Stockwinners Market Radar for August 20, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:05 EDT BioNTech, Pfizer's BNT162 COVID vaccine well tolerated w/ fever in less than 20% - Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech SE (BNTX) shared additional Phase 1 safety and immunogenicity data from their ongoing U.S. study of the BNT162 mRNA-based vaccine program against SARS-CoV-2, which has advanced into Phase 2/3 evaluation. The newly released manuscript describes key safety and immunogenicity data from the U.S. Phase 1 trial for the BNT162b2 vaccine candidate, which at 30undefined recorded 7 days after the second dose elicited SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing geometric mean titers in younger adults 18-55 years of age that were 3.8 times the GMT of a panel of 38 sera of SARS-CoV2 convalescent patients, and in older adults the vaccine candidate elicited a neutralizing GMT 1.6 times the GMT of the same panel, demonstrating strong immunogenicity in younger and older adults. Further, across all populations, BNT162b2 administration was well tolerated with mild to moderate fever in fewer than 20% of the participants. As previously announced, these data informed the companies' decision to advance a 2-dose regimen of the 30microgram dose level of BNT162b2, which encodes an optimized SARS-CoV-2 full-length spike glycoprotein (S), into a Phase 2/3 evaluation. The companies are continuing to analyze data from the Phase 1 trials in the U.S. and Germany. T cell immune responses elicited by BNT162b2 are being evaluated in the German study and the companies expect to submit the data for peer review and potential publication. The companies previously announced that BNT162b2-vaccinated human participants displayed a favorable breadth of epitopes recognized in T cell responses specific to the SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen, as compared to the BNT162b1 candidate, and that BNT162b2 demonstrated concurrent induction of high magnitude CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses against the receptor binding domain and against the remainder of the spike glycoprotein that is not contained in the BNT162b1 vaccine candidate. The totality of data contributed to the decision by Pfizer and BioNTech to commence the global (except for China) Phase 2/3 safety and efficacy portion of the clinical study to evaluate BNT162b2 against COVID-19. The study is now actively enrolling in the U.S., Argentina and Brazil. Additional enrollment is planned in Germany, Turkey and South Africa. The study is an event-driven trial that is planned to enroll up to 30,000 participants between 18 and 85 years of age. The Phase 2/3 trial enrollment to date has exceeded 11,000 participants with a second dose underway. BNT162b2 remains under clinical study and is not currently approved for distribution anywhere in the world. Assuming clinical success, Pfizer and BioNTech are on track to seek regulatory review for BNT162b2 as early as October 2020 and, if regulatory authorization or approval is obtained, currently plan to supply up to 100 million doses worldwide by the end of 2020 and approximately 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021.

17:45 EDT FDA okays Amgen's new Kyprolis combo regimen in multiple myeloma treatment - Amgen announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the expansion of the KYPROLIS, carfilzomib, U.S. prescribing information to include its use in combination with DARZALEX, daratumumab, plus dexamethasone, DKd, in two dosing regimens - once weekly and twice weekly - for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma,R/R MM, who have received one to three previous lines of therapy. "This expanded approval for KYPROLIS demonstrates a leap forward in the treatment paradigm for this complex disease by combining two potent agents in their respective drug classes indicated for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma," said David M. Reese, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. "Now, we can provide healthcare professionals and patients with an efficacious regimen with two dosing options at a critical time in a patient's treatment journey: first relapse," Reese continued.

17:15 EDT Keysight Technologies up 6% to $109 after Q3 results, Q4 guidance beat estimates

17:12 EDT Ceva CEO sells 37.8K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Ceva disclosed that its CEO Gideon Wertheizer sold 37.8K shares of common stock on August 18th-19th in a total transaction size of $1.6M.

17:01 EDT X Financial names Frank Fuya Zheng as new CFO - X Financial announced that it has appointed Mr. Frank Fuya Zheng as the company's CFO, effective August 24, 2020. Mr. Zheng will succeed Mr. Kevin Jie Zhang, who has resigned from his position due to personal reasons.

16:58 EDT Performance Shipping sells vessel for $5.6M - Performance Shipping signed a Memorandum of Agreement to sell the 2001-built Panamax container vessel, the M/V Domingo, to an unaffiliated third party for a sale price of $5.6M before commissions. The vessel was successfully delivered to the new owner. Performance Shipping's fleet now consists of four Aframax tanker vessels.

16:49 EDT Afya to acquire FCMPB for R$380M - Afya announced it entered into a purchase agreement for the acquisition, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Afya Participacoes, of 100% of the total share capital of Faculdade Ciencias Medicas da Paraiba, or FCMPB. FCMPB is a post-secondary education institution with government authorization to offer on-campus, undergraduate courses in medicine in the State of Paraiba and medical course represents 99% of its 2019's net revenue. The projected net revenue for FCMPB in 2024, when the institution will reach maturation, is R$107M representing an estimated post synergies EV/EBITDA of 6.3x all derived from its medical school. The aggregate purchase price is R$380M, of which 50% is payable in cash on the transaction closing date and 50% is payable in cash in four equal installments through 2024, adjusted by the CDI rate. The acquisition will contribute 157 medical school seats to Afya, increasing Afya's total medical school seats to 2,023.

16:41 EDT Genmab says J&J granted FDA approva for darzalex, carfilzomib combo - Genmab (GMAB) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of DARZALEX in combination with carfilzomib and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who have received one to three previous lines of therapy. A supplemental Biologics License Application for this indication was submitted by Genmab's licensing partner, Janssen Biotech, Inc. (JNJ), in February 2020. In August 2012, Genmab granted Janssen an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize daratumumab. "We are extremely pleased that multiple myeloma patients in the U.S. will now have yet another treatment option as this is the eighth overall U.S. FDA approval for DARZALEX and the fifth in the relapsed/refractory setting. In addition, DARZALEX is now the first CD38 antibody approved for use in combination with carfilzomib," said Jan van de Winkel, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Genmab.

16:32 EDT PCSB Financial authorizes program to repurchase up to 844,907 shares - PCSB Financial announced that it has authorized a program to repurchase up to 844,907 shares, or 5%, of its outstanding common stock. The timing and amount of any repurchases will depend on various factors, including but not limited to, market conditions, stock price and alternative uses of capital. Repurchases may be transacted in the open-market or in negotiated private transactions and may be conducted pursuant to a trading plan adopted in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission Rule 10b5-1.

16:31 EDT Auris Medical regains listing compliance with Nasdaq minimum requirement - Auris Medical Holding Ltd. announced that it has regained compliance with the Nasdaq listing requirements. On August 20, 2020, the company received a letter from Nasdaq stating that because the company's shares had a closing bid price at or above $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive business days, the company's stock had regained compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq, and that the matter is now closed.

16:28 EDT James Flynn reports 17.14% stake in Acutus Medical - This stake was reported in a 13D filing, which allows for activism.

16:18 EDT SP Plus selects ChargePoint as provider for EV charging program expansion - SP Plus announced the selection of ChargePoint as its preferred provider for expanding its electric vehicle, EV, charging program. SP+ selected ChargePoint, the world's largest manufacturer of EV charging stations with a full range of smart solutions, to accelerate its plan to offer drivers the convenience of charging their vehicles while parking at an SP+ facility while they work, shop, play or stay home.

16:15 EDT Principal Financial names Ken McCullum as new head of global risk - Principal Financial Group announced Ken McCullum, vice president and chief actuary, will become the next chief risk officer, following the retirement of Julia Lawler, executive vice president and chief risk officer, after 36 years with the company. McCullum, who will assume the new responsibilities on September 28 and fully transition following Lawler's departure in early November, has served as the company's chief actuary the last five years after joining Principal from Delaware Life Insurance Company. As chief risk officer, he will be responsible for developing and overseeing the enterprise risk strategy and framework, leading internal audit and risk, financial and operational risk, and the corporate actuarial department.

16:12 EDT XpresSpa opens COVID-19 testing facility Newark Liberty International Airport - XpresSpa Group announced, in conjunction with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the opening of the XpresCheck at Newark Liberty International Airport's Terminal B on August 17. In its initial phase, testing will be available to EWR terminal employees, airline employees, and airport workers through an expanded contract with XpresSpa's new brand, XpresCheck. The new facility has the capacity to screen up to 350 airport employees per day. Following this initial launch period, testing at EWR's XpresCheck site is expected to be made available to passengers. "The Port Authority has taken proactive measures to provide a safe environment for both employees and customers, including piloting a partnership with XpresCheck to bring testing right into our airport terminals," said Rick Cotton, Port Authority Executive Director. "We look forward to seeing the results of the pilot at Newark Liberty and to further conversations with XpresCheck. We hope to see testing capability expand as widely as possible."

16:12 EDT Miragen Therapeutics held Type C meeting with FDA on cobomarsen pathway - Miragen Therapeutics announced that the company held a Type C meeting with the FDA Office of Oncologic Diseases to discuss miRagen's future clinical development plans for cobomarsen for the potential treatment of Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma, or ATLL. MicroRNA-155 overexpression has been shown to be a poor prognostic indicator in a variety of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Cobomarsen is an inhibitor of miR-155 that has demonstrated initial safety and efficacy data in a phase 1 clinical trial in which patients with CTCL, ATLL, DLBCL and CLL patients were treated. Miragen believes that the now defined regulatory pathway for potential approval of cobomarsen for both CTCL and ATLL is an important incremental step in its broader strategy to evaluate cobomarsen as a potential treatment for a variety of miR-155 elevated blood cancers. Cobomarsen has received orphan drug designation in the United States for the treatment of T-cell lymphomas, such as CTCL and ATLL. This designation can provide development and commercial incentives for designated compounds and medicines, including market exclusivity.

16:09 EDT HireQuest initiates 5c per share quarterly dividend - The first dividend will be paid on September 15, 2020 for shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 1, 2020.

16:06 EDT Coherent CFO Kevin Palatnik to retire by March, 2021 - Coherent announced that the company and Executive Vice President and CFO Kevin Palatnik have entered into an Executive Transition Agreement, pursuant to which Palatnik will retire from the company no later than February 28, 2021. The company will immediately launch a global search for Palatnik's successor.

16:05 EDT Enterprise Financial to acquire Seacoast Commerce Banc Holdings for $156M - Enterprise Financial Services and Seacoast Commerce Banc Holdings announced that EFSC, EB&T, SCBH and Seacoast have entered into a definitive merger agreement in a transaction valued at approximately $156M, or $15.80 per SCBH share, based on the closing price of EFSC's common stock on August 19, 2020. On a pro forma consolidated basis, the combined company would have approximately $9.7B in consolidated total assets as of June 30, 2020. The transaction is expected to be approximately 4% accretive to Enterprise's 2021 earnings per share and over 10% accretive to its 2022 earnings per share, after giving effect to estimated fully phased-in transaction synergies. Estimated tangible book value per share dilution to EFSC is expected to be earned back in less than three years under the crossover method including CECL "Day Two" accounting treatment. The acquisition is expected to generate an internal rate of return in excess of 25% for Enterprise. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Seacoast had approximately $1.3 billion in total assets, $1.1 billion in loans, and $1.0 billion in deposits as of June 30, 2020. Seacoast operates four full-service banking offices in San Diego, California and one in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition, Seacoast has 20 loan production offices and six deposit production offices across the country.

16:03 EDT Town Sports receives Nasdaq notice regarding non-compliance - Town Sports International received a notice on August 18, 2020 from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq indicating that as a result of the Company's failure to timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2020, and because the Company remains delinquent in filing its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2020, the Company remains in non-compliance with the continued listing requirements as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1). The notice has no immediate impact on the listing of the Company's common stock, which will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Global Market, subject to the Company's compliance with other applicable continued listing requirements. The notice advises that the Company has until September 8, 2020 to submit a plan to regain compliance with Nasdaq's continued listing requirements with respect to its delinquent Reports. If Nasdaq accepts the plan, Nasdaq can grant an exception of up to 180 calendar days from the filing due date of the First Quarterly Report, or until December 28, 2020, during which the Company can regain compliance. If Nasdaq does not accept the plan, the Company will have the opportunity to appeal that decision to a Nasdaq Hearings Panel.

15:38 EDT SharpSpring officer Travis Whitton sells over $484K in company shares - SharpSpring officer Travis Whitton disclosed in a filing that he had sold 44,500 shares of company stock at $10.89 per share on August 19, for a total transaction value of $484,427.

14:59 EDT Former Uber Chief Security Officer charged with obstruction of justice - A criminal complaint was filed in federal court charging Joseph Sullivan with obstruction of justice and misprision of a felony in connection with the attempted cover-up of the 2016 hack of Uber Technologies, announced United States Attorney David Anderson and FBI Deputy Special Agent in Charge Craig Fair. According to the complaint, between April 2015 and November 2017, Sullivan, served as Uber's Chief Security Officer. "During this time, two hackers contacted Sullivan by email and demanded a six-figure payment in exchange for silence. The hackers ultimately revealed that they had accessed and downloaded an Uber database containing personally identifying information, or PII, associated with approximately 57 million Uber users and drivers," the complaint says.Reference Link

14:44 EDT Coherus neutropenia treatment listed as 2021 exclusion at Express Scripts - Coherus Biosciences' Udenyca, a treatment for neutropenia, shows up on Express Scripts' list of new exclusions for 2021. Shares of Coherus are down 12c to $19.73 in afternoon trading. Reference Link

13:47 EDT TOP Ships announces purchase of shares by company affiliated with CEO - TOP Ships Inc. announced that the company has been advised that a company affiliated with its CEO, Evangelos Pistiolis, has purchased an aggregate of 100,000 common shares of the company in the open market. In addition, the company announced that for a period of 12 months: (i) it will not conduct any equity offerings, public or private; (ii) it will not conduct any reverse stock splits; (iii) it will not pay any bonuses to its executive management; and (iv) it will enter into a standstill agreement with Family Trading Inc., the holder of all of the company's outstanding Series E Preferred Shares and a company affiliated with its CEO, pursuant to which Family Trading will agree not to convert any of its Series E Preferred Shares into common shares, other than in connection with a change of control of the company. (v) CEO and his affiliates will not sell any shares. The company believes that the above actions will significantly enhance the trading stability of its common shares during the next 12 months. Finally, the company announced that it is proceeding with implementing its previously announced stock repurchase plan.

13:36 EDT Triumph Group unit selected for water tank systems on A321XLR - Triumph Group announced that its Triumph Systems & Support business unit has been awarded a contract from Diehl Aviation for the supply of mechanical controls for the Airbus A321XLR. The indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity award includes the service panel lever and cable controls for the waste-water tank on the aircraft. "This win underscores the successful program and delivery performance we have provided to Diehl Aviation over the years. We are pleased to continue our partnership with two key products on the A321XLR," said Ian Reason, President of Triumph Systems & Support - Mechanical Solutions. "This agreement is evidence that Triumph offers competitive mechanical control solutions for the civil aviation market, which are backed by strong technical expertise and close collaboration with the customer." The proximity of Triumph's German facilities where work will be performed near Diehl Aviation in Dresden, Germany provides an added benefit. First serial production will commence in 2023.

13:10 EDT Google expands licensing to new publishers in Germany, Brazil - Google announced in blog post, "In late June, we launched a licensing program to pay for quality content from publishers for an upcoming news experience. The goal of this project is to create something that gives readers more context and journalistic perspective on news stories as well as helps publishers' distinct editorial voices shine through. Today, we wanted to update you on how we're working alongside our publisher partners to achieve this. This licensing program and upcoming product both build on our broader commitment to support the news industry in its drive towards a more sustainable future. And as we expand licensing to more publishers in more countries, we're also working closely with 10 different news outlets from Germany and Brazil on an early access program, testing features and gathering feedback to shape the product direction ahead of full launch later this year. Publishers taking part in this early access program including international brands as well as local household staples like ZEIT ONLINE, Der Spiegel, Tagesspiegel, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Ippen Media Group and Rheinische Post in Germany and Estado de Minas, A Gazeta, Correio Braziliense and UOL in Brazil. These partners are helping us test features and gather feedback ahead of a full launch later this year....We're also discussing paywall integrations, where Google would pay for free access to allow readers to read articles on a publisher's site. This will help paywalled publishers grow their audience and deepen their relationship with readers." Reference Link

13:02 EDT Bayer pays $1.6B to resolve 90% of 39,000 U.S. Essure claims - Bayer announced that it has reached agreements with plaintiff law firms to resolve approximately 90% of the nearly 39,000 total filed and unfiled U.S. Essure claims involving women who allege device-related injuries. The settlements include all of the jurisdictions with significant volumes of Essure cases, including the state of California Joint Council Coordinated Proceedings and Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the company said in a statement. Bayer will pay approximately $1.6B to resolve these claims, including an allowance for outstanding claims, and is in resolution discussions with counsel for the remaining plaintiffs. Settling claimants will be required to dismiss their cases or not file. There is no admission of wrongdoing or liability by Bayer in the settlement agreements. The other terms of the settlement agreements are confidential. The settlement amount is covered by existing provisions, Bayer added.

12:51 EDT TikTok removes 380,000 videos in U.S. over hate speech violations - ByteDance's TikTok said in a blog post that, since the start of 2020, it has removed more than 380,000 videos in the U.S. for violating its hate speech policy. "We also banned more than 1,300 accounts for hateful content or behavior, and removed over 64,000 hateful comments," said Eric Han, head of safety for TikTok U.S. "To be clear, these numbers don't reflect a 100% success rate in catching every piece of hateful content or behavior, but they do indicate our commitment to action." The Fly notes that Microsoft (MSFT), Oracle (ORCL), and Twitter (TWTR) are all reportedly in talks to acquire TikTok's U.S. operations. Reference Link

12:45 EDT Xeris sinks 25% to $3.20 after FDA sends letter over misleading claims

12:40 EDT Nestle launches plant-based alternative to tuna - Nestle announced the launch of a plant-based alternative to tuna, its first move into the growing market for plant-based seafood alternatives. Made from a combination of only six plant-based ingredients, it is rich in nutritious pea protein, one of the most environmentally friendly sources of plant-based protein. It contains all the essential amino acids and is free of artificial colorings or preservatives, the company said. Stefan Palzer, Nestle Chief Technology Officer, said: "Sustainably produced plant-based seafood alternatives can help to reduce overfishing and to protect the biodiversity of our oceans. Our plant-based tuna alternative is delicious, nutritious and high in protein, while also being mercury-free. We are excited to launch this great product, and other plant-based fish and shellfish alternatives are already under development."

12:27 EDT American Airlines suspends service to 15 markets in October - American Airlines said it will adjust its October schedule to remove service to 15 markets as a result of low demand and the expiration of the air service requirements associated with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. This is the first step as American continues to evaluate its network and plans for additional schedule changes in the coming weeks, the company said. These station suspensions will be effective Oct. 7. For now, these changes are only in place for the October schedule period, which runs through Nov. 3. The airline will continue to re-assess plans for these and other markets as an extension of the Payroll Support Program remains under deliberation. The full, updated October schedule will be released Aug. 29, and American anticipates releasing its updated November schedule by late-September. The service suspensions include service to: Del Rio, Texas; Dubuque, Iowa; Florence, South Carolina; Greenville, North Carolina; Huntington, West Virginia; Joplin, Missouri; Kalamzoo/Battle Creek, Michigan; Lake Charles, Louisiana; New Haven, Connecticut; New Windsor, New York; Roswell, New Mexico; Sioux City, Iowa; Springfield, Illinois; Stillwater, Oklahoma; Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Reference Link

12:16 EDT DoorDash launches 'On-Demand Grocery Delivery' - Mike Goldblatt of DoorDash wrote in part on the company blog that; "As the pandemic continues to disrupt our everyday lives, DoorDash has been working hard to expand the products and services we offer to local businesses so that customers can access more of their favorite stores and everyday family needs on-demand. "Today, we are excited to announce that DoorDash has partnered with grocery stores across the country, launching grocery delivery through the DoorDash app for the first time. Customers in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Orange County, Sacramento, San Diego and the Central Coast can order from Smart & Final. Meijer and Fresh Thyme are available to customers in Chicago, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Detroit and Indianapolis. In the coming weeks, we will be adding selection across the country with grocers such as Hy-Vee, Gristedes / D'agostino and more - providing more than 75 million Americans access to a grocery store on DoorDash...We know that grocery shopping can feel like a chore, which is why grocery stores on DoorDash will be available on an on-demand basis - that means no scheduling required, no queues, no waiting." The Fly notes that Amazon (AMZN) and privately owned Instacart are in the grocery delivery business. Other companies in the grocery business include Kroger (KR), Target (TGT) and Walmart (WMT). Reference Link

12:00 EDT Camping World falls -7.8% - Camping World is down -7.8%, or -$2.84 to $33.45.

12:00 EDT OneSmart falls -13.5% - OneSmart is down -13.5%, or -74c to $4.74.

12:00 EDT Fastly rises 11.1% - Fastly is up 11.1%, or $8.81 to $88.15.

11:32 EDT Kroger Health announces COVID-19 testing at all clinic locations - Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., announced the expansion of its COVID-19 testing offerings at more than 220 clinic locations by appointment for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. The expansion comes on the heels of the launch of the company's employer-focused COVIDCare Plus testing program, and is ahead of the upcoming flu season, during which many health officials anticipate an increased need for COVID-19 testing. The clinic testing will mirror the self-administered collection process currently utilized at Kroger Health's community testing locations. The expansion will enable the company's multidisciplinary team of licensed healthcare professionals to increase access to testing and convenient care services. Kroger Health's in-store clinics have the capability to test up to 5,000 patients per day.

10:50 EDT Berry Petroleum names Fernando Araujo as EVP, COO - Berry Corporation (BRY) announced that Fernando Araujo is joining the company as Executive Vice President and COO to succeed retiring COO Gary Grove. He has most recently served as Schlumberger (SLB) Production Management's Director for Western Hemisphere Assets based out of Houston, Texas. In this role he has been responsible for over 260,000 BOE per day of production from fields in Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, USA, and Canada. "We are excited to welcome Fernando to the Berry team. Fernando's wealth of knowledge and experience will be a great complement to our team," said Trem Smith, CEO of Berry.

10:43 EDT BioNTech, Pfizer post results of 332 person COVID vaccines study - Reference Link

10:36 EDT Kazia Therapeutics awards FTD for paxalisib for glioblastoma - Kazia Therapeutics announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track Designation to Kazia's paxalisib for the treatment of glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive form of primary brain cancer. Kazia consequently plans to begin initial preparatory activities for NDA filing for paxalisib in CY2021. Kazia announced on 7 August 2020 that FDA had granted paxalisib Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for DIPG, an aggressive childhood brain cancer. For clarity, this granting of FTD for glioblastoma is not specifically connected to the prior granting of RPDD in DIPG.

10:23 EDT AMTD International Inc trading resumes

10:10 EDT Medtronic begins post-market, real-world study of InterStim Micro System - Medtronic announced it has begun recruitment of the prospective, multicenter, global, post-market study of the InterStim Micro system for sacral neuromodulation therapy. Medtronic announced approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the InterStim Micro neurostimulator on August 3, 2020, and CE Mark on January 13, 2020. The Evaluation of InterStim Micro System Performance and Safety study will enroll 160 subjects with overactive bladder, fecal incontinence and non-obstructive urinary retention - the most indications of any other study on the market - across 40 sites in the United States, Europe, Australia and Canada. Objectives include patient reported outcomes, disease specific quality of life questionnaires, and symptom diaries. Patients will be followed for two years.

10:02 EDT Forward Air to increase California surcharge by 5% - Forward announces a 5% increase on its California surcharge. The surcharge will be applied to all origin California shipments tendered on or after Sept. 1. A dramatic increase in imports from Asia into California has created a strain on the supply chain, leading to difficulties in taking delivery of containers at the ports, chassis shortages at the terminals and delays in returning empty containers. This pressure has led to increased operating costs.

10:00 EDT Estee Lauder falls -7.9% - Estee Lauder is down -7.9%, or -$16.82 to $195.69.

10:00 EDT OneSmart falls -11.3% - OneSmart is down -11.3%, or -62c to $4.86.

10:00 EDT Sasol rises 7.6% - Sasol is up 7.6%, or 57c to $8.07.

09:55 EDT VivoPower announces contract for New Carroll Cotton Gin - VivoPower International announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary in Australia, J.A. Martin Electrical has been awarded a contract by Carroll Cotton Company to complete the engineering, switchboards, switchroom and field installation at Carroll Cotton's new cotton gin, located in the Upper Namoi Valley of New South Wales. The A$20M gin project, of which the J.A. Martin electrical works contract is a significant proportion, is expected to be completed by the start of the next ginning season in March 2021. The new cotton gin will have capacity to produce 100,000 tonnes of cotton annually - about 10% of Australia's total crop. The project represents another win for the J.A. Martin team in the cotton industry. Along with previously announced delivery of a 3.4 MW solar farm at the Cubbie Station cotton gin in Queensland, this contract further solidifies J.A. Martin's position as a leading provider of solar and electrical power projects and services to the Australian agriculture industry.

09:47 EDT Camping World falls -7.5% - Camping World is down -7.5%, or -$2.71 to $33.58.

09:47 EDT Rocket Companies rises 6.3% - Rocket Companies is up 6.3%, or $1.34 to $22.74.

09:47 EDT NexPoint Real Estate Finance rises 8.3% - NexPoint Real Estate Finance is up 8.3%, or $1.29 to $16.74.

09:26 EDT Bionano's Saphyr services offered in CLIA certified lab - Bionano Genomics announced that Praxis Genomics has been certified as a Bionano service provider, becoming the first clinical lab with CLIA certification to offer Bionano genome imaging on Saphyr. The Praxis team provides a complete solution for genome analysis by combining data from Bionano optical mapping with short-read or long-read DNA and RNA sequencing, to provide more precise characterization of all variants and their functional significance. The Bionano certification ensures that customers can expect high quality, accurate, and reproducible genome imaging data to support solving genetic mysteries. The lab is currently in the process of obtaining CAP accreditation.

09:17 EDT Liquidia Technologies appoints Steven Bariahtaris as interim CFO - Liquidia Technologies (LQDA) announced Steven Bariahtaris has been appointed interim CFO, effective immediately. He succeeds Richard Katz, M.D. who has resigned from his role at Liquidia in order to pursue other opportunities. Liquidia has engaged Spencer Stuart, a global executive search and leadership advisory firm, to conduct the search for a permanent successor. Bariahtaris spent nearly 24 years at Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) serving in several executive roles with increasing responsibility. Most recently, Mr. Bariahtaris served as J&J's Worldwide Vice President, Corporate Internal Audit.

09:11 EDT ShiftPixy announces corporate relocation to Miami, Florida - ShiftPixy announced that the Company will be relocating its corporate headquarters to the city of Miami, Florida. The relocation is part of ShiftPixy's strategy, along with ShiftPixy Labs, to expand its business into the thriving East Coast restaurant industry. Additionally, the Company is pleased to announce that the new ShiftPixy Labs Ghost Kitchen will also be located in the Miami area. The location was selected due to the Miami area's rich and diverse food culture, which the Company expects to provide a strong customer base for both the Ghost Kitchen Incubator Project and the Incubator Contest. After the relocation, ShiftPixy's Irvine, California office will remain open to continue serving the Company's growing West Coast customer base.

09:09 EDT IBM and City of Seoul launch AI-based virtual assistant for COVID-19 survey - IBM and the city of Seoul, South Korea, have launched an AI-based virtual assistant for Seoul citizens using IBM Watson Assistant. The virtual assistant is part of the city's "I Care You" project, which is designed to survey the changes to daily life and difficulties that citizens are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic to help inform policy decisions moving forward. The city of Seoul's new AI-based virtual assistant will survey Seoul citizens and then perform categorization and analysis of the gathered information to help policymakers.

09:07 EDT Taronis Fuels buys all licensed IP for $1.25M - Taronis Fuels announced it has acquired MagneGas IP, LLC, from BBHC as well as all related patents owned directly by BBHC. Total consideration for the transaction was the assumption of approximately $250,000 in liabilities and $1M in restricted common stock of Taronis. The transaction benefits the Company in several ways. First, the Company now irrevocably owns the entire patent portfolio it had previously licensed from BBHC. Second, the transaction limits the potential cost of future royalties significantly. Under the prior licensing agreement, Taronis had previously agreed to pay a 7% royalty for the exclusive use of all fuel applications derived from the acquired patent portfolio. As part of the transaction, royalty payments remain unchanged for the first five years, but cease entirely thereafter. This has the potential to save the Company significant costs in the future as it looks to expand its sales of MagneGas, the only renewable metal cutting fuel, new fuel products for the propane and other heating end markets, and the sale of its proprietary Venturi plasma arc gasification units. The transaction also significantly simplifies the business model for near term business objectives. The Company is actively exploring an uplisting to a national exchange, and this new, simplified business model where the entire intellectual property portfolio is proprietary, wholly owned and actively used for ongoing commercial activities is expected to enhance the Company's business narrative meaningfully.

09:05 EDT CME Group to launch new South American soybean futures contract on Sept. 21 - CME Group announced it will launch South American Soybean Futures on September 21, pending all relevant regulatory review periods. This contract will offer market participants a new tool to directly manage exposure to the Brazilian soybean market.

09:04 EDT UnitedHealth, Morehouse School of Medicine partner on COVID-19 research - Morehouse School of Medicine, or MSM, and UnitedHealth have joined forces to determine if people with sickle cell trait are at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 and if the trait results in more severe cases of the disease. While the effects of COVID-19 have global implications, national mortality rates due to COVID-19 have disproportionately impacted African Americans and other communities of color compared to the overall population. Sickle cell trait involves a genetic blood disorder estimated to be present in one in 12 African Americans. There is little information to date on how COVID-19 infections affect individuals with sickle cell trait. MSM researchers plan to enroll at least 300 adults who have sickle cell trait and are hospitalized at Grady Memorial Hospital for COVID-19. Individuals who agree to join the study will be asked to complete a survey, share their medical history and provide blood samples. Researchers will evaluate participants and monitor progress through a series of medical visits, including a follow-up visit 30 days after discharge from the hospital. UnitedHealth Group Research & Development will serve as the co-principal investigators of the study; analyzing findings in collaboration with MSM researchers. Planning for this study commenced in early April and opened for participation in May. The research will continue for one year and preliminary results could be available within six months.

09:03 EDT Remark Holdings responds to Wolfpack Research's 'misleading statements' - Remark Holdings responded to recent inaccurate reports regarding the company's ownership in Sharecare and other issues. Management said, "As we evaluate what further actions we will take, we wanted to take this opportunity to respond to Wolfpack Research's misleading statements and outdated information from last week. Wolfpack Research's key allegation is that we do not actually own shares of Sharecare as we report in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such assertion is absolutely false. As of June 30, 2020, we owned approximately 4.5% of the issued shares of Sharecare and our CEO, Kai-Shing Tao, occupies a seat on Sharecare's Board of Directors. Additionally, as of this writing, the litigation that we previously reported in our SEC filings that could have potentially resulted in our loss of control over the investment in Sharecare has been resolved, as we recently paid in full all amounts owed in satisfaction of the judgment entered into against us during the litigation. Remark never ceased to own its approximately 4.5% Sharecare stake, as the ability to settle the legal matter without loss of control of the Sharecare investment was always under our control. The payment in full of the underlying judgment against Remark means that there is no longer any basis for potential seizure of the Sharecare investment owned by Remark. Wolfpack Research alleges that we must not have control of our China subsidiaries that we report, for accounting purposes, as variable interest entities simply because we did not publicly disclose the contents of the contracts that give us control over the VIEs; the allegation is simply wrong. We have standard VIE contracts in place, including related loan agreements, that were drawn up and executed several years ago with the assistance of Arnold & Porter, an internationally well regarded law firm. VIE control may not be the same as direct equity ownership, but it is a very common framework with Chinese companies controlled by foreign entities. In fact, Alibaba, Tencent, Netease, JD.com and Baidu are some of the many examples of major companies who have structured their China business using VIEs. Though we initially sourced cameras and other components from various third parties, including HIKvision (whose cameras are still readily available on websites like Amazon.com), we never shared any of our AI technology with them nor did HIKvision at any time have access to our technology. We are now an original design manufacturer for our thermal cameras and thermal pads. We design the cameras and pads and have hired a contract manufacturer to produce the products. The manufacturers build according to our design and specifications, which is why the products are now Remark-branded products. Remark has always maintained control of the technology and intellectual property. Regarding our investment in AIO, we originally planned to invest $1 million in the company, but after funding $500,000, we determined that we would need to work with AIO to improve their results before we further funded the company. One of our China subsidiaries subscribed for AIO's 20% equity interests at a post-money valuation of $5 million, and paid in $500,000. In connection with that, AIO increased its registered capital from one million Chinese Yuan to 1.25 million Chinese Yuan, and the difference between $500,000 and 250,000 Chinese Yuan was deposited to the capital surplus account which is not reflected as AIO's registered capital. Such transaction is very typical. The comment from Wolfpack regarding our China subsidiary's capital contribution based on their purported review of the SAIC filing is flawed and seems intended to mislead or confuse Remark's investors. Finally, they allege working capital and cash issues, each of which we address in every one of our SEC filings over the past few years, but they inaccurately calculate working capital and they do not provide any source material, other than referring to obtaining tax documents in China, that would allow us refute their inaccurate assertion that we do not consolidate our Chinese subsidiaries under GAAP. We are a public company with well-regarded auditors who regularly review and audit our financials. As of June 30, 2020, our cash balance exceeded $10 million and our debt had been paid down substantially."

08:48 EDT Cardtronics takes over management of Triodos Bank's ATM network - Cardtronics announced it has taken over the management of Triodos Bank's ATM network to provide the bank with a cost-effective way to maintain cash access for its customers. The outsourcing agreement between Triodos Bank and Cardtronics, which came into effect this month, sees the bank hand over responsibility for the maintenance and management of its ATM estate to Cardtronics. The agreement shows how forward-thinking banks like Triodos are increasingly moving toward ATM outsourcing to focus resources on value-added activities for their customers. Triodos' customers will benefit from the enhanced service availability derived from the relationship with the global ATM leader. Triodos customers will also benefit from access to the Cardtronics network of over 1,000 ATMs across the country.

08:40 EDT Ekso Bionics unveils latest assistive exoskeleton for industrial use - Ekso Bionics unveiled EVO, an endurance-boosting assistive upper body exoskeleton that alleviates the burden of repetitive work. Building on the Company's trailblazing EksoVest technology, EVO's innovative design is the next step in the evolution of industrial exoskeletons. Through collaborations with leaders in global manufacturing and construction, Ekso Bionics has accumulated a wealth of in-the-field customer insights that allowed it to reimagine its weight-assist exoskeleton technology. EVO is lighter and more flexible than its predecessor, with an optimized human-machine interface that is cool and comfortable to wear for all-day use, while also maintaining the ruggedness and durability that Ekso is known for. EVO's novel design also incorporates Ekso's new patented low profile, multi-link structure, which tracks the natural movement of the body and allows for an unrestricted range of motion, and a device architecture that is compatible with standard safety harnesses used in elevated work. These advancements in design make EVO the ideal solution for a wide range of industrial, manufacturing, food processing, and construction applications.

08:37 EDT Interpace Biosciences receives Nasdaq deficiency notice - Interpace Biosciences on August 18, 2020 received notice from the Listing Qualifications Staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC indicating that, due to the delay in the filing of the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2020 with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Interpace does not currently satisfy Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), which requires the timely filing of all periodic reports with the SEC. The deficiency has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company's common stock on Nasdaq. In accordance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules, Interpace was provided 60 calendar days to submit its plan to evidence compliance with the filing requirement and the Staff has the discretion to grant Interpace up to 180 calendar days from the SEC deadline to file the Form 10-Q based on that plan. The Company is diligently working to file the Form 10-Q within the timeline prescribed by Nasdaq.

08:36 EDT Oragenics, Avid Bioservices enter process development, drug substance agreement - Oragenics (OGEN) and Avid Bioservices (CDMO) announced that the companies have entered into a process development and drug substance manufacturing agreement. Under terms of the agreement, Avid will provide Oragenics with analytical method development, process development and drug substance manufacturing services to support development of Oragenics' novel SARS CoV-2, or COVID-19, spike protein vaccine candidate, Terra CoV-2. Avid and Oragenics will immediately commence the initial phase of the project, which includes analytical method feasibility and qualification activities. Following completion of these initial activities the companies plan to advance to upstream and downstream process development and CGMP drug substance manufacturing of Terra CoV-2 within Avid's state-of-the-art Myford facility. These activities are designed to support Oragenics' goal of advancing its Terra CoV-2 vaccine candidate into human clinical trials by early 2021.

08:35 EDT Soluble Biotech receives first contract with major pharmaceutical company - Predictive Oncology announced that its Soluble Biotech division, a provider of soluble and stable formulations for proteins, just received its first substantial contract from a major pharmaceutical company since being acquired by Predictive Oncology in May 2020. The project involves protein expression followed by solubility studies, areas of significant expertise within Soluble Biotech.

08:33 EDT Inpixon acquires blue dot positioning technology and IP assets - Inpixon has acquired a suite of on-device "blue dot" indoor location and motion technologies, including patents, trademarks, software and related intellectual property from Ten Degrees, Ten Degrees International and certain other affiliated parties. The acquired assets include a patented platform of services to enable a smartphone's precise location to be displayed to the user in a mobile app. The technology includes a location engine that delivers dead-reckoning positioning via information derived from the inertial sensors available in current smartphones to synthesize an accurate indoor location with indoor map information. The acquisition portfolio includes ten patents, an extensive API library, iOS and Android SDKs, and software code to support solutions on Linux-based IoT devices. Inpixon intends to integrate these technologies directly into Inpixon Mapping.

08:32 EDT Allstate announces impact of PG&E recoveries, reports July catastrophe losses - Allstate (ALL) announced that catastrophe results for July generated income of $334M, pre-tax, as PG&E (PCG) subrogation recoveries more than offset the impact of events in the month. As previously announced, PG&E and Pacific Gas and Electric Company reached a settlement with Allstate and other insurance claimants arising from the 2017 Northern California wildfires and the 2018 Camp Fire. In July, Allstate recorded the recoveries, totaling $450M, pre-tax, net of expenses and reinsurance adjustments. Losses from July catastrophe events were $145M , pre-tax, including Hurricane Hanna and two severe wind and hail weather events that accounted for approximately 65% of estimated losses. In addition, there was $29M, pre-tax, of favorable prior period catastrophe reserve reestimates not related to the PG&E recoveries.

08:28 EDT Datametrex announces purchase orders, completion of delivery - Datametrex AI announced that it has received a second Purchase Order from Canadian Royalties. This P.O. is for 2,000 tests with 1copy test kits, approximately $200,000 in sales, making the total sales to date approximately $400,000. Canadian Royalties is committed to occupational health and safety, and with the help of Datametrex, Canadian Royalties is endeavouring to allow its workforce to continue to operate with less risk. Canadian Royalties has over 1,000 employees at the Nunavik Nickel Project. On average, 400 people live and work on constant rotation at the Project, whether at the EXPO or Deception Bay camps, all on a fly-in / fly-out rotation. Datametrex has completed delivery to another Canadian mining company for their South America mining site and has completed shipping 30,000 1copy test kits, 30,000 UTMs, a PCR machine, 30,000 RNA extraction kits and an RNA extraction machine. Approximate sales from this transaction is $850,000.The Company received its payment in full.

08:26 EDT IntelGenx enters feasibility agreement with ATAI Life Sciences - IntelGenx announced that it has entered into a feasibility agreement with ATAI Life Sciences for the development of novel formulations of pharmaceutical-grade psychedelics based on IntelGenx's polymeric film technologies. Under the terms of the Agreement, IntelGenx will conduct pre-development and formulation development work to provide a Product prototype to ATAI for further clinical investigation. The agreement also contemplates a term sheet upon which the parties will enter into an exclusive, royalty-bearing license to commercialize the Product worldwide.

08:22 EDT Vir Biotechnology presents data on VIR-2218 in Hepatitis B - Vir Biotechnology announced that data from its VIR-2218 clinical program will be featured at the European Association for the Study of the Liver Digital International Liver Congress from August 27-29, 2020. VIR-2218 is an investigational small interfering ribonucleic acid that mediates RNA interference for the potential treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection and is the first investigational medicine from Vir's partnership with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to enter clinical trials. Among the accepted abstracts is an oral presentation of preliminary antiviral activity and safety results from an ongoing Phase 2 study of VIR-2218 in patients with chronic HBV on nucleotide/nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, which are standard of care. The data demonstrate that two monthly doses of VIR-2218 resulted in substantial, dose-dependent and durable reductions in hepatitis B surface antigen, a marker of active hepatitis B infection. The data also suggests that the Enhanced Stabilization Chemistry-Plus incorporated into VIR-2218 may result in an improved hepatic safety profile. Additional abstracts include safety and pharmacokinetic data from a Phase 1 study of VIR-2218, as well as preclinical data.

08:18 EDT Muscle Maker CEO says 'in very early innings of exciting growth path' - CEO Michael Roper said, "Universities represent an exciting opportunity as we recently announced agreements with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso as well as four locations with the Northern Virginia Community College System. Construction is underway and we hope to have all five of these locations open in the immediate term. We believe the university opportunity as one where we can continue to expand for many years to come. Additionally, we have begun to open the first five, of the initial ten, ghost kitchens we had previously announced in the Chicago market. These five delivery-only ghost kitchens allow the company to cover the entire Chicago market at a fraction of the cost it would take to build out traditional locations for the same geographical coverage. We continue to believe that this vertical can offer us significant accretive growth from the initial ten location agreement while leveraging the continued delivery trend in the restaurant industry. Ghost Kitchens are unique in that we can run multiple Muscle Maker concepts out of one kitchen, further reducing the average cost of build out per concept. In Chicago, we are currently running Muscle Maker Grill, Healthy Joe's and a new Muscle Maker Meal Plan concept out of each ghost kitchen. We believe the delivery-only model being perpetuated by ghost kitchens is a trend that is going to continue to disrupt and to grow share across the QSR sector, and I believe we are uniquely positioned to ride that wave. Earlier this week we announced the initial agreement with Reef Kitchens, this is a pilot program in which we will begin to license our brand to their model. There are no material working capital needs to our company, and we have the potential to expand across their network of 70+ locations and growing. This is an exciting opportunity that can potentially expand the footprint of Muscle Maker Grill across multiple major metropolitan areas at a rapid pace. For military locations, we opened Camp Elmore in Q2. Camp Elmore is a Marine base and represents a third branch of the military with opportunities to bring healthier food options to our armed forces. The military vertical has just begun to come back towards pre-COVID levels. Sales are improving as hours of operations are expanded and support personnel return. We expect this to continue towards pre-pandemic levels over the next two quarters. We hope to have more to discuss on this front as we look at more opportunities to expand into additional branches of the armed forces and focus on bringing our "healthier for you" offerings to as many troops as possible. Lastly, the challenging operating environment has also presented some strategic opportunities where we have the potential to expand our footprint and broaden our offering, in a way that is completely synergistic with our core business. Along these lines we are encouraged by the opportunities being presented and will only consider options that are immediately accretive. In our opinion, the company is in the very early innings of an exciting growth path. We lost some time as a result of the impact of COVID, but these were simply unfortunate delays, and they have done nothing to derail our plans. In fact, it has probably forced us to focus more on the operating model and where we feel the future of the QSR industry is headed, so that we can continue to expand in a way that best aligns us with our customers, their demand trends and the changing experiential nature. We believe we are turning a corner right now that will be best demonstrated to investors over our next few quarters with the goal of continued location expansion and revenue growth."

08:14 EDT CymaBay announces presentations during Digital International Liver Conference - CymaBay Therapeutics announced that two seladelpar presentations will be delivered during the Digital International Liver Congress 2020 of the European Association for the Study of Liver which will be held online August 27th - 29th. The presentation titled "Durability of treatment response after 1 year of therapy with seladelpar in patients with primary biliary cholangitis: final results of an international phase 2 study," will be delivered by Dr. Cynthia Levy, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Miami. This electronic presentation will highlight the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of seladelpar treatment over 1 year. In addition, a preclinical oral presentation will highlight the effects of seladelpar in a mouse model of ethanol-induced liver disease from Professor Bernd Schnabl and collaborators at the University of California, San Diego.

08:10 EDT OptimizeRx enters retail pharmacies via Higi Smart Health Stations - OptimizeRx has partnered with Higi giving healthcare consumers direct access to savings and life sciences patient engagement programs. The partnership introduces the OptimizeRx digital health platform directly to healthcare consumers for the first time. Higi users at 10,000 retail and pharmacy locations in major chains nationwide will gain first-hand access to patient assistance from life sciences organizations through OptimizeRx's platform, supporting adherence through both cost reduction measures and educational content. Messaging highlighting savings and support resources available through OptimizeRx will be displayed throughout the Higi Station experience, both at the station itself and via email to Higi's engaged digital userbase.

08:07 EDT Vera Bradley creates limited-release patterns in Disney Parks partnership - Vera Bradley, Inc. (VRA) has once again worked with Disney Parks (DIS) to create two limited-release novelty patterns called Mickey's Sweet Treats and coordinating Sweet Treat Ditsy, both of which launched. The Mickey's Sweet Treats and Sweet Treat Ditsy collection features 18 items, including backpacks, crossbody bags, totes, a travel bag and various travel items, plush throw blankets, and several coordinating accessories.

08:04 EDT Westwater Resources commences graphite pilot plant program in Alabama - Westwater Resources announced the commencement of its graphite pilot plant program. Westwater's Coosa Project in Alabama is expected to be the first U.S. domestic producer and processor of battery graphite materials. In November 2019, Westwater announced it had engaged Dorfner Anzaplan of Hirschau, Germany to advance the development of processes needed to purify graphite concentrates and to produce the Westwater's battery grade products: ULTRA-PMG, ULTRA-SPG and ULTRA-DEXDG. Dorfner Anzaplan is an organization that specializes in high-purity industrial and strategic metals businesses. Dorfner Anzaplan employs analytical methods and facilities and uses processing technologies to provide solutions to their clients' requirements. All testing has been completed and, going forward, all required manufacturing equipment has been or is being ordered; construction to build an operational pilot plant will begin shortly.

08:02 EDT Qualigen Therapeutics granted Stars technology patent by USPTO - cQualigen Therapeutics announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent entitled "Devices and Methods for On-Line Whole Blood Treatment" regarding the company's Selective Target Antigen Removal System - or STARS - technology. STARS is a DNA/RNA-based treatment device candidate for the removal of viral and tumor-produced compounds from a patient's blood. The STARS development program utilizes technology and expertise from the company's FastPack point-of-care diagnostic system.

07:52 EDT BSE Ebix, Universal Sompo sign agreement to sell general insurance products - BSE Ebix Insurance announced its alliance with Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Ltd - a joint venture between the Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Karnataka Bank, Dabur Investment Corp and Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. BSE Ebix is a joint venture between BSE and Ebix Fincorp Exchange. The alliance sets out to sell General Insurance products using the strong distribution network of BSE Ebix in a completely digitized environment. The partnership has been initiated with the offering of Universal Sompo's recently launched Corona Kavach cover which is a short-term policy to cover COVID-19 related hospitalization expenses through certified Point of Sales Persons of BSE Ebix. Presently, BSE Ebix has more than 7,200 registered PoSPs, and growing daily. Due to the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases, Insurance Regulator IRDAI had asked insurers to design specialized product covering the treatment cost of coronavirus. Corona Kavach policy seeks to address this need of the general public. The strategic association between Universal Sompo General Insurance and BSE Ebix will enable more people to avail insurance plans and protect themselves and their families from the deadly virus. Corona Kavach policy can be purchased on individual or family floater basis for a period of 3.5, 6.5 or 9.5 months. It offers varied sums of insurance coverage for hospitalization expenses related to COVID-19. The policy covers cost of PPE kit, gloves, mask and other similar expenses incurred during treatment of COVID-19. The policy also covers ICU and ventilator charges at Hospital. It also provides cover for Home Care Treatment Expenses including cost of Pulse Oximeter and Oxygen cylinder, if advised by Medical Practitioner.

07:41 EDT Omnichannel retailer offers expanded self-service with eGain - eGain announced that an omnichannel retailer is now offering expanded self-service powered by eGain. eGain helped launch virtual assistance and customer messaging to complement existing live chat and knowledge-based customer engagement. Going beyond "meet and greet," the virtual assistant resolves a broad range of questions on orders, returns, product selection, and store location. Integrated with transactional systems, it now successfully resolves 45% of customer contacts, delivering quick value and improved customer experience. The retailer's contact center agents use eGain's digital-first omnichannel desktop to resolve escalated customer issues. Agents loved the modern UI and adopted it with zero training.

07:38 EDT Trevena receives milestone payment under Jiangsu Nhwa partnership - Trevena announced it has a received a $3M milestone payment from its partner in China for the U.S. approval of OLINVYK. Nhwa holds an exclusive license agreement to develop, manufacture, and commercialize OLINVYK in China. In June 2020, the Company announced that Nhwa had been approved by the Chinese National Medical Products Administration to initiate clinical trials. The Company expects to receive future milestone payments, as well as a 10% royalty on net sales of OLINVYK in China.

07:35 EDT OpGen announces CE Marking, European launch of SARS-CoV-2 Kit - OpGen announced that its subsidiary Curetis GmbH has obtained the CE mark certification in the European Union for its own SARS-CoV-2 Kit with PULB for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Developed and manufactured by Curetis' team in Germany, the SARS-CoV-2 Kit with PULB uses real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technology for qualitative detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus isolated from oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swab specimens from individuals suspected of COVID-19 by their healthcare provider or for screening of asymptomatic individuals. This kit can be used with RNA isolated by performing standard RNA isolation processes, as well as with oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swabs collected in PCR compatible viral transport medium treated with PCR-Compatible Universal Lysis Buffer provided in the kit. Including PULB in the kit as a workflow option allows labs to circumvent the need for extraction equipment and extraction kits/reagents, thereby providing operational and workflow efficiencies, time and cost savings. The kit is designed to provide time to results in approximately one hour, and it runs on open real-time PCR instruments such as the QuantStudio 5 Real-Time PCR System and the Bio-Rad CFX96 Real-Time PCR Detection System.

07:32 EDT Energy Fuels COO W. Paul Goranson to leave company, effective August 31 - In support of the objective to reduce costs, effective as of August 31, COO, W. Paul Goranson, and effective as of October 31, Chief Accounting Officer, Matt Tarnowski, will each be leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.

07:30 EDT Opera forms Nanobank by combining microlending business, Mobimagic - Opera announces the formation of Nanobank. Nanobank is being created by consolidating the relevant businesses and technology platforms from Opera with those of Mobimagic, reaching a combined registered user base of approximately 50 million people. Mobimagic launched its fintech operations in 2018 and is today one of the fastest growing fintech companies in these emerging markets, with almost 10 million registered users in Indonesia and a strong technology platform that has been the foundation of its existing partnership with Opera. Opera and Mobimagic today also announce Nanobank's expansion to yet another market, Mexico. We are already moving from testing to scale, which we expect to create another major market for Nanobank. Below are details on Opera's emerging markets fintech business, Mobimagic and specific details on the creation of Nanobank: Opera generated $128M in emerging market fintech revenue in 2019, with a pre-tax profit of approximately $19M. In 2019, Mobimagic generated $106M in revenue with $48M in pre-tax profits. The combined Opera and Mobimagic businesses generated revenue of $209M and a pre-tax profit of $68M in 2019, when adjusting for transactions between the parties. In the first quarter of 2020, prior to the material impact from COVID-19, the combined businesses generated $120M in revenue on 10M loans disbursed with a total value of $686M. This compares to combined revenue of $22M generated on less than $100M in loans disbursed in the first quarter of 2019. Post COVID-19, the Nanobank businesses accelerated their re-scaling at the end of June. Loans disbursed further increased to $44M in July, compared to $28M in June, and August is on track to see additional significant volume increases. Indonesia is the furthest along in its recovery and is nearing first quarter levels. Nanobank expects to fuel growth through scaling in existing markets, continued geographic expansion, and from the launch of financial services beyond microlending. Nanobank will also benefit from shared technologies, data aggregation and central functions, such as risk management and credit scoring through user profiling and know-your-customer efforts, shared operational know-how and a more holistic view and adaptation to regulation. Opera will own 42% of the equity interest in Nanobank, while Mobimagic's shareholders will own a combined 58%. As Mobimagic is controlled by Opera's CEO and Chairman, Opera engaged a professional third party to value each of the parties' contributions and advise on the resulting ownership split. Opera's Audit Committee, which consists solely of independent Directors, has overseen Opera's interests in the non-cash transaction. Opera expects to report a one-time gain in the third quarter as a result of the Nanobank transaction, currently estimated to exceed $100M as Nanobank becomes an equity accounted investee for Opera. Initial ownership will be recognized at fair value, representing a step-up versus the book value of Opera's contributed business. Subsequent to the transaction, Opera will recognize our share of Nanobank's profits, adjusted by amortization of excess values allocated to intangible assets such as technology, customer relationships and licenses.

07:10 EDT Estee Lauder down 4% to $203.19 after Q4 results miss estimates

07:07 EDT Matinas announces publication of results from Phase 1 portion of EnACT study - Matinas BioPharma Holdings announced the publication of data from the Phase 1 portion of the EnACT study for MAT2203, a novel oral formulation of amphotericin B, investigating its safety and tolerability. The data were published online in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, a journal of the American Society of Microbiology, in a manuscript entitled "Safety and tolerability of a novel oral formulation of amphotericin B: Phase I EnACT trial". In the published manuscript, trial investigators reported results from the Phase 1A and 1B portions of the study. They concluded that MAT2203 was well tolerated when given in 4-6 divided daily doses without the toxicities commonly seen with IV amphotericin B. EnACT is a Phase 2 open-label, sequential cohort study of approximately 100 patients, financially supported by the National Institutes of Health, utilizing the Company's LNC platform delivery technology to orally deliver the traditionally IV-only fungicidal drug, amphotericin B. This study is a prospective, randomized trial evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of MAT2203 in HIV-infected patients with cryptococcal meningitis, compared to treatment with standard IV-administered amphotericin B as induction therapy, and then followed by maintenance treatment with MAT2203. As previously reported, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has designated MAT2203 as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product with Fast Track status for four indications, specifically, the prevention of invasive fungal infections due to immunosuppressive therapy, and the treatment of invasive candidiasis, invasive aspergillus and cryptococcal meningitis. In addition, the FDA has granted orphan drug designation to MAT2203 for the treatment of cryptococcosis.

07:05 EDT EyePoint receives $9.5M from Ocumension under expanded license agreements - EyePoint Pharmaceuticals and Ocumension Therapeutics announced the expansion of their exclusive license agreements for the development and commercialization of YUTIQ and DEXYCU in certain Asian markets. Under the expanded agreements, Ocumension has made a one-time $9.5M payment to EyePoint for rights to commercialize both products under their own brand names in South Korea and other jurisdictions across Southeast Asia and as the full and final prepayment of all remaining development, regulatory, and commercial sale milestone payments under the original license agreements.

07:03 EDT Axsome sees data package as 'sufficient' to support AXS-07 NDA after FDA meeting - Axsome Therapeutics announced that it has completed a pre-New Drug Application meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for AXS-07 for the acute treatment of migraine. AXS-07 is Axsome's novel, oral, multi-mechanistic investigational medicine for the acute treatment of migraine. The purpose of the meeting was to reach agreement with the FDA on the proposed content and format of the Company's planned NDA submission including the clinical and nonclinical requirements. Based on the feedback from the FDA, the Company believes its regulatory data package will be sufficient to support an NDA for AXS-07 for the acute treatment of migraine, and Axsome remains on track to submit the planned NDA in the fourth quarter of 2020. Acceptance of the final NDA will be subject to the FDA's review of the complete filing. Axsome previously announced positive results from two Phase 3, randomized, controlled trials of AXS-07 in the acute treatment of migraine, the MOMENTUM and INTERCEPT trials, which demonstrated rapid, substantial, and statistically significant elimination of migraine pain and prevention of progression of migraine pain intensity with AXS-07 compared to control. MOMENTUM, conducted pursuant to an FDA Special Protocol Assessment, randomized 1,594 patients with a history of inadequate response to prior acute migraine treatments to treat a single migraine attack with AXS-07, rizatriptan, MoSEIC meloxicam, or placebo. Rizatriptan, an active comparator in the trial, is considered to be the fastest acting oral triptan and one of the most effective medications currently available for the acute treatment of migraine. AXS-07 provided substantially greater and more sustained migraine pain relief compared to placebo and rizatriptan, which translated to a significant reduction in rescue medication use for AXS-07 compared to placebo and rizatriptan. The percentage of patients achieving sustained pain relief from 2 to 24 hours after dosing was 53.3% for AXS-07, compared to 33.5% for placebo and 43.9% for rizatriptan. Rescue medication was used by 23.0% of AXS-07 patients, compared to 43.5% of placebo and 34.7% of rizatriptan patients. AXS-07 provided rapid relief of migraine pain with the percentage of patients achieving pain relief with AXS-07 being numerically greater than with rizatriptan at every time point measured starting at 15 minutes. INTERCEPT randomized 302 patients to treat a single migraine attack with AXS-07 or placebo, at the earliest sign of migraine pain, while the pain intensity was mild. In this trial, AXS-07 resulted in a statistically significantly greater percentage of patients as compared to placebo achieving pain freedom and freedom from most bothersome symptom, 2 hours after dosing. A single dose of AXS-07 prevented progression of migraine pain beyond mild intensity in 73.5% of patients versus 47.4% of placebo patients, with rescue medication being required by only 15.3% of AXS-07 patients versus 42.5% of placebo patients within 24 hours after dosing. AXS-07 rapidly eliminated migraine symptoms, with numerical separation from placebo as early as 30 minutes for migraine pain freedom and most bothersome symptom freedom. AXS-07 was safe and well tolerated in both trials. The most commonly reported adverse events with AXS-07 in the MOMENTUM trial were nausea, dizziness and somnolence, none of which occurred at a rate greater than placebo or greater than 3%. The most commonly reported adverse events with AXS-07 in the INTERCEPT trial were somnolence, dizziness, and paresthesia, all of which occurred at a rate of less than five percent.

07:01 EDT Virtus Investment raises quarterly dividend to 82c from 67c per share - Virtus Investment Partners announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 82c per share, a 22% increase from the previous quarterly dividend of 67c per share. The third quarter common stock dividend will be paid on November 13 to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 30.

06:52 EDT Annovis Bio recruiting patients for Phase 2a Alzheimer's and Parkinson's trials - Annovis Bio has restarted patient recruitment for its Phase 2a clinical trial in Alzheimer's disease which was suspended due to COVID-19 in March 2020, and initiated recruitment for its new Phase 2a clinical trial in AD and Parkinson's disease. The company's first Phase 2a trial of its lead compound, ANVS401, is a one-month study in 24 AD patients conducted in collaboration with the Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study. Prior to suspension of enrollment, 14 patients had been enrolled and treated in this trial; patient 15 is expected to be enrolled at the end of August. Data from this trial is expected in 2021. The second Phase 2a trial is a one-month study that will treat 14 AD and 14 PD patients at 15 sites across the US. Initial data from this trial is expected in early 2021. This study will be followed by a dose response study in 40 PD patients, and the company expects the final readout by late summer 2021.

06:47 EDT Estee Lauder announces restructuring plan

06:44 EDT Trilogy Metals announces results of Feasibility Study for Arctic Project - Trilogy Metals announced results of its Feasibility Study, or FS, for the Arctic Copper-Zinc-Lead-Silver-Gold Project in the Ambler mining district of Northwestern Alaska. The Arctic Project is held by Ambler Metals, the joint venture operating company equally owned by Trilogy and South32. The FS was prepared on a 100% ownership basis, of which Trilogy's share is 50%. The FS describes the technical and economic viability of establishing a conventional open-pit copper-zinc-lead-silver-gold mine-and-mill complex for a 10,000 tonne-per-day operation for a minimum 12-year mine life. The base case scenario utilizes long-term metal prices of $3.00/lb for copper, $1.10/lb for zinc, $1.00/lb for lead, $1,300/oz for gold and $18.00/oz for silver. The FS forecasts an average annual payable production to be more than 155M pounds of copper, 192M pounds of zinc, 32M pounds of lead, 32,165 ounces of gold and 3.4M ounces of silver. Total life of mine 12-year production is projected at 1.9B pounds of copper, 2.3B pounds of zinc, 388M pounds of lead, 386,000 ounces of gold and 40.6M ounces of silver. There has been no material change to the mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates for the Arctic Project as reported in the company's previous technical report with an effective date of February 20, 2018. However, there is a slight decrease in contained metal due to additional mining dilution. The FS is based on a 10,000 tonne-per-day open-pit mining with a conventional milling and flotation process that results in the production of copper, zinc and lead concentrates. Based on the feasibility level metallurgical work on the sulphide mineralization, the average recoveries are projected to be 89.9% for copper, 90.6% for zinc and 79.0% for lead, in their respective concentrates. Over 60% of the recovered payable silver and gold report to the lead concentrate at 95% payable. Life of mine strip ratio is approximately 6.9 to 1. Initial capital expenditure of $906M and sustaining capital of $114M for total estimated capital expenditures of $1,02B. In addition, closure and reclamation costs are estimated at $205M. The Arctic FS offers a favorable capital intensity ratio on initial capital of approximately $6,432 per tonne of average annual copper equivalent produced. Estimated pre-tax and after-tax payback of initial capital of 2.4 years and 2.6 years respectively. Estimated cash costs of 32c/lb of payable copper. Total "all-in" cash costs estimated at 98c/lb of payable copper.

06:41 EDT Alibaba reports Q1 Mobile MAUs 874M - Mobile MAUs on China retail marketplaces reached 874M in June 2020, an increase of 28M over March 2020.

06:38 EDT Co-Diagnostics granted increased patent protection for COVID-19 test technology - Co-Diagnostics announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted increased patent protection for the company's novel CoPrimer technology used in the company's COVID-19 test kit and its other molecular diagnostic tests. This new patent further validates the uniqueness of the CoPrimer molecule, and provides even more comprehensive protection for all of its potential applications. The original patent received on October 18, 2018 covered certain applications of the CoPrimer molecule-which has been shown to enhance the output of polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, molecular diagnostic tests by minimizing false positive test results-and its use in PCR, but not the molecule itself. The additional patent covers the physical structure of the CoPrimer molecule, with more broad claims and including all configurations of a molecule with such a structure. CoPrimer technology is the platform used in the company's COVID-19 testing kits, which have been deployed throughout the world and across the United States. CoPrimer technology has also been licensed for certain applications by LGC, Biosearch Technologies. Patent no. 10,704,087 covers the synthesis of a nucleic acid molecule in the structure first developed by in 2012, called a "CoPrimer." Unlike CoPrimer molecules, traditional primer molecules in PCR technology will often cause false results by interacting with each other rather than the target sequence. The patented structure of CoPrimers prevents this interaction, making the technology ideal for a wide array of PCR applications.

06:35 EDT Immunic doses first volunteer in IMU-856 clinical program - Immunic announced dosing of the first healthy volunteer in the company's phase 1 clinical program of IMU-856, an orally available, small molecule modulator that targets a yet undisclosed protein which serves as a transcriptional regulator of intestinal barrier function. Based on preclinical data, the compound appears to represent a novel and paradigm-shifting approach to the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases by potentially restoring intestinal barrier function while maintaining immunocompetency. Immunic's Australian subsidiary, Immunic Australia Pty, received clearance from the Bellberry Human Research Ethics Committee in Australia to begin a phase 1 trial of IMU-856 under the Clinical Trial Notification, or CTN, scheme of the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. The phase 1 clinical program includes single and multiple ascending dose parts in healthy volunteers. Subsequently, Immunic also plans to extend this program to assess biomarker, safety and drug trough levels in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

06:17 EDT 111, Inc. announces new capital injection and expansion plan to Chinese markets - Completion of new capital injection in principal subsidiary Yao Fang Shanghai Initiation to list shares of principal subsidiary Yao Fang Shanghai on the STAR Market 111 firmly committed to maintaining Nasdaq listing status 111 has completed new capital injection in its principal subsidiary and a strategic plan to expand its access to China's capital markets. Yao Fang Information Shanghai, the principal operating subsidiary of 111 in China, completed the capital injection from new investors for an aggregate of RMB419.82M, approximately $60.49M, of which RMB24.44M or approximately $3.52M, was from the management team, at a pre-money valuation of $1.2B. In addition to the new capital injection, 111 will seek to list the shares of Yao Fang Shanghai on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's Sci-Tech innovAtion boaRd, or "STAR Market", within the next three years, subject to regulatory approvals and market conditions. The company's plan to list Yao Fang Shanghai shares on the STAR Market is for the purpose of accessing a new source of growth capital in China, raising the company's profile with Chinese investors and potential customers, and strengthening its leading digital healthcare platform in China. In the event that Yao Fang Shanghai's proposed listing is not completed in three years, the investors may choose to exercise their option to require Yao Fang Shanghai or its controlling shareholder Yao Wang, a wholly-owned subsidiary of 111, to redeem all or part of the equity interests then owned by such investors at a price equal to the initial investment amount plus accrued interest at a simple annual rate of 6%.

06:13 EDT CytoDyn: UK's MHRA accepts request to enroll for Phase 3 COVID-19 trial - CytoDyn announced the Clinical Trials Unit of the Medicines & Healthcare product Regulatory Agency of the U.K. government authorized the company to enroll for its ongoing Phase 3 COVID-19 trial for severe-to-critical patients in the United Kingdom. The MHRA's decision follows several months of its review of CytoDyn's manufacturing processes and leronlimab's safety profile.

06:09 EDT TechnipFMC wins contract for subsea project in offshore Brazil - TechnipFMC has been awarded a large contract - between $500M and $1B - for Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation through a competitive contracting process, by Petrobras, the leader and operator of the Libra Consortium, which was formed by Petrobras, Shell Brasil, Total, CNPC, CNOOC and Pre-sal Petroleo or PPSA, for the pre-salt Mero field, located in the Santos Basin, Brazil, at 2,100 meters deep. The contract covers engineering, procurement, construction, installation and pre-commissioning of the infield rigid riser and flowlines for production, including the water alternate gas wells. It also comprises the installation and pre-commissioning of service flexible lines and steel tube umbilicals, as well as towing and hook up of the FPSO. The offshore campaign is scheduled to start in 2022.

06:09 EDT Elbit Systems subsidiary selected for ventilator evaluation for COVID-19 - KMC Systems, a New Hampshire-based subsidiary of Elbit Systems, has been selected by members of the Department of Defense - Defense Health Agency, United States Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, and the Wright Brothers Institute to support the development and industrialization of ventilator designs to help combat COVID-19. Five matured ventilator designs were selected under the Vulcan-5 Ventilator Project, and KMC is currently assessing those designs for manufacturability, while confirming the availability of components. KMC was selected for this role due to its experience designing and manufacturing in a FDA-regulated environment. KMC has recently finished the assessment of an emergency ventilator prototype developed by a team from the U.S. Navy at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division. Under the Vulcan-5 Ventilator Project, affordable designs for ventilators were sought that could resuscitate the damaged lung of a patient battling COVID-19. The project's goal is to ensure ventilators are available during spikes of COVID-19 cases, where patients' lungs need assistance breathing and ventilators may be in short supply. The Vulcan-5 Ventilator Project is sponsored by the U.S. Special Operations Command through the use of the Vulcan Innovation platform to accelerate the delivery of innovative solutions in the national security enterprise. The Wright Brothers Institute is managing the funding provided by the U.S. government and coordinating with those participants that submitted the five selected ventilator designs.

06:07 EDT Centogene, Evotec expand collaboration related to Gaucher disease - Centogene and Evotec announced that the two companies have expanded their existing drug discovery partnership related to Gaucher disease - a genetic lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene. The parties intend to develop a treatment for Gaucher patients. Under the terms of the expanded agreement, Centogene and Evotec will work together to research, discover, and develop medical solutions for rare diseases related to the protein target glucocerebrosidase, a well-known gene linked to Gaucher disease. The collaboration brings together Evotec's leading induced pluripotent stem cell platform and broad drug discovery and development capabilities with Centogene's global proprietary rare disease platform, including insights as well as iPSC lines. Ultimately, the aim is to address the needs of this orphan drug indication. The collaboration builds on the partnership Evotec and Centogene entered in 2018 with the goal to discover and develop novel small molecules in rare hereditary metabolic diseases.

06:07 EDT L Brands expects to close 30-50 Bath & Body Works stores for FY20 - L Brands is projecting approximately 55 real estate projects for 2020 for Bath & Body Works and plans to open approximately 27 new stores. It anticipates about 30-50 closures for the full year 2020. L Brands is on track to close approximately 250 Victoria's Secret stores in 2020.

06:05 EDT AirNet Technology announces aggregate capital increase of RMB30M - AirNet Technology announced that Dragonpass, an independent third party, entered into a capital increase agreement with relevant parties to subscribe for 1.61% of the equity interests in one of the company's subsidiaries providing media contents on airplanes for a consideration of RMB10M. The agreement further stated that the committed subscription of equity would be the initial installment of an intended aggregate investment of RMB30M, of which the terms of the next installment of RMB20M would be pending for further negotiations.

06:04 EDT Amazon.com 'supports' investigation of four NY defendants in fraud scheme - The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York brought charges against four individuals for wire fraud and money laundering. Amazon supported this lengthy investigation and the four defendants were arrested this morning. "Amazon is grateful to have worked with the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the Department of Homeland Security, and Homeland Security Investigations on their vigorous prosecution of these individuals," said Cristina Posa, Associate General Counsel and Director of the Amazon Counterfeit Crimes Unit. "While our proactive controls ensure the vast majority of sellers in our store are honest entrepreneurs, fraudsters attempt to violate our policies, victimize our customers, and damage our store, and we look forward to working with law enforcement agencies to hold these bad actors accountable for their illegal activities."

05:58 EDT Titan International says 'no shared staff or facilities with Goodyear Tire' - Titan International (TWI) is responding after Wednesday's reports focused on Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's (GT) alleged diversity training document that gained nationwide attention. "Wednesday morning, we learned of the news being shared about Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's reported diversity training and felt it was important to make clear that Titan is in no way connected to the training in question," said Titan CEO, Paul Reitz. "While Titan has licensing rights to design, produce and sell the Goodyear Farm Tires brand, we are an entirely separate publicly held entity under separate management and have no shared staff or facilities with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company."