult decisions necessary to sustain our mission to develop medicines for the most devastating neurological diseases. We must bring our cost base in-line so we can continue to invest in future innovation and growth, retain and compete for outstanding talent, and provide acceptable returns to our shareholders."

07:22 EST Eguana Technologies receives PowerCenter+ opening order - Eguana Technologies announced it has received an opening order of 500 units representing 2.5MW from partner PowerCenter+, a subsidiary of Eguana manufacturing partner Omega EMS. The initial order, valued at approximately $6M, is related to the previously released manufacturing and licensing agreements between the parties to launch a premium line of home energy storage systems based on Eguana's patented energy storage platform.

07:21 EST Microbix Biosystems launches multiplex respiratory PCR-test control - Microbix Biosystems announces the expansion of its portfolio of Quality Assessment Products to include single-unit swab-formatted controls that simultaneously support PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A, Influenza B, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, RSV, four of the most-common causes of viral infectious respiratory illness globally. Specifically, Microbix is commercializing In-Vitro Diagnostic quality controls to support workflow accuracy of "multiplex" clinical laboratory PCR tests that detect COVID, Flu A, Flu B, and RSV from a single patient-sample. These controls provide a management tool to help avoid the systemic errors that can be driven by technicians, consumables, or instruments. Users of this IVD control will include lab accreditation agencies, makers of tests oriented to clinical labs or point-of-care, and clinical labs or medical clinics. This Microbix multiplex QAP is made using Copan FLOQSwabs - the optimal format for accuracy and point-of-care use, with room-temperature stability for 12 months. As for all Microbix's QAPs, this latest IVD control contains all possible PCR targets and is validated on multiple test platforms. Cameron Groome, CEO and President of Microbix, commented "For optimal patient care and public health management, clinicians and lab directors are rapidly moving to tests that can detect multiple infectious organisms from a single patient-sample. Microbix is therefore applying its expertise to develop the leading-edge "multiplex" test controls required to enable and accelerate this very positive evolution. I encourage clinical lab directors to reach out to Microbix or one of our nine distributors to sample these important new products for optimally-ensuring the quality of multiplex PCR-tests for respiratory viruses."

07:20 EST Evoqua Water to acquire renal business from Steris for $196.3M - Evoqua Water (AQUA) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of the renal business historically operated by Mar Cor Purification and Cantel Medical, subsidiaries of Steris (STE) for $196.3M. Mar Cor is a manufacturer and servicer of medical water, commercial and industrial solutions in North America and will expand Evoqua's service footprint and further its reach into the healthcare vertical market. The acquired business is headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota, with 27 service and regeneration facilities in the United States and Canada, and offers significant technical expertise in designing, building, and servicing high-purity water treatment systems to an installed base of approximately 5,500 sites. The acquired business' installed base and large footprint is expected to provide Evoqua with a highly recurring stream of service and aftermarket revenues in an attractive market. The transaction is anticipated to close during Evoqua's second quarter of FY22, which ends March 31, 2022, pending customary closing conditions, including regulatory review. The business is expected to generate annualized revenues of approximately $180M and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $27M before synergies. Upon closing the transaction, the business will be part of Evoqua's integrated solutions and services segment. The purchase price will be funded through a combination of cash and proceeds from the revolving credit facility.

07:19 EST Talaris Therapeutics added to the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index - Talaris Therapeutics announced that the company has been added to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, active prior to market open today.

07:17 EST Dynamics Special Purpose, Senti Bio enter business combination agreement - Senti Biosciences and Dynamics Special Purpose Corp, announced they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement to create a public company focused on Gene Circuit-engineered cell and gene therapies. Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will be named Senti Biosciences and will be led by Tim Lu, MD, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Senti Bio. The Company plans to list its common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Dr. Farokhzad, who is currently serving as CEO and Chair of Seer, and David Epstein, Dynamics board member and former CEO of Novartis Pharmaceuticals, will be joining the Senti Bio Board of Directors upon closing of the transaction. Senti Bio uses its Gene Circuit platform to program cell and gene therapies with potentially enhanced capabilities. Gene Circuits, which are created via synthetic biology and encoded as novel and proprietary combinations of DNA sequences, enable cells to sense inputs, compute decisions with biological logic, and respond to disease environments. Senti Bio's internal therapeutic pipeline is focused on allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cell therapies for cancer. The Company's lead development candidates include SENTI-202 for acute myeloid leukemia and SENTI-301 for hepatocellular carcinoma; Senti Bio anticipates filing Investigational New Drug applications in 2023 for both candidates. SENTI-202 is designed to prevent the killing of healthy cells by leveraging a NOT logic gate, while concurrently targeting two tumor-associated antigens for enhanced AML killing by leveraging an OR logic gate, thus overcoming the limitations of other cell therapy approaches to treating AML. SENTI-301 is designed to target an HCC-specific antigen while leveraging multi-armed, controlled cytokine release for enhanced anti-cancer activity, thus overcoming the limitations of other cell therapy approaches to treating HCC. Senti Bio has established collaborations with biopharmaceutical companies that demonstrate the broad potential of Gene Circuits in other therapeutic areas and treatment modalities. Spark Therapeutics, a member of the Roche Group, and Senti Bio are developing next-generation gene therapies with Gene Circuits that have the potential to improve precise targeting of the central nervous system, eye, and/or liver. BlueRock Therapeutics, a wholly-owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG, and Senti Bio are developing Gene Circuit-engineered cell therapies for a potentially broad array of therapeutic areas within the field of regenerative medicine. Proceeds from the PIPE and merger transaction are expected to provide Senti Bio with capital to further develop its Gene Circuit technologies and therapeutic pipeline, including: Filing an IND, anticipated in 2023, for SENTI-202, a logic-gated allogeneic CAR-NK cell therapy being designed to target and eliminate AML cells while sparing the healthy bone marrow; Filing an IND, anticipated in 2023, for SENTI-301, a multi-armed allogeneic CAR-NK cell therapy being developed for the treatment of HCC; Continuing to expand the breadth of Senti Bio's Gene Circuit technologies across multiple diseases and modalities to uniquely enable therapeutics previously not possible, including advancing its gene circuit platform with additional programs, such as SENTI-401, a logic-gated allogeneic CAR-NK cell therapy that is being designed to more precisely target and eliminate colorectal cancer, or CRC, cells while sparing healthy cells elsewhere in the body; and Building out and operating clinical-scale cGMP manufacturing capabilities for allogeneic CAR-NK cell therapies. The transaction values the combined company at a pro forma equity value of $601 million, assuming a $10.00 per share price and no shareholder redemptions. As a result of the transaction, the combined company is expected to have more than $296 million in gross proceeds from a combination of approximately $230.0 million in cash held in Dynamics' trust accountand more than $66 million, at $10.00 per share, from a fully committed PIPE. Existing Dynamics shareholders, including funds managed by ARK Investment Management LLC, funds and accounts managed by Counterpoint Global, Invus, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., have, in the aggregate, committed not to redeem over $86 million of Dynamics' publicly traded shares in exchange for receiving approximately 965,000 newly issued shares of common stock, attributable to an equal number of shares currently owned by Dynamics Sponsor LLC, the sponsor of Dynamics, that will be contemporaneously surrendered to the combined company. The PIPE includes participation from healthcare and technology investors, including 8VC, Amgen Ventures, funds and accounts managed by Counterpoint Global, Invus, LifeForce Capital, NEA, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., and others. All existing Senti Bio equity holders will roll the entirety of their equity holdings into the combined company and are expected to hold approximately 40% of the issued and outstanding equity of the combined company immediately following the closing. Certain existing Senti Bio equity holders and Dynamics Sponsor LLC will be subject to a twelve month lock-up, subject to certain customary exceptions. Certain existing Senti Bio equity holders will be subject to an eighteen month lock-up, subject to certain additional exceptions that may reduce it to twelve months. The transaction, which has been approved by each of Dynamics' Board of Directors and Senti Bio's Board of Directors, is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2022, subject to approval by Dynamics' and Senti Bio's shareholders and satisfaction, or the waiver of, customary closing conditions identified in the business combination agreement.

07:17 EST Stronghold Digital acquires 9,080 Bitcoin miners, $54M equipment financing - Stronghold Digital Mining (SDIG) has entered into four separate agreements to acquire 9,080 Bitmain and MicroBT Bitcoin (BTC;BITCOIN;$BTC) miners since the Company's third quarter 2021 earnings release on November 30, 2021. The aggregate hash rate capacity of these miners is approximately 826 petahash per second, PH/s, and Stronghold expects 4,800 miners to be delivered before the end of the year or in early January, with the remainder expected in the first half of 2022. All miners will be installed at Stronghold's wholly owned reclamation and power generation facilities. The aggregate purchase price for the first 4,800 miners was approximately $35.7 million, representing less than $84 per terahash per second, TH/s, with the remaining 4,280 miners acquired under a profit share arrangement with its existing partner, Northern Data, with commercial terms that Stronghold considers highly favorable. To date, Stronghold has executed definitive purchase agreements or has installed over 54,000 miners with hash rate capacity of approximately 5.2 exahash per second, EH/s. Separately, on December 15, 2021, Stronghold entered into an equipment financing agreement with NYDIG ABL for up to approximately $54M. The Company has already received a first advance of approximately $18.6M. The aggregate principal outstanding bears interest at 9.85% and will be repaid over the 24 months ending on December 25, 2023. The debt is non-recourse to Stronghold and is collateralized by the purchase of 12,000 Antminer S19j Pro miners from Bitmain Technologies.

07:15 EST Novartis 'disappointed' in Phase 3 ligelizumab studies in CSU - Novartis announced top-line results from PEARL 1 and PEARL 2 Phase 3 studies in chronic spontaneous urticaria, or CSU, which showed that the studies met their primary endpoints of superiority for ligelizumab versus placebo at Week 12, but not versus omalizumab. Full PEARL 1 and 2 Phase III data will be made publicly available after study completion in the second half of 2022. Novartis noted that it recently began Phase 3 studies for remibrutinib, a highly selective, potent oral BTK inhibitor that has previously shown rapid and effective CSU disease control. "We are disappointed that we have been unable to demonstrate superior efficacy for ligelizumab versus standard of care in the treatment of CSU. We will continue to evaluate the potential for ligelizumab to bring benefit to patients in the areas of chronic inducible urticaria and food allergy, where there is significant unmet need," said John Tsai, M.D., Head of Global Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis.

07:14 EST Checkmate Pharmaceuticals appoints Joy Yan to board of directors - Checkmate Pharmaceuticals (CMPI) announced the addition of Joy Yan, M.D., Ph.D. to its Board of Directors. Dr. Yan currently serves as Chief Medical Officer at Ambrx Biopharma (AMAM), a biopharmaceutical company with an expanded genetic code technology platform. Concurrent with the appointment of Dr. Yan, Nilesh Kumar, Ph.D. notified Checkmate he will retire from Checkmate's Board and the Compensation Committee of the Board, effective December 31, 2021.

07:13 EST Checkmate announces initiation of patient dosing in Phase 2 trial of vidutolimod - Checkmate Pharmaceuticals announced that patient dosing was initiated in the anti-PD-1 refractory cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, CSCC, arm of a Phase 2 multi-indication study evaluating the efficacy and safety of vidutolimod in combination with cemiplimab for the treatment of patients with anti-PD-1 refractory CSCC. Vidutolimod is an advanced generation Toll-like receptor 9 agonist, delivered as a biologic virus-like particle utilizing a CpG-A oligodeoxynucleotide as a key component. "Initiation of dosing in this trial marks a significant step forward in our pursuit of a potential new treatment option for patients affected by CSCC, a life-threatening non-melanoma skin cancer," said Alan Fuhrman, interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Checkmate. "This multi-indication trial is an important element of our plan to expand on the indications that can be potentially treated using vidutolimod."

07:12 EST Heliogen finalizes $39M DOE award for AI-enabled concentrated solar technology - Heliogen(HLGN) announced it has finalized a $39M award from the U.S. Department of Energy to deploy the Company's breakthrough renewable energy technology in California. The Company will apply the funds received from the DOE towards a commercial-scale facility leveraging its AI-enabled concentrated solar technology. In particular, the DOE funds will support the implementation of Heliogen's unique concentrated solar technology which couples its AI-powered heliostat field with a supercritical carbon dioxide, sCO2, power cycle. To do this, Heliogen's AI-powered heliostat field will efficiently generate higher temperatures than traditional concentrated solar, enabling the cost-effective integration of a sCO2 power cycle. Steam-based power cycles are typically used in thermal energy plants to convert heat into electricity, but advanced sCO2 cycles will reach higher efficiencies at lower cost with a smaller footprint and reduced water use. With its numerous advanced technologies, the Heliogen system is expected to unlock the production of low-cost, near 24/7 carbon-free electricity, highlighting the potential for concentrated solar technology to power industry and accelerate the clean energy transition in the United States and beyond. On July 6, 2021, Heliogen entered into a definitive business combination agreement with Athena Technology Acquisition (ATHN). Upon the closing of the business combination, Heliogen will become publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol "HLGN".

07:11 EST Mondee to become public through Ithax Acquisition combination agreement - Mondee has entered into a business combination agreement with Ithax Acquisition (ITHX). Upon completion of the transaction, which is expected to occur in the first half of 2022, the combined company will retain the Mondee name and is expected to be traded on Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol (MOND). Upon the closing of the business combination, Mondee will continue to be led by its existing management team including CEO Prasad Gundumogula, CFO Dan Figenshu and COO Officer Jim Dullum, as well as by an experienced board of directors including Gundumogula and Fintiklis. The transaction implies a pro forma equity value post-closing of approximately $1B. Estimated cash proceeds from the transaction are expected to consist of Ithax's $241.5M of cash held in trust. In addition, investors committed to invest $50M in the form of a 100% "common equity" PIPE at a price of $10.00 per share of common stock of Ithax immediately prior to the closing of the transaction. PIPE investors include leading financial institutions such as funds affiliated with Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Origami and ARCPE; principals of major private equity funds; strategic investors in travel and leisure such as Travco and Entertainment Benefits; and a diverse group of prominent family offices from the United States and Europe. The proceeds of the transaction are expected to primarily implement an accretive M&A strategy and optimize the company's capital structure. Mondee management, which is the company's largest shareholder, is rolling 100% of its equity into the combined company, as are all existing Mondee shareholders, including Mondee's private equity backers - funds affiliated with Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Origami. Upon the closing of the transaction, and assuming none of Ithax's public shareholders elect to redeem their shares, existing Mondee shareholders are expected to own 63% of the combined company, the Ithax sponsors are expected to own 7% of the combined company, PIPE participants are expected to own 5% of the combined company, and public stockholders are expected to own 25% of the combined company. The respective board of directors of Ithax and Mondee have unanimously approved the proposed transaction. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to ITHAX shareholder and Mondee member approval, certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

07:10 EST Surge Copper appoints Mark Wheeler as VP, projects - Surge Copper announced the appointment of Mark Wheeler as Vice President, Projects. Mr. Wheeler will lead the Company's various technical studies and environmental permitting efforts as the Company continues to advance its Ootsa and Berg Properties located in central British Columbia. Most recently, Mr. Wheeler spent ten years with Treasury Metals Inc., where he led multiple technical programs including resource estimates, design inputs and project management to advance Treasury's project from a maiden resource to a PFS level of study, and technical due diligence in support of growth-focused acquisitions.

07:09 EST Rexford Industrial announces $141.4M of acquisitions - Rexford Industrial Realty announced the acquisition of five industrial properties for an aggregate purchase price of $141.4M. The acquisitions were funded using cash on hand.

07:07 EST Viridian announces first subject dosed in Phase 1/2 trial of VRDN-001 - Viridian Therapeutic announced the first subject was dosed in a Phase 1/2 proof-of-concept clinical trial for VRDN-001, a monoclonal antibody that blocks the IGF-1 receptor with sub-nanomolar potency. IGF-1R blockade is a clinically validated mechanism of action for the treatment of TED. The Phase 1/2 trial is designed to evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and potential efficacy of VRDN-001. The Company expects to announce top line data from the proof-of-concept portion of the trial in the second quarter of 2022. "We are excited to initiate our first clinical trial of VRDN-001. This trial is designed to quickly assess the potential of VRDN-001 to offer a new option for patients suffering from TED, and to inform how we can optimize VRDN-001 development to best meet patients' needs," stated Jonathan Violin, Ph.D., Viridian Therapeutics' President and CEO. "VRDN-001 exemplifies Viridian's patient-centric model of innovation that leverages proven biology and technology to efficiently craft medicines to meet the needs of patients and healthcare providers."

07:07 EST EnLink Midstream intends to increase quarterly distribution to 11.25c in Q4 - EnLink Midstream announced that it intends to increase its quarterly distribution, beginning with the fourth quarter of 2021, and provided an update on common and preferred unit repurchases. EnLink expects to increase its regular cash distribution to 11.25c per common unit, beginning with the fourth quarter 2021 distribution. This distribution amount would represent an increase of 20% from EnLink's third quarter 2021 distribution paid on November 12, 2021. "As a result of our team's relentless execution and discipline, EnLink has generated very robust free cash flow over the last couple of years," said EnLink Chairman and CEO Barry Davis. "We have made tremendous progress on our balance sheet, including with the repayment of our term loan earlier this month. As we approach our near-term leverage ratio target of 4x or below, we intend to employ a more balanced capital allocation approach that allows us to continue to de-lever the balance sheet and increase our return of capital to unitholders. To that end, we are pleased to announce our intent to increase the common unit distribution commencing with the fourth quarter distribution and a refresh of our common unit repurchase program. Importantly, with the common and preferred buybacks that we have executed to date, our total common and preferred distribution burden would increase by approximately $30 million, or only 11%, on an annualized basis, as a result of the common unit distribution increase. This places EnLink in a position of strength as we continue to generate significant free cash flow after distributions in 2022 and beyond."

07:06 EST AstraZeneca reports Saphnelo recommended for approval in EU by CHMP - AstraZeneca's Saphnelo has been recommended for marketing authorization in the European Union as an add-on therapy for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe, active autoantibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, despite receiving standard therapy, the company announced. "SLE is a complex autoimmune condition that can affect any organ, and people often experience inadequate disease control, long-term organ damage and poor health-related quality of life. If approved, Saphnelo would be the first new treatment for SLE in Europe in more than a decade," AstraZeneca stated.

07:06 EST Almaden Minerals reviews 2021 progress, discusses 2022 plans - Almaden Minerals is pleased to look back at the significant work accomplished in 2021 and lay out our ambitions for 2022. The Company is optimistic that the work accomplished this year positions us favourably to advance the Ixtaca project next year. During the year consultants have worked to update flora and fauna studies for both the dry and wet seasons. Field work was delayed for some time as the local municipality dealt with a COVID-19 outbreak, and the Company anticipates that the permit application will be ready for submission during H1 2022. The Company has now formally convened the external Advisory Committee which will provide feedback on the design, methodology, and reporting of the HRIA, advise the HRIA consulting team on the identification of on-site stakeholders, and complement the HRIA consulting team with knowledge and understanding of the national and local context for the impact that project activities could susceptibly cause on human rights, among other things. Field work relating to the HRIA is also ongoing, and in Q1 will be focused on consultations relating to social investment plans. The Company expects this work to be completed during H1 2022. As previously reported, plaintiffs in this lawsuit are using Almaden's mineral claims to sue the Mexican government asserting that the Mexican Mineral Title regime is unconstitutional. As reported on April 14, 2021, the Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico has already ruled, in a similar case, that Mexico's mineral title regime is constitutional. The case involving Almaden's mineral claims is now in the SCJN, and the Company is optimistic that a ruling will be issued during H2 2022. By way of background, in April 2019, a lower court in Puebla State issued a decision that Mexico's mineral title regime is unconstitutional because consultation of indigenous communities is not required before the granting of mineral title. The lawsuit used the Company's mineral claims to make the argument. For more background see the Company's press releases of April 14, 2021, February 27, 2020, and April 15, 2019. With the easing of COVID-19 concerns locally and with the support and involvement of local health authorities, the Company is pleased to have been able to cautiously re-engage with friends in local communities over the past several months. The Company recently convened an outdoor end of year gathering in a large open space and is very appreciative of the ongoing support and optimism from local communities regarding the future of the project and the tremendous value that we can collectively deliver to the local area through project development. Since the news release of October 7, 2021, three additional exploration drill holes have been completed in the large high level epithermal South East Alteration Zone target area which extends to the south away from the Ixtaca deposit. No significant gold and silver assays were returned from these holes which encountered altered volcaniclastic rocks overlying basement carbonates and shales - with both volcanics and sediments locally intruded by dykes. The geologic observations and complete assay data will be analysed and additional mineral studies will be conducted on the core in order to identify any geochemical or mineral vectors in order to plan follow-up work in this area.

07:05 EST Cara Therapeutics announces CMS grants TDAPA to KORSUVA injection - Cara Therapeutics (CARA) announced that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS, has granted Transitional Drug Add-On Payment Adjustment, TDAPA, to KORSUVA injection in the anti-pruritic functional category. TDAPA will apply to KORSUVA injection beginning April 4, 2022, for two years. KORSUVA injection was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, in August 2021 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe pruritus associated with chronic kidney disease in adults undergoing hemodialysis. TDAPA enables payment for new injectable end-stage renal disease-related therapies to be reimbursed outside of the ESRD Prospective Payment System bundle. "Receiving TDAPA from CMS is a crucial step toward the commercial launch of KORSUVA injection," said Christopher Posner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cara Therapeutics. "We are pleased to have secured TDAPA reimbursement for KORSUVA injection and are encouraged by the willingness of CMS leadership to engage with Cara and Vifor Pharma regarding potential post-TDAPA support." We are pleased to have secured TDAPA reimbursement in the United States for KORSUVA injection effective April 2022," said Molly Painter, President USA, Vifor Pharma (GNHAY).

07:04 EST ObsEva added to the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index - ObsEva announced it has been selected for addition to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, effective as of market open on Monday, December 20, 2021.

07:02 EST LiveOne to implement $14M in annual cost and expense reductions - LiveOne is implementing further cost and expense reductions from both operations and corporate overhead which will increase the previously implemented $5.6M of annual cost savings to a total of over $14M annually. LiveOne plans to spin-out its existing PPV business, PPVOne, as a separate public company and its plan to distribute a minority portion of the new company's equity to LiveOne's stockholders, anticipated to take place by March 31, 2022. Due to the heightened concern of the COVID variants, LiveOne has elected to cancel the planned live music festival "Spring Awakening Excursions: Cancun Awakening" previously scheduled for January 13-17, 2022 and has moved its planned second iteration of the Social Gloves franchise, Self-Made Knockout, from Q4 Fiscal 2022 to Q1 Fiscal 2023. LiveOne's recent live EDM music event, Spring Awakening Music Festival: Autumn Equinox held in Chicago in October 2021, was seriously impacted by the Delta COVID variant as well as adverse weather which caused the audience to be evacuated due to lightning. LiveOne expects to take a charge of approximately $3M in the current Q3 Fiscal 2022. LiveOne is actively pursuing an insurance claim for costs incurred in connection with such festival and expects a material recovery of its costs.

07:02 EST MasTec to acquire Henkels & McCoy - MasTec announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Henkels & McCoy. Founded in 1923, Henkels has been in operation for over 98 years, with approximately $1.5B in FY21 revenue primarily with relationships. Total transaction consideration will be $600M, with approximately $420M in cash plus approximately 2M shares of MasTec common stock, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. Cash will be provided by MasTec's cash on hand as well as borrowing under its existing unsecured credit facility. MasTec anticipates that post-acquisition leverage metrics will remain comfortably within its target range with ample liquidity. While it is expected that significant revenue and operating margin opportunities will materialize from this combination, none of these potential opportunities are included in the current expectation that Henkels' 2022 results will approximate its FY21 results at approximately $1.5B in revenue and $70M in adjusted EBITDA. Both actual FY21 and expected post-acquisition 2022 results reflect impacts of underperforming communications and pipeline services operations, which are anticipated to improve over time. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of both MasTec and Henkels, as well as Henkels' shareholders, and is expected to close by year end 2021, subject to receiving required Hart-Scott-Rodino approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

06:59 EST Palantir, Dewpoint Therapeutics announce strategic partnership - Palantir Technologies and Dewpoint Therapeutics announced a partnership for Palantir's Foundry platform to help power Dewpoint's efforts to discover treatments and cures for the most challenging diseases. Palantir Foundry will help to enable researchers at Dewpoint to further their understanding of condensates biology by analyzing lab data along with other data sources, including data from the published literature and databases, to identify new compounds and therapeutic approaches. Dewpoint will also use Foundry as the primary platform for its centralized knowledge repository, helping it contextualize its experimental results and prioritize the most viable outcomes. This multi

06:55 EST Lannett submits biosimilar insulin glargine IND to FDA - Lannett announced the submission of an investigational new drug, or IND, application with the FDA for the pivotal clinical trial of biosimilar insulin glargine, a product the company is co-developing with its strategic alliance partners within the HEC Group of companies, or HEC.

06:51 EST Alamos Gold renews Normal Course Issuer Bid - Alamos Gold announced that it has filed with and received acceptance from the Toronto Stock Exchange for a Notice of Intention to make a Normal Course Issuer Bid permitting Alamos to purchase for cancellation up to 29,994,398 Class A Common Shares, representing 10% of the company's public float of the Common Shares as of December 15, 2021, being 299,943,980 Common Shares. As at December 15, 2021, there were 391,962,704 Common Shares issued and outstanding.

06:50 EST Stantec selected as prime consultant for Queensway Health Centre in Toronto - Stantec was selected as the prime consultant to provide architectural, interior design, and building and civil engineering services for the new Queensway Health Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Part of Trillium Health Partners, the nine-story, 600,000-square-foot patient tower will address the needs of the growing community and aging infrastructure. Once complete, the expansion will offer over 350 beds in a modern, dedicated centre for complex care and rehabilitation services.

06:47 EST Sonoco Products to acquire Ball Metalpack for $1.35B in cash - Sonoco (SON) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Ball Metalpack, a manufacturer of sustainable metal packaging for food and household products and the largest aerosol producer in North America, for $1.35B in cash before taking into consideration tax benefits with an estimated net present value of approximately $180M. Ball Metalpack is a joint venture owned by Platinum Equity (51%) and Ball Corporation (BLL) (49%). Ball Metalpack is projected to generate approximately $850M in revenue and $111M of adjusted EBITDA in 2021. Once the transaction is closed, Sonoco anticipates the acquired business' financial results will be reported in the Company's Consumer Packaging segment. Jim Peterson, who is CEO of Ball Metalpack and has more than 15 years of leadership experience in the metal packaging industry, will continue to lead the business along with a tenured management team that has more than 90 years of experience. There are no expected changes in operations or customer relationships as a result of the transaction. Closing of the transaction is subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory review, and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022.

06:33 EST Dingdong announces $30M share repurchase program - Dingdong announced that its board of directors has authorized a share repurchase program under which the company may repurchase up to $30M of its shares over a period until December 19, 2022. The company's proposed repurchases may be made from time to time on the open market at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions, in block trades and/or through other legally permissible means, depending on market conditions and in accordance with applicable rules and regulations. The company's board of directors will review the share repurchase program periodically, and may authorize adjustment of its terms and size. The company expects to fund the repurchases out of its existing cash balance.

06:18 EST BeiGene expands collaboration with Novartis - BeiGene (BGNE) announced an option, collaboration and license agreement with Novartis (NVS) to develop, manufacture and commercialize BeiGene's investigational TIGIT inhibitor ociperlimab in North America, Europe, and Japan. In addition, the parties entered into an agreement granting BeiGene rights to market, promote and detail five approved Novartis oncology products, TAFINLAR, MEKINIST, VOTRIENT, AFINITOR, and ZYKADIA, across designated regions of China referred to as "broad markets." Building upon the collaboration between BeiGene and Novartis for anti-PD1 antibody tislelizumab announced in January 2021, BeiGene has granted Novartis an exclusive time-based option under which, upon exercise by Novartis prior to late 2023, the companies have agreed to jointly develop ociperlimab, with Novartis responsible for regulatory submissions after a transition period and for commercialization upon regulatory approvals in the licensed territory. During the option period Novartis will conduct and fund additional global clinical trials of ociperlimab in combination with tislelizumab in selected tumor types. In addition, following option exercise, both companies may conduct clinical trials globally to explore combinations of ociperlimab with other cancer treatments. Following approval, BeiGene will co-detail the product in the United States. Under the terms of the agreement, BeiGene will receive an upfront cash payment of $300 million from Novartis along with an additional payment of $600M or $700M upon exercise by Novartis of an exclusive time-based option prior to mid-2023 or between then and late-2023, subject to receipt of required antitrust approval. In addition, following option exercise, BeiGene is eligible to receive up to $745M upon the achievement of regulatory approval milestones, $1.15B upon the achievement of sales milestones, and royalties on future sales of ociperlimab in the licensed territory. The licensed territory is the same as the tislelizumab collaboration, the United States, Canada, Mexico, member countries of the European Union, United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Russia, and Japan. Subject to the terms of the agreement, during the option period, Novartis will initiate and fund additional global clinical trials with ociperlimab and BeiGene has agreed to expand enrollment in two ongoing trials. Additionally, following the option exercise, Novartis has agreed to share development costs of global trials. Following approval, BeiGene has agreed to provide 50% of the co-detailing and co-field medical efforts in the United States, and has an option to co-detail up to 25% in Canada and Mexico, funded in part by Novartis. Each party retains the worldwide right to commercialize its propriety products in combination with ociperlimab, as is the case with tislelizumab under the parties' existing agreement.

06:11 EST Tesla CEO Musk says will pay 'over $11B' in taxes this year - Tesla CEO Elon Musk said via Twitter: "For those wondering, I will pay over $11 billion in taxes this year." Reference Link

06:08 EST Forafric to become public through Globis Acquisition combination agreement - Forafric, a vertically integrated agribusiness serving North Africa, and Globis Acquisition (GLAQ) announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement. Forafric provides agribusiness lifecycle operations, from sourcing to processing, for sales and distribution of branded products. The enterprise value of the combined company is valued at approximately $300M. Upon the closing of the transaction, the parties intend that Globis will change its jurisdiction of incorporation to Gibraltar, be renamed Forafric (AFRI) and become the first Moroccan based company to list on a U.S. Exchange. Its common stock is expected to be listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol (AFRI). Forafric's capabilities include 250,000 tons of storage capacity, seven production units, and 2,200 tons per day of crushing capacity. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by Globis's board of directors and the independent members of Forafric's board, is subject to approval by Globis's stockholders and Forafric's owners and other customary closing conditions, including any applicable regulatory approvals. Existing Globis stockholders who don't exercise their redemption rights will roll 100% of their equity into the combined company.

06:03 EST ZeroFox to go public via merger with L&F Acquisition Corp. - ZeroFox and L&F Acquisition Corp. announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination that will result in ZeroFox becoming a publicly traded company with an expected equity value of approximately $1.4B, assuming no redemptions. As part of the transaction, ZeroFox will acquire IDX, a leading digital privacy protection and data breach response services company, resulting in the creation of a cybersecurity provider addressing the full lifecycle of external cyber threats and risks for its customers. Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will be renamed ZeroFox Holdings, Inc. and expects to be listed under the ticker symbol "ZFOX". Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company is expected to have a pro forma equity value of approximately $1.4B, assuming no redemptions, resulting in over $250M of cash on the combined company's balance sheet. This reflects $175 million of cash held in LNFA's trust account as well as $170M in financing led by Monarch Alternative Capital LP with participation from Victory Park Capital, Corbin Capital, as well as existing shareholders New Enterprise Associates, Highland Capital, Alsop Louie Partners, Blue Venture Fund, Peloton Equity, Forgepoint Capital and James C. Foster, Chairman and CEO of ZeroFox. The proposed business combination has been approved by the Boards of Directors of ZeroFox, IDX and LNFA, and is subject to approval by LNFA's stockholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The business combination is expected to close in the first half of 2022.

06:02 EST GlaxoSmithKline names Dave Lewis to lead Consumer Healthcare company - GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced that Sir Dave Lewis has been appointed as Non-Executive Chair Designate of the new Consumer Healthcare company which will result from the proposed demerger from GSK in 2022. His appointment will take effect from January 1, 2022, the company said in a statement. As set out at GSK's Investor Update in June 2021, subject to approval from shareholders, the separation of Consumer Healthcare will be by way of a demerger in mid-2022 of at least 80% of GSK's holding to shareholders. From 2014 to 2020, Lewis was Group CEO of Tesco plc (TSCDY) and prior to that was Global President, Personal Care at Unilever (UN, UL). Reference Link

05:59 EST Rio Tinto says Dominic Barton to succeed Simon Thompson as chair - The Board of Rio Tinto has selected Dominic Barton to succeed Simon Thompson as the company's new Chair. Dominic will join the Board with effect from April 4, 2022 and be appointed to the role of Chair at the conclusion of the Rio Tinto Limited annual general meeting on May 5, 2022. Simon Thompson will step down as a non-executive director of Rio Tinto and as Chair at that same time on May 5, 2022, having served as Chair for four years and as a non-executive director since 2014. The search for the new Chair was jointly led by Sam Laidlaw, senior independent director of Rio Tinto plc, and Simon McKeon, senior independent director of Rio Tinto Limited.

05:37 EST Rio Tinto calls for EOI to build 100 rail cars for Pilbara mining operations - Rio Tinto has called for expressions of interest, or EOI, from Western Australian manufacturers to build 100 rail cars for its Pilbara iron ore mining operations. The EOI callout follows Rio Tinto's announcement in September it would look for opportunities for Western Australian suppliers to help grow the local rail car manufacturing industry and support local jobs. Rio Tinto will initially purchase 50 rail cars from the successful supplier, followed by an ongoing commitment of 10 rail cars a year for the next five years.

05:31 EST Helmerich & Payne, ADNOC Drilling finalize rig enablement framework agreement - ADNOC Drilling and Helmerich & Payne jointly announced the finalization of the rig enablement framework agreement. The framework agreement will advance ADNOC Drilling's land rig operational performance, as well as support its ambitious growth and expansion plans. Focused on improving drilling efficiencies and unlocking operational savings, the framework agreement builds on the asset purchase agreement and IPO cornerstone agreement announced on September 8. ADNOC Drilling's recent IPO was the largest-ever listing on ADX, raising over $1.1B. Substantial demand saw the IPO oversubscribed more than 31 times. As a Cornerstone Investor, H&P committed $100M to the offer, subject to a three-year lock-up period.

05:20 EST Kennedy Wilson acquires office campus in UK for $81M - Kennedy Wilson has acquired Forum, a wholly-owned institutional-quality office campus, for $81M. Located on the South Coast of the UK, midway between Southampton and Portsmouth, the Forum includes 252,000 square feet of office space across five buildings on a picturesque 30-acre site with lakes, trails, and lush landscaping. The campus is leased to a line up of corporate tenants, including HSBC and Specsavers, with a weighted average lease term to first break of 4.2 years. The office acquisition was completed at a 6.3% cap rate with 85% occupancy and, following the lease up of the vacant space, the yield on cost is projected to grow to over 9%. An adjacent 11-acre vacant parcel is also approved for a future mixed-use development including the potential to build light industrial space, which continues to be in very short supply. Developed between 2001 and 2007, the five buildings are part of the Solent Business Park, a mixed-use project that includes over 1M square feet of offices covering over 130 acres.

05:16 EST Nokia selected by Elisa Estonia for nationwide 5G RAN deployment - Nokia announced that it has been selected by Elisa Estonia, a subsidiary of Elisa Finland, for a nationwide 5G RAN deployment as well as to replace the existing 4G infrastructure in a five-year deal. Nokia will be the sole provider, replacing the incumbent vendor. Deployment is expected to roll out next year following the completion of Estonia's spectrum auction in early 2022. Under the deal, Nokia will provide equipment from its latest ReefShark System on chip-powered AirScale equipment portfolio covering Elisa's nationwide radio network across the country. Nokia's AirScale RAN portfolio is designed for seamless, simple, and efficient 'plug-in' deployment and reduced power consumption. It covers all deployment scenarios including dense-urban environments and wide-area coverage. Nokia also maintains a long-standing partnership with Elisa Corporation and was selected as a nationwide supplier of 5G RAN last year supporting their efforts to digitize Finland and make it a global 5G market.

05:09 EST Moderna provides preliminary booster data, update on strategy to address omicron - Moderna announced preliminary neutralizing antibody data against the Omicron variant following the company's booster candidates at 50 microgram and 100 microgram dose levels. The currently authorized 50 microgram booster of mRNA-1273 increased neutralizing antibody levels against Omicron approximately 37-fold compared to pre-boost levels and a 100 microgram dose of mRNA-1273 increased neutralizing antibody levels approximately 83-fold compared to pre-boost levels. As previously described, the company is continuously advancing booster candidates to address emerging variants of concern, or VOC. The strategy includes evaluating the prototype vaccine at the authorized booster dose and a higher dose, multivalent candidates that incorporate previous VOCs also at 50 microgram and 100 microgram, and VOC-specific booster candidates. Booster candidates are being evaluated in ongoing Phase 2/3 studies of approximately 300-600 participants per arm. The data includes sera from 20 booster recipients each of mRNA-1273 at the 50 microgram and 100 microgram dose levels, multivalent candidate mRNA-1273.211 at the 50 microgram and 100 microgram dose levels, and multivalent candidate mRNA-1273.213 at the 100 microgram dose level. Neutralizing antibodies against Omicron were assessed in a pseudovirus neutralization titer assay conducted at laboratories established by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Vaccine Research Center at Duke University Medical Center. A preprint submission is being prepared based on the data. All groups had low neutralizing antibody levels in the Omicron PsVNT assay prior to boosting. At day 29 post boost, the authorized 50 microgram booster of mRNA-1273 increased neutralizing geometric mean titers against Omicron to 850, which is approximately 37-fold higher than pre-boost levels. At day 29 post boost, the 100 microgram dose booster of mRNA-1273 increased neutralizing GMT to 2228, which is approximately 83-fold higher than pre-boost levels. The multivalent candidates boosted Omicron specific neutralizing antibody levels to similarly high levels at both the 50 microgram and 100 microgram levels. Based on the strength of neutralizing titers generated by mRNA-1273, the rapid pace of Omicron expansion, and the increased complexity of deploying a new vaccine, the company will focus its near-term efforts to address Omicron on the mRNA-1273 booster. The company will continue to assess the breadth and durability of neutralizing antibodies from the multivalent booster candidates in the months ahead. The company also announced the safety and tolerability data from the Phase 2/3 study of the 100 microgram booster dose of mRNA-1273. A 100 microgram booster dose of mRNA-1273 was generally safe and well tolerated. The frequency and nature of solicited systemic and local adverse events seven days after receiving a booster were generally comparable to those seen after the two-dose primary series. There was a trend toward slightly more frequent adverse reactions following the 100 microgram booster dose relative to the authorized 50 microgram booster dose of mRNA-1273. Moving forward, given the strength of the mRNA-1273 and the speed at which the Omicron variant is spreading, Moderna's first line of defense against Omicron will be a booster dose of mRNA-1273. Given the long-term threat demonstrated by Omicron's immune escape, Moderna will also continue to develop an Omicron-specific variant vaccine that it expects to advance into clinical trials in early 2022 and will evaluate including Omicron in its multivalent booster program.

05:04 EST Fortuna Silver Mines receives EIA extension at San Jose Mine - Fortuna Silver Mines announced that the Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, or SEMARNAT, has granted a 12-year extension of the environmental impact authorization, or EIA, at the San Jose Mine, located in Oaxaca, Mexico.