Stockwinners Market Radar for April 25, 2022 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:22 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 232.6K shares of Ginkgo Bioworks today

20:20 EDT Gamida Cell presents updated Omidubicel data - Gamida Cell "announced that updated infection data on omidubicel in comparison to umbilical cord blood transplantation, was shared in an oral presentation at the 2022 Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT and CIBMTR Tandem Meetings, being held in Salt Lake City, UT, April 23-26, 2022."

19:42 EDT ReneSola names Kevin Taylor as CEO and Chairman - SOL Global Investments announces that it has appointed Mr. Kevin Taylor as CEO and Chairman of the Board of SOL Global.

18:22 EDT BM Technologies receives noncompliance notice from NYSE American - BM Technologies received notice on April 18, 2022 from NYSE Regulation stating that the company is not in compliance with the continued listing standards of the NYSE American LLC under the timely filing criteria set forth in Section 1007 of the NYSE American Company Guide. The non-compliance results from the company's failure to timely file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. In accordance with Section 1007 of the Company Guide, the company will have six months from the date of the Filing Delinquency, or until September 30, 2022, to file the Form 10-K with the SEC. If the company fails to file the Form 10-K during the Initial Cure Period, the Exchange may, in its sole discretion, provide an additional six-month cure period. The company can regain compliance with the Exchange's continued listing standards at any time during the Initial Cure Period or Additional Cure Period, as applicable, by filing the Form 10-K and any subsequent delayed filings with the SEC. The company intends to file the Form 10-K as soon as practicable, and currently expects to file the Form 10-K early this week.

17:43 EDT Blue Foundry Bancorp says Kelly Pecoraro to be named CFO on May 18 - Blue Foundry Bancorp announced that Kelly Pecoraro will be joining Blue Foundry Bancorp on May 9. Subsequently, Pecoraro is expected to be appointed as the company's Executive Vice President and CFO on May 18 at the May meeting of the company's Board of Directors. Pecoraro comes from Investors Bank where she served as Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Comptroller of the $28B bank operating in the New York metropolitan area.

17:20 EDT Dolphin Entertainment announces receipt of Nasdaq non-compliance notice - Dolphin Entertainment "filed a Notification of Late Filing on Form 12b-25 indicating that the filing of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 would be delayed. In addition, the Company filed a Form 8-K indicating that the Company would be unable to file its Annual Report within the 15-day extension. As expected, Dolphin received a notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC stating that because the Company has not yet filed its Form 10-K, the Company is no longer in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), which requires listed companies to timely file all required periodic financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This notification has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company's shares on Nasdaq. However, if the Company fails to timely regain compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule, the Company's common stock will be subject to delisting from Nasdaq."

17:06 EDT Crane to divest Crane Supply for C$380M - Crane Co. has signed an agreement to sell Crane Supply for C$380M on a cash-free and debt-free basis. The sale is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. On May 24, 2021, Crane Co. announced that it had signed an agreement to sell its Engineered Materials segment. On March 17, 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint to enjoin that sale transaction. In the normal course, Crane expects to engage in a process to address the DOJ's antitrust concerns regarding a minor overlap in a narrow range of material used in certain commercial building applications. Starting with second quarter 2021 financial results, Engineered Materials has been presented as discontinued operations. All components of guidance, both GAAP and adjusted, are provided on a continuing operations basis and exclude all contribution from Engineered Materials.

17:01 EDT 3D Systems CFO Jagtar Narula to step down - 3D Systems (DDD) announced that Jagtar Narula is stepping down as the company's CFO, effective May 20, 2022, to accept a new career opportunity. Wayne Pensky, former chief financial officer of Hexcel (HXL), has been appointed interim CFO, effective May 21. The company has initiated an executive search to identify a permanent finance leader.

16:53 EDT Crown Holdings enters agreement to sell Kiwiplan business - The company has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Transit Packaging segment's Kiwiplan business and will receive pre-tax proceeds of approximately $182M from the transaction. Kiwiplan provides manufacturing execution systems, logistics planning, and analytical software for corrugated packaging manufacturing operations. Kiwiplan, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio with software development centered in Auckland, New Zealand, generated $39M and $10M in revenue and EBITDA, respectively, in 2021. With all regulatory approvals now received, the sale of Kiwiplan is expected to close during the second quarter of 2022, and is subject to customary closing conditions. The company expects to record an after tax gain of approximately $100M related to the transaction with net proceeds, after taxes and other transaction related costs, expected to be used to further reduce debt, fund capital projects and repurchase shares over time.

16:43 EDT Revive Therapeutics provides update on Phase 3 Bucillamine trial - Revive Therapeutics provided an update on the company's U.S. Food & Drug Administration Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Bucillamine, an oral drug with anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. The Company has been in discussions with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority for Bucillamine to explore the potential of securing advanced development and possible commercial scale-up funding. Discussions surrounding Bucillamine's attributes and clinical potential were determined to be relevant for consideration, which could provide support to the Company's current efforts. In parallel, the Company is working with its statistical advisory team for the planning of the data analysis and interpretation of statistical outcomes from its current clinical and safety data acquired from the Study for the Data Safety and Monitoring Board. This will allow for the DSMB to make a recommendation on the Study or advise on halting the Study early due to positive efficacy based on other clinical outcomes evaluated such as the rate of sustained clinical resolution of symptoms of COVID-19. The Company has made efforts in determining the appropriate primary and secondary clinical endpoints for FDA consideration, which potentially could allow for an objective path to meet with the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization. "We continue to advance our efforts in positioning Bucillamine as a potential treatment for COVID-19 that is relevant to the current state of the disease and our ongoing discussions with BARDA are promising for potential development and commercial support as we progress in our Phase 3 study," said Michael Frank, CEO of Revive.

16:36 EDT Shutterstock appoints Jason McClelland as Chief Marketing Officer - Shutterstock announced Jason McClelland is joining the Company's leadership team and Executive Committee as Chief Marketing Officer, or CMO, and Christopher 'Skip' Wilson is joining as the Company's Vice President of Brand Marketing. As CMO, Jason brings over two decades of experience, including leadership roles at SaaS leaders Adobe and Salesforce, as well as serving as Chief Marketing Officer at hyper-growth startups Algolia, Domino Data Lab, and Heroku. At Adobe, Jason held leadership roles that helped Adobe's transformations: first with building their Marketing Cloud business, the industry's first end to end marketing platform for CMOs; and then second with building Adobe's Creative Cloud SaaS transformation. Skip comes to Shutterstock from Peloton, where Skip led Peloton's Global Brand and Communications for their Commercial business.

16:35 EDT Venator Materials receives $85M from Tronox pursuant to settlement agreement - Venator Materials (VNTR) announced that it received $85M in cash from Tronox (TROX) pursuant to its settlement agreement with Tronox related to the recent Superior Court of Delaware judgement in favor of Venator for $75M. The settlement amount of $85M includes an additional $10M of value representing a negotiated amount of interest originating from 2019 when conditions were met that required Tronox to pay a $75M "Break Fee" to Venator. The settlement agreement resolves all legal disputes between the parties contested in the Superior Court of Delaware.

16:33 EDT Titan Machinery CFO Mark Kalvoda announces plans to retire in 2023 - Titan Machinery announced that CFO Mark Kalvoda has provided his notice of resignation effective January 15, 2023, to pursue other interests. Kalvoda will remain in his current role as CFO to ensure a transition to his successor. The company will initiate a search process to identify a suitable finance executive to replace Mr. Kalvoda.

16:27 EDT Protagonist announces results from Phase 2 IDEAL study evaluating PN-943 - Protagonist Therapeutics announced topline results from the Phase 2 IDEAL study evaluating PN-943 in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, or UC. "We are delighted with the strength of the results from the IDEAL study and look forward to working with the regulatory agencies as we prepare for a Phase 3 registrational program for PN-943 in moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis," said Dinesh V. Patel, President and CEO of Protagonist. "Our oral, gut-restricted alpha-4-beta-7-integrin antagonist agent PN-943 has demonstrated clinical efficacy on par with the approved injectable antibody drug working through the same biological target. We believe the results of the IDEAL study may be paradigm shifting and of broad scientific relevance in understanding IBD pathogenesis and gut-restricted drug development via intervention of the integrin-MAdCAM pathway. Based on its convenience of oral administration and the favorable efficacy and safety results observed to date, we believe that PN-943 has the potential to become a first-in-class, foundational oral medicine for individuals living with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis." "The oral, gut-restricted agent PN-943 appears to exert similar effects at the twice daily 150 mg dose in comparison to the approved injectable alpha-4-beta-7-integrin antibody drug and its mechanism of action," said Bruce Sands, the Dr. Burrill B. Crohn Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, principal investigator for the IDEAL study and consultant to Protagonist.

16:23 EDT Culp, Inc. enters into $40M credit facility - CULP "announced that it has executed a non-binding term sheet with the lender of its existing domestic credit facility for a revolving credit facility of up to $40M, secured by the company's assets. This proposed Credit Facility will replace the company's existing unsecured credit facility that is set to expire in August 2022. The company's borrowing availability under the new Credit Facility will be based on a calculation using the company's accounts receivable and inventory levels, determined on a monthly basis. The company estimates that it will have approximately $32M of borrowing availability upon closing of the new facility, which, over time, is projected to be greater than the availability under the existing facility. The completion of the Credit Facility is subject to the parties entering into applicable definitive agreements, which may contain additional or different terms from those described herein."

16:22 EDT Culp CEO says mattress fabrics sales in March and April declined materially - CEO Iv Culp says: "Additionally, mattress fabrics sales in March and April declined materially as our manufacturing customers reacted to slowing retail demand by curtailing inventory purchases. This sudden and material decline in revenues has had an outsized impact on our profitability for the quarter. While we acknowledge that consumer demand for mattresses has slowed and may be soft for some period of time, we do not expect the magnitude of the decline we experienced in March and April to continue during the first quarter of fiscal 2023. Despite the extraordinary headwinds we are facing, we are diligently managing the aspects of our business we can control, including aggressively reducing expenses, reducing production schedules, and making other right-sizing adjustments to align with current demand levels. We are focused on taking necessary actions to adapt to the current challenges and manage our liquidity in the face of what we believe are near-term disruptions, while also ensuring that we can weather any demand environment and meet the needs of our customers when conditions normalize."

16:20 EDT Hess Midstream Partners raises quarterly distribution 6.3% to 54.92c per share - Hess Midstream announced that the Board of Directors of its general partner declared a quarterly cash distribution of 54.92c per Class A share for the quarter ended March 31, 2022. The distribution represents an approximate 6.3% increase in its quarterly distribution per Class A share for the first quarter of 2022 as compared to the fourth quarter of 2021. This increase consists of a 5% immediate increase in Hess Midstream's distribution level per Class A share in addition to the quarterly increase consistent with its targeted 5% growth in annual distributions per Class A share.

16:19 EDT Simpson Manufacturing sees FY22 operating margin 19.0%-20.0% - The Company is updating its 2022 financial outlook to include the acquisition of ETANCO, which closed on April 1, one quarter of actual results, and its latest expectations regarding demand trends, raw material costs and operating expenses. Based on business trends and conditions as of today, April 25, the Company's outlook for the FY22 is as follows: Operating margin is expected to be in the range of 19.0%-20.0%, mostly attributable to an improved outlook for the overall market and Simpson. In addition, the revised outlook includes projected results for ETANCO, including $15.0M-$17.0M in integration and transaction costs. Interest expense on the outstanding $250.0M. Revolving Credit Facility and $450.0M Term Loans is expected to be approximately $11.0M, including the effect of interest hedges and bank fee amortizations. The effective tax rate is expected to be in the range of 25.5%-26.5%. Capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $65.0M-$70.0M. As part of the integration process for ETANCO, Simpson management is in the process of assessing additional capital expenditures in support of ETANCO's operations. While the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on general economic conditions remain uncertain, the Company continues to monitor the impact of the pandemic on its operations and financial condition, which was not significantly adversely impacted during the first quarter of 2022.

16:17 EDT UFP Industries COO Pat Webster to retire - UFP Industries announced that president and COO Pat Webster will retire at the end of 2022 after a career spanning nearly four decades at the company. Over the next several months, Pat's duties will be transferred to existing or new members of the leadership team as part of the company's 2020 reorganization plan.

16:16 EDT Beyond Air reports long-term safety data for highly concentrated inhaled NO - Beyond Air announced positive long-term safety data for high concentration inhaled nitric oxide, NO, for the treatment of bronchiolitis. These data were included in an oral presentation at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2022 Meeting, PAS 2022, which is being held April 21-25 in Denver, Colorado. The multi-center study for longitudinal data collection was designed to evaluate the long-term effect of inhaled NO treatment in infants who participated in three pilot studies conducted between 2012-2020. These three randomized, double blind clinical trials were conducted with intermittent high dose inhaled NO of 85-160 ppm for acute bronchiolitis or oxygen/air, administered in addition to standard supportive treatment, SST. A total of 198 infants participated in the three studies, with 101 infants participating in the long-term follow-up study. Previously announced data from all three of these studies showed a favorable short term safety profile as well as strong trends for efficacy. No inhaled NO-treatment related serious adverse events, SAEs, or severe AEs were reported, and the incidence level for severe AEs was similar among all groups. Study endpoints for the long-term safety study included percentage of subjects re-hospitalized for bronchiolitis related reasons, such reasons included wheezing episodes, pneumonia, asthma, etc., and the percentage of subjects re-hospitalized for any reason. "We are pleased to announce new long-term safety data which further support the development of nitric oxide as a therapy for bronchiolitis or similar acute treatment settings, such as community-acquired viral pneumonia. A proposed pivotal study of high concentration inhaled NO to treat bronchiolitis or CAVP using our LungFit Pro system is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023," said Steve Lisi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Beyond Air. "The Beyond Air team continues to execute in this challenging pandemic environment and move the Beyond Air pipeline forward."

16:15 EDT LPL Financial announces Kabir Sethi as chief product officer - LPL Financial announced leadership updates to the firm's management committee. Kabir Sethi will join LPL on May 2 as chief product officer with responsibility for LPL's technology capabilities and wealth management platforms. He will lead product strategy, development and management to drive products that will benefit LPL advisors, RIAs and institutions. Sethi joins from Merrill Lynch, where as head of digital for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management he had oversight of the digital platforms serving the wealth management business, including the financial advisor and client experience, wealth planning and advisor digital presence and acquisition.

16:12 EDT Terex acquires Northern Ireland steel fabricator - Terex announced the acquisition of Steelweld, a manufacturer of heavy fabrications based in Northern Ireland. The purchase of Steelweld supports Materials Processing's growth strategy by increasing fabrication capabilities in Northern Ireland.

16:11 EDT Medtronic names Laura Mauri chief scientific, medical, and regulatory officer - Medtronic announced that Laura Mauri, M.D., M.S.c. has been appointed Medtronic Chief Scientific, Medical and Regulatory Officer. This appointment adds to Dr. Mauri's prior responsibilities as chief clinical and regulatory officer, aligning and integrating the company's scientific, medical, clinical research and regulatory affairs under her leadership. It leverages her deep expertise and understanding of the interaction between patients and medical technology to accelerate innovation that puts patients first. Dr. Mauri will also continue to serve as a member of the Medtronic Executive Committee.

16:10 EDT Whirlpool cuts FY22 cash from operating activities view to $1.95B from $2.2B - Cuts FY22 free cash flow to $1.25B from $1.5B.

16:09 EDT Zevia names Denise Beckles as CFO, Quincy Troupe as COO - Zevia "announced the appointments of Denise Beckles as CFO and Quincy Troupe as Chief Operating Officer, effective May 3, 2022, and June 13, 2022, respectively. Beckles brings over 25 years of finance leadership experience and will oversee the Company's Finance organization, playing a key role in executing Zevia's strategy to drive profitable growth and enhance shareholder value. Troupe is a 25-year veteran of the consumer-packaged goods industry and has served on Zevia's Board of Directors since June 2021. Troupe will transition from the Board to assume the role of Chief Operating Officer, in which he will lead product innovation and information technology, and drive supply chain optimization to support growth and profitability initiatives. Current Chief Financial Officer, Bill Beech, will step down from his role as CFO effective May 3, 2022, and from his employment, effective May 6, 2022. Current Chief Operating Officer, Hank Margolis, will step down from his role as COO effective June 13, 2022, and retire, effective June 24, 2022."

16:08 EDT Ambrx Biopharma, Quantum Leap Healthcare to partner on ARX788 - Quantum Leap Healthcare and Ambrx Biopharma "announced the selection of Ambrx's antibody drug conjugate ARX788 for a new investigational treatment arm in the I-SPY 2.2 TRIAL for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer in the neoadjuvant setting. Sponsored by Quantum Leap, the I-SPY 2.2 TRIAL is a continuation of the I-SPY 2 TRIAL that seeks to create personalized treatments by adapting therapies for each patient to optimize the clinical outcome. ARX788 is an anti-HER2 antibody drug conjugate that is being studied broadly in breast cancer, gastric/GEJ cancer and other solid tumors. ARX788 is a homogeneous and highly stable ADC that maximizes potential anti-tumor activity by optimizing the number and position of its payloads and the chemical bonds that conjugate the payloads to the antibody. The United States Food and Drug Administration has granted ARX788 the Fast Track Designation for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer."

16:07 EDT Array Technologies provides statement on US Department of Commerce decision - Array Technologies announced it is "disappointed by the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to investigate an allegation of tariff circumvention on solar modules. It is our belief that this request has no merit and does not meet the criteria for such a petition, as defined by the Department of Commerce. This action will undermine momentum with current solar energy developments and the mere disclosure of this trade review has galvanized industry-wide agreement on the negative impact to current and future projects, long-term supply-chain disruptions, and increased price volatility," the company said. Furthermore, the petition seeks to protect a domestic supply chain that cannot yet adequately deliver on the current growth trajectory. "Array Technologies is highly supportive of a more robust domestic source of modules, however this supply chain does not exist today. We seek a more practical solution for the short to mid-term for our industry," the company added. "Apart from the one company that requested this review, the industry is speaking with one voice against any further tariffs or undue international trade limits that could arise from a prolonged inquiry... This setback threatens solar industry's position as a key pillar of the energy transition in the U.S. Domestic production of solar panels cannot meet current demand and fully serve the growing pipeline of projects over the next five years," the company said.

16:01 EDT SportsMap Tech Acquisition receives Nasdaq notice over delayed annual report - SportsMap Tech Acquisition Corp. announced today that on April 19, 2022 it received a notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market stating that the company is not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) because the company failed to timely file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2021 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the company's securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The company is working diligently to complete the Form 10-K as soon as possible. Under Nasdaq rules, the company has 60 calendar days from the date of the Notice to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Rule. If Nasdaq accepts the company's plan, then Nasdaq may grant an exception of up to 180 calendar days from the due date of the Form 10-K, or until October 12, 2022, to regain compliance.

15:46 EDT Avadel Pharmaceuticals trading halted, volatility trading pause

14:55 EDT Twitter to release Q1 results before market open on April 28, won't hold call - Twitter plans to release its first quarter fiscal year 2022 results before market open on April 28. In light of the pending transaction announced today, Twitter will not hold a corresponding conference call, the company noted.

14:53 EDT Musk seeks to make Twitter 'better than ever' with new features - "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated," said Elon Musk. "I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential - I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it."

14:51 EDT Elon Musk to acquire Twitter for $54.20 per share in cash - Twittere (TWTR) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an entity wholly owned by Tesla (TSLA) founder Elon Musk, for $54.20 per share in cash in a transaction valued at approximately $44B. Upon completion of the transaction, Twitter will become a privately held company. Under the terms of the agreement, Twitter stockholders will receive $54.20 in cash for each share of Twitter common stock that they own upon closing of the proposed transaction. The purchase price represents a 38% premium to Twitter's closing stock price on April 1, 2022, which was the last trading day before Mr. Musk disclosed his approximately 9% stake in Twitter. Bret Taylor, Twitter's Independent Board Chair, said, "The Twitter Board conducted a thoughtful and comprehensive process to assess Elon's proposal with a deliberate focus on value, certainty, and financing. The proposed transaction will deliver a substantial cash premium, and we believe it is the best path forward for Twitter's stockholders." "Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated," said Mr. Musk. "I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential - I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it." The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the Twitter Board of Directors, is expected to close in 2022, subject to the approval of Twitter stockholders, the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Musk has secured $25.5B of fully committed debt and margin loan financing and is providing an approximately $21B equity commitment. There are no financing conditions to the closing of the transaction.

14:41 EDT Twitter trading halted, news pending

14:10 EDT Ventas says Land & Buildings has withdrawn nomination of Litt for board - Ventas confirmed that Land & Buildings has withdrawn its nomination of proxy fight candidate Jonathan Litt, who Land & Buildings previously nominated to stand for election to the Ventas board of directors in connection with the company's 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which is scheduled to be held virtually on April 27. Land & Buildings previously withdrew its other proxy contest nominee, Michelle Applebaum, in March. Ventas issued the following statement: "The Ventas Board and management team value the engagement we have had with our shareholders both recently and over the last few years. Thanks to our dedicated employees, active Board oversight and input from investors and other stakeholders, Ventas has built an outstanding, well positioned portfolio of assets that benefit from demand from a large and growing aging population. We look forward to getting back to business and are eager, energized and focused on continuing to capitalize on the senior housing recovery now underway to drive sustained growth and value creation."

14:05 EDT FDA expands approval of Gilead COVID treatment to young children - The Food and Drug Administration said it expanded the approval of Gilead's COVID-19 treatment Veklury to include pediatric patients 28 days of age and older weighing at least seven pounds with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing, who are: hospitalized, or Not hospitalized and have mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death. "This action makes Veklury the first approved COVID-19 treatment for children less than 12 years of age. As a result of today's approval action, the agency also revoked the emergency use authorization for Veklury that previously covered this pediatric population," the agency noted in a statement. Before now, Veklury was only approved to treat certain adults and pediatric patients. Reference Link

13:46 EDT KKR closes $19B North America private equity fund - KKR announced the final closing of KKR North America Fund XIII, an over-subscribed $19B fund focused on pursuing opportunistic private equity investments in North America. KKR will be investing $2B of capital in the Fund alongside investors through the Firm's balance sheet, affiliates, and employee commitments. "We are thrilled to have had such strong receptivity to our fundraising effort, and we are extremely proud of the results we've been able to deliver for our investors," said Pete Stavros and Nate Taylor, Co-Heads of the Americas Private Equity platform at KKR. "Particularly at a time of continued volatility, we believe we are entering a macroeconomic environment that is tailor-made for private equity and for KKR specifically, and are grateful to have the support of our investors and their confidence in our team. We look forward to continue executing on our investment approach, which is centered on leveraging our deep industry expertise and driving holistic operational transformations utilizing the full suite of resources KKR has to offer. We are excited about the early momentum for NAX3 and remain laser focused on delivering outstanding results."

12:50 EDT Wells Fargo responds to press conference on 'unfounded allegations' - Wells Fargo issued the following statement responding to comments made at a press conference by plaintiffs' attorneys Ben Crump, Linda Friedman, and Suzanne Bish. "We are deeply disturbed by allegations of discrimination that we believe do not stand up to scrutiny. We are confident that we follow relevant government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) guidelines in our decision making and that our underwriting practices are consistently applied regardless of a customer's race or ethnicity. These unfounded attacks on Wells Fargo stand in stark contrast to the company's significant and long-term commitment to closing the minority homeownership gap. In 2020, Wells Fargo was the largest bank lender for home mortgages to Black families and this is consistent with our performance over the last decade (2011 - 2020), in which the company helped as many Black families purchase homes as the next three largest bank lenders combined. In addition: Wells Fargo helped more Black homeowners refinance their mortgages in 2020 than any other bank. The 83% increase in the company's refinance loans to Black homeowners in 2020 compared with 2019 also was by far the biggest gain among the largest banks. In 2021, Wells Fargo increased that total by 106% compared to 2020."

12:49 EDT Wells Fargo 'deeply disturbed' by allegations of discrimination

12:48 EDT Wells Fargo responds to press conference on 'unfounded allegations'

12:34 EDT WISeKey announces sale of 51% stake in arago for EUR 25.5M - WISeKey International announced the sale of its 51% stake in arago, a German Artificial Intelligence Platform company, after having received assurances about the source and the timing of the funding. WISeKey is selling its 51% stake in arago back to a German consortium of investors led by arago's founder through his investment company, OGARA GmbH, for EUR 25.5M, which the company said "is over 5 times the initial investment made by WISeKey to acquire its 51% stake." WISeKey signed a share purchase and transfer agreement on March 14, and, as stated in the annual report, this agreement was only effective upon the company receiving sufficient proof of the availability of the funding. "Since its acquisition, WISeKey has made significant investments to explore the integration of arago AI with WISeKey's Trust and IoT applications," the company stated. When taking into account these investments, the net cash proceeds from the sale to WISeKey is EUR 17M. "The business combination has now evolved into a strategic partnership to deploy WISeAI. After finding good technical integration of assets, the challenges of and required investment in maintaining both WISeKey and arago operations under one roof neither justified the increased overhead nor allowed us to fully deploy the valuation potential in both companies," said Carlos Moreira, WISeKey's CEO. A separate announcement on the details of the future strategic cooperation between WISeKey and arago will follow in due time, the company added.

12:01 EDT Qualcomm names Jim Cathey chief commercial officer - Qualcomm announced the appointment of Jim Cathey as Chief Commercial Officer, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., joining Qualcomm's executive committee. Cathey's appointment will be effective immediately and he will report directly to Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated. "Jim's leadership has been integral to cultivating, strengthening, and expanding key partner's relationships while augmenting our regional sales and customer support capabilities. His contribution to Qualcomm's success over the years has been significant," said Cristiano Amon, President, and CEO of Qualcomm. "I'm pleased to have Jim join Qualcomm's executive committee as Chief Commercial Officer as we continue to grow the business into new industries and execute on the largest opportunities in Qualcomm's history."

12:01 EDT Genco Shipping falls -15.6% - Genco Shipping is down -15.6%, or -$3.69 to $19.91.

12:01 EDT Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares rises 11.3% - Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares is up 11.3%, or 89c to $8.80.

12:00 EDT PS Business Parks rises 12.1% - PS Business Parks is up 12.1%, or $20.24 to $187.91.

11:39 EDT Blizzard says 'Diablo Immortal' out June 2, 2022 - Activision Blizzard's Blizzard Entertainment said that its upcoming free-to-play mobile title "Diablo Immortal" will launch June 2, 2022 on iOS and Android. Reference Link

11:35 EDT March 2022 video game spending fell 15% y/y to $4.9B, says NPD - NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said that March 2022 consumer spending across video game hardware, content and accessories declined 15% vs YA, to $4.9B. Declines were seen across all major categories of spend. First quarter 2022 spending fell 8% vs Q1 2021, to $13.9B. Continued console hardware supply challenges combined with a return to experiential spending are likely drivers of the Q1 declines, Piscatella said. Video game hardware dollar sales dropped 24% when compared to a year ago, to $515M. First quarter hardware sales reached $1.2B, a 15% decline versus 2021's first quarter. Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox Series was the best-selling hardware platform of both March 2022 and the first quarter in dollars, while Switch led both time periods in unit sales. Xbox hardware unit and dollar sales in March 2022 set new all-time March highs for the platform. Previous Xbox bests were set in March 2011 (units) and March 2014 (dollars). Other publicly traded companies in the space include Sony (SONY), Capcom (CCOEY), Activision Blizzard (ATVI), Electronic Arts (EA), GameStop (GME), Nintendo (NTDOY), Take-Two (TTWO), Tencent (TCEHY) and Ubisoft (UBSFY). Reference Link

11:23 EDT Wolfspeed says Lucid integrates Silicon Carbide solutions into Lucid Air - Wolfspeed (WOLF) announced that Lucid Motors (LCID) deploys its Silicon Carbide power device solutions in the automaker's pure-electric car - the Lucid Air. Wolfspeed and Lucid have a multiyear agreement for Wolfspeed to produce and supply Silicon Carbide devices, the company noted in a statement. The Lucid Air will be supplied by Wolfspeed's Silicon Carbide semiconductors from its Mohawk Valley Fab in Marcy, NY. Set to open April 25, the facility will be the world's largest 200-millimeter Silicon Carbide fabrication facility and expand production capacity for Wolfspeed's power devices, Wolfspeed added.

11:12 EDT Meta Platforms says first physical retail space to open May 9 - Meta Platforms said that its Meta Store, its first physical retail space, will open May 9 on its campus in Burlingame, California. "In the Meta Store, you'll be able to get hands-on experience with all our hardware products. Through interactive demos, you can make video calls to retail associates with Portal, learn how Ray-Ban Stories can help you stay present with the world around you, and explore the magic of VR with a first-of-its-kind immersive Quest 2 demo. We're also making it easier to shop Portal, Ray-Ban Stories and Quest all in one place online, in a new Shop tab on meta.com," the company said. "The Meta Store also features an interactive Quest 2 display wall, allowing you to explore the hardware, its accessories, and the breadth of content available today. Last but not least is our immersive Quest 2 demo area, where you can try Beat Saber, GOLF+, Real VR Fishing or Supernatural on a large, wall-to-wall curved LED screen that displays what you're seeing in-headset. You'll also get a 30-second mixed reality clip of your demo experience that's yours to share. At roughly 1,550 square feet, the Meta Store has a relatively small footprint for an engaging experience. It was also important for us to launch the first Meta Store near Reality Labs HQ, where we're helping build the metaverse."Reference Link

10:59 EDT Swvl Holdings Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:16 EDT Nkarta trading resumes

10:11 EDT Nkarta trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:00 EDT Aluminum Corp. of China falls -9.7% - Aluminum Corp. of China is down -9.7%, or -$1.25 to $11.63.

10:00 EDT Philips falls -12.9% - Philips is down -12.9%, or -$3.92 to $26.42.

10:00 EDT PS Business Parks rises 12.1% - PS Business Parks is up 12.1%, or $20.33 to $188.00.

09:47 EDT ETFS Physical Palladium Shares falls -10.9% - ETFS Physical Palladium Shares is down -10.9%, or -$23.83 to $195.66.

09:47 EDT Philips falls -11.5% - Philips is down -11.5%, or -$3.49 to $26.85.

09:47 EDT Scor ADR rises 8.7% - Scor ADR is up 8.7%, or 46c to $5.77.

09:42 EDT Commercial Metals completes $550M acquisition of Tensar Corporation - Commercial Metals Company announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition of TAC Acquisition Corp. from Castle Harlan, a New York-based private equity firm, for a cash purchase price of $550M, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. Tensar is a global provider of ground stabilization and soil reinforcement solutions. Rockefeller Financial LLC served as the exclusive financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to CMC for this transaction.

09:31 EDT Sorrento Therapeutics says IND application for IV STI-9167 cleared by FDA - Sorrento Therapeutics announced that it has received clearance from the FDA for its investigational new drug application for intravenous STI-9167 to study the safety and pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers. STI-9167 is the IV formulation of the intranasal STI-9199 neutralizing antibody. The Phase 1 study will be conducted at a single clinical site in the US and will be followed by multinational Phase 2/3 trials. Sorrento plans to discuss with the FDA the most appropriate end-points for the pivotal study that could result in an Emergency Use Authorization, if the trials meet the efficacy end-points of the pivotal study.

09:18 EDT Ventas shareholder Land & Buildings issues statement regarding its campaign - Land & Buildings Investment Management, shareholder of Ventas issued the following statement regarding its campaign at the Company: "During this campaign we have spoken with many Ventas shareholders who fundamentally agree with what we've identified as the problems at the Company, and with the solutions we are proposing to help Ventas regain its blue-chip REIT status. We continue to believe that a true investor perspective is needed on the Board and that immediate change at Ventas would benefit all its stakeholders. It has also become clear to us during our conversations with shareholders that given the recommendations of the leading proxy advisory firms, it would be difficult for some investors to support us. As a result, we are withdrawing our director nomination. Notably, Institutional Shareholder Services wrote in its analysis that the current Ventas Board has an opportunity to improve relative performance - but if these efforts fail, ISS would be more supportive of change at next year's annual meeting. While we disagree with this conclusion, we would be pleasantly surprised should it prove to be prescient. Land & Buildings plans to remain a significant shareholder of Ventas and we are rooting for this Board and management team to take the appropriate actions to improve the Company's performance. However, we will not hesitate to take future action if we deem it necessary to ensure that Ventas delivers for shareholders."

09:15 EDT Ford Pro rolls out digital solutions in Europe to enhance fleet productivity - Ford Pro signaled a step change for European commercial vehicle fleet productivity with the roll-out of its digital solutions designed to increase uptime and lower operating costs. Formally launched to European customers at a special event in Barcelona, Spain, Ford Pro is a new global business dedicated to delivering solutions to commercial customers of all sizes to accelerate their productivity. Ford Pro solutions combine software, charging, service and financing for commercial vehicles, providing customers with one platform to operate their fleets as they adopt connected and electrified vehicles across their business. Ford Pro is a venture in the commercial vehicles sector, providing fully integrated, digital-first solutions to help customers manage their fleets with unrivalled convenience and efficiency, whether they run diesel- and petrol-powered vehicles, all-electric models, or even non-Ford vehicles. To help the transition to electric vehicles, Ford Pro Charging offers a business-focused charging system for fleets.

09:13 EDT Black Diamond Therapeutics discontinues development of BDTX-189 - Black Diamond Therapeutics announced that it is realigning its resources to focus on key near-term value drivers and to extend its cash runway into the third quarter of 2024, supporting the execution of important clinical and preclinical milestones. Black Diamond has discontinued the development of BDTX-189 and realigned its workforce to focus on progressing its pipeline through important upcoming milestones for BDTX-1535, BDTX-4933 and discovery efforts. Since its announcement regarding the status of BDTX-189 in January 2022, the Company has been reviewing the development program for BDTX-189 while continuing to enroll patients in the safety expansion cohort of the Phase 1 study. As part of its strategic review, Black Diamond has decided to discontinue development of the program due to the rapid evolution of the treatment landscape in non-small cell lung cancer harboring either EGFR or HER2 Exon 20 insertion mutations. BDTX-1535: Black Diamond initiated the Phase 1 study of BDTX-1535 in the first quarter of 2022 and expects to provide a clinical data update in 2023. BDTX-4933: Black Diamond initiated investigational new drug-enabling studies in the first quarter of 2022 and expects to submit an IND for BDTX-4933 in the first half of 2023. Discovery Efforts: Black Diamond will continue the advancement of its discovery efforts generated from its Mutation-Allostery-Pharmacology Drug Discovery Engine focused on predicting and validating novel oncogenic mutant families from population level tumor genomics. Black Diamond anticipates announcing a development candidate for its FGFR program in 2022 in addition to disclosing a new small molecule development candidate in 2023.

09:10 EDT PS Business Parks to be acquired by Blackstone for $187.50 per share - PS Business Parks (PSB) and Blackstone (BX) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which affiliates of Blackstone Real Estate will acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of PSB for $187.50 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $7.6 billion, including transaction expenses. The purchase price represents a premium of approximately 15% to the volume weighted average share price over the last 60 days. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by PSB's board of directors, Blackstone will acquire PSB's 27M square foot portfolio of industrial, business park, traditional office, and multifamily properties located primarily in California, Miami, Texas and Northern Virginia. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022, subject to approval by PSB's stockholders and other customary closing conditions. The merger agreement includes a "go-shop" period that will expire 30 days from today on May 25, which permits PSB and its representatives to actively solicit and consider alternative acquisition proposals to acquire PSB. PSB has the right to terminate the definitive merger agreement with Blackstone to enter into a superior proposal, subject to the payment of a termination fee and certain other terms and conditions of the definitive merger agreement. There can be no assurance that this process will result in a superior proposal, and PSB does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the go-shop process unless and until it determines such disclosure is appropriate or is otherwise required. PSB's three outstanding series of preferred stock, and associated depositary shares, will remain outstanding in accordance with their terms following the closing. We currently intend to continue to have the depositary shares representing our preferred stock listed on the NYSE with public reporting so long as there is at least $75 million aggregate liquidation value of preferred stock outstanding. Public Storage (PSA), which holds approximately 25.9% of the outstanding shares of PSB common stock, has agreed to vote its shares in favor of the transaction, subject to the terms of a support agreement between Public Storage, the company and an affiliate of Blackstone, which support agreement will terminate automatically upon the termination of the merger agreement, including in connection with a termination of the merger agreement by PSB to enter into a superior proposal. The transaction will also include the acquisition of Public Storage's limited partner equity interests in PSB's operating partnership at the same per unit price of $187.50. From the date of the merger agreement through the closing of the transaction, PSB may declare and pay regular, quarterly cash distributions to holders of its common stock and to holders of its operating partnership's units, in an amount of up to $1.05 per share or unit, including a pro rata distribution in respect of any stub period. Additionally, PSB is permitted to declare and pay regular quarterly dividends on its shares of preferred stock. As a result of the announcement, PSB does not expect to host a conference call and webcast to discuss its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, which had previously been scheduled for May 3.

09:09 EDT P3 Health Partners to restate previously issued financial statements - In a regulatory filing, P3 Health Partners stated that in connection with the audit of the annual financial statements of the company as of and for the year ended December 31, 2021, the company reviewed its previous presentation of net loss attributable to non-controlling interests associated with certain medical practices not owned by the company, but that have been consolidated in the company's financial results as variable interest entities. "In the company's current judgement, the company should not have historically assigned the net loss of these medical practices as net loss attributable to non-controlling interests. The correction will result in a decrease in net loss attributable to non-controlling interests and an increase in net loss attributable to controlling interests on the company's Consolidated Statements of Operations and a decrease in retained loss from non-controlling interests and an increase in accumulated loss from controlling interests on the company's Consolidated Balance Sheet. The company does not currently anticipate the restatement related to the presentation of net loss attributable to non-controlling interests will impact the company's historical revenue, EBITDA, cash from operations, cash position, or its 2022 guidance previously issued on March 9, 2022... Based on the foregoing, the company is working to complete the restatement of its audited consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. The company anticipates filing its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, including such restated financial statements as soon as practicable. Following the filing of its 2021 Form 10-K, the company will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021 and host a conference call and webcast to provide a corporate and financial update. Management previously reported certain material weaknesses in the company's internal control over financial reporting. Management is assessing the effect of the restatement on the company's internal control over financial reporting and its disclosure controls and procedures. Management will not reach a final conclusion on the restatement's effect on the company's internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures until completion of the restatement process," the filing stated.

09:07 EDT ImmunityBio enrolls participants in Lung-MAP trial in NSCLC - ImmunityBio announced that the first participants have been enrolled in a study that is part of an 800-site master protocol trial for non-small cell lung cancer NSCLC. The Lung Cancer Master Protocol trial includes a study of Anktiva plus Keytruda, pembrolizumab, versus investigator choice of standard-of-care chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose cancer has progressed after prior checkpoint-inhibitor-containing regimens. The study, which opened in March and currently includes nearly 200 sites across the U.S., will involve 478 patients when fully enrolled. "The Lung-MAP master protocol is an important and innovative national multicenter trial and we're grateful to be working with this national network to validate our hypothesis that both NK and T cells are needed to establish durable responses in patients with lung cancer," said Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Executive Chairman and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at ImmunityBio. "This large trial will provide valuable information on the role Anktiva could potentially play in bolstering the effectiveness of checkpoint inhibitors such as Keytruda. Since Anktiva acts by activating and proliferating both NK and memory T cells, the combination with a checkpoint inhibitor that takes the brakes off T cells could result in improved durable outcomes. This combination therapy will be offered as a treatment option to patients with tumors that do not have druggable mutations, which is the case for the majority of NSCLC patients."

09:06 EDT Inhibrx announces formation of Scientific Advisory Board for INBRX-101 - Inhibrx announced the formation of a Scientific Advisory Board for its INBRX-101 program for the treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency - AATD -. The SAB is comprised of global experts in AATD and will work with Inhibrx management to help guide the development of INBRX-101 to registration and beyond.

09:04 EDT Cyteir Therapeutics appoints Adam Veness as general counsel - Cyteir Therapeutics announced that Adam Veness has joined Cyteir as general counsel effective immediately. In this role, Veness will be part of the executive management team and lead the company's legal, corporate governance and compliance functions.

09:03 EDT Abbott launches updated NeuroSphere myPath digital health app - Abbott announced that it has launched an upgraded version of its NeuroSphere myPath digital health app with enhanced functionality that will help doctors more closely track their patients as they trial Abbott neurostimulation devices to address their chronic pain. This upgrade is part of Abbott's commitment to connected care technology and is intended to put people in control of their health and facilitate better communication with their doctors. The digital health app, which can be used with both Apple and Android devices, provides a doctor, their staff and the patient with a shared view of patient-reported outcome measures through each stage of the treatment journey while trying a spinal cord stimulation or dorsal root ganglion therapy device.

09:02 EDT Delek Logistics increases quarterly cash distribution 0.5% to 98c per unit - Delek Logistics declared its quarterly cash distribution for Q1 of 98c per common limited partner unit, or $3.92 per common limited partner unit on an annualized basis. This distribution represents a 0.5% increase from the distribution for 4Q21 of 97.5c per common limited partner unit or $3.90 per common limited partner unit annualized, and a 6.5% increase over Delek Logistics' distribution for 1Q21 of 92c per common limited partner unit. The cash distribution is payable on May 12 to unitholders of record on May 5.

08:54 EDT Verizon announces addition of BOPIL option for online purchases - Verizon announces it will be adding buy online pickup in locker, BOPIL, as an option with Express Pickup Lockers. Verizon has offered in-store pickup for years and more recently introduced curbside pickup along with same-day delivery. Now Express Pickup Lockers are being rolled out at locations across the country ensuring "seamless, efficient transactions, with increased customer satisfaction, and in select locations 24 hour access to their purchases," the company said. Verizon has installed secure lockers at 250 retail locations across the US, with more being added each month.

08:52 EDT General Motors announces plans for electric Corvette - GM President Mark Reuss is discussing the plans for an electric Corvette to be available next year in an interview on CNBC.

08:49 EDT Medigus' ParaZero sign agreement to develop custom safety solution - Medigus announced that ParaZero, a privately held company of which Medigus has a 40 percent ownership stake, has signed an agreement with a leading global automotive manufacturer for the development of a bespoke safety solution for its proprietary drone program. The automotive manufacturer plans to integrate ParaZero's SafeAir drone safety system into their proprietary aircraft from the design stage. ParaZero's patented drone safety system is designed to protect people and payloads. The system includes a smart parachute system that monitors drone flight in real time, identifies critical failures, and autonomously triggers a parachute in the event of an emergency.

08:45 EDT Accelerate Diagnostics' Arc System kit shows sample accuracy in studies - Accelerate Diagnostics released new data on the Accelerate Arc Module and BC kit at the 32nd European Congress for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. "The internal study data demonstrated 94% or greater accuracy on positive blood cultures processed using the Arc Module and BC kit, on the Bruker Biotyper and bioMerieux Vitek MS Systems when compared to conventional MALDI," said Shelley Campeau, PhD, co-author of the studies and Director of Scientific and Clinical Affairs, Accelerate Diagnostics. "In addition, a study conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin showed that Arc-processed samples* yielded 100% agreement, a majority of which had high confidence scores, when compared to conventional MALDI. This data represents an important step in providing a workflow solution to help automate sample preparation for rapid and accurate microbial identification, saving hours of wait time and numerous manual steps to deliver results."

08:43 EDT Interpublic Group promotes Stevenson to CGO, IPG EMEA - Interpublic Group announced the promotion of Jackie Stevenson to the newly created position of Chief Growth Officer, CGO, IPG EMEA, effective immediately. In her new role, Stevenson will "accelerate innovation, creativity, and growth by advancing IPG's collaborative model, including the further integration of IPG's creative and communications capabilities with its media, data and technology infrastructure, in order to help drive business results for clients in the region," the company said.

08:40 EDT Enservco appoints Patterson as CFO - Enservco announced that Mark Patterson has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, CFO, effective April 22, 2022. He succeeds the departing Marjorie Hargrave. Patterson joined Enservco recently as Senior Vice President.

08:39 EDT Veru announces presentation of Phase 2 data of sabizabulin - Veru announced that results from the randomized placebo-controlled Phase 2 study of daily, oral sabizabulin in patients with severe COVID-19 at high risk for acute respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS, were presented at the 32nd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, ECCMID, being held in Lisbon, Portugal on April 23-26, 2022. Presentation title: "Phase 2 study of oral sabizabulin for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 in hospitalized patients at high risk for ARDS." Phase 2 Trial Design: Veru conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating oral, once-a-day dosing of sabizabulin versus placebo in approximately 40 hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were at high risk for ARDS. The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients alive without respiratory failure at Day 29. Results: In this cohort of patients with severe COVID-19, sabizabulin treatment resulted in an 82% relative reduction in deaths in the ITT population. Further, sabizabulin treatment resulted in a reduction in mean days in the ICU from 9.6 +/- 12.40 days in the placebo group to 2.6 +/- 5.78 days in the sabizabulin treated group, a 73% relative reduction in the mean days in the ICU. Similarly, there was a reduction in mean days on mechanical ventilation from 5.1 +/- 11.24 days in the placebo group to 1.2 +/- 6.06 days, a 78% relative reduction in days on mechanical ventilation. Sabizabulin was safe and well tolerated with no treatment related adverse events observed on the study.

08:38 EDT Motorcar Parts receives order from leading Chinese automotive company - Motorcar Parts of America (MPAA) announced its wholly owned subsidiary D&V Electronics has received an order for an electric motor emulator from one of China's largest automotive companies, a critical component of a Power Hardware-In-the-Loop test system to validate the performance and design of drivetrain components. Terms were not disclosed. The p-HIL test system to be utilized by this Chinese automotive customer is comprised of D&V's emulator, Opal-RT Technologies' advanced motor models and NI's (NATI) real-time system. "This order continues a series of global wins for our D&V subsidiary and its cutting-edge EV technology. We look forward to future opportunities to expand partnerships and work with global electric mobility leaders," said Selwyn Joffe, chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We continue to make significant strides in the integration of our innovative emulator technology with real-time simulation and modeling capabilities, offering the most advanced, green and flexible test solutions for companies leading the electrification movement," said Bill Hardy chief executive of D&V Electronics.

08:37 EDT AcelRx's Dsuvia shows pain management efficacy and safety in presentation - AcelRx announced a summary of results from a podium presentation on Dsuvia - sufentanil sublingual tablet - presented at the annual meeting of The Aesthetic Society. Some of the data presented at the meeting were from an investigator-initiated trial supported by AcelRx. The data were collected from a total of 124 patients during both "awake" cosmetic procedures as well as patients undergoing more lengthy cosmetic procedures under general anesthesia. For patients undergoing general anesthesia, the control group required significantly more IV morphine milligram equivalents during recovery than SST-treated patients. The average dose of opioids administered in the post-anesthesia care unit to control patients was more than five-fold higher than SST-treated patients. In the awake surgery patients, no SST-treated patients required opioids or other analgesics in the PACU for pain. The mean recovery time was under an hour for the general anesthesia SST-treated patients and only 15 minutes for the awake cosmetic SST-treated patients. Adverse events requiring medical intervention following general anesthesia were minimal in SST-treated patients with 1.6% requiring additional antiemetics in the PACU compared to 9.4% of control patients. In awake cosmetic patients, 3.2% of SST-treated patient required an antiemetic in the PACU for treatment of nausea. Dsuvia is indicated for use in adults in certified medically supervised healthcare settings for the management of acute pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate.

08:35 EDT MasterCard launches new identity solution in partnership with Microsoft - Mastercard (MA) announced the launch of an enhanced identity solution designed to improve the online shopping experience and tackle digital fraud in a new collaboration with Microsoft (MSFT). Mastercard has enhanced its Digital Transaction Insights solution with next-generation authentication and real-time decisioning intelligence capabilities. The solution pairs Mastercard's network insights with the merchant's own data to confirm the consumer is who they claim to be, providing financial institutions with the additional intelligence needed to optimize their authorization decisions and approve more genuine transactions. Digital Transaction Insights is used across a wide range of online checkout instances, from click-to-pay functionality and wearables to digital wallets and in-app purchases. Microsoft will be the first partner to share its insights and integrate with the new Digital Transaction Insights solution across several lines of business. Building on a long history of cross-collaboration, Microsoft's Dynamics 365 Fraud Protection's proprietary risk assessment, which leverages adaptive AI to assist in real-time fraud detection by identifying risky behaviors across purchase, account and in-store activities, has been integrated with Mastercard's Digital Transaction Insights to better enable real-time intelligence sharing in an easily consumable and actionable format. This will enable issuers to enhance their decision-making processes for authorizations, chargebacks and refunds. Moreover, organizations can improve transaction acceptance rates with insights that help them balance profitability and revenue opportunities against fraud loss and checkout friction.

08:32 EDT Qualcomm appoints Jim Cathey as Chief Commercial Officer - Qualcomm appointed Jim Cathey as Chief Commercial Officer, effective immediately. Cathey joined Qualcomm in 2006 and prior to this appointment was senior vice president and president of Global Business for Qualcomm Technologies. Prior, Cathey was president of Qualcomm Technologies businesses in Asia Pacific and India, after holding the positions of president of Qualcomm Technologies operations in Japan, and country manager in Taiwan. Before joining Qualcomm, Cathey served as an executive at Micron Technology and MicroDisplay, as well as the head of Investor Relations for PixTech.

08:30 EDT Satellogic partners with Orbital Insight for high-resolution satellite imagery - Satellogic has partnered with Orbital Insight. The partnership will integrate Satellogic's high-frequency, high-resolution collections of satellite imagery and full-motion video into Orbital Insight's platform. Satellogic currently has 22 operational satellites in low earth orbit with plans to launch up to 12 additional satellites by the end of the year. The company aims to expand its constellation to more than 200 satellites by 2025 for daily global coverage of the entire surface of the Earth. Orbital Insight's GO platform combines information from the world's sensors-including satellite, AIS and IoT devices-to analyze economic, societal and environmental trends at scale and support activity-based intelligence

08:28 EDT Avadel Pharmaceuticals announces interim data from RESTORE study - Avadel Pharmaceuticals announced the presentation of interim data from the ongoing RESTORE open-label extension/switch study of FT218 at the 2022 American Academy of Neurology Annual, AAN, Meeting being held virtually from April 24-26, 2022. The presentation highlights results from a questionnaire assessing patient preference for the once-nightly versus twice-nightly dosing regimen and another questionnaire assessing experiences with the second nightly dose in patients who switched from twice-nightly oxybates to FT218. As of the data cutoff, 60 participants who switched from twice-nightly oxybates to FT218 also completed a nocturnal adverse event questionnaire prior to switching to assess their experiences with the second nightly sodium oxybate dose. Results from the questionnaire follow: Out of 60 participants, 38 unintentionally missed their second twice-nightly oxybate dose within the preceding three months. Of these participants, 84% indicated that their narcolepsy symptoms were worse the next day; Out of 60 participants, 24 reported that they had taken their second dose more than four hours after the first dose. Of these participants, 42% reported feeling somewhat, quite a bit or extremely groggy or unsteady the next morning; For 73% of participants, taking a second nighttime dose was characterized as somewhat, quite a bit or extremely inconvenient, with 54 reporting that they arose from bed after the second dose, three reporting associated falls and two reporting injuries. Anxiety and the need for someone else to wake them were reported by 20% and 23% of participants, respectively.

08:24 EDT Portage Biotech enters CRADA with US NCI - Portage Biotech announced that it has entered a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, CRADA, with the National Cancer Institute, NCI, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and Stimunity, S.A.S, an affiliate of Portage with experience in the preclinical development of stimulator of interferon genes, STING, agonists for cancer immunotherapy and infectious diseases. Under terms of the agreement, Portage, Stimunity and the NCI will collaborate with the NCI's Center for Cancer Research, CCR, to advance preclinical and potential clinical development of STING agonists and anti-Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products, RAGE, agents, for possible synergy individually or together to enhance the efficacy of cancer vaccines developed in the NCI CCR Vaccine Branch. The scope of the CRADA agreement includes in vitro and in vivo testing conducted by Dr. Jay Berzofsky.

08:21 EDT Athenex presents interim data from ANCHOR Phase 1 study of KUR-502 - Athenex announced data from the ANCHOR Phase 1 study of KUR-502 during an oral presentation by Carlos Ramos, M.D., professor, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, at the Tandem Meetings of the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, ASTCT, and the Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research, CIBMTR, taking place April 23 to 26, in Salt Lake City, UT. "Encouraging data from the interim update of the ANCHOR study further support the promising efficacy and favorable safety profile of KUR-502 in heavily pretreated patients with hematological malignancies," said Dan Lang, M.D., President of Athenex Cell Therapy. "It is exciting to see the therapeutic benefit of our CAR-NKT cell therapy persists as the ANCHOR study matures, particularly in patients who have already progressed on autologous CAR-T therapy. We intend to collect additional patient data as we expand the study to include more sites and look forward to providing another update later this year." Highlights from the interim update include response data from seven evaluable patients, including two additional patients who were previously too early to assess: One patient with NHL had stable disease, and a second patient with ALL had progressive disease at the 4-week assessment; Two CRs persisted for more than 6 months with one at 34 weeks and still ongoing; Two responses were observed in patients who had relapsed after previous autologous CAR-T therapy; Excellent safety with no immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome and no graft versus host disease attributable to CAR-NKT cells; Grade 1 cytokine release syndrome in 2 ALL patients.

08:18 EDT FDA informs Axsome Therapeutics that CMC issues for AXS-07 are unresolved - Axsome Therapeutics was informed by the FDA that chemistry, manufacturing, and controls, or CMC, issues identified during the FDA's review of the company's new drug application, or NDA, for its AXS-07 product candidate for the acute treatment of migraine are unresolved. Based upon the time remaining in the NDA review cycle, the company expects to receive a complete response letter with respect to this NDA on or about the Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date of April 30.

08:18 EDT Harsco announces SteelPhalt launched carbon-negative asphalt product - Harsco Corporation (HSC) announced SteelPhalt, a part of its Harsco Environmental division, has launched a carbon-negative asphalt product. SteelPhalt's asphalt products use 95% recycled steel slag. Prior SteelPhalt asphalt products use bitumen to bind the asphalt. SteelPhalt's new asphalt product, called SteelSurf ECO+, uses kraft lignin-based Lineo, a renewable bio-based substance, supplied by GautamZenUK in collaboration with Stora Enso (SEOAY), as an alternative to bitumen.

08:14 EDT Aemetis set to launch Phase 2 biogas production - Aemetis (AMTX) announced that its Aemetis Biogas subsidiary is ready to launch Phase 2 biogas production by completing construction of its 3rd dairy digester and successfully testing the 7-mile biogas pipeline section to be used by the next 5 dairy digesters in Phase 2 of the Aemetis Biogas Central Dairy Project. Testing was recently completed for the $12M dairy biogas-to-RNG upgrading and compression facility which is co-located at the Aemetis Advanced Fuels Keyes ethanol plant near Modesto, California and adjacent to the utility natural gas pipeline. The PG&E (PCG) utility gas pipeline interconnection unit has been constructed and is now being tested by PG&E. The conversion of biogas to RNG and the injection of RNG into the PG&E pipeline is expected in early May 2022, once PG&E has completed testing. "Completing the construction and filling of the first dairy digester in Phase 2 of the Aemetis Biogas Central Dairy project is a major step in our schedule to produce RNG in May for gas delivery into storage while we complete the CARB pathway approval process for LCFS credit generation," stated Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis. "In addition to the three completed dairy digesters and more than 16 miles of biogas pipeline that we have built, Aemetis is in construction or final engineering to add the next 10 dairy digesters to our network to meet increasing demand for lower cost, low emission, carbon negative RNG to replace petroleum diesel in trucks, buses and other heavy transport vehicles."

08:13 EDT Merus announces publication in Nature Cancer on petosemtamab - Merus N.V announced publication of a preclinical report on petosemtamab in the journal Nature Cancer. The report describes the use of the company's Biclonics platform to perform a large-scale functional screen of bispecific antibodies resulting in selection of Peto, a bispecific antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR, and the leucine-rich repeat containing G protein-coupled receptor, LGR5. Peto displayed potent growth inhibition of colorectal cancer, CRC, organoids, blockade of metastasis initiation and tumor outgrowth in preclinical models of different tumor types. Peto specifically triggered EGFR degradation in organoids expressing LGR5, while showing minimal toxicity towards normal LGR5-expressing organoids. "This publication demonstrates the potential of our Biclonics platform to generate large numbers of diverse panels of antibodies, undertake high throughput functional screening of in-format bispecifics, and identify drug candidates that possess specific biology and characteristics for therapeutic applications," said Cecile Geuijen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer. "We are encouraged by the preclinical and clinical data we have obtained to date, and look forward to the further clinical development of Peto."

08:11 EDT Sunshine Biopharma files patent application for mRNA molecules found in trials - Sunshine Biopharma announced that it has filed a provisional patent application in the United States covering the recently communicated mRNA molecules found in pre-clinical trials to be effective at destroying cancer cells grown in culture. The patent application contains composition and utility subject matter pertaining to the structure and sequence of the relevant mRNA molecules. The cytotoxic effects of the subject mRNA molecules were tested on different cancer cells including multidrug resistant breast cancer cells, ovarian adenocarcinoma cells, and pancreatic cancer cells. In contrast to cancer cells, the mRNA molecules had little cytotoxic effects on non-transformed human cells. "We are excited about this potential intellectual property position we just staked in connection with our ongoing mRNA-as-therapeutic-agents research," said Dr. Steve Slilaty, CEO of Sunshine Biopharma. "We believe the potential use of mRNA to treat human diseases opens the door to vast therapeutic possibilities for patients," he added.

08:10 EDT Vaccinex announces upcoming presentation at PEGS Boston Conference - Vaccinex announced that it has been selected for poster presentation related to its ActivMAb technology platform during the upcoming 18th Annual PEGS Boston Conference & Expo, taking place from May 2nd to May 6th via in person and virtual attendance. "We look forward to sharing these new data demonstrating expression of complex multi-pass membrane receptors presented in their native conformation. These receptors are an important class of pharmaceutical targets including ion channels and GPCR, to which it has proved very difficult to select antibodies employing other existing technologies. Using our ActivMAb technology, we have successfully selected potent antibodies specific for these targets, such as chemokine receptor CXCR4 and SARS-CoV2 receptor." said Ernest Smith, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Vaccinex.

08:10 EDT ViaSat announces collaboration with NASA - Viasat announced it was selected on April 20th by NASA to support its Communications Services Project, which seeks to accelerate the development of near-Earth communications by partnering with commercial satellite communications providers. Aligned to the CSP objectives, Viasat is developing a space relay capability that will leverage its upcoming ViaSat-3 global satellite constellation, with a newly developed terminal that will enable on-demand and cost-effective communications services for LEO spacecraft anywhere and at any time in their global orbit. Viasat's integrated space relay network will offer the best of both worlds by providing adaptable transport selection between the RTE ground network and ViaSat-3. This is expected to greatly reduce data latency by providing an affordable option for time-critical, latency-sensitive data transfer, while simultaneously offering multiple daily opportunities to downlink large amounts of data over a global ground network at very low cost. The Viasat RTE network currently operates on five continents, with sites in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Africa.

08:08 EDT Kohl's holder Macellum issues rebuttal presentation - Macellum Advisors , a long-term holder of nearly 5% of the outstanding common shares of Kohl's Corporation issued a rebuttal presentation to the Company's April 21 presentation that highlights the incumbent Board of Directors' apparent attempts to mislead shareholders about its historical performance and Macellum's ideas. As a reminder, Macellum is asking shareholders to vote on the WHITE proxy card to elect its full slate of 10 aligned and experienced director candidates at the Company's 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders .

08:08 EDT Eiger BioPharmaceuticals' avexitide shows hypoglycemia reduction in study - Eiger BioPharmaceuticals announced the publication of data demonstrating that treatment with avexitide significantly reduced the likelihood of fasting and protein-induced hypoglycemia in patients with congenital hyperinsulinism, or HI. Eiger has obtained alignment with FDA on the avexitide HI registration program. Avexitide has been granted orphan drug designation in the U.S. by FDA for the treatment of hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia - which includes HI - and has also been granted rare pediatric disease designation making it eligible for a priority review voucher upon regulatory approval. Avexitide is the only investigational therapy for HI granted breakthrough therapy designation by FDA. Avexitide treatment resulted in a 76% reduction in the likelihood of fasting hypoglycemia in the mid-dose group and an 84% reduction in the likelihood of hypoglycemia in the high dose group. Avexitide treatment during protein tolerance testing resulted in an 82% reduction in the likelihood of hypoglycemia. The mid-dose group also demonstrated a 20% increase in fasting glucose, while the high dose resulted in a 28% increase in glucose after a meal and a 30% increase in glucose after protein challenge.

08:07 EDT Mondelez to acquire Ricolino from Grupo Bimbo for $1.3B - Mondelez International (MDLZ) announced it has entered into an agreement with Grupo Bimbo (BMBOY) to acquire its confectionery business, Ricolino, for approximately $1.3B. The acquisition will double the size of Mondelez Mexico's business and provide an entry point into the chocolate category, while expanding the company's presence in snacking. For Grupo Bimbo, the leading baking company in the world, this transaction will enable focus on its grain-based baking and snacks businesses. "This acquisition will provide a step change for our business in Mexico, an important growth market for us, more than tripling our routes to market and growing our position in core snacking categories," said Dirk Van de Put, Chairman and CEO of Mondelez International. "We are thrilled to welcome Ricolino's talented people and amazing brands into the Mondelez International family." The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, will be funded through an issuance of debt and cash on hand and is expected to close in late Q3 or early Q4 2022.

08:05 EDT Sovos Brands appoints Levine as VP of Investor Relations - Sovos Brand announced that Josh Levine has been appointed Vice President, VP, of Investor Relations, effective April 25, 2022. In his role leading Investor Relations, Levine will report directly to the Chief Financial Officer, Chris Hall, and oversee the Company's communications with the financial community, including institutional investors and sell-side analysts. Levine joins Sovos Brands from Absoluto Partners.

08:05 EDT Cerus in multi-year contract for Intercept Blood System with Red Cross - Cerus announced that it has signed a five-year contract with the American Red Cross for the INTERCEPT Blood System for Platelets. Under the terms of this contract, Cerus will continue to supply the Red Cross the INTERCEPT Blood System used to produce pathogen reduced platelets, in support of the Red Cross goal to transition toward a full pathogen reduced platelet supply for its hospital customers across the U.S. "The Red Cross is a global leader in transfusion medicine, with a track record of establishing blood safety protocols that have provided a blueprint for many blood centers globally. Cerus is proud of our long history of collaborating with the Red Cross, as they have played a critical role in the deployment of the INTERCEPT Blood System to safeguard the U.S. blood supply," stated William "Obi" Greenman, Cerus' president and chief executive officer. "Thanks to their leadership and commitment to blood safety, the Red Cross is now the largest producer of INTERCEPT treated blood components in the world. Our partnership has made thousands of INTERCEPT treated platelets available for patients across the country each day, and we are excited to extend this relationship and continue advancing the INTERCEPT Blood System."

08:00 EDT Gossamer Bio trading resumes

07:54 EDT Beyond Air presents safety, efficacy data from LungFit PRO study - Beyond Air announced positive safety and efficacy data from the LungFit PRO pilot study of high-concentration inhaled NO in Community-Acquired Viral Pneumonia, CAVP, including COVID-19. The multi-center, open-label, randomized clinical trial in Israel enrolled a total of 40 subjects hospitalized for CAVP, who were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive inhalations of 150 ppm NO given intermittently for 40 minutes four times per day for up to seven days in addition to standard supportive treatment or standard supportive treatment alone. Enrolled patients were followed for a 180-day period. The study endpoints include safety, time on oxygen supplementation and hospital length of stay, among others. The data show that inhaled NO treatment in patients with COVID-19 and other CAVP was well tolerated overall, and safe, with improved efficacy parameters as compared to SST. Safety data from the study show that inhaled NO treatment was well tolerated overall with no treatment related adverse events as assessed by the investigators. There were two SAEs reported in the group receiving inhaled NO along with SST, which were determined to be related to underlying conditions and unrelated to study drug/device. "These data from the pilot study of LungFit Pro in CAVP patients show consistency of improvement demonstrated across important disease related assessments. We believe these results show that high concentration inhaled NO could be an effective treatment for patients hospitalized with COVID-19," said Steve Lisi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Beyond Air. "The data presented today at ECCMID further expand upon our growing portfolio of clinical data showing high concentration NO as a potentially safe and effective treatment for various upper and lower respiratory infections. These extensive data have proven inhaled NO has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and vasodilator properties."

07:52 EDT Eliem announces Phase 2a trial of ETX-810 did not achieve primary endpoint - Eliem Therapeutics reported results from its Phase 2a clinical trial investigating ETX-810 for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, DPNP. Update on ETX-810: In the Phase 2a clinical trial in DPNP, ETX-810 did not achieve statistically significant separation from placebo on the trial's primary endpoint, which assessed the change from baseline to week 4 in the weekly average of the daily pain score measured with the Pain Intensity Numerical Rating Scale. "We are obviously disappointed with the results of this proof-of-concept trial of ETX-810," said Bob Azelby, president and chief executive officer of Eliem. "Given the positive precedent clinical data for ETX-810's mechanism of action in multiple neuropathic pain populations, it is unfortunate that we were unable to confirm a benefit in the DPNP patients studied in this trial. We believe all aspects of this trial were well-executed, with appropriate patient selection, well-balanced study arms, and placebo effect in-line with expectations, so we are confident that the results are unambiguous and that there is not currently a development path forward in DPNP for ETX-810. We sincerely thank the patients who participated in this trial, along with the investigators, clinical staff, and Eliem team who managed the study. We look forward to seeing the results of our LSRP trial in the third quarter." The multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of ETX-810 in 159 subjects with DPNP over four weeks of dosing. 78 patients received 1,000 mg of ETX-810 twice daily, and 81 patients received placebo. ETX-810 was well tolerated in the study, with an encouraging safety profile. However, the primary endpoint of the study was not achieved, and separation from placebo on the PI-NRS was not observed during the 4 weeks of dosing. The company has also fully enrolled its Phase 2a proof-of-concept trial evaluating ETX-810 in patients with LSRP. The LSRP study has enrolled 149 patients and has a similar design to the Phase 2a DPNP study. The LSRP study is expected to report topline data in the third quarter of 2022.

07:46 EDT Sprott announces acquisition of assets related to Global Uranium Mining ETF - Sprott and Sprott Funds Trust jointly announced that Sprott Asset Management, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sprott, has completed the acquisition of certain assets relating to managing the North Shore Global Uranium Mining ETF, URNM. Sprott Funds Trust and Exchange Traded Concepts Trust have completed the reorganization of the North Shore Global Uranium Mining ETF from a series of Exchange Traded Concepts Trust to Sprott Uranium Miners ETF, a series of Sprott Funds Trust. URNM is now advised by Sprott Asset Management and sub-advised by ALPS Advisors, Inc. "Investor interest in uranium and energy-transition related investments continues to increase and the Sprott Uranium Miners ETF is the perfect complement to the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust," said John Ciampaglia, CEO of Sprott Asset Management. "With SPUT and URNM, investors now have two compelling options to invest in the uranium sector. As global governments increasingly turn to nuclear energy to address the dual challenges of achieving energy transition and energy security, we expect demand for uranium to remain strong," added Ciampaglia. "Uranium mining is critical to the clean energy transition and URNM provides investors with access to producers, developers, exploration companies as well as vehicles that hold physical uranium."

07:43 EDT PyroGenesis confirms site acceptance of testing three Drosrite systems - PyroGenesis Canada (PYR) confirms that, further to Drosrite International's press release earlier, the Company's DROSRITE dross recovery technology has been successfully commissioned at Ma'aden Aluminum, a joint venture with Alcoa (AA). All DROSRITE systems supplied by Drosrite International are manufactured in the USA. "Today's results are indeed, as stated by Drosrite International, a significant achievement as they validate the DROSRITE technology on a massive scale with a major primary aluminum producer," said P. Peter Pascali, CEO and President of PyroGenesis. The successful milestone announced by Drosrite International involves an initial order for 7 DROSRITE systems. "The fact that we have a salt-free dross recovery system in use for the first time at a primary aluminum producer further validates our DROSRITE technology, and opens the door for further expansion," added Pascali. "In fact, we are gaining significant attention within the industry, and we are receiving additional inquiries from other primary aluminum producers in the Gulf region as a result of this achievement."

07:40 EDT Lennox backs FY22 CapEx view $125M; free cash flow view $400M - Reiterating corporate expense guidance of approximately $95M. Reiterating effective tax rate guidance of 18%-20% on an adjusted basis for the full year.

07:39 EDT Lennox backs FY22 guidance for $400M of stock repurchases

07:38 EDT Actinium Pharmaceuticals' Iomab B shows increase in marrow transplant access - Actinium Pharmaceuticals highlighted data from full patient enrollment in the pivotal Phase 3 SIERRA trial of Iomab-B was presented in an oral presentation. Highlights of the SIERRA data presentation includes: greater than 5-times increase in Bone Marrow Transplant access for Iomab-B versus control arm and universal engraftment in patients receiving Iomab-B; 100% of 66 patients receiving Iomab-B were able to proceed to a bone marrow transplant and all achieved engraftment compared to only 18% of patients on the control arm who received physician's choice of therapy including targeted agents such as Venetoclax, FLT3 and IDH1/2 inhibitors with 1 patient having a graft failure. 82% of patients on the control arm are failures for the primary endpoint of durable Complete Remission of 6 months having never achieved a Complete Remission. Data from the completed Iomab-B pivotal Phase 3 SIERRA trial demonstrate the potential of Iomab-B in enabling successful BMT in patients who cannot typically be transplanted; 5x greater magnitude of Iomab-B versus control arm patients potentially evaluable for the primary endpoint with statistically significant lower rates of sepsis. Trial interim analysis includes data from full enrollment, with last patient transplanted 4Q 2021; topline data results are expected in Q3. Iomab-B was licensed from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Iomab-B has been granted Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA and the EMA. Iomab-B also has patent terms extending to at least 2036/2037 in the US and EU.

07:38 EDT Hawaiian Holdings announces broadband internet access agreement with Starlink - Hawaiian Airlines (HA) became the first major airline to announce an agreement with Starlink to provide complimentary high-speed, low-latency broadband internet access to every guest onboard flights between the islands and the continental U.S, Asia and Oceania. Hawai'i's largest and longest-serving carrier will equip its Airbus (EADSY) A330 and A321neo aircraft, as well as an incoming fleet of Boeing (BA) 787-9s, with Starlink's industry leading satellite internet connectivity service. Hawaiian and Starlink are in the initial stages of implementation and expect to begin installing the product on select aircraft next year. Hawaiian is not currently planning to deploy the service on its Boeing 717 aircraft that operate short flights between the Hawaiian Islands.

07:37 EDT Gossamer Bio announces data from SHIFT-UC Study - Gossamer Bio announced topline results from its Phase 2 SHIFT-UC Study clinical trial studying GB004 in patients with mild-to-moderate active ulcerative colitis, or UC. Neither GB004 treatment arm met the primary or secondary endpoints at week 12. Based on the totality of the available data, Gossamer will terminate the ongoing treat-through and open-label extension portions of the Phase 2 SHIFT-UC Study for lack of treatment benefit. The Phase 2 SHIFT-UC Study enrolled 236 patients with mild-to-moderate active UC who were treatment naive to approved biologic therapies. The clinical trial assessed the effects of GB004 added to background therapy of 5-aminosalicylate with or without systemic steroids during a 36-week placebo-controlled period and a 24-week open-label extension period. In the placebo-controlled period, two active dose regimens of GB004 were compared to placebo. The primary endpoint was the proportion of participants with clinical remission, as defined by the modified Mayo Score, at week 12. Neither statistically significant nor clinically meaningful differences were observed for the primary endpoint at week 12. There were also no meaningful differences in secondary endpoints, including histologic and mucosal healing endpoints, for either GB004 treatment group relative to placebo at week 12. An assessment of available 36-week data showed no meaningful improvement on efficacy endpoints. The safety and tolerability profile of GB004 observed in the trial was generally consistent with prior clinical trials. Dizziness, nausea and somnolence were the most commonly reported adverse events among GB004-treated patients, with incidences higher than placebo. Adverse events were generally mild in severity.

07:36 EDT Dirtt Environmental announces preliminary voting results for upcoming meeting - DIRTT Environmental Solutions announced that, in light of the preliminary proxy vote count relating to the annual and special meeting of shareholders scheduled to be held on April 26, 2022, it expects that the seven nominees put forward by 22NW Fund, LP will be elected to the board of directors of the Company.

07:35 EDT Rio Tinto, Geomega extend collaboration on Bauxite Residues - Geomega Resource announces that Innord, its wholly owned subsidiary, has signed a Term Sheet with Rio Tinto to enter into a Development Agreement for Bauxite Residues Iron Phase Product. As part of the agreement, Rio Tinto will provide $1M in funding for Innord to complete the required proof of concept work and the subsequent small scale locked cycle pilot plant at its Boucherville facilities. Following the announcement of the funding for a $4M pilot plant and feasibility study of a sustainable and complete valorization of bauxite residues, Rio Tinto and Innord have agreed to begin evaluating in parallel various opportunities to monetize the iron compounds produced by Innord's Bauxite Residues Technology . As part of the project, over the next 12 months, Innord has committed to develop and test an extension technology to IBRT to produce the desired product that will then be evaluated by Rio Tinto. The project will be starting immediately, and the definitive development agreement is expected to be finalized later in 2022.

07:31 EDT Gossamer Bio trading halted, news pending

07:31 EDT Eliem Therapeutics Inc trading halted, news pending

07:28 EDT Venus Concept announces first patient treatment in study of Aime - Venus Concept announced that the first patient has been treated in a U.S. Investigational Device Exemption, IDE, clinical study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Company's Aime next generation robotic technology for the treatment of moderate to severe facial wrinkles. Aime is a robotic platform designed to provide micro-coring for medical aesthetic applications. The study is a prospective, multicenter clinical study evaluating the safety and efficacy of mechanical coring to improve the appearance of wrinkles of the face. The primary endpoint will be the proportion of correctly identified photograph sets from baseline and Day 120 as assessed by at least 3 independent blinded evaluators.

07:25 EDT Impel NeuroPharma to change name to Impel Pharmaceuticals - Impel NeuroPharma announced that it is changing its name to Impel Pharmaceuticals. This new name reflects the ongoing corporate and strategic transformation of the Company and the use of its proprietary Precision Olfactory Delivery technology to treat patients suffering from diseases with high unmet needs across various disease areas in addition to the central nervous system. "Today Impel transitions from Impel NeuroPharma to Impel Pharmaceuticals. The first-cycle approval and launch of Trudhesa using our proprietary POD technology reinforces the promise of the device to provide potential treatment options for multiple disease areas by delivering drugs into the vascular-rich upper nasal space," said Adrian Adams, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Impel Pharmaceuticals. "Now, as we celebrate our one-year anniversary as a publicly traded company, changing our name to Impel Pharmaceuticals cements the Company's expanded corporate mission to provide transformative therapies for people suffering from diseases beyond the central nervous system." Effective at market close on Monday, April 25, 2022, trading for Impel will reflect the new name of Impel Pharmaceuticals under the same symbol "IMPL". The corporate name change to Impel Pharmaceuticals does not affect the rights of the Company's stockholders and no action is required by stockholders with respect to the name change.

07:21 EDT Genius Group announces appointment of Warkins as COO - Genius Group (GNS) announced the appointment of Brad Warkins as Chief Operating Officer, COO, of the Company, effective April 25, 2022. Prior to joining Genius Group, Warkins served as President of publicly traded Gaia (GAIA).

07:17 EDT Taysha Gene Therapies announces oral presentations at IRSFT, ASCENT meetings - Taysha Gene Therapies announced oral presentations at the upcoming International Rett Syndrome Foundation, IRSF, Rett Syndrome Scientific Symposium taking place in Nashville, Tennessee April 26 - 27, 2022, and the ASCEND Rett Syndrome National Summit taking place in Nashville, Tennessee April 27 - 30, 2022. IRSF Scientific Symposium Oral Presentation Details: "Safety and Biodistribution Assessment in Non-human Primates of a miniMECP2 AAV9 Vector for Gene-replacement Therapy of Rett Syndrome," and "Rett Syndrome in Adulthood: The Caregiver Perspective." ASCEND National Summit Oral Presentation Details: "Putting Patients at the Center."

07:14 EDT Energy XXI Gulf Coast appoints Pradeep Dwivedi as new CEO - Energy XXI Gulf Coast appointed Rishika Lulla Singh as the new Executive Chairperson, Pradeep Dwivedi as the new CEO and Rajesh Chalke as the new CFO. Former Executive Chairman Kishore Lulla said, "As the business and market matures, I am confident in Eros Media's execution capability with fundamentals on track. I am pleased to announce Pradeep Dwivedi as CEO and welcome Rajesh Chalke as CFO to usher in a new era for Eros Media, with guidance from an experienced board. I will step down from the executive positions at Eros Media in the near future and dip into my entrepreneurial fibre to build the biggest Web3 and Blockchain Indian eco-system for the world via Eros Investments. The amalgamation of the virtual/meta world, with high fidelity gaming and digital goods/NFT' bound via de-centralized technology in the Web2, Web 3 and Immersive experiences is principal premise of Eros Investment's focus over the next 10 years"

07:12 EDT ObsEva announces confirmation of positive CHMP opinion for linzagolix - ObsEva announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency, EMA, has confirmed its previously adopted positive opinion, recommending approval of linzagolix for the treatment of uterine fibroids, UF. The European Commission, EC, will now review the CHMP recommendation. ObsEva has entered into a licensing agreement with Theramex to support the commercialization and market introduction of linzagolix in Europe. "European launch preparations are firmly underway as we look ahead to the anticipated approval of linzagolix. Theramex is a proven global leader in women's health with a track record of successful new product launches, making it ideally positioned to execute the launch of linzagolix in Europe. In parallel, preparations for the commercialization of linzagolix in the United States are advancing through our relationship with Syneos Health as we approach our PDUFA target action date in September. Together, these agreements are expected to maximize the market opportunity for linzagolix, which has the potential to be the first and only approved GnRH receptor antagonist for uterine fibroids with a dosing option free of hormonal add-back therapy," said Brian O'Callaghan, CEO of ObsEva.

07:09 EDT Coca-Cola CEO says 'we are confident in our full-year guidance' - "We are pleased with our first quarter results as our company continues to execute effectively in a highly dynamic and uncertain operating environment," said James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. "We remain true to our purpose and are staying close to consumers. We are confident in our full-year guidance, and we are well-equipped to win in all types of environments as we fuel strong topline momentum and create value for our stakeholders."

07:08 EDT EVgo opens new EVgo public fast charging station in Maryland - EVgo announced the opening of a new EVgo public fast charging station located at Valley Park Commons in Hagerstown, Maryland. The new EV charging station, located at 1580 Wesel Boulevard, boasts four charging stalls equipped with two 100 kW fast chargers and two 350 kW fast chargers capable of simultaneous charging.

07:07 EDT LiveOne to commence 2M share stock repurchase program - LiveOne intends to commence its previously announced stock repurchase program beginning in the current 1Q23. As of April 22, LiveOne had cash on hand of $13.6M and over 2.26 million paid and free members. Repurchases of up to 2M of LiveOne's shares of common stock have been previously authorized by LiveOne's board of directors, and LiveOne may initially repurchase up to 500,000 shares of its common stock. The authorization to repurchase will expire on January 31, 2023.

07:05 EDT Lyra Therapeutics: First patient treated in Phase 2 BEACON trial of LYR-220 - Lyra Therapeutics announced that the first patient was treated in the Part 1/non-randomized portion of the Phase 2 BEACON clinical trial of LYR-220 in adult patients with chronic rhinosinusitis who have had a prior sinus surgery. LYR-220 is specifically designed to deliver six months of continuous anti-inflammatory medication in a controlled and consistent fashion to the sinonasal passages for the millions of CRS patients that continue to require treatment despite a prior surgery. Topline results from Part 1 of the Phase 2 BEACON trial are expected around year end.

07:04 EDT Ardelyx provides update on FDA plan for Xphozah approval - Ardelyx announced that the Office of New Drugs - OND -,Center for Drug Evaluation and Research of the FDA, has provided an interim response to Ardelyx's second level of appeal of the complete Response Letter received on July 28, 2021, for Xphozah. The OND noted that additional input from the Cardiovascular and Renal Drug Advisory Committee in general, and specifically, from experts, including expert clinicians, would be valuable in further considering the clinical meaningfulness of the phosphate lowering effect observed in Ardelyx's phase 3 clinical program for Xphozah. Accordingly, the OND intends to direct the Division of Cardiology and Nephrology to bring the Xphozah New Drug Application to the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee, and to provide a response to Ardelyx's appeal within 30 days after the conclusion of the Advisory Committee meeting. Ardelyx is seeking approval for Xphozah for the control of serum phosphorus in adult patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis.

07:01 EDT Coca-Cola says Q2 revenue to include 4% currency headwind - Comparable net revenues (non-GAAP) are expected to include an approximate 4% currency headwind based on the current rates and including the impact of hedged positions, in addition to a 3% tailwind from acquisitions. Comparable EPS (non-GAAP) percentage growth is expected to include an approximate 4% currency headwind based on the current rates and including the impact of hedged positions.

06:57 EDT Coca-Cola reports Q1 global unit case volume up 8%

06:46 EDT Merck receives positive EU CHMP opinion for KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy - Merck announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment after surgery for adults with locally advanced, or early-stage triple-negative breast cancer at high risk of recurrence. The CHMP's recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission for marketing authorization in the European Union, and a final decision is expected in the second quarter of 2022. If approved, this will be the second indication for KEYTRUDA in TNBC in Europe. In October 2021, KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy was approved for the first-line treatment of certain patients with locally recurrent unresectable or metastatic TNBC.

06:41 EDT Roche sees FY22 sales stable or up in low single digits - Sales are expected to be stable or grow in the low-single digits at constant exchange rates. Core earnings per share are targeted to grow in the low- to mid-single digit range at constant exchange rates, including the accretive effect of the 2021 share repurchase. Roche expects to increase its dividend in Swiss francs further. Roche anticipates sales of COVID-19 medicines and diagnostics to decrease by approximately CHF 2 billion to around CHF 5 billion, and sales losses to biosimilars in the current year to be roughly CHF 2.5 billion. Excluding those effects, Group sales are expected to grow in the high-single digit range.

06:35 EDT NexGen Energy signs IBA with Clearwater River Dene Nation for Rook I Project - NexGen Energy announced the signing of an impact benefit agreement, or IBA, with the Clearwater River Dene Nation, or CRDN, covering all phases of the Rook I Project, which hosts the 100% owned Arrow uranium deposit. NexGen signs a historic IBA with CRDN. The Rook I Project is located within the traditional territory of the CRDN. The IBA defines the environmental, cultural, economic, employment and other benefits to be provided to the CRDN by NexGen in respect of the Project, and to confirm the consent and support of CRDN for the Project throughout its complete lifecycle, including reclamation. The agreement was negotiated and developed out of the study agreement that was signed in 2019 between NexGen and the CRDN. The study agreement formalized engagement with the CRDN to identify potential impacts to Aboriginal and treaty rights and socio-economic interests, and identify potential avoidance and accommodation measures in relation to the Project whilst acknowledging the duty to consult remains with the Crown. Further, the study agreements provided CRDN support to negotiate the IBA. Note, the IBA does not abrogate, extinguish, or constitute the abandonment of any existing Aboriginal, inherent, or treaty rights of the CRDN recognized and affirmed pursuant to Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. Importantly, the agreement is entered into in recognition of the Aboriginal and Treaty Rights of the CRDN.

06:32 EDT US Foods urges shareholders to vote on the WHITE proxy card - The company stated, "At US Foods' upcoming 2022 annual meeting of shareholders, Sachem Head Capital Management LP is seeking the removal of five members of your Board of Directors in order to effect a sale of the company or change in CEO. Your Board and leadership team have developed and are executing a strategy that is sound and beginning to deliver results. We recognize that our 2019 performance fell short of our guidance and shareholder expectations, but now, after successfully navigating the pandemic, we are encouraged by the early momentum we are seeing as we implement our long-range plan. We urge you not to let Sachem Head interrupt our progress, which we are confident will deliver significant long-term value for shareholders. Please vote today 'FOR' all US Foods director nominees on the enclosed WHITE proxy card."

06:14 EDT AstraZeneca's Tremelimumab accepted for Priority Review in U.S. in HCC patients - AstraZeneca's Biologics License Application, BLA, for tremelimumab "has been accepted for Priority Review in the US, supporting the indication of a single priming dose of the anti-CTLA4 antibody added to Imfinzi, or durvalumab, for the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, or HCC. A supplemental BLA has also been submitted for Imfinzi in this indication. This novel dose and schedule of the combination is called the STRIDE regimen. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act date, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) action date for their regulatory decision, is during the fourth quarter of 2022 following the use of a priority review voucher. The BLA for tremelimumab and sBLA for Imfinzi are based on final results from the HIMALAYA Phase III trial presented at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. In this trial, patients treated with the STRIDE regimen experienced a 22% reduction in the risk of death versus sorafenib. Nearly one in three patients were still alive at three years versus one in five for sorafenib. The safety profiles of the STRIDE regimen and for Imfinzi alone were consistent with the known profiles of each medicine, and no new safety signals were identified. Imfinzi and tremelimumab were granted Orphan Drug Designation in the US for the treatment of HCC in January 2020." Reference Link

06:08 EDT High Tide announces C$1.37M in total retail gross revenues on 4/20 - High Tide announced approximately C$1,372,600 in total retail gross revenues across all retail platforms on April 20, representing a 76.21% increase from the previous Wednesday. The company's Canadian bricks-and-mortar stores reported a 63.05% increase, while sales across its e-commerce platforms reported an increase of 129.41% over the previous Wednesday.

06:03 EDT Maxar Technologies awarded $202M in U.S. Government mission support contracts - Maxar Technologies was awarded U.S. Government mission support contracts in Q1 worth up to $202M over a six-year period. The total includes 27 awards across nine U.S. government customers-eight of which are Department of Defense or Intelligence Community organizations-for work including artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, advanced data analytics, software development, data conditioning, geospatial production and dissemination, maritime domain awareness, and training and development.

05:33 EDT iQIYI launches third set of digital collectibles - iQIYI (IQ) launched a set of digital collectibles to celebrate the company's 12th anniversary on Apr. 22, making it the third set of digital collectibles iQIYI recently launched, and marking a step in the company's metaverse exploration and continuous innovation in IP monetization. The set features iQIYI mascot "Kiki" and is a collaboration between iQIYI and Baidu (BIDU), with technical support from XuperChain, a Baidu-developed, highly flexible blockchain architecture. The set includes 12,000 copies of various images of Kiki, with both AI-produced generic copies and specially designed ones that incorporate elements from iQIYI's drama series, variety shows, cross-brand collaborations and more. All copies of the Kiki set are for free. Furthermore, iQIYI also launched a digital collectibles set based on the character "Producer C" from RiCH BOOM, iQIYI's first Chinese new-gen virtual idol band. Available for purchase from April 21 to April 24, the set features a total of 8,888 copies of six different images of Producer C, which customers can purchase on Cerka, the online platform of a Chinese metaverse content service provider.

05:12 EDT Illumina enters WGS agreement with Hannover Medical School in Germany - Illumina announced an agreement with Germany's Hannover Medical School, or MHH, to implement the use of whole-genome sequencing, or WGS, in critically ill children suspected of having a genetic or rare disease. The project, led by the Department of Human Genetics at MHH, will evaluate the use of WGS in neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit settings to show the positive impact of earlier diagnosis and treatment for hospitalized children.